carlposter05

Hi all,

We will be spending 3 days in Venice this September - here is what we are thinking in terms of an itinerary.

Day 1
--St. Marks Square, Basilica di San Marco, Campanile
--Grand Canal Cruise – Vaporetto Line #1 from Ferrovia to Piazza San Marco around later afternoon
--Gondola ride
--St. Marks Square at night

Day 2
--Palazzo Ducale – Secret Itineraries Tour, Ponte dei Sospiri, Ponte di Rialto, Accademia Bridge, Basilica dei Frari, San Giorgio Maggiore (great views)
--Walk along the Zattere at sunset

Any thoughts on whether this makes sense? Any other must-do, must-see things that are missing from this list ? Anything in this list that we should *not* do ? Any comments that will make our trip better will be greatly appreciated !

Thanks in advance.

carlposter05

Sorry - I meant to say "We will be spending 2 days in Venice this September" !

ira

Hi cp,

Don't be too concerned about what to do in Venice. Serendipity is a major part of the experience.

>...Grand Canal Cruise – Vaporetto Line #1 from Ferrovia to Piazza San Marco around later afternoon.<

I suggest that you keep going to the Lido and go back up the Canal soon after sunset.

The 82 is a little faster.

ucsun

it's just fine. some people will tell you that 2 days isn't enough...2 days is perfect, unless you enjoy walking through neighborhoods a lot. venice itself doesn't have many sites overall...quite a few churches, but after st marks and doge there is really a quality gap after that.

you itinerary looks perfect.

Sue_xx_yy

I would find a way to do the Doges Palace stuff on the same day as the rest of St. Mark's Square (leave the rest of Day 2, which you could do on day 1 if you prefer, as it is). For example, do your S.Itineraries tour in the morning (frankly, I'd skip the tour and just buy a pass at the Museo Correr to bypass the general ticket lineup to the Palace -worth the money), the square and environs in the midday along with lunch, and hit the Basilica around 330 pm, when the line starts to shorten.

How much time that you need depends in part on what you are doing, if anything, on the rest of your trip. If this is part of a general Italy trip, you'll have plenty of opportunities to see art and churches.

Enjoy Venice.

Dayle

Wow ucsun! Not much to see in Venice after St. Mark's and the Doge's Palace. Guess you missed a lot!

I would also higly recommend Il Frari (SP?), La Scuola de San Rocco, and Ca d'Oro. You would easily fit these into your two days without being rushed.

Buon viaggio!

mamc

While you are at the Rialto Bridge, visit the Rialto Market. It is incredible, especially the fish market section.

ucsun

Dayle, on the contrary. different strokes for different folkes...i loved what i saw. and i wouldn't change a thing. i prefer the outdoors to the indoors. but this is a great case in point for carlposter to realize that asking for travel advice is real difficult. as much of it is subjective.

ira

>..but after st marks and doge there is really a quality gap after that. <

As noted, different strokes for different folkes...

polyglot

Ditto Sue's recommendation to avoid S Marco/Doges' palace lines and Dayle's suggestion of additional churches/museums. I'd stop in S. Zanipolo and S Zaccharia, too, while you're out wandering around.
In the late afternoon, walk from S Marco across the Accademia bridge, turn right toward S Polo, and lose yourself in the residential neighborhoods. Sit in a cafe and watch the children ride their bikes and play ball while the sun sinks low.
I'm envious! Buon viaggio!

RufusTFirefly

Not many sights:

A partial list of things to visit, see, and do in Venice:

Piazza San Marco, Basilica San Marco, Campanile, Palace of the Doges, Grand Canal on a vaporetto, Lagoon islands: (Murano, Burano, Torcello), San Michelle, Gondola yard. The Arsenal and the Naval Museum, Accademia art museum, Peggy Guggenheim Gallery, numerous art shows and exhibits that are always running, The Ghetto.

Too many churches to list with interesting art and architecture, but...Basilica Santa Mariadella Salute, Basilica dei Frari, Santa Maria dei Miracoli, San Sebastiano, San Pietro di Castello, Santo Giovanni E Paolo, Madonna dell'Orto. Venice's churches have some of Italy's greatest works of art--many free to view by the likes of Tintoretto, Veronese, Titian, Bellini, Vivarini, and Carpaccio.

Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Scuola San Giorgio degli Schiavoni, Scuola San Nicolo, Scuola Grande Dei Carmini, Scuole Grande of San Rocco.

Campo Santa Maria Formosa, Ca’ Rezzonico museum, Querini-Stampalia palace/museum, San Giovanni Evangelista, Ponte di Rialto, Rialto market, Ca’ d’Oro, Ca' Pesaro museum, Correr museum, gondola tour of smaller, hidden canals. Opera and concerts at La Fenice. Walking away from the daytripping herds and discovering a quiet, secret city that most tourists have no clue exists.

It's not a complete list.

ucsun

RufusTFirefly, like i mentioned we all have different tastes of travel. but it is obvious based on interest one could spend months exploring venice let alone almost any major city.

i was just giving carl a diffent view point...especially when i had 2 nights there i could relate to him.

wanderer

We were just there in May, and Santa Maria della Salute church in Dorsoduro was one of our highlights. We loved walking around Dorsoduro - it was one of our favorites.

Leave some time just to wander also and have your meals at outdoor cafes.

Hotel La Calcina has a great lunch/dinner spot right on the Zattere which is very reasonable and good food.

I like that you are breaking up the Basilica and Doge's Palace. I, myself (everyone is different) was overwhelmed by the crowds in this area and could not have spent a whole day there.

If you can - I realize you only have 2 days - ease yourself into Venice. At least have a cappuccino at a little cafe not in San Marco to enjoy the quieter side before heading over there.

We found early AM (before opening times) a great time for San Marco - lines were short and moved quickly.

RufusTFirefly

ucsun--I think it was the quality gap issue that prompted me to post. I'd disagree with that totally.

But then again, I find Florence a totally unpleasant experience, and others love it.