Venice is a beautiful man-made city located in northeast Italy that is famous for its intricate transport system of interconnected canals. It is said to be one of Europe’s most romantic cities and exploring the many streets can take hours. If heading to Venice for a weekend trip or as part of one of our cycling holidays then we have some must-see sights. Our biggest tip would be to make sure you have a map; either paper-based or on your phone. Due to there being so many streets it can be easy to get lost and end up going in a different direction to where you want to go.
Venice Top Sights To See
Rialto Bridge
Rialto Bridge is the oldest of the 4 bridges that spans the Grand Canal in Venice. This bridge is grand in size and looks. You can also find shops on the bridge which gives you the sheer size of this bridge. The bridge can be very busy so if you are looking for good pictures of the bridge you may need to go early morning or late evening when most tourists will have gone.
Piazza San Marco – St Mark’s Square
From Rialto Bridge, you can make your way to Piazza San Marco known in English as St Mark’s Square. Here you will find many of the well known top sights in Venice. Although the downside to this is that is can be very busy due to the number of tourists that wish to visit. You will also find places to shop and eat/drink in the square. Prices will be more expensive than if you walked away from the main square. There are also many photo opportunities so make sure you have your camera!
Doge Palace & Bridge of Sighs
This beautiful Venetian Gothic style Palace is another of the top sights in Venice that you should visit. Inside is absolutely stunning and well worth exploring if you have time. Tickets can be bought online if you didn’t want to wait in the queues. The Bridge of Sighs connects Doge’s Palace with the prison over one of the canals. The bridge is made out of white limestone and is said to get its name from prisoners sighing with their last views of the beautiful Venice as they head to their prison cells.
Saint Marks Basilica
The queues for going inside Saint Mark’s Basilica can be very long. So if you plan on going inside then you could purchase a ticket online. Although entry inside is free, if you wish to go into a few areas like on the balcony walk then there is a separate charge. A top tip is that you are not allowed to go inside with bags and there is a bag locker building near to Saint Mark’s Basilica. It is best to have someone wait in line, while someone goes to drop the bags off before going in. Otherwise, you will be sent away to drop your bags off. Inside there is no photography allowed, although there were plenty of people doing this. It is a beautiful building, which once inside you can see why so many people queue to see inside.
Gondola Ride
Most people who visit Venice go there so they can go on a gondola. However, there are expensive…very expensive; 80 euros in fact and up to 100 after a certain time. You may well find cheaper if you look around. However, in the main locations, this was the price most gondoliers were. You may decide it is worth it for a chance to go on a gondola or you may decide a water taxi is just as good (and cheaper).
Venice has so much to offer and there are many other sights which you can visit when you are there. Why not check out our cycling holidays in Italy, where you may get a chance to visit this beautiful city.
Great information, One of the best city to travel during summer. i been there 2 2 times and planning again to visit. You can’t see everything just going once.
Thank you for uploading.
Thank you for your comment Amit! Yes, there is so much to see that more than one day is best.