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Dreaming of exploring the magical city of Venice? Well, you’ve just found the perfect 3-day itinerary!
As passionate travelers who have explored Venice inside and out, we know how mesmerizing (and overwhelming) this floating city can be. With its grand palaces, historic landmarks, and postcard-perfect views, it’s easy to feel spoiled for choice. That’s why we’ve carefully crafted the perfect itinerary to ensure you experience the best of Venice without the stress.
From iconic sights like St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace to hidden food spots and scenic gondola rides, this guide will take you through must-see sights, local favorite spots, and unforgettable experiences. Let’s dive in!
Don’t Miss Out On Our Top Choice!
The tour we loved the most and suggest booking ASAP is this one!
Our personal favorite way to explore Venice was this small-group city tour. From strolling the lively Rialto markets to skipping the line at the Doge’s Palace and gliding along the scenic Grand Canal by gondola, it was immersive, efficient, and full of insight. We highly recommend it for first-timers!
Day 1
Breakfast – Caffè del Doge
Caffé del Doge is a super cute and authentic espresso bar that has garnered a reputation for serving amazing coffee. It’s just a 2-minute walk from the meeting point for this morning’s tour. It opens at 7:30 am, so you should have time to enjoy a caffeine fix and one of their excellent croissants beforehand.
Morning/Early afternoon – Visit the ‘must-see’ spots on a day tour
The best way to start a trip to Venice is by ticking off the highlights with this top-rated sightseeing tour! This is a really popular tour, so there are departures at 8:30 am, 8:45 am, and 9:30 am. If possible, we suggest going as early as possible. The attractions will be a little quieter and it leaves you more time to explore Venice in the afternoon, too!
The tour lasts about 6 hours, so today’s lunch will be a little late, but don’t worry, you can grab snacks along the way! Six hours may sound long, but trust me, the time just flies by on this tour. We thought it was the perfect introduction to the city because we got to see the most famous attractions and do the most iconic thing of all—take a gondola ride through the canals!
On this tour, we walked across the Rialto Bridge, visited the famous Rialto Fish Market, and hopped on a gondola to cruise along Venice’s famous canals. It just has to be done while you’re here!
We had just over an hour of free time for lunch, which we suggest you use to grab some snacks and a coffee to keep you going until later this afternoon! After that, it’s on to the city’s two biggest must-see attractions—St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace. These are some of the most incredible works of architecture in the world, and having skip-the-line entry into both attractions saved us a ton of time!
This tour is like a one-stop shop for Venice! It was so well-organized, and we got to enjoy the city’s highlights without worrying about anything. We think it’s the best way to get to know the city, and we’re not the only ones. Read the thousands of glowing reviews here!
Book this popular sightseeing tour here, before it sells out!
Light Lunch – Enoteca Al Volto
Your tour should end between 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm, so we suggest heading to Enotea Al Volto for a light lunch. It’s a tapas restaurant so you can eat as much or as little as you would like here, but bear in mind that dinner will be in a few hours. I highly recommend trying the duck ragu gnocchi, which is beyond delicious.
Afternoon – Explore Venice’s winding streets and shopping
After a morning packed with history and sightseeing, it’s time to slow down and soak in the charm of Venice at your own pace for a few hours. We just love wandering through the city’s labyrinth of cobbled streets, courtyards, and canals!
This is also the perfect opportunity to pick up souvenirs and unique finds. From handcrafted Venetian masks to exquisite Murano glass, the city is full of high-end treasures that you can pretty much only find here in Venice!
For an even more upscale experience, we love Fondaco dei Tedeschi by DFS. It’s one of the most beautiful malls we’ve ever seen, so it’s worth coming here for window shopping even if the luxury stores are beyond your budget. And trust us, going up to the rooftop terrace is a must because you get spectacular views from up here! Access is free, but you will need to reserve a time slot in advance.
Dinner – La Piazza
For tonight’s dinner, La Piazza is a lively and authentic Venetian restaurant. We love enjoying a nice big dinner here after a busy day of exploring! The pizza is amazing, but we also love the spaghetti with clams, and their tiramisu is epic. Our waiter told us that they’re famous for it, so if that’s not a good reason to order dessert then I don’t know what is!
Oh, and just a heads up: this place is popular. We highly recommend making a reservation in advance to ensure you get a table. Book for around 6 pm to ensure that you have plenty of time to enjoy your meal before tonight’s 8:30 pm opera showing.
Evening – Enjoy a night at the opera
Going to the opera is the ULTIMATE way to spend an evening in Venice. After all, the art of opera was born right here in Italy!
This Musica a Palazza opera performance is an amazing, immersive experience that totally changed our view of opera. The performance starts at 8:30 pm and it’s a 10–15-minute walk from La Piazza restaurant. It’s a popular show, so grab tickets before they sell out!
What makes this show unique is the fact that it’s a traveling performance, which means that you don’t just sit in one spot and watch from a distance, but rather move from room to room inside a gorgeous 15th-century Venetian palace! We felt like we had stepped back in time—it was so much fun!
We saw The Barber of Seville when we went, although the titles do rotate, so you might end up seeing La Traviata or Rigoletto instead. But honestly, I don’t think it really matters what you see!
The energy was incredible, and the singers were super expressive. I was truly blown away. To be completely honest, I didn’t think I’d ever be a huge opera fan, but this experience totally changed my mind.
At intermission, we even got to enjoy some complimentary Prosecco before we dove back into the drama, which was a very nice touch. No wonder it has hundreds of 5-star reviews!
Book your tickets now and experience a night of drama in an unforgettable Venetian palace setting!
Related Read: Heading to Rome next? Don’t miss our blog on where to stay in Rome —packed with tips on the best neighborhoods and accommodations to match your travel style.
Day 2
Breakfast – Grab on the go!
Today, we’re heading off on a full-day tour which starts at 8 am. The meeting point is on a pier and it’s not close to any cafés, so this morning it’s best to grab breakfast from your hotel or a nearby spot before taking a taxi over to the meeting point.
Morning/Afternoon: Full-day trip to the Dolomites
As much as we love spending time in the city of Venice, you can’t pass up the chance to enjoy this full-day trip to the Dolomites while you’re here! And this tour makes it effortless to explore, while giving you plenty of freedom to enjoy the day as you wish.
When we did this tour, we had lots of free time and our driver, Enrico, was always on hand for advice and recommendations while still allowing us to explore at our leisure. This meant we got to do our own thing, without the hassle of renting a car for just one day, which probably would have cost us more than the tour did.
Our first stop of the day was Cortina d’Ampezzo, which is a beautiful ski resort town full of cute boutiques and cafes, with the Dolomites towering overhead. Then we got to visit Lake Misurina, also known as the Pearl of the Dolomites. It’s one of those places that’s so perfect it almost looks like it should be a stock photo!
Enrico also drove us to several viewpoints where we could enjoy fantastic views of Tre Cime di Lavaredo, a famous trio of jagged mountain peaks. Until the end of the First World War, these peaks were part of the border between Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire!
All in all, this was a fantastic day out, and it definitely made a nice change from the faster pace of Venice. The Dolomites are incredibly beautiful, and it would be a real shame to miss them. And given that the tour has over 1,000 5-star reviews, it seems we’re not the only ones who were blown away!
Read all of the glowing reviews and book this tour here, with FREE cancellation!
Why We Book Tours with Viator
Viator is a trusted online booking system for tours around the world! We almost always book our tours using Viator for a couple of reasons:
- Free cancellation on most tours – Most of the tours on Viator allow you to cancel and get a full refund up to 24 hours in advance. This is handy in case plans change, or if booking an outdoor activity, the weather forecast is looking grim.
- Reserve now and pay later – You can secure your spot on some of the most popular tours well in advance and not pay until closer to the day of the tour.
- Lowest price guarantee – If you happen to find the same tour at a lower price elsewhere, Viator will refund you the price difference.
- Pay in your chosen currency – Avoid costly international transaction fees by choosing to pay in your home currency.
- Peace of mind – When booking with tour operators you find in person on the street or in small booking offices, you are often promised one thing and given another. This online platform holds tour operators accountable with a written description of inclusions as well as the opportunity for customers to leave reviews.
Check out the Viator website here! Or, for more info, read our detailed review about Viator here.
Dinner – Hostaria Osottoosopra
The tour drops you back at Piazzale Roma at around 6 pm and from there it’s just a 5-minute walk to Hostaria Osottoospora. It may be slightly difficult to pronounce, but we can’t get enough of this place. It offers a diverse menu, but we usually come here for the top-notch seafood. The mussels are particularly good!
Evening – Enjoy Venice at night on a stroll through San Polo and a gondola ride
There’s something so magical about Venice at night, and it’s probably our favorite time to explore the city! So, after a busy day of sightseeing and dining, unwind with a leisurely stroll through the charming streets of San Polo, which is just a few minutes away from your dinner spot.
Honestly, I don’t think there’s anything like enjoying the quiet canals and twinkling lights of Venice after dark. And if you’re looking to make the night even more special, you could always cap it off with a romantic gondola ride through the canals.
I know yesterday’s tour included a gondola ride, but it’s a totally different experience at night and we loved having a boat all to ourselves. Gliding through the moonlit waterways felt like we were in a movie. Prices do go up to about €100 for a ride after 7 pm, but if there’s room in your budget, we think it’s worth doing.
Related Read: Looking for more Italian adventures? Check out our guide on 10 awesome things to do in Rome for some great tips!
Day 3
Breakfast – Osteria Allaa Rampa
We’ve got an awesome tour planned this morning, but there aren’t that many breakfast spots near the meeting point that open before the start time. Fortunately, however, we stumbled across Osteria Allaa Rampa, which is just 5 minutes away and offers amazing breakfast sandwiches and coffee. It opens at 8 am, so you’ll have time to enjoy breakfast here before your tour begins at 9 or 9:30 am.
Morning/Early afternoon
Exploring the Murano and Burano Islands is a must in Venice! These scenic islands are known for glassblowing and lacemaking, respectively, and the best way to learn about their unique history and traditional crafts is definitely on this organized tour.
There are multiple departure times on this tour, but we recommend booking the 9 am or 9:30 am so that you can make the most of the day. The latest departure time should be 10:30 am!
One thing that we loved about this tour was that we got to travel to the islands on a boat that was just for us and our tour group. It was way nicer than having to take one of the crowded waterbuses! We sat back and enjoyed the views as we cruised over to Murano, where we visited a local glassblower’s workshop. I really enjoyed watching him form the molten glass into different shapes, and it was interesting to learn how Murano became such a hub for glassblowing.
After that, we had free time to explore Murano, which I always appreciate on day tours! Then, we got back on the boat and headed over to neighboring Burano, where we learned about the art of lacemaking and watched local craftswomen working. We learned how Burano lace was once a favorite among European royals and how the tradition of lacemaking continues today.
This tour is so well-organized, and it’s 100% worth visiting these islands with a guide. We learned so much more this way than we would have on our own! We’re really not surprised that this tour has thousands of 5-star reviews.
Book this small group tour here and enjoy FREE cancellation!
Afternoon – Visit the Museo di Palazzo Grimani
If you opt for the earlier time slot for the morning tour, you may have time to explore the Museo di Palazzo Grimani afterward. It’s 10 minutes from the drop-off point for the tour, and it’s renowned for its impressive collection of historical and contemporary art. We really enjoyed diving into Venice’s rich cultural history here, and it proved to be a nice escape from the crowds, too, as this place is a bit of a hidden gem.
Tickets cost €12 and it’s usually open until 7 pm, except on Mondays when the museum is closed. If you love art and history, be sure to make time for a visit here!
Dinner/evening – Toast your journey with a local tasting tour
For your last night in Venice, toast your journey with this incredible food and wine tour! You won’t need dinner tonight because this tour will leave you full of food, wine, and cocktails. What better way to celebrate the end of a great trip?
Book this tour for 5:15 pm, and make sure you do it well in advance to avoid missing out. This tour is very in-demand, and once you experience it for yourself, you’ll totally understand why!
We loved this tour because it felt like more than just a food tour. We got to experience some of the best wines from the surrounding Veneto wine region. Meanwhile, our guide, Mariana, took us walking through several areas of Venice and taught us about the unique history and character of each. We loved hearing all of the local stories she shared with us, as it really helped us to understand Venice’s food and wine culture.
We visited some incredible bars and restaurants on this tour and had plenty of delicious food and wine. Personally, I loved the buttery scallops and the seafood lasagne! I also loved that we got a wine or cocktail pairing with each dish, which included Prosecco and Amarone, which is a rich and complex red wine that Venetians favor.
This tour is a real must for food and wine lovers. If that’s you, do not hesitate to book!
Grab your spot on this top-rated food tour here and enjoy free cancellation!
Related Read: If you enjoyed this itinerary, head over to our 3-day Florence itinerary for a guide on what to do in the city!
Where to Stay in Venice
Venice is a tricky place to find accommodation, but only because there are so many choices! It can be pretty expensive here, too, but we’ve sifted through all of the best options for you and chosen a top-rated hotel to suit every budget. These properties are well-located to ensure that exploring and getting around is a breeze. After all, if you’re only here for a few days then you don’t want to stray too far from the action!
Luxury – $$$
If you’re looking for a luxury stay in Venice, they really don’t get much better than Londra Palace Venezia. This lavish hotel is located just five minutes from St. Mark’s Square and offers stunning views of St. Mark’s Basin and the Island of San Giorgio. You can even enjoy a sumptuous complimentary breakfast out on the terrace every morning. Talk about a great way to kick off the day!
Rooms at Londra Palace Venezia generally range from €900–€2,000 per night. Check availability and book your stay at Booking.com!
Mid-range – $$
Hotel Ca’ Formenta is a charming mid-range hotel nestled in Venice’s laid-back Castello district, just a 10-minute walk from St. Mark’s Square. With its classic Venetian décor and peaceful waterfront setting, it feels like your own slice of the city. The location is a favorite among travelers—close to the Arsenale vaporetto stop and full of cozy eateries nearby.
Rooms range from around €180 to €350 per night. Check availability now on Booking.com!
Budget – $
I’ll be honest—if you want to save money while still soaking in Venice’s charm, Il Lato Azzurro on Sant’Erasmo island is a gem. It’s peaceful, surrounded by gardens and lagoon views, and just a short vaporetto ride from the city’s buzz. Plus, the hotel provides free bikes to explore the island at your own pace!
Rooms are clean, bright, and super budget-friendly, and typically start at €140 per night. Family and group options are available too. Check all options and availability on Booking.com!
For even more options, you can check out all of Venice’s available hotels here.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance!
If you’re looking to save money on travel insurance, we currently use and recommend SafetyWing. We’ve been using their coverage since 2018 and they’ve had our backs when we needed emergency flights and got sick overseas.
SafetyWing is one of the cheapest providers out there and covers everything from medical costs to lost luggage, travel delays, and emergency flights. A huge difference we’ve found between them and other companies is that they let you take out a policy AFTER leaving your home country. We’ve also found it handy that it’s a monthly payment rather than a lump sum, and you can get a refund for unused time.
SafetyWing has helped us out in some scary situations before and their affordable coverage has given us peace of mind. You can read our honest review of SafetyWing for all the pros and cons.
Thanks for reading!
There’s so much to experience in Venice, but we hope this 3-day itinerary helps you make the most of your trip! We followed this exact plan on our last visit, and it struck the perfect balance between famous sights and some of our favorite local finds. From scenic gondola rides to unforgettable meals, it made our time in the city extra special. We hope it does the same for you—enjoy every moment in magical Venice!
Planning more Italian adventures? Check out more of our Italy blogs here, or check out our other favorites to inspire your next unforgettable escape!
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