One Day In Venice: Itinerary, Maps + Tips For An Epic Day

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Venice, for many is a bucket list destination. Okay, let’s be real, ‘many’ is an understatement, the ancient city of Venice receives 5.7 million tourists a year, to put that into perspective that’s the population of Singapore and El Salvador! We all flock here promised with a holiday full of romantic gondola rides, magnificent churches, breathtaking views and gelato… so much gelato. This one day in Venice itinerary and map will help you plan your trip, I’ve even included a few alternative activities in case it rains!

I was first introduced to Venice when I was about 8 years old watching the honeymoon from hell movie ‘Just Married’ (Brittany Murphy, what an icon). Even during the movies most tumultuous scenes, Venice made it look romantic. The canals, gondolas, narrow streets and food made me eager to experience it myself, thankfully 22 years later I did.

Is One Day In Venice Enough?

Sorry to say this, but no, one day is just too short. Venice is best explored slowly, it is not somewhere you want to rush through. Due to the high number of tourists, many places you want to see will involve queuing for very long periods. Therefore, to see Venice in one day you will need to make sacrifices on where you want to visit, but experiencing a fraction of Venice is better than never experiencing it at all. My guide will help you make the most of it all.

Visitors to Venice are required to pay a €5 access fee during certain times of the year, you can pay this fee online. You will receive a QR which you need to show when entering the ancient city of Venice.

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Written by

Tara Oh Reilly

Hello, I am Tara, the creator of this travel blog! I share guides, itineraries and tips about the places I have been to. I aim to bring you honest recommendations that will help you plan your trip. I have been travelling full time for 3 years with no plans on stopping anytime soon!

🛏️ Spending the night in Venice? Centauro Hotel is centrally located with reasonable rates, just a 6 minutes walk from St Mark’s Square. If you want to splurge Sina Centurion Palace has rooms with a canal view but away from the tourist haunts.

How To Get Around During Your One Day in Venice

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Venice is actually a perfect city for walking, compact and picturesque, you could’t really ask for a nicer backdrop. Besides, when you’ve got just a day in Venice walking allows you to see so much more and is the cheapest way to get around!

Another option is to take a water bus also known as Vaporetto. Line 2 takes you to St Marks Square and is the most popular water bus for tourists. A 75 minute ticket costs €9.50 and a one day ticket costs €25. Included in this price is one piece of luggage.

I recommend purchasing tickets before you arrive to save some time, either via GetYourGuide or through the official AVM app. You can also get them from ticket offices, newstands and anywhere with the ACTV logo.

Tips To Get The Most Out Of Your One Day In Venice

Do not try to see it all – A day trip is always a bit of a sacrifice, you can either try see it all but not really experience anything or youcan see a little but experience a lot. Seeing all the top historical sites will result in a day of queuing, instead pick 2 to 3 things, take your time to take it all in.
Book in advance – for the big attractions make sure to book in advance and choose skip the line tickets. Although this is generally more expensive but can save you more than an hour on busy days.
Pack smart – a portable phone charger, portable fan, spf and pre-downloaded offline maps. Also have some cash on you, not all shops and cafes take card.
Arrive early – I know this is an obvious one but the earlier you get there the more time you will have to explore
Appropriate dress – if you plan to visit the basilica and other places of worship make sure to have knees and shoulders covered

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One Day In Venice Itinerary + Map

click here for interactive map

Morning: Explore Piazza San Marco

_{^{Piazza San Marco, stop 1 on this Venice itinerary}}

Starting the day at one of Italy’s most famous squares, Piazza San Marco, known by Napoleon as the “drawing room of Europe” a nod to its beauty.

I recommend visiting here first thing in the morning as it gets extremely busy, it’s also a beautiful spot for photos, so the earlier you arrive the higher the likelihood of having fewer crowds.

Need that morning cup of coffee?

Caffè Florian: the oldest cafe in Italy cafe dating back to the 1700’s. It is luxurious and pricy, but a nice place for a morning cup of coffee overlooking the piazza
Rosa Salva Pasticceria: part of the Rosa Salva hotel, you can find nice cake and coffee here.

– St Mark’s Basilica + Doges Palace Tour

No one day Venice itinerary is complete without a visit to the largest church in Venice, St Mark’s Basilica. The exterior of the church is decorated with sparkling gold mosaic statues and images, while the inside has 85,000 feet of mosaic, marble columns and floors, along with incredible ceilings that depict angels and Christian scenes. You could spend the day just looking at the murals on the ceilings, there are that many!

St Mark’s Basilica is located beside the Doge’s Palace, the former residence of the supreme authority of the former Republic of Venice. It is here you can walk across the famous bridge of sighs and golden staircase.

Many tours combine both the Basilica and the Doge’s Palace. A tour also helps you skip the line and could potentially save you hours which is important when you want to see Venice in one day.

– Campanile di San Marco

As the tallest building in Venice at 98.6 m, the bell tower of St Marks Basilica stands out on Piazza San Marco. Built to be a lighthouse for sailors and collapsed in 1902, only to be restored in 1912 back to exactly as it stood before its collapse.

If you want panoramic views of Venice, visiting this tower is a must. An elevator will take you to the top where you will see amazing views of the piazza, basilica and canals. It can get a bit crowded up there but if you wait a little you will get a good spot for some photos.

Tickets for St Marks Basilica do not include Campanile di San Marco, some guided tours include it, but if you do it on your own you need to purchase a separate ticket.

Where To Eat Lunch In Venice

All of this walking around during your one day trip to Venice requires you to have enough energy. I have picked some of the best “to go” food spots in Venice that I think you will love.

Fresh Pasta to go: fast + fresh pasta to go! Choose any pasta and sauce combination. Comes in a handy box so you can eat and sight-see.
Baci & Pasta: another on the go pasta option. Famous for their pumpkin gnocchi! They also have gluten free options.
Colussi Il Fornaio Ltd: family owned bakery, great place for an affordable croissant. Also serve tarts, cakes and savoury goods.
Bar Pasticceria Ballarin: coffee and pastry served on a marble counter. I recommend trying a cannoli here!
Farini: serving pizza by the slice.

Midday: Gondola Ride

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It is hard to imagine spending a day in Venice without the experience of a gondola ride.Yes I know it is extremely touristy but you will remember it forever. The combination of the views from the gondola, the stillness of the narrow canal corridors and the gondolier standing behind you makes for a remarkable ride.

Expect to pay €80 to €100 for a 30 minute journey per Gondola and €100 – €120 per Gondola at night, you can request the route you want to take. Gondoliers will only accept cash as payment.

^{_{a gondola ride is one of the most memorable things to do in Venice}}

If you’d rather not deal with on the day prices, you can prebook a private gondola for up to 5 people for a 40 minute ride.

– Librairie Acqua Alta

Might seem strange to have a book shop on a one day in Venice itinerary but this is not your average run of the mill bookshop. Librairie Acqua Alta is one of the most unique bookshops in the world.

Inside there is a staircase made of books, a gondola and bath tub filled with you guessed it … books! There are also a few cats they make an appearance every now and then.

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– Visit The Quieter Side Of Venice

The best thing to do when you are in a city for a short while is to just wander around the streets. You will end up stumbling upon lots of cool and unique things rather then going into every museum and trodding the same path as all the other visitors. Walk a few streets away from where the main tourist spots are and you will experience a calmer side to this city, the canals are .

The majority of visitors tend to stay in the area between St Mark’s Square to Rialto Bridge. Once you walk away from that area its gets quieter and less chaotic crowds, you’ll still have the same atmospheric alleys and canals as the busier side of Venice! Castello is a quieter area of Venice that is equally beautiful to walk around.

Sunset: T Fondaco Rooftop Terrace

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For the best sunset spot in Venice head to T Fondaco Rooftop Terrace. It is completely free but you need to reserve a place a max of 21 days in advance. Reservations are for 15 minutes so be careful to time your visit with the sunset that day.

Evening: Canal Side Dinner

^{_{the perfect way to end your 1 day in Venice itinerary}}

Finally ending your 1 day in Venice with a romantic dinner overlooking the canal. I have shared a few restaurant suggestions below that are located along the canal.

Try some local Venetian cuisine such as Sarde in saor (fried sardines), Bigoli in salsa (spagetthi, anchovies and onion) or my personal favourite; Risotto al nero di seppia (risotto with squid ink).

Where to eat beside canal in Venice

Ristorante ai Barbacani: rustic and cosy with romantic canal-side seating, you need to prebook the canal view table in advance, a deposit is required. The menu features chateaubriand cooked at your table, lobster pasta and Risotto.
El Magazen: this intimate open kitchen restaurant, although popular is off the usual tourist path. There is a cute window seat with canal views, you need to book this highly coveted table in advance (6:30 – 9:30 pm only). The menu is full of Venetian classics along with a tasting menu and try some local cicchetti (tapas). Don’t forget to order their famous panna cotta for dessert.
Osteria al Ponte: charming cicchetti bar where you can watch food being made behind the counter. Outside you have views of Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo.
Hostaria sul Ponte dei Greci: few tables outside on the patio overlooking the canal and Ponte de l’Osmarin. Dishes include spaghetti with cuttlefish ink, ravioli with sea bream, beef tartare and tiramisu.

If a canal-side meal isn’t up your street consider joining a night time food tour with other visitors and a local guide.

What To Do In Venice If It Rains

Nothing puts a dampener (literally) on a trip than rain, especially when all you have one day. Well if you have just 24 hours in Venice and mother nature decides to f**k with you, it’s fine I have a few alternative indoor suggestions if the rain gets too much!

Pasta and Tiramisu Class: learn how to make pasta and tiramisu like a local.
Carnival Mask Workshop: carnival masks are sold all over Venice, if you fancy a challenge you can try making one yourself.
Four Seasons Concert Ticket at Vivaldi Church: Listen in the place where Vivaldi’s music was composed. This starts at 7pm so only suitable if you are leaving late.

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Arriving + Leaving Venice

By Train

If you are arrivng to Venice by train you will land at St Lucia Station will drop you in the city centre, from here you can walk 30 minutes to St Mark’s Square or get a water bus, route 2 is the fastest at 20 minutes, whereas routes 1 and A take 30 minutes.

Unless you have heavy bags I encourage you to walk, Venice is such a special place and walking allows you to soak up as much as possible.

By Plane

Venice’s airport is Marco Polo, it is located 8km (4.3 miles) north of Venice. The fastest and best way to get from the airport is a boat transfer by Aliliguna, this is a shared boat service and costs €27 for a round trip or €15 one way. If you want to splurge you can book a private transfer for up to 6 people.

Best Time To Visit Venice

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Venice is busy all year round, there is no escaping the crowds. The crowds can be intense, walking around popular streets in the city can feel like you are in one big queue, a continuous flow of people making it difficult to actually see anything. Sadly, it is just one of those destinations that suffer with over-tourism. I say this not to depress you, but to set your expectations. Know that you will need to get up very early to experience popular sights with fewer crowds.

The busiest period in Venice is Summer (June to August), the weather is also very humid which makes the crowds harder to cope with. I strongly suggest avoiding Venice in these months.

I recommend visiting in September or October, it will still be warm but not as humid as Summer, these months also receive fewer visitors. Additionally, if you don’t mind the cold (we’re talking 4°C / 32°F) then Winter (December – February) can be a nice time to visit, there is even the possibility of light snowfall.