julieann

Thanks for all the help on Rome and Florence itineraries. I would appreciate all suggestions/comments about our Venice itinerary. This is so helpful.

Venice Itinerary



Day 11: Train to Venice on Monday, June 18
B & B Gli Angeli (suite with kitchen)
Walk to St. Mark’s Basilica and Square
Doge’s Palace (palace of former rulers/art)
Bridge of Sighs
Campanile Bell Tower (elevator to top!)
Explore / vino in “private” garden

Day 12: Walk from St. Mark’s Square to Rialto Bridge
(follow path in Rick Steves/Venice)
Walk from Rialto Bridge to Frari Church
Tour Frari Church (Franciscan w/Renaissance art)
Cruise Grand Canal in vaporetto
Pub crawl

Day 13: Explore lagoon by tour boat or vaporetto stopping at Burano (lace making island) or/and San Giorgio Maggiore

Day 14: Early morning trip to airport

More Options:
Concert
Correr Museum (history/art) or Accademia (art) if
another museum
La Salute Church – dedicated to Virgin Mary
Murano – island famous for glass making (reputation for high pressure sales?)
Jewish Ghetto (neighborhood and Jewish museum)
Explore Dorsoduro neighborhood/other areas

franco

julieann, I understand from your itinerary that this must be your first visit to Venice, and it's perfectly understandable that you want to see the most famous sights like S. Marco, Doge's Palace, Rialto Bridge, Grand Canal - everyone wants to. But this is the problem, at the same time: with this itinerary, you'll have not one single moment without huge crowds of other tourists surrounding you, and you might very well end as one of those who think Venice is a "disneyland for adults". Your additional options don't change much for that matter: Accademia and Ghetto are overcrowded, as well.
So what I suggest is: skip the entire islands tour on your third day; Burano and Murano are really not worth the effort, given the extremely short time you have for Venice, and S. Giorgio Maggiore is best seen from the distance, i.e. from Piazzetta S. Marco (the same is true for S. Maria della Salute). And substitute this islands tour with less known sights, where you can get a feeling for the real, non-touristy Venice. I'd suggest: Scuola di S. Giorgio degli Schiavoni, S. Pietro di Castello, Ospedaletto (if you happen to be in Venice on a day when it's accessible), S. Maria dei Miracoli, Casa Goldoni, Scuola Grande di S. Giovanni Evangelista, Scuola Grande di S. Rocco (ok, that's part of the tourist circuit as well, but it's simply too great to skip), S. Sebastiano, il Redentore (one of the most important, but rarely visited, sights of Venice)...

ira

Hi J,

Good advice from franco.

Since you have such a short visit, I also suggest skipping the islands.

Leave yourself an unplanned day and just get lost in Venice.

We have been there over 20 twenty days in many visits and still have a to do list.

papagena

Julieann, your first thread with this question has a number of replies. An easy way to find it is to click on your own name.

franco

>We have been there over 20 twenty days in many visits and still have a to do list.<

I've been there over eight months in many visits, and even my to-do-list is still considerable...

caroltis

Totally agree with Franco and Ira. Skip the islands. When Rick suggests you "get lost" in Venice...that's exactly what will make your memories sweet. I've been there 3 times now and the best recollections are of simply exploring and soaking up this treasure. Of course spend time in Piazza San Marco, walk through the church. The Doge Palace tour takes quite a long time but it is interesting. The real beauty of Venice is in its uniqueness...just start walking...