Venice, by the water
Cicchetti bars, quiet canals, and the great sights, taken at a wander.
Venice rewards the slow and the curious. This is a few days of cicchetti and wine by the glass, the basilica and the painting, and long wanders through the back canals, with a boat out to the lagoon when the city center fills up.
Venice is a city you navigate by getting lost.
There are no cars, the streets stop at the water, and the map gives up a few turns in. The trick is to stop fighting it. Follow the canal, cross the next bridge, and let the dead ends and sudden squares be the point.
Come with people who will happily wander for an hour to find one good bar. In Venice, that is most of the fun.
Where to eat
A bacaro crawl of cicchetti, one serious seafood dinner, and gelato in between.
Cantine del Vino già Schiavi
Best for A classic cicchetti stop
A canalside bacaro where the cicchetti are built fresh all day and eaten standing with a small glass of wine. Come mid-morning or before dinner, point at what looks good behind the glass, and pay a couple of euros at a time.
Bar All'Arco
Best for Cicchetti by the market
A tiny counter near the Rialto market that many regulars rank first for cicchetti. There are no tables to speak of, so order a few, take your glass to the street, and go back for more of whatever you liked best.
Ostaria dai Zemei
Best for A creative bacaro
A small, friendly spot run by twin brothers, turning out inventive cicchetti and good wines by the glass. A reliable second or third stop on a bacaro crawl when you want a seat for a minute.
Osteria alle Testiere
Best for A serious seafood dinner
A handful of tables and a daily menu driven by what came in from the lagoon that morning. Book well ahead, trust the fish, and let the kitchen send what is best. This is the sit-down dinner of the trip.
Trattoria Antiche Carampane
Best for Lagoon classics
A family-run trattoria hidden in the lanes behind the market, known for spider crab and fried fish done right. Famously hard to find on purpose, so put it in your map and book a day or two out.
What to see
The basilica, the palace, and the painting, paced so nobody burns out.
Saint Mark's Basilica
Best for Byzantine mosaics
A cathedral sheathed in golden mosaics, built over centuries from the spoils of the sea. Book a timed entry to skip the line, go early or late for the light on the gold, and pay the small fee to see the Pala d'Oro up close.
Doge's Palace
Best for The republic's history
The seat of the old republic, all gilded chambers and the Bridge of Sighs. Buy the combined ticket online, and if the group is up for it, the Secret Itineraries tour through the back passages is the better visit.
Gallerie dell'Accademia
Best for Venetian masters
The great hall of Venetian painting, Bellini and Titian and Tintoretto in one place. A calm couple of hours and rarely as crowded as the square outside, especially first thing in the morning.
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Best for Modern art by the canal
Modern art in Peggy Guggenheim's own canal-side home, with a sculpture garden and a terrace on the Grand Canal. A bright change of pace from all the gold and marble, and a lovely spot for a slow look.
Scuola Grande di San Rocco
Best for Tintoretto in full
A hall covered floor to ceiling in Tintorettos, with mirrors provided so you do not crick your neck at the ceiling. Quieter than the big sights and genuinely jaw-dropping when you have the room mostly to yourself.
Basilica Santa Maria della Salute
Best for The landmark dome
The great domed church at the mouth of the Grand Canal, the one in every Venice photo. Free to enter, with Titians in the sacristy, and the steps outside are a fine place to sit and watch the boats.
Where to wander
The market, the bridge, and a lagoon island, best on foot and by boat.
Rialto Market
Best for An early morning wander
The morning fish and produce market that has fed the city for centuries. Get there early, before it winds down around midday, and watch the restaurant cooks haggle over the day's catch.
Ponte di Rialto
Best for The Grand Canal view
The oldest bridge across the Grand Canal, lined with shops and always busy. Cross it once for the view, then come back at dawn when the crowds are gone and the light is soft on the water.
Libreria Acqua Alta
Best for A quirky detour
A bookshop that keeps its stock in bathtubs and a gondola against the floods, with a staircase of old books out the back. Touristy and charming in equal measure, and worth ducking into between sights.
Burano
Best for A half-day escape
A lagoon island of candy-colored fishermen's houses and old lace shops, about forty minutes out by vaporetto. Go for the morning, have lunch, and let the day slow right down away from the crowds.
Where to slow down
A gondola yard and the oldest cafe in the world.
Squero di San Trovaso
Best for A glimpse of old craft
One of the last working gondola yards, best seen from across the little canal where you can watch the boats being built and repaired. A quiet, very Venetian few minutes most visitors walk straight past.
Caffè Florian
Best for A grand, slow coffee
The oldest cafe in the world, on Piazza San Marco since 1720, with an orchestra and a famous surcharge. Splurge on one coffee, sit in the square as the light goes, and call it the price of the view.
Plan your Venice, Italy trip with Varde.
Free for everyday trips. Every place in this guide can be added to your itinerary with a single tap.