Destination
Type of Activity
Editors Pick
Read MoreBacaro Lounge
Owned by the Bennetton family, Bacaro sits above the Mondadori bookstore. To Americans this lounge upstairs from the city’s chicest shopping street almost looks like a café in a mall, but to Venetians who live with centuries old palazzos, its...
Read MoreBottega del Tintoretto
In a building right next to Tintoretto’s former house in the Cannaregio district, a collective of artists has opened its print shop to offer workspace and classes. The cavernous studio features antique presses and artists at work. Puppets hang from...
Read MoreCa’ Rezzonico
Don’t miss Venice’s museum (and the former house of Robert Browning) dedicated to the 18th century. This palazzo, which took twenty years to restore before it reopened, in 2001, contains a wonderful selection of art and furniture. It’s often compared...
Read MoreChurch of San Zaccaria
Art and architecture buffs should not miss this often-overlooked church, which holds the oldest tombs of Doges. A stunning altarpiece by Bellini is the highlight here. Writes historian Theodore K. Rabb, in City Secrets Florence & Venice: “It was one...
Read MoreClock Tower (Campanile)
The gorgeous zodiac clock, officially known as the Moors’ Clock Tower, crowns the arch leading from Piazza San Marco into the shopping streets that wend toward the Rialto bridge and the heart of the city’s commerce. Climbing up into the...
Read MoreCollezione Peggy Guggenheim
Peggy Guggenheim’s incredible collection, which includes major works by Picasso, Pollock, Kandinsky and Ernst, is on view at her former home: the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni. The wealthy American eccentric, who reportedly loved to sunbathe nude on her terrace and...
Courtesy of Andreas TilleRead MoreDoge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale)
This pastel-colored palace, at San Marco Square facing the Giudecca Canal, is one of Venice’s most iconic buildings. The home of the Doge of Venice, it exudes history and intrigue. If you book a "Secret Itineraries” tour, you can skip...
The Fondaco dei Tedeschi sits on the Grand Canal, right near the Rialto Bridge.Read MoreFondaco dei Tedeschi
There’s absolutely no shopping reason to come to this multi-level, DFS-run mall, which opened in the restored Fondaco dei Tedeschi, opened in 2018. However, the rooftop terrace offers incredible views over the Grand Canal, so it’s worth a quick picture...
Read MoreFondazione Giorgio Cini
Located on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, across the Canal from San Marco and next to Giudecca Island, this foundation is housed in a former Benedictine convent. Part of the treasures are a remarkable replica of Veronese’s Nozze di...
Read MoreFondazione Vedova
This cool museum is mostly devoted to the works of Italian painter Emilio Vedova (a native Venetian). Housed in a warehouse on the Zattere quay, where the abstract expressionist artist lived with his wife, Annabianca, for many years, the foundation...
Read MoreGalleria Giorgio Franchetti alla Ca’ d’Oro
The National Museum of the Ca’ d’Oro (Galleria Giorgio Franchetti alla Ca' d'Oro) sits along the Grand Canal in Venice and is one of the most prestigious late gothic palaces in the city. The Ca’ d’Oro currently belongs to the...
Read MoreGallerie dell’Accademia
Yes, it’s almost always crowded, but you should still go to see the finest collection of Venetian paintings in the world, including works by Bellini, Titian, Tintoretto and Carpaccio.
Read MoreGondola
I have to admit that it took a good ten years for me to be convinced to hop into a gondola, which I always considered a tourist gimmick. Then one hot afternoon with two kids in tow, I became an...
Courtesy of Didier DescouensRead MoreIl Redentore
Palladio designed this beautiful church in Guideca, thought to be his magnum opus, in 1577. It has wonderful gardens in back. It’s a short walk from the hotel Villa F.
Read MoreIndagare Tours: Venetian Rowing Lesson
Explore Venice with an entirely new perspective during an hour-and-a-half gondola rowing lesson through the city’s famous canals. During the tutorial, which can be extended to include an onboard food and wine sampling, you will learn the voga alla Veneta,...
Read MoreIsland: San Michele
Located to the north, a five-minute vaporetto ride from the Fondamente Nuove, the island of San Michele is where Venetians are laid to rest. But if you think wandering around a cemetery is morbid, think again. From the distance, the...
Read MoreIsland: Torcello
Roughly an hour’s water taxi ride north of Venice, this rural island is well worth the trip. The vaporetto drops you on the south side of Torcello, where you find yourself on a path leading to Venice’s first cathedral, Santa...
Read MoreIslands Overview: Murano, Burano, Torcello
Famous Murano and Burano and lesser-known Torcello can all be visited in one afternoon. Burano is famous for its colorful houses and a good lunch spot Il Gatto Nero (Via Giudecce 88). Torcello, a 45-minute vaporetto ride from central Venice,...
Read MoreLa Fenice
Who has not wanted to pull up for a night at the theater in a gondola? La Fenice hosts opera and music performances throughout the year. Ask you concierge to book the tickets and read The City of Falling Angels...
Read MoreMadonna dell’Orto
When you’re in the charming Cannaregio neighborhood, visit the church that houses Tintoretto’s colossal paintings The Adoration of the Golden Calf, The Last Judgment and The Virtues (1562–64), which hang in the presbytery.
Read MoreMarciana Library
While most tourists flock to see the façade of the famous basilica on St. Marks Square, few realize that you can visit the Sansovino-designed Marciana Library inside, which lies across the square. It has gorgeous interiors and a spectacular collection...
Read MoreMaster Mosaics
The famous Orsoni foundry offers Living the Venice Workshop: History, Theory and Application of Mosaic Art. Classes range from three-day introductory workshops to two-week classes in mosaic portraiture and micro-mosaics. With a limit of five or six students, the programs...
Read MoreMuseo Correr
The special exhibits at the Correr museum are always worth seeing. Past exhibitions have included shows such as “Sargent and Venice.” An American painter born in Florence in 1856, John Singer Sargent was drawn to Venice, whose people and landscapes...
Read MoreMuseo Fortuny
Housed in one of the palaces of the Pesaro family (patrons of Bellini and Titian) and showcasing the rich textiles of Mariano Fortuny. Wrote the late historian Rona Goffen in City Secrets: Florence & Venice: “Mariano Fortuny was the textile...
Read MoreNeighborhood Walk: Cannaregio
Neglected by many visitors, this sestiere is home to the old ghetto: in the 16th century, a government edict confined Venice’s Jews to this neighborhood, and the many Renaissance and Baroque buildings that were constructed to accommodate the quarter’s growing...
Read MorePalazzo Grassi
The last palazzo to be erected in Venice before the fall of the Republic, in the late 18th century, the Grassi now hosts exhibitions drawn mainly from the vast contemporary-art collection that French businessman François Pinault assembled over more than...
Photo by Kathryn Nathanson. Courtesy IndagareRead MorePalazzo Grimani
Palazzo Grimani dates back to the Middle Ages and stands along the Santa Maria Formosa and the San Severo canals in Venice. It was built in the Byzantine and Gothic style typical of Venice in that period.
Read MorePiazza San Marco
Vibrant, buzzing Piazza San Marco is Venice's uncontested heart. First-timers have to start their exploring here, and many return visitors come to ride the elevator up San Marco Basilica's clock tower (campanile) for a great city perspective. Art aficionados stop...
Read MorePunta della Dogana
The stunning contemporary art museum, which opened in 2009 to coincide with the Venice Biennale, showcases the blue-chip collection of French collector Francois Pinault. Whether you love or loathe Pinault’s gathering of greatest hits (Hirst, Sherman, Koons, Murakami etc), the...
Read MoreSan Giorgio Maggiore
It's worth making the time to explore Andrea Palladio’s church, which is located on the Giudecca. Visitors can take an elevator to the top of the clock tower for the city’s best views (better even than from San Marco).
Read MoreSan Gregorio Art Gallery
This artist collective in the Dorsoduro has an interesting roster of young talent and features often-changing exhibitions.
Read MoreSan Zan Degolà
The fresco work found in Venice’s palazzi and churches is famous. A great place to see some of the oldest, most beautiful examples is the church of San Zan Degolà (Saint John the Baptist Beheaded). Writes historian Thomas F. Madden in...
Read MoreSant’Apollonia Cloister
This Romanesque cloister dates from the 12th century and, even though it’s close to San Marco, it’s peaceful and quiet make it feel world’s away. After a visit, you can also stroll to the nearby church of San Zaccaria.
Read MoreSanta Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
Venice’s second-most important church (after Basilica San Marco) is Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. Titian’s magnificent Assumption is the crowd-pleaser, but don’t miss works by Donatello and Belllini and the crypt of composer Monteverdi. The church is located in San...
Read MoreScuola Grande dei Carmini
Among Venice’s least visited monuments, the Scuola was built in 1670 and has an extraordinary series of ceilings by Giambattista Tiepolo, one of the city’s best-loved sons. Across the street is the Chiesa del Carmini, which is richly decorated and...
Read MoreScuola Grande di San Marco
Renaissance fans ought to check out this magnificent building, in the Castello district. From 2000 to 2004, Save Venice (www.savevenice.org), a United States–based nonprofit organization, spearheaded the restoration of the structure’s intricate façade, which is adorned with pillars and statues.
Read MoreScuola Grande di San Rocco
Across the Campo dei Frari from Frari, visit the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, the most famous of Venice’s six scuole grandi (confraternity institutions). The exquisite ceiling was done by Tintoretto; the scuola also features paintings by Titian, Tiepolo, Bellini...
Read MoreThe Lido
Facing the Adriatic Sea, the Lido is Venice’s historic seaside resort and home to the Venice Film Festival. It’s best explored by bike, which you can rent at Venice Bike Rental (Gran Viale Santa Maria Elisabetta 79/A). For the most...
,,Read MoreTop Family Activities
Venice is great for older children (there’s lots of walking and the layout is not stroller-friendly, making it more difficult for families with toddlers). The food is kid-friendly—pizza, pasta, gelato—and the city offers many fun activities, ranging from jewelry making...
Read MoreVenice Jazz Club
Come for nightly jazz appearances by visiting musicians and singers or concerts by the Venice Jazz Club (VCJ) quartet and their special guests in a club near the Ca’ Rezzonico. They often do performances based on playing tribute to greats...
Read MoreVenice Treasure Hunt
Save Venice, a United States–based nonprofit organization dedicated to restoration and conservation, has compiled a fabulous booklet of treasure hunts through the six neighborhoods, which is a must if you’re traveling with kids. Writes the former director of Save Venice,...
