Things to Do in Venice 2026: Beyond the Gondola Ride

TL;DR: The best things to do in Venice are St Mark’s Square (the Basilica, the Doge’s Palace and the 98.6 m Campanile), the Rialto Bridge and its market, a boat on the Grand Canal (a gondola costs €90 for 30 minutes by day, €110 for 35 minutes from 19:00, per boat), and a half day on Murano (glass) and Burano (lace and coloured houses). Venice is very walkable: the historic centre has no cars. One day shows you the highlights, two or three let you slow down. Day-trippers paid an access fee of €5–€10 on 60 set days in 2026, so check the 2027 calendar before you go.

What are the best things to do in Venice?

Venice is a city built on islands in a lagoon. “Venice and its Lagoon” has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. Most of the famous sights sit close together, so you can see a lot on foot. Here are the things to do in Venice that most visitors put first.

St Mark’s Square and the Basilica. The square is the city’s main stage. St Mark’s Basilica is one of the best-known works of Italo-Byzantine architecture. It also sits on the lowest ground in Venice, which is why the square floods first at high tide. Shoulders and knees must be covered to go inside. Our San Marco neighbourhood guide covers the area.

The Doge’s Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. The palace was the seat of the Venetian Republic. The official museum route leads you through the corridor of the Bridge of Sighs into the old prisons. Read how to see the Bridge of Sighs, from the inside and from a gondola below.

St Mark’s Campanile. The bell tower is 98.6 m tall, the tallest structure in Venice. The original collapsed on 14 July 1902. The copy you see opened on 25 April 1912.

The Rialto Bridge. Built in stone between 1588 and 1591, it is the oldest of the four bridges across the Grand Canal. Nearby are the fish market and the produce market. See our Rialto Bridge guide.

The Grand Canal. It runs 3.8 km through the city and is lined with more than 170 buildings, mostly from the 13th to the 18th century. You can see it from a water bus, a traghetto (a €2 gondola ferry for tourists) or a gondola. Compare gondola rides if you want the slow version.

Murano and Burano. Murano is about 1.5 km north of Venice. The Republic moved its glassmakers there in 1291, partly to cut the risk of fire, and glass is still its main trade. Burano is about 7 km away, known for lace and its brightly painted houses. The water bus from St Mark’s takes about 45 minutes. See our Burano and Murano guide and more ideas under day trips from Venice.

What is the coolest thing to do in Venice?

Ask ten visitors and you will get ten answers. But the one thing you can only do here is see the city from the water. A Venice gondola ride takes you down side canals that no road or bus can reach.

It is not cheap. The city’s fare is €90 (about $100) for 30 minutes from 09:00 to 19:00 and €110 (about $123) for 35 minutes from 19:00. But the fare is per boat, so a group of five splits it. Solo travellers can book a shared ride online from about $41 a person. The full breakdown is on our gondola ride price page.

Other things that feel special:

• Watch gondolas being built. The Squero di San Trovaso in Dorsoduro, a boatyard from the 1600s that looks like a mountain house, still builds and repairs gondolas. You view it from across the canal.
• Time a festival. The Venice Carnival fills the city with masks before Lent. The Festa del Redentore, on the third Sunday of July, starts with fireworks over St Mark’s Basin the Saturday night before. The historical regatta races on the Grand Canal on the first Sunday of September.

Things to do in Venice at night and romantic ideas

Venice looks different after dark. These are the things to do in Venice at night that cost little or nothing:

• Walk St Mark’s Square after dark, when the buildings are lit.
• Ride the water bus along the Grand Canal and watch the palaces lit up.
• Take an evening gondola ride. From 19:00 the fare is €110 for 35 minutes per boat. You can also book an evening gondola ride in advance.

For romantic things to do in Venice, sunset is the moment. Sunset falls at about 21:00 in mid-June and about 16:30 in mid-December, so plan around the month. A gondola under the Bridge of Sighs is a famous couple’s ride. Our list of the most romantic things to do in Venice has more ideas.

How long do you need in Venice?

One full day covers the big three: St Mark’s, the Rialto and a boat on the Grand Canal. Two days let you add a museum, a quiet district such as Cannaregio or Dorsoduro, and an evening on the water. Three days leave time for Murano and Burano. Our Venice itinerary lays out one, two and three days hour by hour.

Mind the access fee if you visit for the day. In 2026, day-trippers aged 14 and over paid it on 60 set days between 3 April and 26 July, from 08:30 to 16:00: €5 if paid at least four days ahead and €10 later. People staying overnight, who pay the hotel tourist tax, were exempt. The 2027 dates had not been published on 27 October 2026; check the official access fee portal. Staying the night also lets you see the city in the early morning and late evening. See hotels on the Grand Canal.

The weather matters too. Average highs run from about 7 °C in January to about 27 °C in July and August, and October is the wettest month. Our Venice weather by month has the details.

Is Venice a walkable city?

Yes. The historic centre has no roads for cars, so you walk or take a boat. The city is split into six districts, the sestieri: Cannaregio, Castello, Dorsoduro, San Marco, San Polo and Santa Croce. Hundreds of bridges link its islands, and most have steps. That makes Venice tiring with heavy bags, a stroller or a wheelchair.

Only four bridges cross the Grand Canal: the Rialto, the Accademia, the Scalzi and the Costituzione, which opened in 2008. If you need to cross between them, a traghetto (where it runs) or a water bus saves a long walk. Coming from the train station or the airport? Start with Santa Lucia station to St Mark’s Square.

Whatever you choose, leave room for one slow hour on the water. Compare gondola rides to find a shared seat or a private boat that fits your plan.