Venice: the sights that are really worth it

There are lots of things to do in Venice – but not all of them are worth it. So here is our honest list: what we saw ourselves, how much time you should allow and what you can safely skip.

Venice has more sights than you can manage in a weekend, and many of them are crowded, expensive or both. We spent three days there at the beginning of May 2025. Our verdict: Venice is only exhausting if you go where everyone else goes. Here you’ll find the places that are worth it, with time needed and entrance fees, and the ones you can skip.

The top list at a glance

Prices are guide values (approx., as of 2026) and change frequently. Check them on each official website before you go. Distances are from Piazzale Roma, where most drivers arrive.

What is really worth it

1. The Grand Canal on vaporetto line 1

Line 1 stops at almost every station and runs the full length of the Grand Canal, past palazzi, the Rialto and the Salute. It’s the best “sightseeing bus” in the world – for the price of a normal public transport ticket. A single trip costs about €9.50; a day pass pays off from three trips. If you grab a seat right at the front or the back, you don’t need a boat tour. It is best early in the morning or in the late afternoon, when it’s emptier.

2. Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari

At eleven in the morning we went into the Frari church instead of St Mark’s Square – and it was the right decision. While the groups crowd together there, at the Frari you stand almost alone in front of the great altarpieces. The church is huge, quiet and away from the main flows of people. Allow just under an hour.

Close by is the Scuola Grande di San Rocco with Tintoretto’s paintings. It’s appealing if you like art, but not necessary if you’re only planning one church visit. Mirrors for viewing the ceiling paintings are usually offered at the entrance.

3. Cannaregio and Castello on foot

This is where the Venetians eat, and where the city feels like a place people actually live: washing lines, small bridges, canals without crowds. You don’t need a plan – just start walking and leave the main routes. That is exactly where you’ll find the cicchetti bars: small bites for a few euros each, with a glass of wine or a spritz. We consistently chose cicchetti bars over restaurants with pictures on the menu. It was better, cheaper and more authentic.

4. St Mark’s Square, but at the right time

St Mark’s Square is impressive, but a crush around midday. We only went in the evening, when the orchestras play and the day-trippers are back on their ships. Then you can enjoy the square. Visiting costs nothing – only the coffee at the café tables is expensive (see below).

5. St Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace: yes, but with a plan

Both are among the most important buildings in the city. The basilica is worth seeing for its mosaics, the Doge’s Palace for its halls and the history of the Venetian Republic. The catch is the queue. Book time slots in advance – directly or via a guided tour – and go early in the day. Allow half a day for both together, and ask yourself honestly whether interiors appeal to you more than alleys and canals. With kids and a dog they are only partly suitable: dogs are usually not allowed in museums and churches.

6. Accademia or Peggy Guggenheim, depending on taste

The Gallerie dell’Accademia shows Venetian painting from the Middle Ages to the 18th century; the Peggy Guggenheim Collection shows modern art in a palazzo on the Grand Canal. You don’t have to see both. Pick one depending on whether you prefer old masters or modern art, and allow two hours for either.

7. The view from San Giorgio Maggiore

The view of St Mark’s Square and the Doge’s Palace from the island of San Giorgio Maggiore is calmer and often more beautiful than from the Campanile on St Mark’s Square itself. The crossing takes only a few minutes, and the church tower costs about €8. Best in clear weather in the late afternoon.

8. A traghetto instead of a gondola

Traghetti are simple gondolas that cross the Grand Canal at several points. A ticket costs about €2, and you ride standing up. We did this instead of a gondola ride: you don’t sit down, but you’re on the water for a few minutes like the locals, at a fraction of the price. There’s a stop at Ca’ d’Oro, for example.

9. The lagoon islands: Burano, Murano, Torcello

If you have an extra day, a trip to the islands is worth it. Burano is popular for its colourful houses but often overrun, Murano for its glass. Truly quiet is Torcello with its ancient basilica (entrance about €5). Set off early and you’ll have the islands almost to yourself. You can reach all three by vaporetto; depending on the route, allow about 40–60 minutes each way. For a guided trip or a boat tour, you can also book a tour:

What is overrated

• Gondola ride: the official rate is about €90 for 30 minutes – per gondola, not per person. On the big canals gondolas often queue up one after another, and some of the romance gets lost. If you really want to go, look for quieter side canals. We didn’t miss it.
• Coffee and spritz on St Mark’s Square: the cafés there charge high prices, often with a surcharge when a band is playing. Drink your coffee standing at a bar in one of the neighbourhoods instead.
• Bridge of Sighs: you usually only see it from outside and from within the crowd. A quick look is enough.
• Rialto Bridge at midday: it’s a must on the map, but packed with people. Cross it early in the morning or simply ride underneath it on the vaporetto.
• Restaurants with photos on the menu: mostly tourist menus that offer little for a lot of money.

A three-day route

A route that has proven itself and that we followed in a similar way:

• Day 1: arrival, vaporetto line 1 in the late afternoon, St Mark’s Square in the evening.
• Day 2: Cannaregio on foot early, then the Frari church (and San Rocco if you’re interested), cicchetti for lunch, Castello in the afternoon.
• Day 3: the Accademia or the Guggenheim depending on your mood, then an island trip or a quiet morning by the water.

More details on our trip – the room, parking and food – are in our story Venice without the tourist traps.

Practical tips: getting there, parking and costs

Driving from Austria

From Vienna it’s about six hours by car. You can’t drive into the historic centre, so the car stays at the edge. You can choose between the car park at Tronchetto (about €25 a day) and the multi-storey car park at Piazzale Roma, which is more expensive but right at the city. We took Piazzale Roma because our accommodation was right next to it. From the room with a roof terrace we looked over the bus stations to the rooftops and the lagoon, and the sunset over Marghera was the most beautiful light of the trip.

If you come by train, it takes you to Venezia Santa Lucia in the middle of the city, and you save on parking.

What three days for two cost us

These are our figures from May 2025. Prices for accommodation and parking vary a lot by season – budget more in high season.

Access fee for day-trippers

On certain days Venice charges an access fee for day visitors (about €5–10 depending on when you book, as of 2026). Overnight guests are generally exempt but may have to register. The exact rules and calendar dates are on the City of Venice’s official website.

Travelling with a dog

It worked without any problems for us: the vaporetto and most restaurants accept dogs. Note that museums and churches often don’t allow dogs, so alternate those visits. Rules on leads and muzzles apply on the vaporetti – check with the transport operator beforehand.

Safety and entry

On crowded vaporetti and in crowds, the same applies as everywhere in Italy: keep valuables close to your body. For current travel and entry advice for Italy, check your government’s official travel advice.

Typical mistakes

• Setting off too late: at seven the city belongs to you; at ten it belongs to the groups.
• Only St Mark’s Square and the Rialto: that’s where it’s most crowded. The most beautiful corners are off the beaten track.
• Buying single tickets: from three vaporetto trips a day, the day pass pays off.
• Cramming too much into one day: Venice is all walking, bridges and waiting. Two or three things a day are enough.
• Choosing food by location rather than quality: the closer to St Mark’s Square, the worse the value for money.

Things to do in Venice: our verdict

Skip the queues, take the vaporetto instead of a gondola, start early, go to St Mark’s Square in the evening and eat where the Venetians eat – then Venice is relaxed even with a child and a dog.

On the way back to Austria, Grado makes a good swimming stop in summer, a little over an hour’s drive from Venice.

Our verdict on things to do in Venice: plan less and take your time for the places you really like. It also pays to visit the most famous sights early in the morning or in the evening, because it is quieter then. You’ll find more places we have been to ourselves in our travel stories; general background on the city’s history is on Wikipedia.

Frequently asked questions

Last updated: 20 Oct 2026. Prices and rules change – please check with the official sources before you travel.