Things to see and do in Venice
Ideas on how to spend your time
A city tour of Venice, especially for the first-time visitors should
begin with a visit to San Marco Square. The main square of the
city, it’s home to the beautiful Byzantine basilica of San Marco,
the patron saint of Venice, and to the Doges Palace the symbol of the
Venetian Republic, a Republic that played a major role in the history
of Europe.
To understand more about these important monuments take our Original
Venice Walk. On this guided walking tour after discussing the points
of interest in San Marco we make our way into the back-streets and alleyways
of the hidden Venice.
The city of Venice, Italy, can be broken-down into six districts (
or sestiere as the Venetians call them ). The Grand Canal, the main
street of Venice, runs through the heart of the historical centre of
Venice. To the north of the Grand Canal there are the Cannaregio, Castello
& San Marco Sestieri, and the south are the Santa Croce, San Polo
& Dorsoduro sestieri.
On the west side of the city is the main railway station of Venice,
Santa Lucia, and the only road connecting Venice to the nearby mainland.
On the eastern side of Venice is San Marco square and its famous landmarks
including the Doge’s Palace and the basilica of San Marco.
Completely surrounded by the waters of the lagoon, Venice was built
on a series of islands, sand-banks and land reclaimed from the sea by
the Venetians.
Each of the districts of the city of Venice has a unique history,
the San Polo area of the city was home to one of the important centres
of trade in the middle ages, and it boasts a labyrinth of narrow alleyways
that used to be home to the artisan quarters and the red-light district
of the city of Venice. Take our Discovering
San Polo and Dorsoduro Walking Tour to understand more about this
fascinating part of Venice.
The Cannaregio district of the city of Venice is the more modern part
of Venice. Built on reclaimed land during the late 15th &
early 16th Centuries. Here the Venetians built long straight
canals that catch perfect light throughout the day. This area is much
more open to the sea and the lagoon. It boasts numerous beautiful churches
and is home to the Jewish Ghetto, the first Ghetto in the world. Enjoy
a tour of this part of the city on our Cannaregio
& Jewish Ghetto Tour.
The San Marco district of Venice, is the centre of the ancient city
of Venice. It’s also the commercial centre of the city, with several
streets lined with elegant shops and boutiques. During the day it can
get crowded, but like all of Venice you can easily avoid the crowds
by taking a less trodden path along the back-streets where beautiful
bridges and sumptuous palaces await your discovery.
While discovering Venice on foot can be a tiring experience, Venice
offers other means of transportation that are much more relaxing than
other cities afford. With its streets full of water, an ideal way to
explore the city of Venice is to take a boat tour of the city. Our
Grand Canal Boat Tour, lasting 1 hr and ten minutes incorporates
any itinerary through which you’ll experience the main monuments
of the Grand Canal as well as cruising along some of Venice’s lesser
known canals.
In the evening don’t miss the opportunity to take a stroll before
dinner. Venice is considerably quieter in the evening hours, as all
the day visitors and Italians who work in the city head back to the
mainland, leaving Venice in relative silence. After dinner wander down
to San Marco Square for an espresso at Florians Cafe or
perhaps to listen to the café orchestra’s fill the night air with
music.
A city tour of Venice is a must for the first-time visitor, once you
understand her beauty, mystery and history you too can begin to appreciate
her uniqueness. The most beautiful city in the world is also the most
safest city in the world. Through which night and day you can walk in
complete safety through the labyrinth of streets, crossing quaint bridges, and
enjoy canals that make up its historical centre.
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