1 Day in Venice: The Perfect Short Itinerary Guide
Got just 1 day in Venice, Italy? Luckily you’ll still be able to see a lot. Keep reading to find the perfect guide to one day in Venice.
Let’s be fair. One day or 24 hours is little time in any major world city nor is it ideal is one of Europe’s most famous and romantic destinations. Sometimes, however, all we have is one day or less to get to know a place, which to be honest is better than not going at all.
We stopped in Venice for only one day due to a very hectic European trip schedule and we also managed to get some very cheap, last-minute flights to go just for the day. If you only have one day, 12 hours, or even less in Venice this travel guide is for you. Discover the must-do things to do, see and eat in this pocket-sized Venice one day itinerary.
Venice is one of those cities that’s so compact, walkable, and small that much of it can be seen in 12 hours or one day. This wouldn’t be the case for other European cities but Venice is an exception. If you’re not bothered by shopping or spending hours in the museums and only want to see the sights with the exception of popular islands Burano and Murano then a short trip might just work for you.
Explore the dazzling floating city with its dreamy, narrow canals, fairytale gondola rides, impressive churches, and beautiful architecture. Make sure to also turn off google maps, follow the alleyways until you get to a dead-end, and simply get lost- it’s all part of the fun.
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READ MORE: The Venice Bucket List | Top Things to do in Venice
Top Tips for 1 Day in Venice
↠ One of the things I always do on such short trips is to make a list of the top 3-5 places I want to visit and at least 3 must-eat restaurants. Having this in mind will make it easier to plan a walking route, and often, prioritizing particular places means that you’ll definitely end up seeing them.
↠ Venice is extremely crowded and unfortunately, you’ll probably be at Piazza San Marco at the time everyone else is. To avoid this try to visit Venice outside of the most crowded, peak season months (June, July, and August).
↠ During the winter months, Venice experiences high water and the city often floods. Try to avoid the months of December, January and February if you want to keep your feet dry.
↠ Book all your entrance tickets online before you travel. Not having to queue will save you so much time because let’s be honest if you are in Venice for 12 hours you don’t want to spend 2 of those in a queue. St Mark’s Square Basilica, the Doge’s Palace and most of the other palaces and museums can all be booked online from their official website.
↠ Wearing comfortable footwear is an absolute must during this 1 day in Venice itinerary. With transportation in Venice being expensive and limiting, the best way to get around and see all the major attractions is by walking. The last thing you want is shoes that don’t get on with your feet.
↠ If you’re only in Venice for a day trip, you might prefer the ease of a guided tour, especially if it’s your first time. There are many walking tours and tours of the city on offer that include a visit to most of the main sights, invaluable information from a local guide and water taxi rides. I personally prefer this and this tour for a one day in Venice itinerary.
Getting to Venice
Plane – The city of Venice is served by two airports; Marco Polo and Treviso. If you only have a day in Venice do NOT fly into Treviso which is located far from Venice itself and you’ll spend over an hour on a bus getting to the city. Fly into Marco Polo from which it’s a 20-minute bus or boat ride into Venice.
Train – All trains arrive at the Stazione de Venecia Santa Lucia train station, on the island of Venice itself. A high-speed train is available to and from Venice from other Italian cities. From there you can hop on a Vaporetto (water bus) or start exploring on foot.
Bus – All buses arrive at the Venice Terminal on the island, from which it’s very easy to cross the La Liberta bridge and from there continue your trip on foot or by Vaporetto.
Once you’ve arrived on the island of Venice you can hop onto a Vaporetto (water bus) or start walking towards the direction of San Marco. In this Venice one day itinerary I’d recommend getting on a Vaporetto all the way to San Marco and then walking back towards your starting point throughout the day, seeing all the sights along the way.
1 Day in Venice: What to Do and See
The below itinerary takes in as much as possible in the short time frame that we had. It covers the exact sights we did in the exact same order. Of course, more time is great but these are some of the best things to see if you only have one day in Venice.
Piazza San Marco
It wouldn’t quite be 1 day in Venice without featuring this famous square. St. Mark’s Square is one of the busiest, most iconic squares in the world. So many of Venice’s highlights are located around this square so you won’t have to go far to see them all.
Start by simply marvelling at the scale of this grand square which is surrounded by Venetian mask shops, gelato shops and antique cafes under arched walkways. Take in the architecture, the stonework and the history.
In the 15th Century, Venice rose to be one of the areas most important and wealthy city-states and what we see today reflects that.
Located in the square is Caffe Florian, one of the oldest cafes in Venice. While it isn’t cheap it is one of the most iconic and atmospheric places to enjoy a coffee and snack. Marvel at the preserved interior and decor before continuing. Here you’ll also see the famous St. Mark’s Basilica and the bell tower (pictured).
Basilica San Marco
Unmissable from the St. Mark’s Square panorama is St. Mark’s Basilica- the icon of Venice.
I personally think it’s more impressive from the outside but I highly recommend going inside as the gold mosaic work inside is simply unbelievable. Having bought your ticket online you can skip the queues and bounce straight in.
Admire the 8,000 square meters of mosaic work inside which took about 800 years to complete and their effect today is still jaw-droppingly beautiful. Built-in the Byzantine style, it’s so different and recognisable compared to other churches in Italy. With Venice being a major trading port throughout history, you can observe a lot of Eastern influence all over the city.
The key to visiting San Marco and maximizing your time is to buy your entrance ticket before your trip. You can waste hours waiting in line if you don’t do this. Book your skip-the-line tickets here and get a free audio guide.
The Doge’s Palace
Continue over to the Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) next door and again skip the queues with your pre-booked ticket. This dramatic and exquisite building was where the Doge or ruler of Venice lived throughout history.
Admire the historical decor, and structures and learn about Venice’s unique history.
For the Doge’s Palace, you can go for the Standard Timed Entry Ticket or the Skip-the-Line Entrance Ticket with Free Guidebook.
If you prefer to save some money, you can also get the St. Mark’s Cathedral and Doge’s Palace Combined Ticket which includes Terrace Access.
Bridge of Sighs
Further on you’ll find the famous Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei sospiri). This bridge separated the palace and the prison. It was said that the view from this bridge was the last prisoners saw of Venice before they were locked up.
While this isn’t the best place to relax because of the crowds, you can still sit by the side of the canal and watch the gondolas go by for a while before moving on.
Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute
Almost exactly across the Grand Canal from St. Mark’s square is the striking Basilica of Santa Maria Della Salute. We took the Vaporetto over and admired the exquisite Baroque façade and huge doors. It’ll make you wonder how many people it takes to open those entirely.
While you can go inside normally, it was closed when we visited. From here continue walking west toward the Galleria dell’Accademia through this quarter of Dorsoduro. Dorsoduro means ‘hardback’ in Italian and this area was for a long time seen as the backbone of Venice.
You’ll notice the much quieter streets and canals over here and you’ll be able to feel the city’s real character.
Galleria dell’Accademia
If you have time to visit a museum during your trip I’d highly recommend this one for a full retrospective of pre-19th-century Italian painting.
You’ll find works by DaVinci, Titian, Bellini, and Canaletto who painted so many scenes from Venice in the 18th Century you’ll get a good idea of what the city looked like then and how it’s changed.
Ponte Dell’Accademia
From the gallery just cross over one of the most famous bridges in Venice to get back into the San Marco quarter. The Academia bridge itself is adorned with heaps of padlocks but that’s not the focus here. Admire the Grand Canal from here, as this is arguably the best view in the city of this most scenic bend in the canal.
