Classic Venice

You can easily arrange entry to Basilica di San Marco and Palazzo Ducale on your own with a bit of advance planning.

But if convenience is your priority — and you’re planning to visit both anyway — a combined guided tour might be the way to go.

It typically lasts around 3 hours and also includes access to Museo Correr, though that part is self-guided.

Besides Piazza San Marco, there’s one other landmark that’s just as iconic: Rialto Bridge.

It was the first bridge to span the Canal Grande, and for centuries, the only one. The structure you see today isn’t the original bridge, but the fourth iteration: a single-arch stone bridge, bold for its time, completed in 1591.

We recommend viewing the bridge from the sunlit Riva del Vin — ideally at different times of day. At night, it’s pure magic; in the early morning, you might just have it all to yourself.

Cross the bridge on foot and don’t miss crossing beneath it by water, too!

It's the perfect moment for something else that’s unmistakably Venetian: hopping into a gondola and gliding beneath the arch.

Riding a gondola is on many people's bucket lists, and it’s truly as unique to Venice as it gets.

A 30-minute gondola ride has a fixed price set by the city: €90 during the day and €110 in the evening or at night.

This price is per boat, not per person, and each gondola can carry up to 5 passengers.

Just keep in mind: payment is cash only.

Traveling solo or without cash?

Shared gondola rides can be booked online for a more budget-friendly option.

If a private gondola feels a bit too pricey, there’s a great budget-friendly alternative: the traghetto.

For just €2, these larger gondolas — rowed by two oarsmen — ferry passengers across the Grand Canal at designated crossing points.

It’s a short but scenic ride, and if the boat’s not too full, you might even stand — just as tradition once called for.

In a city built on water, canals take the place of streets — and Canal Grande is Venice’s 'main street'.

Only here can you admire some of the world’s most exquisite palaces and architecture while gliding past a lively mix of boats.

The most scenic stretch runs between the San Marco basin and Rialto Bridge, though continuing beyond Rialto still rewards you with stunning facades like Ca' d'Oro.

The easiest way to cruise the canal is by hopping on water bus Line 1, but shared and private boat tours offer a different perspective and often add something special to the experience.

Just a short water bus ride from Venice, the island of Murano is the place to discover the city’s glassmaking heritage — from fiery glassblowing to intricate artistry and souvenir shopping right at the source.

Murano is best explored as part of a day trip with the other two famous islands of the northern lagoon — Burano and Torcello — which we’ll introduce in the next layer of your Venice odyssey.