Hello, I need some advice on must see sites in Venice. We will only have two days:17-19 and I want to make sure I make the best use of our time. I was thinking that I wanted to do some walking on our own(relaxed) to explore the city and also see important sites along the way. Among the sites/activities that we were most interested: Peggy Guggenheim Museum, Murano, Piazza San Marco, gondola ride, etc.
Can you please make suggestions??Thanks!

If you have only two days, I would skip Murano, or leave it as the last thing to do on your must list. If you are interested in shopping for glass, there are plenty of lass shops on the main island. If you are interested in glass blowing demonstrations, then Murano may be required.

By Piazza San Marco, do you mean the Basilica and Doge's Palace as well as the piazza itself? These are the two major sites suggested for visits. If my time were constrained, I think I would choose the basilica over the palace.

Another sight that would help your explore another part of Venice is the Frari church, located on the other side of the Grand Canal from San Marco.

With only two days, I would skip a trip to Murano; it could easily cost you a half day’s time. IMO Venice is not the city to rush around in trying to see everything on a list. You should be a sponge and absorb everything Venice has to offer. My ideal two days in Venice would consist of getting up very early every morning and start walking in the incredibly quiet streets and alleys. Watch the sun come up over the lagoon. Hold hands with your spouse. A kiss along a quiet canal can be very romantic. Find one of the many squares or campos, stake out a bench and just watch life go by. My personal favorite was Campo S. Margherita; just like something out of a 40’s movie. I just loved standing on the larger canal bridges and photographing the variety of watercraft, including police and fire boats, ambulances, garbage boats and the assorted delivery vessels; and even a funeral barge. I ate little meals and snacks all day long. An espresso and pastry first thing in the morning, then I practically went from shop to shop buying small packages of assorted meats and cheese to snack on as I strolled. Dinner options abound and the seafood offering are spectacular. Of course check out the museums and churches if that interests you; we certainly did our share. After dinner we loved sitting around San Marco listening to the dueling orchestras. Sitting on the steps is permitted and costs nothing compared to a seat at a table. The quality of music was outstanding and the acoustics around the square are remarkable. I am sure that you will get many suggestions from the helpful folks on this forum regarding other “attractions” that are available.

Get up early and go to the first morning mass at the Basilica, it will be either 8am or 8:30, your hotel will know. Sit politely during the service, if you aren't Catholic, and enjoy the experience. When it is over, you will already be inside, and will be able to see the magnificent interior. You must pay an admission fee to see the Pala d'Oro (golden altar piece) and to go upstairs to the loggia, but you won't be waiting in line outside.

If you are interested, take an audio tour of the Doge's Palace, which is next door. After that, either go to Murano (but only if you feel you must, I agree about not taking the time for it on a short visit to Venice) or take a 5 minute boat ride to San Giorgio Maggiore, a church in the lagoon. Go to the top of the bell tower for a wonderful view of Venice's waterfront.
(this is assuming it's a clear day.)
Much better view imo than the view from
the Campanile in Piazza San Marco.

The Peggy Guggenheim is a nice walk, and there's a gorgeous terrace for admiring the Grand Canal. Do take a long vaporetto ride on the Grand Canal, you can get on, for example, near the San Marco end, or you can start at the train station and ride down.
Have your camera out.


I have a long file on Venice; if you'd like to see it, email me at
[email protected]

Jim & Elaine
Wonderful poetic answers...thanks for so vividly bringing back the memories!!
One other small note...I love to go out late at night & take photos......Venezia such a beautiful mystery!!
www.pbase.com/baileyzim/venice_after_dark

Do read Elaine's file...full of marvelous suggestions!!!

Bailey, you are so right about that. I got Elaine's file before I went to Italy, and it is increibly concise. I even went so far as to "cut and paste" bits and pieces into a smaller document that went right into the old day pack. Better than ANY travel guide any day!!

I think Venice is the perfect city to simply soak up the atmosphere. I've been twice and have yet to see any of the "must sees". With a map it's easy enough to find the Rialto bridge, San Marco plaza, etc. and walk to them. We also used a small packet of self-guided walking tours that worked great for us. I enjoyed visitng a smaller neighborhood church near our hotel, the post office, a grocery store, a hardware shop. My one must do suggestion would be to ride a vaporetto (bus/boat) on the Grand Canal.

With only two days, I too would skip going out to the islands (Murano etc.)

suze--the next time you are in Venice, do start on some of the must-sees. They really are wonderful.

thanks for the kind words about the Venice file
I love Venice so much, that even just sharing information about it is a pleasure

why vaporetto? What's there?

vaporetto- it's a boat, a means of transportation, a cheap city tour

Rufus, i thought you were big on to each his own, wasn't that you? i really don't care much for sight-seeing in a traditional sense. makes a trip feel too much like work.

to me going out to one of the islands is a great thing to do - not because of the glass-blowing, etc. but from the boat you see Venice from afar, seemingly floating on the water - a unique sight you can't see from Venice itself. Imagine yourself as a medieval trader sailing into the lagoon and the visage of Venice appearing over the water - at that time and now one of the world's most exquisitely beautiful cities - not only from up close but from afar! This I would put at the very top of my list!

Bob, thank you for the suggestion and i see your point! i always dismissed going out to the islands, not thinking about the boat ride itself as a treat.

Jim stole my suggestion! I second his encouragement to get up EARLY and walk around. I spent only one day in Venice (so far, but I WILL go back) but arrived very early. I walked from the train station to San Marco. The difference between the city at that time and four hours later is incredible - it gets so crowded and busy later in the day. Get up early, before sunrise if you can, and wander around... I stopped in a bakery just opening for the day - we're talking pastries still hot from the oven. If you're lucky, it will be foggy like it was for me and you'll forget what century it is...

Also, I second Suze's suggestion of hopping a ride on the vaporetti. A day pass is cheap, gets you wherever you want to go in the city, and allows for some great views... We just hopped on and took a tour of the city.

Just spent a week there; our first visit was 2-3 days though -- agree with the above comments. We still haven't made it to Murano! What we did was walk and walk, away from San Marco! But definitely see San Marco, just very early in the a.m., when all the couples are getting their wedding photos taken because no one's there!

I agree about the Basilica first, the Doge's palace second as time allows. Dress modestly for Mass.

If you walk even 3-4 blocks away from the Rialto you can end up in quiet neighborhoods -- and have a whole different experience. there's a great restaurant in Campo S. Stephano.

We loved our gondola rides!

We also enjoyed the Peggy Guggenheim on this trip, though we skipped it the first.

Have a great time!

I am also planning a short visit to Venice. We have been to the Accademia, Doumo, Doge's Palace, but missed the Rialto market becaue it was closed, and the Peggy Guggenheim, which we want to see .... we want to see both those. And Burnano and Torcello. Knowing we visited the main sites before (me, many times, husband once) and had two delight gondola rides, do you think we can squeeze it into two nights?

I ask because I also want to stay in Verona, and Rome, and have to spend 6 nights in Tuscany. What do I do????

So, what do I do? Please help tweak the following.
3/2 Arrive Rome, spend day and night
3/3 train or drive to Tuscany for 6 nights (business, not completely worked out in details)

3/9,1o,11,12 we would like to spend in Verona and Venice . 2 and 2, or 1 and 3.

Hope to fly from Venice to FCO... any airline suggestions?

suze--I wasn't ordering you to see the wonderful sights. Just giving my opinion that they are worth seeing and urging you to give it a go.

But it is your time and your money.

Just teasing you Rufus, I'll try to be a little more ambitious next trip!