venice tourist assistance

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• ARCHIVIO NEWS/EVENTI
• LAVORA CON NOI

V.T.A. è stata fondata nel 1986. Le socie sono accompagnatrici e guide turistiche che hanno maturato una vasta esperienza grazie alla consolidata collaborazione dapprima con Venice Simplon Orient Express e poi con agenzie turistiche, tour operators, dmc, organizzazioni congressuali e con agenzie marittime e ground agents nella fornitura di servizi alle navi da crociera.

I NOSTRI SERVIZI

• CROCIERE:  Assistenza sbarco passeggeri di navi da crociera con personale esperto
• TRANSFERS:  Transfers con accompagnatori turistici autorizzati
• TOURS:  Tours classici e personalizzati per individuali e per gruppi a Venezia e sue zone limitrofe
• FIERE E CONGRESSI:  assistenti in attività fieristiche e congressuali
• GRUPPI INCENTIVE:  Assistenza partecipanti
• FESTE, EVENTI, INAUGURAZIONI:  Hostesses per assistenza, accoglienza ospiti

Lavora con noi!

Da sempre VTA si avvale della collaborazione di accompagnatori turistici in possesso di regolare licenza e di hostesses/stewards. Investe nella loro formazione perché possano maturare una vasta esperienza e quindi raggiungere un alto livello di professionalità.

• Santa Croce 1928 - 30135 Venezia
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• P.IVA 02822420275

• / Exemptions

Are you one of the exempt persons?

With the exception of the categories BORN and RESIDENTS in the Municipality of Venice, children under the age of 14, Disability Card holders and their accompanying caregivers and members of the Armed Forces and the Police, also exempt from the reservation obligation, people who fall into the EXEMPT category must compulsorily REGISTER without having to proceed with the payment of the Access Fee.

Request exemption by clicking here

LIST OF CATEGORIES EXEMPTED FROM PAYMENT OF THE ACCESS FEE

Categories for which no action is required: 

• Persons born in the Municipality of Venice;
• Residents in the Municipality of Venice;
• Children under the age of 14;

In case of a check, it will only be necessary to show an Identity Document.

• Disability Card holders and their accompanying caregivers.

In case of a check, it will only be necessary to show the Disability Card. 

• Members of the Armed Forces and the Police Forces (including the Fire Brigade) who access the Ancient City for service needs.

In case of a check, it will only be necessary to show the specific service card.

Non-paying categories but which must apply for exemption (according to art. 4, paragraph 3-bis of Legislative Decree no. 23 of 14 March 2011):

• Workers, including commuters: - Employees, who work, continuously or even temporarily, in the Ancient City of the Municipality of Venice or in the other minor islands of the lagoon. - Self-employed persons or entrepreneurs, who have their business office or domicile in the Ancient City of the Municipality of Venice or in the other minor islands of the lagoon. - Employees or self-employed persons and entrepreneurs who access, for their work, the Ancient City of the Municipality of Venice or the other minor islands of the lagoon;
• Students, including commuters, of schools of any level, of university and post-graduate institutes that are based in the Ancient City of the Municipality of Venice or in the other minor islands of the lagoon;
• Persons and members of the households of persons who have paid the IMU (property tax) in the Municipality of Venice.

Additional non-paying categories that must apply for exemption:

• Persons staying in the accommodation facilities referred to in Article 2 of the Venice City Council's Tourist Tax Regulations, located within the municipal territory and providing temporary paid accommodation for any reason, insofar as they are subject to the tourist tax referred to in Article 4, paragraph 1 of Legislative Decree no. 23 of 14 March 2011; this exemption is recognised from the day of arrival to the day of departure at the accommodation;
• Residents registered in the temporary population register referred to in Article 32 of Presidential Decree No. 223 of May 30, 1989;
• Residents in the metropolitan city of Venice;
• Residents in the Veneto Region;
• Persons with disabilities, whose condition is certified in accordance with the Italian legislation in force pursuant to Article 3, paragraph 3 of Law no. 104 of February 5, 1992 or similar foreign legislation, and any accompanying person, If not the holder of a Disability Card.
• Persons undergoing treatment or who have to undergo a medical examination at health facilities located in the ancient city of the Municipality of Venice and in the other minor islands of the lagoon;
• Persons assisting or accompanying patients at health facilities located in the Ancient City of the Municipality of Venice and in the other minor islands of the lagoon;
• Persons accessing the Ancient City of the Municipality of Venice and the other minor islands of the lagoon in order to participate in sports competitions recognised by CONI, its Federations, or Sports Promotion Bodies;
• Persons accessing the Ancient City of the Municipality of Venice and the other minor islands of the lagoon, by means of LPT lines specifically operated for the exclusive transport to the sports venue, in order to attend the relevant sports competition;
• Public administrators and public authorities travelling to the Ancient City of the Municipality of Venice and the other minor islands of the lagoon for institutional reasons;
• Volunteers who serve in the Ancient City of the Municipality of Venice and in the other minor islands of the lagoon, on the occasion of events and/or shows organised or sponsored by the municipal administration and in those organised by the Metropolitan City of Venice and the Veneto Region, as identified by a resolution of the Municipal Council;
• Volunteers serving in the Ancient City of Venice and other smaller islands in the lagoon in case of emergencies;
• Tenants and their household members, of a property located in the Municipality of Venice, provided that they have a lease for non-tourist use;
• People visiting prisons or detention centers in the ancient city of the Municipality of Venice;
• Spouse, civil partner, cohabiting partner as declared pursuant to art. 1, par. 37, of Law no. 76 of May 20, 2016, relatives or relatives-in-law up to the 3rd degree of kin of residents in the Ancient City of the Municipality of Venice or in the smaller islands of the lagoon;
• Spouse, civil partner, cohabiting partner as declared pursuant to Article 1, paragraph 37 of Law no. 76 of May 20, 2016, relatives or relatives-in-law up to the 3rd degree of kinship of the deceased, attending a funeral in the Ancient City of the Municipality of Venice or in the smaller islands of the lagoon;
• Spouse, civil partner, cohabiting partner as declared pursuant to art. 1, par. 37, of Law no. 76 of May 20, 2016, relatives or relatives-in-law up to the 3rd degree of kin visiting subjects hosted in social-health facilities located in the Ancient City of the Municipality of Venice or in the smaller islands of the lagoon;
• Parties and persons summoned for reasons of justice or other reasons of public interest to public or judicial offices located in the Ancient City of the Municipality of Venice and in the other minor islands of the lagoon;
• Persons who exclusively access the areas of Ponte della Libertà, P.le Roma, Stazione Marittima and Isola Nova del Tronchetto, limited to the time they remain there;
• Persons visiting persons residing in the Old City or the smaller islands or persons registered in the temporary population register with residence in the Ancient City or the smaller islands;
• Any other accesses of a temporary nature provided they are not for tourism purposes, authorised by resolution of the Municipal Council;
• Upper secondary school students on an educational trip or visit;
• Subjects who must go to the Municipality of Venice to participate in electoral or referendum consultations.

Book your exemption

Not part of these categories.

If you do not fall within the cases listed on this page , you will have to book your visit and pay the Access Fee .

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Venezia is made of unique stories , stories you have to know , see and hear . We try to tell them, we try to enclose in our videos that Venetian essence in order to transmit it to as many people as possible.

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VENICE ACCESS FEE: ALL THE USEFUL INFORMATION

Starting in 2024, the City of Venice has decided to charge an “Access Fee” to visitors who do not stay overnight in the city , in the amount of 5 euros per day . There are no reductions and the administrative fine ranges from 50 euros to 300 euros. The Access Fee is NOT due from 4 p.m. to 8:30 a.m., and visitors who stay overnight in an accommodation facility in the City of Venice are exempt from payment.

People born and/or residing in the Municipality of Venice , children under the age of 14 and holders of the European Disability Card and their accompanying person do not need to pay the fee or apply for the exemption .

On an experimental basis, on the following dates in 2024 , visitors to Venice will be required to show a QR code certifying that they have paid the Access Fee, or obtained an exemption :

APRIL 2024 : 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30; MAY 2024 : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26; JUNE 2024 : 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30; JULY 2024 : 6, 7, 13, and 14.

WHO HAS TO PAY THE ACCESS FEE

The tax will have to be paid by occasional visitors, on some specific days in 2024 , in order to access the Historic Center of Venice (Minor Islands of the Venice Lagoon excluded).

For the year 2024, the Access Fee will NOT be applied to the Minor Islands of the Venice Lagoon (Lido di Venezia, Pellestrina, Murano, Burano, Torcello, Sant’Erasmo, Mazzorbo, Mazzorbetto, Vignole, S. Andrea, La Certosa, S. Servolo, S. Clemente, Poveglia, Sacca Sessola).

IF YOU VISIT VENICE IN THE DAY (on one of the dates indicated)

Reservation and payment should be made at cda.ve.it . In the “Day visitor” section, indicate the date of the visit and the data of the visitors (multiple visitors can be entered). After paying the fee you will receive nominal digital QR codes to be shown in case of control. In addition, alternative to the website cda.ve.it , you can purchase the Venice access fee in advance in all of the more than 30,000 PuntoLis tobacconists in Italy .

WHO DOES NOT HAVE TO PAY THE ACCESS FEE

All visitors staying in accommodations located in the City of Venice are exempt from payment and must therefore apply for the exemption.

IF YOU STAY IN VENICE (on one of the dates indicated)

Visitors must register their presence on the cda.ve.it website in the “Exempt from payment” section. After selecting “I am a guest in an accommodation facility located in the Municipality of Venice” and “Request exemption,” you enter your arrival and departure dates, personal data (you can enter more than one visitor), name and address of the facility where you are staying. At the end of the procedure you will receive nominal digital QR codes (exemption vouchers) to be shown in case of checks. Host accommodations will be happy to assist guests with registration. The exemption is recognized from the day of arrival to the day of departure at the accommodation facility. Minors under the age of 14 are exempt from payment and reservation: in case of control, it will be necessary to show an identity document. European Disability Card holders and their companion are exempt from payment and reservation: in case of control, it will be necessary to show the Disability Card. For the full list of exemptions see: cda.veneziaunica.it

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT

For further information on access fee and exemptions: www.cda.ve,it – telephone information service of the City of Venice “Dime”: +39 041041 – in case you are staying overnight in Venice, the accommodation staff

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Venice Has Begun Charging an Access Fee to Try to Curb ‘Hit-and-Run’ Tourists

V enice, the historic Italian city known for its canals, would like to draw a balance between its residents who live there and help to keep the place running and its visitors, an important source of economic revenue but increasingly also a burden on social services and the livability of the city.

In recent years, the balance has shifted: in the 1970s, Venice had some 175,000 residents; as of last year , its population dipped below 50,000—and the number of tourist beds outnumbered residents for the first time. Venice attracts about 20 million visitors annually, many of whom are referred to as “ hit-and-run ” tourists since they don’t even stay overnight but rather swing by for a few hours just to see the top attractions.

Venetian authorities have long discussed measures to counteract overtourism, and on Thursday, the municipal government rolled out a new experimental scheme to charge daytrippers a fee to access the city center.

Mayor Luigi Brugnaro insists the access fee isn’t meant to generate revenue but rather to “ decongest ” the city. At a modest cost of €5 (a little over $5 depending on exchange rates) per person per day, the measure is intended to curb but not entirely cut out foreign foot traffic. “The objective is not to close the city, but not let it explode,” Brugnaro said at a press conference in February.

For now, the access fee only applies on 29 peak travel days—mostly weekends—from April 25 to July 14. The fee is payable online through the city website.

The access fee is applicable to visitors between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. of Venice’s historic center but not its smaller outer islands. Overnight visitors who pay a tourist tax, which was introduced in 2011 , included in their accommodation fees are exempt from the access fee, as are residents, commuters, students, and children under 14.

While initial talks of an access fee included the potential for turnstiles , the system as implemented will be enforced instead through random checks by security personnel. Payers of the access fee will receive a QR code they can present, while certain exempt categories can present their IDs and others can apply for an exemption QR code. Fines for not paying the access fee will range from €50 to €300 .

The fee has been met with some criticism: a former mayor called it “ pure madness, completely illegitimate and unconstitutional .” But Brugnaro stands by the move. “We have a duty to preserve these great historic centers of the world,” he told reporters earlier this month , adding that if the experimental scheme, which he admits can be improved as its outcomes are observed, succeeds, it could become a model for other cities around the world.

“The phenomenon of mass tourism poses a challenge for all Europe’s tourist cities,” Simone Venturini, a member of the Venetian city council responsible for tourism and economic development, told Reuters . “But being smaller and more fragile, [Venice] is even more impacted by this phenomenon and is therefore taking action earlier than others to try to find solutions,” he said, adding that the fee could even be increased at different times of the year  to discourage arrivals.

The access fee is just the latest of a number of recent schemes Venice authorities have implemented to lessen the impacts overtourism has wrought. In 2021, the city banned large cruise ships from entering inner waterways, and earlier this year , it imposed a 25-person cap on tour groups and a ban on loudspeakers in the city’s historic center.

Venice and its lagoon was first designated as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) world heritage site in 1987, but the U.N. agency last year considered putting it on its list of world heritage sites in danger, as the city reels from the effects of climate change and mass tourism.

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Carlo DeSando

Wonderful Time in Italy We were covered from the moment we landed in Rome. The drivers were great, the connections were flawless, and it was well-planned a...

Venice has been depicted and described so often that on arriving in the city you might have the slightly anticlimactic feeling that everything looks exactly as expected. The Canal Grande’s water-lapped palaces are indeed as picturesque as the coffee-table books made them out to be, Piazza San Marco is as perfect as a film set, and the panorama from the Palazzo Ducale is more or less as Canaletto painted it. Any sense of familiarity quickly fades, however, as you start to look around: seeing a stack of furniture being hoisted from a barge up to a top-floor window, or someone fishing knee- deep in the lagoon a hundred metres from dry land, you understand that life here is not like life anywhere else. And the more closely you look, the more fascinating Venice becomes.

Venice: a city shaped by history and water

10x the best things to do in venice, food and drink in venice, best areas to stay in venice, best time to visit venice, how to get around, how many days do you need in venice, how to get here.

Founded on a cluster of mudflats in the heart of the lagoon 1,500 years ago, Venice emerged as Europe's principal exchange between the West and the East. At its zenith, it commanded an empire stretching north to the Dolomites and across the sea to Cyprus. The city's wealth and population swelled, densifying its urban fabric amidst a unique blend of nature and man-made marvels. 

Today, the historical centre, comprising roughly a hundred islets , leaves no space undeveloped, no street or square without a trace of Venice's illustrious past. It's common to stumble upon medieval remnants in even the most hidden alleyways, embedding the city's rich lineage into its very walls.

Yet, Venice's melancholic charm partly stems from the contrast between its historic grandeur and its current state. Once home to 200,000 residents during the Venetian Republic's golden age, the city's population has significantly dwindled. It was a bustling metropolis, attracting merchants from across the globe, its economy setting continental benchmarks from the Rialto's banks and bazaars. 

The Arsenale's vast workforce could construct a warship in a day, and Piazza San Marco was a perpetual hub of commerce and governance. Now, Venice stands as a testament to its spectacular heritage, its survival heavily reliant on those drawn to its enduring legacy.

 San Marco square from the water © Shutterstock

Venice, a city spread across 118 islands, is interlinked by 435 bridges into six districts known as sestieri. The city's cultural richness extends to over fifty churches and revered institutions like the Scuola Grande di San Rocco and the Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni, showcasing masterpieces by Tintoretto and Carpaccio.

You can't see everything, and we don't suggest you try, so here's a list of things we think, you need to visit!

Editors tip : make sure to read the 20 best things to do in Venice .

#1 Admire the Basilica di San Marco

San Marco is the most exotic of Europe’s cathedrals, and it has always provoked strong reactions. To Herman Melville, it was beautiful and insubstantial – as though “the Grand Turk had pitched his pavilion here for a summer’s day”. Mark Twain adored it for its “entrancing, tranquillizing, soul-satisfying ugliness”.

Herbert Spencer found it “a fine sample of barbaric architecture”; and to John Ruskin, it was the most gorgeous of holy places, a “treasure-heap…a confusion of delight”.

The Basilica di San Marco is certainly confusing, increasingly so as you come nearer and the details emerge, but some knowledge of the building’s background helps bring a little order out of the chaos.

Tips from Martina

Italy Travel Expert

"Don't just visit our famed canals, but also visit the cities less trodden paths. Delve into the serene atmosphere of the Cannaregio district, a treasure trove of local life, far from the crowd. Here, the authentic Venetian lifestyle unfolds in quiet squares and along peaceful canals".

St. Mark's Basilica and St.Mark's Campanile above the San Marco Square in Venice © Shutterstock

Grand Canal, Venice, Italy © Apple Kullathida/Shutterstock

#2 Embrace the art in Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni

Venice has two brilliant cycles of pictures by Vittore Carpaccio – one is in the Accademia, and the other is in the Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni, which sits beside a canal to the south of San Francesco.

By the mid-fifteenth century, though, Venice’s Slavic inhabitants were sufficiently established for a scuola to be set up to protect their interests. After several years of meeting in the church of San Giovanni di Malta, the scuola built itself a new headquarters on the church’s doorstep at the start of the sixteenth century and summoned Carpaccio to brighten up the first-storey hall.

Painted from 1502 to 1508, after the Accademia’s St Ursula cycle, Carpaccio’s pictures were moved downstairs when the building was rearranged in 1551, and the interior has scarcely changed since.

#3 Stroll through the lively Rialto market

It was through the markets of the Rialto that Venice earned its reputation as the bazaar of Europe. Virtually anything could be bought or sold here: fabrics, precious stones, silver plate and gold jewellery, spices and dyes from the Orient. Trading had been going on here for over four hundred years when, in the winter of 1514, a fire destroyed everything in the area except the church.

The possibility of relocating the business centre was discussed but found little favour, so reconstruction began almost straight away: the Fabbriche Vecchie was finished eight years after the fire, and Sansovino’s Fabbriche Nuove followed about thirty years later.

Today’s Rialto market is much more modest than that of Venice at its peak, but it’s still one of the liveliest spots in the city and one of the few places where it’s possible to stand in a crowd and hear nothing but Italian-spoken.

#4 Take a tour of San Giorgio Maggiore

Palladio’s church of San Giorgio Maggiore, facing the Palazzo Ducale across the Bacino di San Marco is one of the most prominent and familiar of all Venetian landmarks. It is a startling building, with an impact that’s enhanced by its isolation on an island of its own.

Ruskin didn’t much care for it: “It is impossible to conceive a design grosser, more barbarous, more childish in conception, more servile in plagiarism, more insipid in result, more contemptible under every point of rational regard.”

Goethe, on the other hand, was sick of the Gothic art that was to Ruskin the touchstone of spiritual health and gave thanks to Palladio for purging his mind of medieval clutter.

#5 Enjoy the spectacle of the Regata Storica

Held on the first Sunday in September, the Regata Storica is the annual trial of strength and skill for the city’s gondoliers and other expert rowers. It starts with a procession of historic craft along the Canal Grande course, their crews all decked out in a period dress, followed by a series of races right up the canal.

Re-enacting the return of Caterina Cornaro to her native city in 1489, the opening parade is a spectacular affair and is followed by a race for young rowers in two-oared pupparini. The women come next (in boats called mascarete), followed by a race for canoe-like caorline; and then it’s the men’s race, in specialized two-man racing gondolas called gondolini.

Gondolas in Venice © Shutterstock

#6 Go on a day trip to Torcello

“Mother and daughter, you behold them both in their widowhood – Torcello and Venice.” So wrote John Ruskin, and it’s almost impossible to visit Torcello without similarly sensing an atmosphere of bereavement. This outlying island has now come almost full circle.

Settled by the very first refugees from the mainland in the fifth century, it became the seat of the bishop of Altinum in 638 and in the following year its cathedral – the oldest building in the lagoon – was founded.

By the fourteenth century, its population had peaked at around twenty thousand, but Torcello’s canals were now silting up and malaria was rife. By the end of the fifteenth century, Torcello was largely deserted – even the bishop lived in Murano – and today fewer than a dozen people remain in residence.

Read more about the best day trips from Venice .

#7 Explore Burano and Murano islands

Take a fascinating day trip to the Venetian islands of Burano and Murano, each with a special charm that complements the glamour of Venice.

A short vaporetto ride from the main island takes you to the vibrant realm of Burano, known for its rainbow-coloured houses and intricate lacework. Wander through narrow streets decorated with colourful linens and observe the artistry of local lacemakers, whose tradition dates back several centuries. The island's serene canals and warm, welcoming atmosphere make it the perfect place for a leisurely lunch by the water's edge.

Then head to the island of Murano, considered the birthplace of Venetian glassmaking. Explore its rich history and modern innovations by visiting the glass factories, where master craftsmen skilfully mould molten glass into intricate shapes. Discover a fascinating variety of glassware, from exquisite jewellery to ornate chandeliers. See ancient techniques passed down through generations and learn about this age-old craft.

Venice landmark, Burano island, Italy © StevanZZ/Shutterstock

#8 Attend Venice Biennale

If you have a keen interest in contemporary art and international culture, timing your visit to coincide with the Venice Biennale can be a fantastic idea. The Venice Biennale, Europe’s most glamorous international forum for contemporary art, was first held in 1895 as the city’s contribution to the celebrations for the silver wedding anniversary of King Umberto I and Margherita of Savoy.

The main site is by the Giardini Pubblici, with permanent pavilions for about forty countries plus space for a thematic international exhibition. This core part of the Biennale is supplemented by exhibitions in parts of the Arsenale that are otherwise closed to the public, such as the colossal Corderie or Tana and the Artiglierie.

In addition, various palaces and other sites throughout the city are used as national pavilions and as venues for fringe exhibitions, installations and performances.

Biennale, Venice © avphotosales/Shutterstock

#9 Make a pilgrimage to Santa Maria della Salute

In 1630–31 Venice was devastated by a plague that exterminated nearly 95,000 of the lagoon’s population – one person in three. In October 1630 the Senate decreed that a new church would be dedicated to the Virgin Mary if the city were saved. The result was the Salute – salute meaning “health” and “salvation” – or Santa Maria della Salute, to use its full title.

Resting on a platform of more than 100,000 wooden piles, the Salute took half a century to build; its architect, Baldassare Longhena, was only 26 years old when his proposal was accepted. He lived just long enough to see it finished – he died in 1682, one year after completion.

Each year on November 21 (the feast of the Presentation of the Virgin) the Signoria is processed from San Marco to the Salute for a service of thanksgiving. The Festa della Madonna della Salute is still a major event in the Venetian calendar, with thousands of people making their way here to pray for or give thanks for good health.

#10 Discover the hidden gem of Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo

Located in a charming labyrinth of Venetian alleyways, Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo is an amazing hidden gem waiting to be discovered. This architectural gem, often unnoticed by the crowd, charms those who dare to discover it. The main feature of the palace is the "Scala Contarini del Bovolo", a spiral staircase that rises gracefully upwards and is decorated with elegant arches that create a complex play of light and shadow.

As you ascend this spiral staircase, you are transported to another era where the artistic vision of the Contarini family is brought to life with breathtaking detail. As you climb up, the panorama of red-tiled roofs and Venetian vistas opens up, giving you a glimpse of a timeless city.

There’s more than an element of truth to Venice’s reputation as a place where mass tourism has produced monotonous menus, cynical service and slapdash standards in the kitchen. Venice has fewer good, moderately priced restaurants than any other major Italian city, it has more really bad restaurants than any other, and in some of the expensive establishments you’re paying not for a fine culinary creation but for the experience of dining in an expensive Venetian restaurant. 

However, things have been getting better in recent years, and in the less overrun parts of Venice there are now several good places where you can get a decent two-course meal, plus house wine, for €35–40 per person – which, in this city, is reasonable.

Eating out in San Marco

• Ai Mercanti : Revamped in 2013, Ai Mercanti in San Marco offers imaginative dishes like pumpkin and coffee bean risotto, starting at €13. Its dark wood and golden décor create a unique atmosphere. Open Mon 7–10:30pm, Tues–Sat 12:30–3pm & 7–10:30pm.
• Al Bacareto : A local favorite for over forty years, Al Bacareto offers genuine Venetian cuisine with main courses ranging from €15–20. Opt for cicheti at the bar for a taste of Venice on a budget.

Eating out in San Polo and Santa Croce

• Al Nono Risorto : Nestled off Campo San Cassiano, Al Nono Risorto attracts a young crowd with its pizzeria-restaurant vibe, live jazz and blues, and a charming small garden. Note: No credit cards accepted. Open Mon & Tues–Sun noon–2:30pm & 7–11pm.
• Alla Madonna : For over sixty years, Alla Madonna has served seafood in a lively, old-style setting, now managed by the founder's son. The ambiance is bustling, and the service quick. Despite recent price hikes, it offers relatively good value at about €45/person. Open Mon, Tues & Thurs–Sun noon–3pm & 7–10pm.

Venice ©Shutterstock

Insatiable demand makes Venice’s hotels the most expensive in Western Europe. What’s more, the high season here is longer than anywhere else in the country, but many places don’t recognize the existence of a low season any more.

There are, though, a few good-value hotels to be found in the city, and an ever-increasing number of bed and breakfast places, as well as a plethora of apartments for rent.

If you want to spend time surrounded by luxury, San Marco is the most suitable neighbourhood to do so. San Marco is the heart of Venice, home to the famous St Mark's Square, the magnificent St Mark's Basilica and the majestic Doge's Palace.

This neighbourhood offers exclusive shopping opportunities, high-end restaurants and breathtaking views of the canals. Treat yourself to luxurious accommodation options , including five-star hotels that offer stunning views of the city's landmarks. However, be prepared for higher prices as San Marco is a premium neighbourhood.

Dorsoduro is a neighbourhood worth staying in Venice for its artistic heritage and lively cultural life. Home to the prestigious Accademia Gallery and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, this neighbourhood attracts art lovers from all over the world.

Dorsoduro is also home to the University of Ca' Foscari, giving the neighbourhood a lively and youthful energy.

San Polo and Santa Croce

If you are looking for a place to stay in Venice to experience local Venetian life, the ideal neighbourhoods are San Polo and Santa Croce. These neighbourhoods exude genuine charm with their narrow streets, small squares and bustling markets.

Also, a must-see in these neighbourhoods are the Rialto Bridge, the lively Rialto Market and the historic church of San Giacomo di Rialto. Accommodation options , from cosy guesthouses to charming boutique hotels, provide an authentic Venetian experience.

The Cannaregio neighbourhood may not have any major attractions, but it is a place to stay to experience the atmosphere of Venice. Cannaregio is a less crowded residential neighbourhood that offers a more local and authentic experience. It is known for its picturesque canals, historic synagogues and lively Jewish ghetto.

Central Castello

Castello, located east of San Marco, is Venice's largest and most traditional neighbourhood. With winding streets, small squares and local shops, this neighbourhood has a more relaxed atmosphere.

Castello is home to the impressive Arsenale and the Biennale Gardens, where the prestigious Venice Biennale art exhibition takes place. Castello offers a wide range of accommodation options , from budget guesthouses to elegant boutique hotels.

Browse the best hotels in Venice.

The Canals of Venice, in Italy © Shutterstock

Choosing the right time to visit Venice can greatly influence the experience one gains from this enchanting city. Spring ( April , May and June ) and early autumn ( September to October ) are often considered the best seasons to explore Venice.

During these periods, the weather is pleasantly mild, and the city is less crowded than in the peak summer months ( July and August ). Strolling through the labyrinthine streets, gliding along the serene canals, and marvelling at the architecture under the warm sunlight becomes an immersive experience.

The winter months ( November and January ) can be cold. Venice's renowned events like the Carnival in February and the Venice Biennale in odd-numbered years draw a diverse array of international visitors, adding a unique cultural dimension to the visit. December is usually busy with locals but a fun time to visit.

Find out more about the best time to visit Italy.

The topography of Venice is uniquely complicated, and at first glance its public transport looks as convoluted as a wiring diagram. But the situation isn’t as daunting as it first appears: there are clear main routes through the warren of Venice’s alleyways, and you’ll need to get to grips with only a few of the water-bus routes.

Venice Water-Bus fares and tickets explained

Single journey & special ticket:

• Standard Ticket: €7, valid for 60 minutes with unlimited changes, not usable for return trips.
• One-Stop Ticket: €4, ideal for short crossings like San Zaccaria to San Giorgio Maggiore.
• Luggage Fee: €7 for each piece of large luggage beyond the first.
• Concessions: Children under 4 travel free. Wheelchair users pay €1.30; their companion travels free.

Save with Travel Cards

To avoid high single-ticket costs, consider ACTV Tourist Travel Cards

• 24 hours: €20
• 48 hours: €30
• 72 hours: €40
• 7 days: €60
• Rolling Venice Cardholders: Special 72-hour card for €20
• Airport Bus Supplement: €4 per journey with any ACTV pass.

Where to buy

• Tickets: Landing stages, shops with the ACTV sign, tourist offices.
• ravel Cards: Tourist offices, Piazzale Roma, train station, airport, and selected vaporetto stops like Ca’ d’Oro and San Marco Vallaresso.

Gondola rides in Venice

Gondola Navigation

Thanks to their design, gondolas can navigate Venice's narrow and shallow canals effortlessly, a testament to the gondoliers' skill. Previously a hereditary job, now anyone can become a gondolier after completing 400 hours of rigorous training, which covers manual skills, canal navigation, and the history of the profession. In 2010, Venice celebrated its first female gondolier, Giorgia Boscolo.

Costs & Hours

• Standard Fare: €80 for a 40-minute ride for up to six passengers. After 7pm until 8am, the rate increases to €100.
• Extended rides:Additional 20 minutes cost €40, or €50 after 7pm.
• Extras: Expect surcharges for an accordionist or tenor. Note that there's a debate on banning "O Sole Mio" to avoid stereotypical Italian experiences.

Avoiding overcharges 

Although fares are regulated, some gondoliers might charge more. Always confirm the price before departure. For a reliable service, use official gondola stands located at key points throughout the city, including Calle Vallaresso, Campo San Moisè, Campo Santa Maria del Giglio, Bacino Orseolo, in front of the Palazzo Ducale, Riva degli Schiavoni near the Danieli hotel, the train station, Piazzale Roma, Campo Santa Sofia near Ca’ d’Oro, San Tomà, and Rialto Bridge on Riva Carbon.

Venice Water Taxis

Venice's water taxis are stylish, fast, and can navigate most canals, accommodating up to 10 passengers. However, they're known for being one of the priciest taxi services in Western Europe.

• Base Rate: Starts at €15, with €2 added every minute.
• Surcharges: €10 per extra passenger beyond five. €5 for each luggage piece over five. €10 for rides between 10pm and 7am.

Booking tips

• Direct booking from stands or catching an available taxi can save surcharges.
• Phone bookings and concierge-arranged rides include additional fees.

Epiphany Regatta in Venice © Shutterstock

The ideal number of days to spend in Venice depends on your interests, the pace of your trip and what you want to see. Here are general guidelines to help you plan your visit:

If your schedule is tight, you can manage to experience the main attractions of Venice in one or two days. Focus on the main sights such as St Mark's Square, St Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace, take a gondola ride and perhaps stroll the streets. However, this will not allow you to explore more than the iconic sites.

3-4 days will give you a better chance of experiencing the essence of Venice. You'll be able to see the main sights, take a day trip to nearby islands such as Burano and Murano, and in your free time wander off the beaten track, discover local restaurants and soak up the unique atmosphere.

If you have more time, you can truly immerse yourself in the culture and lifestyle of Venice. In addition to the above, you can visit less crowded areas, art galleries and museums, attend cultural events or festivals, and take day trips to neighbouring cities such as Padua or Verona.

Venice, Canal, Italy @ Shutterstock

Before you can lose yourself in its winding waterways and historic charm, you'll need to figure out the best way to get there. Whether you're flying in from across the globe or making your way from a nearby European city, various options are available to suit every budget and travel style.

• Flights from the UK and Ireland : Direct flights take around two hours from London . EasyJet flies between two and four times daily, while its chief rival, Ryanair, has one or two flights each day from London and less frequent services to Treviso from Bristol, East Midlands, Manchester and Edinburgh. Aer Lingus (Dublin) flies to Marco Polo up to five times per week, while Ryanair flies three or four times a week to Treviso in high season.
• Flights from the US and Canada: The only direct service to Venice from the US is with Delta, who fly from New York to Marco Polo up to six times a week in summer. Air Canada has direct flights from Montréal to Venice, and various indirect flights from Toronto and Montréal, usually via Frankfurt or New York.

The choice of rail routes and fares is hugely complex, but the cheapest route is to take the Eurostar from London to Paris, then change to the high-speed TGV from Paris to Milan, and change there for the “Frecciarossa” to Florence. The total journey time is 14–18 hours, and with some online research, you can put together a one-way ticket for a little over the cost of a return flight, though peak prices are considerably higher.

If you take a couchette, using the “Thello” sleeper for the stage from Paris to Milan doesn’t add much to the cost. Booking for these continental routes usually opens three months before the day of travel. Discounts for under-26s are sometimes available and advance booking is essential. If you’re planning to include Italy as part of a longer European trip you could choose to invest in an InterRail pass.

Find out the best ways to get to Italy .

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Tourist complaints venice, offices - agencies of reception.

ABOVE: Venice's waterfront promenades sometimes--but only sometimes--have wooden ramps on their bridges.

By Durant Imboden

D isabled travelers are frequently intimidated by Venice. The city was built long before "equal access" became part of the architect's vocabulary, and the city is dotted with hundreds of bridges that require climbing and descending steps.

It's no wonder that many physically disabled tourists are tempted to skip Venice when traveling through Europe. And that's a shame, because it's certainly possible to enjoy Venice with a wheelchair, walker, or crutches if you know what to expect and plan your touring strategy accordingly.

Step 1: Start by picking a hotel location.

When choosing a hotel, remember that accessible features such as ramps, wheelchair-friendly bathrooms, etc. are only half the battle. In Venice, getting to and from the hotel is just as important.

Water taxis aren't accessible (except for those from Sanitrans ), and Alilaguna airport boats can be tricky to board or disembark at some locations. We think you're better off staying in a location that's easy to reach by airport bus, land taxi, or the People Mover from the Tronchetto parking garage.

Here are two hotels that deserve special attention:

For more hotel options (which may be convenient for sightseeing, but not necessarily for reaching by public transportation), see our Accessible Venice Hotels article.

If you're able to walk, but not for long distances, our "How Many Bridges to Cross?" Hotel Listings will be helpful.

Step 2: Learn what to expect during your visit.

BELOW: This mini-map (taken from an old official map) shows wheelchair-accessible routes in the city center. The areas marked in yellow are barrier-free.

The Azienda di Promozione Turistica , a.k.a. the Venice Tourist Office , publishes information for disabled travelers.

A few bridges, such as the Ponte delle Guglie (see photo below ), have special half-height stairs that can be negotiated in wheelchairs. A sign warns that a companion is required--and after watching porters struggle with delivery carts on the bridges, we'd be inclined to second that precaution.

The not infrequent acqua alta or "high water" between late October and early spring is another thing to consider. When high tides and winds in the Adriatic push water into the Venice Lagoon, the result is flooding of St. Mark's Square and other low-lying areas. Pedestrians can don rubber boots or step onto temporary wooden walkways, but if you're in a wheelchair, you could be stuck in your hotel for a few hours until the tide goes down.

BELOW: Ponte delle Guglie bridge . The steps on the right are half-height with rounded edges for easier negotiation by wheelchair travelers with companions.

Step 3: Buy a supply of "disabled tickets" for water buses.

Passengers with wheelchairs can buy single-fare "disabled tickets" at heavily-discounted rates from ACTV ticket booths and Hellovenezia offices. Each ticket is valid for 75 minutes, and a companion travels free.

Once you have a pass or a supply of tickets, you'll be able to get between the city's various "accessibility zones" on the map by using the water buses. (The city claims that about 70 per cent of the streets in the historic center are accessible by vaporetto .)

This strategy works especially well on the Grand Canal, the Giudecca Canal, and the Lido, where the No. 1 and No. 2 routes are wheelchair-accessible.

About two-thirds of the vaporetto lines are fully wheelchair-accessible; a few are not, although wheelchair-accessible boats are being introduced on the circolare lines that use split-level motoscafo boats. Fully-accessible lines are marked in our illustrated article on Vaporetto routes . Also see the Accessible Mobility page at Venice's ACTV transit-agency Web site, which has advice on specific routes (and also on accessible parking).

Step 4: When in doubt, call ahead.

Most churches are accessible once you get inside. The tricky part may be in getting up the steps, but this can be managed if you have a strong companion or aren't shy about bumming a lift from athletic tourists or locals.

Other buildings, such as museums, may vary in accessibility. The most impressive rooms in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, for example, require climbing a long flight of marble stairs--unless you use the special wheelchair with motorized rubber treads, which lets you assault the staircase like an army tank. Your best bet is to phone before you go, so you can make other plans if the building requires a sturdy set of lungs and legs.

More online information:

The City of Venice currently offers an accessibility map in PDF format. You can also pick up a printed Accessible Venice kit in Venice or Mestre.

Sage Traveling , a site that provides information on disability travel in 40+ European cities, has a useful "Wheelchair Accessibility on Venice's Vaporetto" page with photos.

Don't miss Jon Read's Wheelchair Travel Tips for Venice , which he shared with us by e-mail in  a number of years ago (and which is archived in our Venice Travel Blog ).

We can also recommend Spintheglobe.net's excellent A Wheechair User's Guide to One Day in Accessible Venice (which is based on firsthand experience, with lots of photos).

Please note that information in guidebooks or on Web sites isn't always up to date. (For example, many guidebooks and sites still mention bridge lifts that are no longer in service.)

Agencies that specialize in accessible travel:

Rebekah Serin of Regency San Marino SRL 's Accessible Italy department writes:

"I am originally from New York and now live and work in Florence, Italy. I am with the specialized tour operator Regency San Marino SRL. We arrange group and individual travel in Italy for individuals with disabilities. We also can organize personalized itineraries for individuals, depending on their interests. "We work with accessible coach buses, minibuses with tie-downs, and hotels with roll-in showers. We also visit accessible museums and restaurants and offer rentals of wheelchairs, electric scooters, and portable suitcase ramps. Your readers are welcome to visit our Web site, www.accessibleitaly.com , and contact us for further information about our services."

A company with a similar name, AccessibleItaly.IT , offers guided tours and services such as transportion in accessible vans, rentals of self-drive cars for disabled travelers, wheelchair and scooter hire, help in obtaining dialysis or oxygen, etc.

About the author:

VeneziaUnica.it è il portale ufficiale della Città di Venezia dove trovare tutte le informazioni sull’offerta di mobilità, culturale e turistica del territorio. Su questo sito è inoltre possibile acquistare direttamente in modo semplice e sicuro tutti i servizi offerti.

VeneziaUnica.it è un’iniziativa di Ve.la. Spa, società partecipata dal Comune di Venezia e dall’Azienda Veneziana della Mobilità S.p.A.

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Venice’s Tourism Chief Eyes Higher Entry Fee on Day-Trippers

Dawit Habtemariam , Skift

June 6th, 2024 at 10:58 AM EDT

Venetians may hike their new entry fee to €10 and expand how often it applies. The goal is to draw a bigger share of travelers who are respectful and want to explore Venice beyond the beaten path.

Dawit Habtemariam

Venice considers its entry fee for tourists an early success. A top official told Skift that in the next year the city could double the fee and charge it more often.

Simone Venturini , deputy mayor for tourism, said the fee fits into the city’s broader strategy to preserve its beauty and local community while repositioning itself from being “a cheap tourism capital” to a high-end destination.

Skift talked to Venturini about the fee and the city’s efforts to manage tourism. This interview has been edited for brevity.

1. Entry Fee Could Expand to “Maybe 10 Euros, Maybe 100 Days”

Since April 25, tourists not staying at hotels have been required to pay a 5 euro fee (around $5.40) before entering Venice. The entry fee applies only on selected 29 days between April and July.

What are the early results of the tourism tax, and how will the revenue from the tax be used?

Venturini: We were very concerned before the first day of the entry fee about people forming crowds in the queue, causing discomfort to commuters and international tourists. The system was designed to be easy, soft and welcoming — not a police state saying you cannot enter. 

We have some encouraging signals. Everything has gone smoothly. We were very surprised when people arriving in Venice, even the people from around Italy, were very happy to show us the core code. People understood what we wanted to do. 

In the next year, we will add maybe a higher tax, maybe 10 euro, and we can add more days, not just 29 days, maybe up to 100 days. Of course, this can be even more useful, but let’s start with a small step because it’s the first experiment in the world.

This year we won’t collect a lot of money. The starting cost of the system will be more expensive than the income this year. 

In the next few years, more days, higher taxes can bring some resources to the city and we will use this money for maintenance of the city and the restoration of a unique and fragile city that is on the water, salted water that is more [corrosive] than the normal water. 

2. Venice Entry Fee Targets Italian Day-Trippers

The entry fee is pretty small. International tourists aren’t going to be discouraged from coming to Venice because of the 5 euros.

Venturini: It’s more addressed to local and short-range tourists from the nearby Italian regions. A short-range tourist can maybe be pushed to choose another day instead of a crowded day, causing less stress to the city. 

On the other end, we have sea tourists that go to the beaches. During the rainy days or the cloudy days, they arrive by boats, overwhelming the city. Even this kind of tourism can be discouraged to visit Venice in those 29 days of the trial this year.

3. What Everyone Gets Wrong About Venice’s Entry Fee

There was a lot of international coverage of protests of the entry fee. Some critics feared turning Venice into a theme park.

The first misunderstanding was that Venetians were against this tax. Some small local parties were against the law and organized a protest with 200 people, but we are a city with 250,000 inhabitants. So 200 people complaining is not the majority of the city. 

On the other end we are walking on the edge of a possible misunderstanding because we don’t want Venice to be considered a theme park where you pay a ticket and you can do whatever you want. Venice is a living city.

We have at least 35,000 people arriving each day that are not tourists, but are commuters, people living in the closest area of Venice and working in Venice and students. It’s very difficult to manage all these factors because this is not a city where you can close the gate and open it in the morning, so you need to balance every measure.

4. Why Venice Is Tackling Overtourism Now

Did Venice not manage tourism effectively in the past?

In the last decade all tourism in Italy was just casual. There weren’t any plans or any national strategic thinking and the city also suffered from tourism without the opportunity to manage it.

Covid was a big moment to reflect about the needs of reshaping all the tourism in the city and the recovery after Covid was for us the opportunity to work on quality instead of quantity.

5. Steps to Encourage Quality Tourism

How will Venice do that?

We’re developing and pushing even the hotel industries to reshape the hotels with fewer rooms but bigger and, of course, a lot of services, more quality, and just a new image of the hotel.  We have at least five or six very important hotels that are under restoration. For example, the Danieli and the Bauer hotels.  

We also put a cap a few years ago on the number of hotels that can open in the city center. We are starting new rules about Airbnb and short-term rentals. In Italy it is an important issue because we are one of the only countries in Europe that didn’t introduce a national law about short-term rentals. The cities are on their own trying to manage and balance this new phenomenon. In September, I think that we are ready to introduce restrictions.

We reshape even the itinerary of the cruise ships that are not arriving through some square in big numbers, but now just one or two arrive in the industrial port and then come to visit Venice. We are building a new smaller terminal for cruise ships outside the Venice city center and we are discouraging the day-trippers. 

The loudspeaker and group size limit policy will start on the 1st of August. The group of tourists cannot have more than 25 people each. We want to keep the group smaller because we want to make the quality of a visit higher and a big group can cause stress to the city. We just banned the loudspeaker because we are not a theme park.

6. Venice Embraces High-End Meetings, Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions

What is Venice’s broader strategy? 

We’ve had a big boom about the Biennale Art, movie festivals, a lot of events, the fashion show. Venice is leading a sparkly moment. We just make a lot of partnerships with high-end sectors such as the fashion sector, the jewelry sector, the movie festival, and the contemporary art sector.

But now Venice is host to a lot of events and this partnership rebranded the identity of Venice, not a cheap tourism capital, but the city where the best things happen. We are in the middle of this transformation and we need to push it.

We are organizing a lot of events and we are pushing the MICE sector because it’s very important for us. Events and meetings are a quality kind of tourism because the right people who want to be there but arrive prepared, that moves a lot of jobs. not only hotels and restaurants, but a lot of different sectors. We are doing a lot of effort, even a new congress center in Lido Island to boost the convention and meeting sector in Venice.

7. Losing UNESCO’s World Heritage Site Label Wouldn’t Matter

Last year, UNESCO almost put Venice and its lagoon on its List of Endangered World Heritage Sites.

It was more an international press topic because of course we love UNESCO, but I think that right now UNESCO doesn’t bring anything to the city in terms of resources or money or help to defend the community of Venice.

And so UNESCO is not here saying, I can help you develop jobs, I can bring international investors, I can give you a lot of money to restore the city. Right now we are on our own doing that. So we love UNESCO, of course, but being on a UNESCO blacklist is not something that affects the real world. 

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Tags: europe , italy , overtourism , tourism , venice

Photo credit: Tourists along the Rialto Bridge in Venice, Italy. Skift

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The Best Venice Tours To Take in 2024 and Why

Sean Finelli Last Updated: January 18, 2024

Whether you’re visiting Venice to see the beautiful St. Mark’s Basilica, explore the Doge’s Palace, or just relax and enjoy a gondola ride, there are a ton of fantastic sights, activities, and dishes to try. In fact, there are so many amazing things to do in the Floating City, it may be difficult to choose. In this guide, we share the best Venice tours to help you decide which tour is best for you.

Pro Tip: Planning your trip to Venice? Bookmark this post in your browser so you can easily find it when you’re in the city. See our comprehensive  guide to Venice  for more planning resources, our  top Venice tours  for a memorable trip, and  how to see Venice in a day .

Should You Take a Tour in Venice?

Yes, without a doubt! Venice has its well-known sights but it also has a lot of hidden gems to discover that only your knowledgeable local guide will know to show you. Your guide will also bring the city to life with interesting stories and historical facts.

A tour of Venice will certainly elevate your experience as you explore new food in the best places, get to know the city on a deeper level, and maybe even meet new friends on the way. Don’t take our word for it. See what our clients have said about taking a Venice tour:

Not ready to book a tour? Check out our  Venice Guide for more info.

The Best Tours of Venice To Take

The Italian city of Venice is a popular destination steeped in history. There are plenty of unique things to do, great food to try, and top attractions to explore from St. Mark’s Basilica to the Doge’s Palace, Rialto Bridge, and the Islands of Murano and Burano. In this article, we share our best Venice tours for an unforgettable experience of the Floating City.

Ultimate Venice in a Day with Murano and Burano

• Venice in a Day with Gondola Ride

St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace Half-Day Tour with Gondola Ride

Venice local evening food tour in cannaregio, murano and burano in a half-day boat tour, small group dining experience at a local home in venice.

Seeing Venice in a day is a worthy goal, but there’s so much to explore beyond the main island. If you want to pack in as much as possible on your trip to Venice, then this 9-hour tour is ideal for you.

Start with a guided tour and skip-the-line access to St. Mark’s Basilica, also known as the Church of Gold. You’ll see why the moment you step inside! Next, you’ll head to the infamous Doge’s Palace where you’ll also skip the lines to see what is probably the world’s most expensive staircase, thanks to the gold ceiling. Learn about the courtroom where verdicts were handed down and see the largest room in Italy.

No trip to Venice is complete without a gondola ride, so we’ve included that on this day tour as well. And after a break for lunch on your own, you’ll then meet up with your small group and guide to take a private water taxi out to the islands of Murano and Burano. This is the most ideal way to see Venice’s other islands as the public water bus is hot, crowded, and slow.

You’ll see a live glassblowing demonstration up close in Murano, done the same way it’s been done for literally hundreds of years. And in Burano, you’ll see an intricate lacemaking demonstration before having time to take pics of all the colorful houses here.

Highlights:

• 9-hour tour
• Skip-the-line guided tour of St. Mark’s Basilica
• Skip-the-line guided tour of Doge’s Palace
• Go on a traditional gondola ride
• Private water taxi to Murano and Burano
• Glassblowing and lacemaking demonstrations

Not ready to book a tour? Find out if a Tours of Murano and Burano are Worth it

Venice in a Day Combo Tour With Gondola Ride

If you want to see the most important attractions in the main city of Venice, this tour is your best bet. You’ll see everything from St. Mark’s Basilica to the Doge’s Palace and areas beyond Rialto Bridge. Grab your favorite walking shoes and clear your schedule for this 6-hour tour, because you’re going to see Venice in a day .

Prepare yourself for breathtaking sights like St. Mark’s Basilica, also known as the “Church of Gold,” and the iconic Rialto Bridge from a few vantage points. Your guide will explain the history of these amazing sights and show you hidden gems in the surrounding neighborhoods.

You’ll also get to skip the line and go behind the scenes at the Doge’s Palace, where powerful magistrates ruled until the late 18th century. You’ll explore the Bridge of Sighs, as well as some prison cells, not to mention the beautiful art and design in the rest of the palace.

Of course, you’ll also be able to check a Venice gondola ride off your bucket list. Afterward, you can ask your guide for some amazing suggestions on where to grab a bite to eat, or just relax knowing that you’ve had a day full of unrivaled culture and history.

• 6-hour tour
• See the highlights of Venice in a day
• Skip-the-line guided tour of St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace
• Walking tour of Venice’s quieter areas and hidden gems
• Traditional Gondola ride

Not ready to book a tour? Check out how to see Venice in a day .

For anyone who only has part of a day in Venice or who prefers shorter guided tours, we’ve created the perfect tour for you! This 3.5-hour tour gives you skip-the-line entry to both of Venice’s top attractions at St. Mark’s Square. You’ll start at the impressive basilica where you’ll see the tomb of St. Mark.

Next, head to the Doge’s Palace to explore a little of Venice’s darker history. The doges at this palace ruled Venice until the late 18th century and had a reputation of tyranny that helped make Venice the powerhouse of the region. You’ll head to the dungeons to see the original cells and the famous Bridge of Sighs.

Along the way, you’ll also get to enjoy incredible art and the most famous rooms (and stairs) at this palace. To top it all off, you’ll have a 30-minute gondola ride along the Venetian canals. It’s the perfect way to end your tour of Venice’s highlights.

• 3.5-hour tour
• Traditional gondola ride

Not ready to book a tour? Check out our guide to the Best Tours to Take of Murano and Burano and Why

If you want to immerse yourself in Italian culture, food is one of the best ways. On this 2.5-hour Venice food tour , your English-speaking foodie guide will take you around the city to try authentic Venetian food and drink.

Enjoy cicchetti (savory snacks) along with a glass of wine at bacari , the local wine bars. The tradition of pairing the two goes back centuries. People would visit the bacari at all hours of the day and eat cicchetti along with their drinks to ensure they don’t get too tipsy.

Cicchetti isn’t the only thing you’ll try, you’ll also enjoy some of the city’s best pasta, along with prosecco, Campari spritz, and gelato. This tour also includes a stop at a bacari which is a traditional Venetian wine bar. All in all, you’ll learn a lot and taste a lot, and hopefully, make some new travel friends!

• 2.5-hour tour
• Short walking tour of Cannaregio
• Sample assorted cicchetti dishes
• Visit a bacari wine bar
• Enjoy a traditional sit-down dinner
• Stop for gelato

There’s more to Venice than just Venice. In fact, there are 118 islands that make up the whole area of Venice. If you’re up for an adventure, then head out to Murano and Burano to see some truly historic crafts.

The cheapest way to the islands is to book a ride on the public water bus, but it’s slow, and often hot and crowded. For a better experience, you’ll appreciate this tour that includes a private water boat to get you to both islands quickly. Best of all, your tour guide will accompany you and tell you all about the islands as you travel.

A stop in Murano will take you to a live glassblowing demonstration. This tradition dates back to the 5th century, but out of concern about fires, these craftsmen were moved from the main island to Murano where they’ve continued traditions for centuries. Watch them up close and feel the heat from the furnaces!

Next you’ll head to Burano. You’ve probably seen amazing Instagram photos of these colorful houses here. And now you’ll get to take selfies of your own! In addition, you’ll get an exclusive stop at a lacemaking demonstration that the public doesn’t have access to. No doubt that a trip to these islands make up one of the best Venice tours.

• 4-hour tour
• Round-trip transportation on a private water boat
• Live glassblowing demonstration in Murano
• Live lacemaking demonstration in Burano

One of the best ways to truly immerse yourself in a culture is through its food. Restaurants, cafes, and markets are great places, but most of the meals we eat throughout our lives are outside these public spaces and instead in the home.

To be invited into a local home, taught their cooking style, family recipes, and personal twists on classics, this is one of the most fabulous treats any traveler can have.

We have teamed up with a group of local cooks who welcome you into their homes for an unforgettable experience. Your host will welcome you in with a glass of wine, then take a deep dive into Italian cuisine during a small group cooking demonstration for you and your fellow foodies. Watch as your host, equipped with years of experience, crafts one of the dishes featured in your 3-course meal. You’ll witness firsthand the perfected combination of stirring, seasoning, and simmering that goes into authentic Italian cooking. Throughout the interactive demo, your host will also unveil their well-guarded culinary secrets and unique tips and tricks that real Italian nonnas have passed down.

It is a unique and immersive experience that foodies and travelers will love, and one of the best Venice tours we have.

• Aperitivo including prosecco and nibbles
• 3-course menu including starter, pasta and desserts
• Drinks including water, wine and coffee
• Cooking demonstration
• Small Group experience with a certified host
• Enjoy warm Italian hospitality
• A Warm Welcome to an Italian Home

Where To Stay in Venice

Despite the size of this little island, there are endless hotel options to choose from. We’ve picked the best neighborhoods and hotels to stay in whether you prefer Italian luxury or quiet serenity—or both!

About Sean Finelli

Sean is a co-founder and owner of The Tour Guy and its subsidiary The Roman Guy. He studied finance and statistics, but that is his "Dr. Jekyll" side! His "Mr. Hyde" is in love with travel, art, history, and culture. Sean has read libraries of historical text and believes that all internet content should come from books. A practice he follows!

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Traveling to Venice with a Disability

Is Venice a accessible city? Is it possible to visit Venice in a wheelchair? Are there facilities for the disabled?

Venice is a difficult city to visit for people with reduced mobility. The streets are mostly narrow and cobbled with numerous bridges that connect the several islands, which can be challenging for someone in a wheelchair.

Below is the opinion of a person who visited Venice in a wheelchair:

Public Transport

• The water buses are all accessible and a travel ticket for people with reduced mobility are less expensive.
• There are adapted water taxis , although these are quite expensive .
• The gondolas are not accessible and you will need help to get onboard.

Exploring the city

• Upon arrival, we recommend heading to the nearest tourist office (in Marco Polo or in Santa Lucia) and a sk for a map with all Venice’s accessible itineraries . The tourist office will also give you a key for the bridge’s stairlifts.
• Unfortunately, even if you do have the key, many of the stairlifts don’t work, or at least not very well.
• The streets are very narrow with irregular pavements, there are numerous bridges and stairs, so we recommend following the adapted itinerary.
• Although there is less to see in the island of Murano than in Venice, it is very accessible for people with reduced mobility.

Adapted hotels

A lot of old palazzos in Venice have been renovated and transformed into hotels or hostels and the majority have not been adapted for differently-abled people. In fact, less than 25% of the accommodation in Venice is accessible ; therefore, we recommend booking in advance.

Don’t forget to tick the space for “Handicap-accessible” on our hotel search engine.

• Introducing Venice Hotel search engine

Wheelchair rentals

If you do not have a folding lightweight wheelchair and would like to rent one in Mestre or Venice, you will find orthopaedic centres where you can do so (listed below). We recommend calling before you get to Venice to ensure you have a chair during your stay.

• Sanitaria ai Miracoli (Cannaregio 6049), phone number: +39 041 520 35 13.
• Sanitaria Gomiero (Castello, 6663), phone number: +39 041 528 77 74.
• Sanitrans (Cannaregio 1091), phone number: +39 041 52 39 977.
• Sanitaria Tonello (Cannaregio 6375), phone number: +39 041 52 67 714.
• Farmacia Morelli (San Marco 5310), phone number: +39 041 52 24 196.
• Poliambulatorio Carpenedo (Via Anillo, 66/68), phone number: +39 041 94 00 61.
• Sanitaria Tonello (Via Circonvallazione, 27), phone number: +39 041 97 09 77.
• Sanitaria Vepharma (Vía Ospedale, 38), phone number: +39 041 98 00 26.
• Ortopedia e Mobilità Srl (Via Einaudi, 62/A), phone number: +39 041 95 20 16.
• Sanitaria Via Piave (Via Piave, 124), phone number: +39 041 92 93 26.
• Reamed Srl (Via F. Hayez, 4/A), phone number: +39 041 47 60 313, free phone number: 800 400 875.
• Rizzoli Ortopedia Spa (Via Circonvallazione, 68), phone number: +39 041 94 00 61.
• Sanitaria Tuttosalute (Corso del Popolo, 84), phone number: +39 041 53 14 666.

Venice is a complicated place to visit for people with reduced mobility and more so if they explore the city by themselves, especially in a wheelchair. If you are travelling to Venice in a wheelchair, we recommend bringing, if possible, a folding lightweight wheelchair . A heavy wheelchair will not be able to get around many parts of the city.

You may also be interested in

Opening hours.

What time do the shops in Venice open? What days of the week do they close? When do they tend to close?

Discover everything about the history of Venice, from the myths about its foundation, to the ancient republic of the Serenissima and the unification of Italy.

Venice entry fee labelled ‘total failure’ with tourists still flowing into the city

Venice’s new tourist tax scheme has been called a “total failure” in the Italian city’s battle against overtourism .

On 25 April, the €5 (£4.26) charge to enter the historic centre of Venice started a 29-day trial to control visitor numbers on busy days until mid-July.

Nearly a month on, city councillors questioned the purpose of the ticketing system and claimed visitor numbers to the Italian city are instead on the rise compared to the same period in previous years.

Opposition councillor Giovanni Andrea Martini, architect Franco Migliorini and Enrico Tonolo, the head of a Venice residents’ association, spoke against the scheme at a Municipal Council Group of Venice press conference in Rome on Monday.

Mr Martini called the access fee a “grand bluff, artfully created to generate media buzz, which does not solve the problem of overtourism in Venice” and said the fee was “introduced solely to generate revenue”.

“A month after the introduction of the ticket, the data shows that the contribution has been useless, so much so that even the municipal administration has had to admit that the revenue from the €5 payments has far exceeded expectations, meaning more tourists have arrived,” he said in a statement.

The Italian city has 49,000 permanent residents and receives over 80,000 tourists per day, “a total failure in flow control” according to the panel.

“Venice suffers from social desertification. There are whole districts that have been emptied of Venetians. If this trend continues then it is a mathematical certainty that the city will die,” said Mr Martini.

Simone Venturini, the councillor responsible for tourism, defended the scheme, according to The Times .

“We are not going to curb tourism in 15 days,” he said. “This is a long-term project and we may increase the price next year so it is too soon to talk about results.

“The people opposing this are from the left — the same people who opposed Venice’s Mose flood barrier and offered no solutions for countering tourism when the left was in charge of the city.”

Critics also raised concerns about the safety of declaring personal data, including the reason for visiting a residence, medical visits and friends invited for lunch when registering movement in Venice’s historic centre.

Mr Tonolo called the entrance fee system a violation of privacy for residents that has done nothing to reduce tourist footfall in the popular area.

“Despite being a Venetian citizen, I have to ask permission to invite friends, as though I was a subject appealing to my sovereign,” he said.

Speakers at the conference also accused the system of being a ploy to exclude Venice from being included on the Unesco “black list” of endangered cities.

According to a survey by Demetra, an opinion survey group, 89 per cent of residents in the historic centre do not think that the introduction of the access ticket will reduce the problem of excess tourism in Venice.

The city councillor instead proposed a “serious regulation” of tourist accommodation to bring back the availability of rentals for residents and called for a cap on daytripper numbers to just 50,000.

Overnight visitors are currently exempt after they register online as the city tax is included in the accommodation charges of hotels and Airbnb rentals.

Mr Migliorini stressed the need to “regulate the number of tourist apartments” to combat the unmanageable level of tourism in Venice.

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11 Wheelchair Travel Tips for Venice Italy

By  John Sage

Wheelchair Accessible Travel in Venice – Venice is one of the most unique cities in the world, and also one of the most challenging for disabled tourists to figure out how to get around. These Venice wheelchair accessible travel tips should make it a little easier for you.

1. Don’t buy the vaparetto pass – Most tourists buy the vaparetto daily or multi-day passes, but disabled tourists should stick with the one-way tickets. Disabled travelers get a discount and only have to pay 60 cents for a one-way trip. One person traveling with them also gets this discount. You can buy them from the ticket machines on the docks, the ticket window in front of the train station, or from a staff member onboard the boat.

3. Use the vaparetto as much as possible to save money – There are two options for wheelchair accessible travel in Venice : the vaparetto water buses or the accessible water taxis. When possible use the vaparetto boats instead of the taxis. You’ll save a significant amount of money that can go towards great shopping or dining experiences!

5. First on, last off – When a vaparetto boat stops at the dock, the boatmen will let everyone who wants to get off disembark the boat before they let people get on. During this process the boat will be floating highest in the water when some people have gotten off but no one has gotten on yet. Get yourself to the front of the line to be the first one to get on the boat ( shown in the video below ). When you want to get off the boat, let everyone else get off the boat before you disembark. Make sure the boatmen know that you want to get off so that can tell the people getting on to wait for you to get off.

6. Stick with the large accessible neighborhoods – Minimize the number of times that you need to use handicap accessible travel in Venezia by sticking with the big neighborhoods. The largest neighborhoods have over 20 accessible restaurants to choose from and a dozen accessible shops to visit. The smaller neighborhoods will have no accessible restaurants or shops.

9. Not all vaparetto stops at San Marco are accessible – The San Marco neighborhood is a hub for several vaparetto lines, and they leave from different docks. Only the San Marco Vallaresso and the San Marco Giardinetti docks are easy to reach in a wheelchair. The San Zaccaria Danieli dock can only be reached by going over a partially wheelchair accessible bridge; and the San Zaccaria Jolanda, San Zaccaria Monumento, and San Zaccaria Pieta docks require going over bridges with steps to reach them. Make sure that the vaparetto line that you want to take leaves from one of the accessible docks.

Get answers to all of your questions about Venice accessibility.  

Talk to our Venice accessible travel consultants  today.  

Venice Accessible Travel  –  main page      Pros and Cons of Venice Disabled Access       11 Wheelchair Accessible Travel Tips for Rome Italy       10 Keys to Success for Venice Disabled Travel       Venice Cruise Port Disabled Access Review       How to Use the Venice Vaporetto with a Disability       Wheelchair Accessible Water Taxis in Venice       Best and Worst Aspects of Disabled Travel in Italy       Top 10 Experiences for Disabled Visitors to Italy       12 Wheelchair Travel Tips for Italy       Travel Insurance for Disabled Travelers       Venice Accessible Travel Packages   Venice Accessible Walking and Boating Tours       Heart of Venice Accessible Tour       Land & Sea Venice Wheelchair Tour   Venice Accessible Cruise Excursions       Venetian Empire Wheelchair Accessible Shore Excursion       Majestic Venice Wheelchair Shore Excursion       Venice San Marco Accessible Shore Excursion       Taste of Venice Handicapped Cruise Excursion       Supreme Venice Disabled Shore Excursion       Authentic Venice Shore Excursion for the Disabled   Accessible Hotels in Venice       Wheelchair Accessible Hotel in Venice San Marco       Venice Disabled Hotel with 5 Star Accessibility       Venice Accessible Hotel with Adjoining Rooms       Luxury Wheelchair Accessible Hotel in Venice       Wheelchair Accessible Accommodation in Venice Italy       Venice Accessible Hotel with Roll-in Shower       Handicapped Accessible Hotel on Venice Grand Canal       Budget Wheelchair Accessible Hotel in Venice Italy       Wheelchair Accessible Hotel near Venice Train Station       Venice Wheelchair Accessible Hotel Rooms   Venice Accessibility Guide by John Sage   Venice Trip Planning by Sage Traveling  – Travel with Ease!  Accessible Cruising with Sage Traveling  – Receive our Venice Accessibility Guide & Venice accessible hotel recommendations for free!

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Discover Venice with us! Book our Venetian tours and transfers… Enjoy it!

Grand canal tour.

Discover the beauties of the Grand Canal and it’s history. Be enchanted by the exquisite palaces of Venice and enjoy the legends of notable Venetian families

Bacaro Tour

Live the city as a real Venetian! Visit the most traditional Bacari of Venice, taste an “ombra” with the famous “cicchetti” and enjoy our assistant’s narration about the city and its history.

Islands Tour

Enjoy the three main islands of the Venetian Lagoon! Discover Murano, a Glass making paradise , Burano to admire its colourful houses and visit the peaceful Torcello.

Our transfers are available, with English speaking assistants, from/to the main gateways of the city: Venice Marco Polo Airport, Santa Lucia railway station, Cruise Ship Pier, Piazzale Roma and Tronchetto.

How to get your 10 thousand steps on Venice Beach

Jun 1, 2024 • 6 min read

The best way to explore Venice Beach and its eclectic boardwalk is on foot © Getty Images

In our 10K steps series, we've asked writers for the best places to get in your steps while enjoying city sights, favorite routes and some secret detours. In this one James March takes us around the colorful and chaotic streets and boulevards of Venice Beach.

Los Angeles’ coast stretches 75 miles, but little of that sun-kissed shore is as iconic, colorful or strange as Venice Beach .

Flanked by Santa Monica to the north and Marina Del Ray to the south, Venice’s waterfront is one of the most eclectic and iconoclastic public spaces in California and has been officially part of LA since 1926. But there’s far more to Venice than just its chaotic boardwalk . From languid canals to sleek skateparks, a wander around this bizarre corner of LA is an assault on the senses like no other and all are welcome in Venice’s potpourri of hippies, misfits, performers, artists and beatniks.

The best way to soak it all in is via a looped walk, so here’s how to follow my favorite route.

Where to start: The Venice Sign

You’ll see the famous Venice Sign again later this evening (in a much brighter fashion), but it’s also a good starting point for our walk. Industrial-chic breakfast spot Eggslut is around the corner if you need a bit of pre-walk fuel with one of their (unsurprisingly) egg-heavy sandwiches. Otherwise, head east on Pacific Avenue before turning north on S Venice Blvd and joining the Venice Canals towpath.

Meander the Venice Canals

Comfortably the most peaceful corner of Venice, these saltbush-fringed canals look nothing like the rest of the neighborhood. Or LA, for that matter. With arcing white bridges, a soft color palette, swaying palms and handsome water reflections, the canals are wonderfully photogenic and don’t be surprised if you feel a pang of jealousy toward those living here.

Each waterside house is different, with the big-windowed Scandi-style modernist apartments the most seductive (in this writer’s opinion). There’s little wind here too, compared to the beach, which only adds to the joyous serenity. Watch for cormorants, herons and other birdlife splashing down as you stroll.

Exit the canals and stroll north on S Venice Blvd. Walk for around 10 minutes, past the Abbot Kinney Memorial Branch Library and turn left on Abbot Kinney Blvd. Abbot Kinney himself was the 19th-century founder of the canals (he successfully changed the name of this area from Ocean Park to Venice in 1911, due to his fascination with the Italian lagoon city) and now this popular street is named after him.

Stop for quality coffee on Abbot Kinney

Affluent Abbot Kinney Blvd perhaps more closely resembles other LA neighborhoods du jour like Silverlake or Brentwood, though there are some nods to its coastal location, like the pseudo wooden beach shack hosting a Ray-Ban outlet (check out turquoise Goodr cabin further down the street for more affordable shades). Speaking of shops, there are plenty of ways to empty your wallet here, from overpriced smoothies to myriad retro clothing stores.

But this sophisticated stroll is also splashed with cool murals and some excellent restaurants and coffee stops, with the airy Intelligentsia the pick of the bunch. Natural light pours down on its wood-paneled central station as organic blends are poured to the sound of bouncy jazz beats (though prepare for the occasional patience-testing line).

Reasonably-priced tacos can be grabbed at family-owned Tacos Por Favor on the corner of Electric Avenue and Hampton Drive, otherwise continue north along Hampton and past the iconic Golds Gym (Arnold Schwarzenegger still pumps iron there from time to time allegedly, though you’ll need to be up at the crack of dawn to catch him). Make a zig-zagging path to Navy St, before eventually emerging onto the northern end of the Venice boardwalk.

Hit the boardwalk

Cannabis smoke drifts, drums thump, neon bikes glimmer, handheld stereos blast, low-flying helicopters hum, people shout, others sing and hot dog stands hiss. Your senses aren’t so much assaulted in Venice’s epicenter as bludgeoned. The boardwalk is kitschy and trashy but always compelling.

With the sun a little stronger and everyone feeling a little looser, mid-afternoon is the best time to experience the boisterous boardwalk where people watching never felt so exhilarating. Duck into Small World Books for a slice of cerebral calm, and only use the beach’s public restrooms if it's really necessary.

Make the leisurely walk south at your own pace and stop at any vendor that catches your eye (there are over 200 to choose from). People here are always willing to chat and chances are you’ll meet some curiously dressed characters who may or may not tell you their life story. Sidewalk Cafe is a breezy spot for a cold afternoon beer and it’s also adjacent to the skate park, which is our next port of call.

Admire some serious skating skills

When LA’s soft late-afternoon light hits Venice’s sunken skatepark a sublime scene forms, with talented local skaters turned to gliding silhouettes fringed by tall skinny palms. The vibes are always good, with tourists and friends watching and applauding the flicks and tricks on show.

The sound of the nearby waves breaking is amplified here, and the genial encouragement alongside the funky beats from the roller skating dance plaza behind makes the atmosphere fun, especially when there’s back-and-forth banter between skaters and their friends behind the rails.

It’s not far from LA’s lapping shores here, so maybe go for a quick paddle in the Pacific while you have the chance. Head back down to the boardwalk and stop by at the famous Muscle Beach where you might catch an adonis or two working on their bench press.

Arnold, the original Incredible Hulk Lou Ferrigno and many more have trained here during bodybuilding’s 1970s golden era. Though these days it's the relentless clack of couples playing paddle tennis from the courts behind that’s more popular. Stroll past the restaurants and bars of Windward Avenue and take a right at the Venice Sign where you’ll head inside the Hotel Erwin .

Soak in sunset rooftop views

Surprisingly, there’s only one place in Venice with a rooftop patio, and this is it. Lined by blood orange parasols, the Hotel Erwin’s 7th-floor deck is huge and stretches the entire length of the hotel. And on a clear day the views are genuinely panoramic, with downtown’s hazy skyscrapers visible and the high craggy Malibu Hills stretching east to Hollywood and beyond.

If you time this walk right, you’ll catch a golden sunset settling over the lights of Santa Monica Pier . Many of the sofas will be reserved, but the bar and the high tables on the left-hand side are available to all comers.

You can order food at the Erwin or take the elevator back down to Windward Avenue below for more gastro options (the smoky mezcal served at the Del Monte Speakeasy inside Townhouse is a favorite of mine). But since you’re here and night has fallen, don’t forget to cross over Pacific Avenue and take a photo of the Venice Sign now that it’s all lit up and strung out in its green, white and red glory.

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