Two days is enough to see Venice's greatest icons without racing between them. This plan spends day one in the grand civic heart around St. Mark's Square, then day two exploring the quieter art-filled streets of Dorsoduro and the Rialto markets.
Two days is enough to see Venice's greatest icons without racing between them. This plan spends day one in the grand civic heart around St. Mark's Square, then day two exploring the quieter art-filled streets of Dorsoduro and the Rialto markets.
Begin early at St. Mark's Square before the crowds arrive, stepping into St. Mark's Basilica to see its golden mosaics. Next door, tour the Doge's Palace, then climb the Campanile di San Marco for a rooftop view over the lagoon. Cross the nearby Bridge of Sighs on your way out, and consider the Doge's Palace Secret Itineraries Tour if you want a closer look at the old prisons and hidden passageways. In the afternoon, wander toward the Rialto Bridge, browsing the market stalls along the Grand Canal before an early dinner nearby.
Devote the morning to the Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice's essential collection of pre-19th-century painting, then spend an hour at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection for its modern art housed in a canalside palazzo. Continue through the Dorsoduro District, stopping at the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari to see Titian's altarpiece, and the Scuola Grande di San Rocco next door for its Tintoretto cycles. If time allows before dinner, detour into the Castello District & Arsenal or the Cannaregio District for a quieter, more local side of the city.