We will be in Venice for 2 1/2 days in October. Your suggestions of what we must see or do would be appreciated. Do you recommend we make reservations ahead? Our inclination is to wander, discover the local culture and not be overscheduled. We will be staying is Dorsoduro.

Your idea to walk around is a good one.

Just don' t get lost which can be easy.. and fun finding your way back.

Some things to do:

St.Mark's Square...have lunch here and just admire the architecture , people watch and feed a few pigeons.

Pay to go to the top of the Campanile in St
Mark's Square.

Tour the Doge's Palace.
Wait till you see the Great Council Hall.

Take a guided tour and have places explained to you.
Walk over the Bridge if Sighs....this kinked the Palace to the state prisons.

Don't get lost here.. .I did and it took me 1/2
hour to find my way out.

Take a Gondola ride and be serenaded as you cruise the canal and go under the Rialto Bridge.

You will of course cruise the Grand Canal and see the lovely Santa Maria della Salute Church.

Take a boat ride to Murano to see the glassware here and the architecture

Well you have enough time to see a few highlights and also wander. I think you can pre-book San Marco now and Doge's Palace - those would be the A++ sights IMO.

I suggest cruising the Grand Canal maybe more than once - it is esp. interesting at high tide to see how far the water is creeping into many of the lovely old buildings. We've never done the gondola ride - too pricey IMO but for many, it would be a must do.

We enjoyed a long day to Torcello - quiet island and nice way to see Venice from the lagoon.

We enjoyed the classic art museum (Accademia?) but did not like the Guggenheim (not a modern art fan). Be sure to pop into some of the churches as you stroll along - one time we happened into a rehearsal for an upcoming musical performance.

Your choice to stay in the Dosodura is a good one - enjoy sitting out by the Guiadecca / Zattare - nice part of the city and not so crowded as other areas. Enjoy!

Some ideas:

You can book a "skip the line" behind-the-scenes tour of the Doges Palace. I recommend it.

Be aware that a trip to Murano/Burano will take up most of a day. You'll have to decide if you want to use up that much time when you don't have a lot. It's not that I'm against visiting M/B, but just know how much time it will take. I wouldn't go to Torcello, given your tight time limit.

Rather than taking the pricey (and overrated) single gondola ride, look into a group tour of gondolas that go down the Grand Canal and take you to some of the back canals. You'll share a gondola with someone, but so what?

Dorsoduro is a nice spot. You'll want to use the vaporetto to get to San Marco. Also, consider the 3-day vaporetto pass if you plan to use it a lot. (It includes the ferry to Murano/Burano.)

Although many people here tout "wandering" and getting lost in Venice as a must-do, I'm not so sure that's how you want to spend your limited time.

Some of the high-end hotels on the GC have canal-front or rooftop bars where you can sit and have a drink and watch the world go by. Nice way to take a break. The Starhotel Splendid has a nice rooftop bar (not near the GC) where you can watch the sun set while sipping a prosecco. It's overpriced, but so is Venice in general.

My favorite tip is to use a compass! In Venice and more recently in Rome, it so enhanced my wandering to start at point A and pick point B and just head in that general direction. Without it my husband and I either walk in circles or have to keep referring to a map, which is such a drag when you just want to discover nooks and crannies. And when you actually do have a destination in mind, it's so much nicer to get there by meandering than by following a map that has only about 20 percent of the streets pictured.

Never thought of a compass abbydog.

What king of compass.?
Thank You

Never thought of a compass abbydog.

What king of compass.?
Thank You

oops

Buy a better map.

I never leave for Venice without my Streetwise Map of Venice, which can be purchased at Barnes/Noble.

A compass?

Who are you?

Copernicus?

I can just picture you sitting next to Food snob at Quadri-- she in her Celine sling-backs and you with your compass.

What a notion.

It takes all kinds to make the world go awry.

Thin

^^^ Sounds like the beginning of a halfway-decent movie.

Film title???

The Goldoni Compass



Thin

" feed a few pigeons."

Please don't do that, it's illegal.

Yes, please do not feed the pigeons or attach "love locks" to bridges.

Like Thin, I love my Streetwise map.

The only trouble with using a compas is that some calle end at a canal without a bridge.
My advice is that if you fall in love with something in a shop, buy it at once. You may never find the shop again. Getting lost is great fun. We. W

To continue from where I was rudely interrupted�� we were once hopelessly lost until I spotted an African dodgy handbag seller. "Follow that handbag seller. He'll be heading to where all the tourists are"

You are staying in the Dorsoduro, so not far from the Zattere probably. Nico's floating platform there is a prime spot for drinks and gianduia ice cream with a wonderful view of the Giudecca. La Terazza di Casin Nobili is a decent place to eat also on the Zattere.

If you can find the book, "The Secret Venice of Corto Maltese" has wonderful walks through little known and un-touristy parts of Venice. We used it on our first trip to Venice - over 10 years ago - and have used it on each year's return trip since.

I've been to Venice twice for 4-5 days each time. I just wandered around. And wandered around some more. I think you only need to consider reservations if there is something specific you want to see or do, that you'd be heartbroken if you missed out on (I had nothing like that). My first trip was spur of the moment, I was already in Switzerland, and I didn't even have a guidebook or a map (because the only ones I could find were in French -haha).