The Best One-Day Venice Itinerary: How to See Venice in a Day
Venice is one of the most visited cities in Italy and likely one of the top cities on your bucket list. It holds a wealth of history, beautiful architecture, delicious food, and fun activities, despite its small size.
Venice had been on our bucket list for a long time, and we knew we wanted to make it a priority to visit when we planned our trip to the Dolomites. We spent two days exploring the city, but we saw most of the must-see attractions on our first day.
Since Venice is not a large city, you can explore most of it in a day. If you have extra time, I recommend visiting for two days to allow more time to get lost in its streets. This guide has everything you need to know about the best one-day Venice itinerary to see its must-see attractions!
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Tips for Visiting Venice in One Day
Check to see if you need to pay an entry fee. Venice recently established an access fee for tourists visiting from April to July. It is required if you enter the city on Friday through Sunday and on a few other days during those months. You can pay in advance or upon arrival in Venice. Since we visited in September, we did not have to pay, but I recommend checking in advance to be prepared for your trip!
Start your day early. Since you are visiting for only one day, I recommend starting your day early to make the most of your 24 hours in Venice! Over 5 million people visit Venice each year, and since it is not a large city, the popular areas become a bit crazy midday. We began our walk through Venice early in the morning, and it was incredibly peaceful!
Make restaurant reservations. Because most restaurants are small, they fill up quickly. If the restaurant allows reservations, I highly recommend making one for all the restaurants you want to eat at. We made reservations for most of the restaurants we ate at, and it was incredibly helpful!
Walk instead of using vaporettos. Since you only have one day in Venice, I recommend walking through its streets to experience everything it offers! Vaporettos are convenient because they are the public transportation water taxis in Venice, but the rides can add up quickly and sometimes take longer than walking. One of the best things to do in Venice is to get lost in the city by walking its streets.
If you are celiac, download the AIC app. My husband is celiac, and I have a gluten allergy, so we were a bit nervous traveling to Italy. Luckily, Italy has a great program for celiacs, and restaurants can become AIC-accredited, which means they take precautions to create a safe environment for celiacs to eat. Tourists can download the app for 14 days for under $5, which we used throughout our trip, and it was incredibly helpful!
How to Get to Venice
You cannot drive in Venice, so you have to take public transportation or drive to Piazzale Roma, then take a vaporetto or walk from there. Public transportation is the easiest way to get to Venice from the airport, which is what we used. From the airport, we easily found a bus to take us into the city.
Flying
Venice Marco Polo Airport is 15 minutes outside of the city and will have the most flight options, especially if you are flying internationally.
We flew into this airport and then took public transportation to get downtown. The airport has kiosks for buses, making it easy to buy a ticket to get to Venice.
Public Transportation
Venice has a great public transportation system to reach downtown from the airport or nearby towns. The two most popular ways to reach Venice from the airport are by bus or ferry.
We took the airport bus downtown, and the kiosks are right outside the airport. The two popular routes are Line 5 and Line 35, which bring you to Piazzale Roma.
If your accommodation is along the eastern side of Venice, it may be easier to take a ferry to be closer to your hotel. The ferry leaves from the airport and brings you to the eastern side of the city.
Once you are in the city, you can either walk or take a vaporetto. Vaporettos are public transportation water taxis and bring you pretty much anywhere in Venice. I recommend walking instead because it is the best way to see the city, but vaporettos are a great option if you do not want to walk.
Driving
Although it is not my first recommendation, you can drive yourself to Venice. Since you cannot drive in Venice, you have to park at Piazzale Roma and then walk downtown or take a vaporetto.
Best Places to Stay in Venice
If you are spending a night in Venice, you should familiarize yourself with its neighborhoods: Cannaregio, Castello, San Marco, San Polo, Santa Croce, and Dorsoduro. Honestly, Venice is not a huge city, and you could stay in any of these neighborhoods.
San Marco is home to the iconic Piazza San Marco, so we originally were going to stay here, but we ended up staying in San Polo because it was a more central location. It was less expensive, and we could easily walk to the iconic attractions throughout Venice.
Map of One Day Venice Itinerary
Here is a sneak peek of everything in this one-day itinerary, including the must-see attractions and restaurants.
One-Day Venice Itinerary: Best Things to Do in Venice in 24 Hours
This one-day Venice itinerary is full of historic buildings, beautiful views, and delicious meals. If you have 24 hours in the city, this itinerary is the perfect place to start planning the best trip.
The best part about this one-day itinerary is its flexibility! You can move things around or remove anything that does not interest you.
Get your cameras ready for a fun day in Venice!
Breakfast
Of course, the best way to start your one day in Venice is with a delicious breakfast! I recommend eating breakfast early, allowing you to arrive at Piazza San Marco before most crowds.
Most of the time, you cannot go wrong with any place you eat in Venice. However, we have heard of a few restaurants that have some scammy practices. I recommend researching and finding a place to eat ahead of time, so you can read reviews to ensure it is somewhere good.
If you want to enjoy a pastry in the morning (because let's be honest, who doesn't), Pasticceria Bonifacio and Pasticceria Marchini Time are not far from Piazza San Marco.
The iconic place to eat near Piazza San Marco is Caffè Florian, the oldest cafe in Italy. Because it is popular, it becomes crowded early in the morning. We visited the cafe, but decided not to eat there because of the wait for a table. It also does not open until 9:00 am, so it is not the best place to eat breakfast if you want to start your day early.
Piazza San Marco
A day in Venice is not complete until you visit Piazza San Marco. Piazza San Marco (also known as St. Mark’s Square) is in the heart of the city, and it is the only piazza in Venice.
Piazza San Marco is home to some of the most famous buildings in Venice, including Saint Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace, Bridge of Sighs, and St Mark's Campanile. Do not worry, you will visit all of them!
On the first morning we were in Venice, we walked around with no destination in mind and ended up in Piazza San Marco. It was stunning in the morning light! We came back later in the day when I had my camera, and it was much more crowded, which is why I recommend visiting in the morning. Trust me, it is much more peaceful first thing in the morning!
Saint Mark's Basilica
Saint Mark's Basilica is one of the most beautiful buildings in Piazza San Marco, and it will be the first building you notice. It dates back to the 9th century AD and became the cathedral of the city in the early 1800s.
I was in awe of its architecture! Even with some construction on it, it was the most beautiful building in Venice.
You can either enjoy Saint Mark's Basilica from the outside or pay a small fee to explore inside. Since you are visiting in the morning, you can be one of the first people in line if you want to walk inside Saint Mark's Basilica. It opens at 9:30 am (except on Sundays), and you can buy your ticket online to save time at the door.
Doge's Palace
Doge's Palace is another iconic building in Piazza San Marco, right next to Saint Mark’s Basilica. It was my second-favorite building in Piazza San Marco because its Venetian Gothic-style architecture was stunning!
Saint Mark’s Basilica used to have an apartment for the Doge, a government seat, and a jail, but it is now a museum that visitors can explore to learn about its history.
If you want to explore the inside of Doge’s Palace, you have to pay a fee (which was around 25€ when we visited). The fee also allows you to walk inside the Bridge of Sighs, which was the final walk of prisoners before their execution.
I recommend purchasing your tickets online in advance to avoid long ticket lines. Doge’s Palace is right next to Saint Mark’s Basilica, so you can easily visit it after you finish exploring that.
If you do not want to visit the inside of Doge’s Palace, have no fear! You can easily enjoy its beauty from the piazza, and you can walk to the Bridge of Sighs on its other side.
St Mark's Campanile
If you want a unique view of the area around Piazza San Marco, you are in luck! St Mark’s Campanile is directly across from Saint Mark's Basilica, standing at about 325 feet (99 meters) tall.
When we visited Venice, the entrance fee was 12€ to take the elevator to the top. Once at the top, you can take in the beautiful view of Venice!
Similar to the other nearby attractions, I recommend purchasing your ticket online in advance for your preferred timeslot. Booking tickets online is the way to go to avoid waiting in long lines, trust me!
Bridge of Sighs
Before you get lunch, it is time to visit another iconic place in Piazza San Marco! The Bridge of Sighs is located on the other side of Doge’s Palace and was built in the early 1600s to connect Doge's Palace to the new prison. It used to be the final walk of prisoners before their execution. Now it is a place visitors can walk across if they visit Doge’s Palace or view it from the outside.
If you want to visit the Bridge of Sighs from the outside, you can walk around Doge’s Palace and head to Ponte della Paglia. From the top of the bridge, you can see the Bridge of Sighs!
Lunch
Since it will be lunchtime when you finish exploring this area of Venice, I recommend taking a break to enjoy a delicious lunch. Most of the restaurants in Piazza San Marco are expensive, but there are plenty of less expensive places to eat a quick walk away.
Al Chianti and La Piazza are just outside the piazza, offering delicious food and outdoor seating. Ai Do Leoni is another nearby restaurant that is perfect for a quick bite. I recommend finding some options before you start exploring for the day, so you can spend less time finding somewhere to eat and more time exploring!
Ponte di Rialto
The rest of the afternoon is dedicated to exploring the Grand Canal. And the perfect place to start is Ponte di Rialto.
Ponte di Rialto is the oldest bridge spanning the Grand Canal and is the most famous bridge in Venice. The bridge itself is beautiful, but I loved the views from the top overlooking the Grand Canal.
Since you are visiting in the afternoon, it is likely to be crowded, but it will not take away from its beauty. Ponte di Rialto is also a popular area for pickpocketers, so keep that in mind when you visit.
If you want the iconic photo of Ponte di Rialto, you can take a photo on either side of the bridge. We found the best photo spot to be near Ristorante Al Buso.
Gondola Ride
You can explore the Grand Canal on foot, or you can ride a gondola. A gondola ride in the Grand Canal is easily one of the best things to do, and a fun way to experience it. Many vendors offer gondola rides nearby, so you can usually find one without waiting too long.
When we visited, a 30-minute gondola ride was 90€ most of the day and a bit more around sunrise or sunset. It is on the pricier side, but it is an iconic thing to do in Venice.
If you do not want to ride a gondola, you can walk along the Grand Canal, exploring its shops, enjoying the beautiful views, and getting lost in its streets.
Ponte dell’Accademia
Once you are towards the southwest side of Venice, I recommend visiting another beautiful bridge, Ponte dell’Accademia. Venice has four bridges that span the Grand Canal, and Ponte dell'Accademia is one of my favorites.
Ponte dell’Accademia links San Marco to Dorsodouro, and the view from the top of the bridge overlooking the Grand Canal is stunning!
If you have extra time, you can walk to the end of Dorsodouro to visit the Basilica Santa Maria della Salute. I recommend taking the time to explore inside to see its beautiful architecture and art, then walking around it to the very end of Venice to get a view looking towards Piazza San Marco.
Get Lost in Venice
For the rest of the day, I highly recommend getting lost in Venice. This was the best piece of advice we received before our trip, because the best way to explore the city is to simply walk around. We loved exploring the streets and canals of Dorsodouro as we slowly made our way towards San Polo.
If you need a destination, I recommend aiming for Chiesa di San Pantalon. It is a hidden gem in Venice, which is crazy because it has the largest canvas in the world, measuring 443 square meters.
From the outside, Chiesa di San Pantalon was a simple church, but inside it was STUNNING! We were happy we stopped here and admired this stunning piece of artwork, and I recommend you do the same if you have time.
Basilica S.Maria Gloriosa dei Frari is another nearby place to visit that is stunning! It was unassuming from the outside, but it had incredible architecture and art inside.
Dinner
Are you ready to end your one day in Venice with an incredible dinner?! San Polo has many restaurants, and some of the best are Impronta Restaurant, Hostaria Osottoosopra, La Lanterna Da Gas, and Frary's.
We ate at Frary's because it is AIC certified, and it was AMAZING! Their Mediterranean food was delicious, and everyone was so kind. We ate our dinner outside next to the canal, which was the perfect way to end our stay in Venice.
Dessert
Do not forget about dessert!! Nothing is better than ending your day with a delicious pastry or gelato while exploring the city at night.
We were limited in places to get dessert because my husband has celiac, and we both have a dairy allergy, but we had a great experience at Gelato Fantasy! They took our allergies seriously, and they had plenty of dairy-free options.
If you only have 24 hours to spend in Venice, this guide is the best place to start planning your trip! It has everything you need to know to create the best one-day Venice itinerary.
Hey, I’m Nichole!
I am the creator behind Nichole the Nomad, the home of my explorations around the world, mountain hikes, and beautiful pictures taken along the way. I have a deep passion for capturing the world in a beautiful light and sharing my experiences.
I created this blog to share my travels, show how beautiful the world is, provide tips and tricks for traveling, and encourage you to explore. Whether you want to travel across the world or explore what’s in your backyard, I hope this blog inspires you to get outside and find your adventure!
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