What to Do in Venice: 2 Days Guide

Looking for things to do in Venice? In this post, you will discover places to visit in this romantic Italian city. Everything can be done in 2 days. Read until the end to check a guide with a map that we prepared.

What to do in Venice?

Our visit to Venice was literally a nice surprise. Not because we didn’t expect Venice to be a charming city, but because we didn’t expect to include the place in our travel itinerary in 2020. However, those who followed our itinerary through Rome know that we missed our flight to Croatia on New Year’s Eve.

So we suddenly bought two bus tickets to go from the capital to Venice. Our final destination was Athens in Greece. So we only had two days to explore the city, which I thought was enough. In this post, you can check our Venice travel guide for two days in the city.

Want to know more about transport between cities in Italy? Confer in this post.

Arrival in Venice:

We arrived by bus at dawn. Piazzale Roma is the last stop to reach Venice by road. It’s the square where the Freedom Bridge ends and where you will have to stop if you go by bus, car or even plane to Venice. Since airport transfers also stop there.

For those who like to travel at night like us, be aware that the only way to get to the center of the city at this time is to walk with your bags for about 20 minutes to the train station. From there, you can choose to walk to the hotel, if your accommodation is close to the station, or to take a boat to the nearest point of accommodation.

Between the bus station and the train station, there are also Vaporettos. These boats travel to different parts of the city. They work on specific routes and times. If you want to know more about how to get to Venice, check out this post.

Photo of a Vaporetto sailing through the canals of Venice. The white boat is relatively large and covered. The buildings are lit up by the sunset. — Vaporetto on the Venetian canals.

We decided to continue walking to our hotel, as it would only be another 7 minutes from that point. A tip is to avoid rolling suitcases to walk around Venice, after all the streets are narrow and irregular, with paths full of stairs and bridges.

Accommodation in Venice:

Staying in Venice isn’t cheap because of low availability and high demand. Therefore, we recommend booking in advance your accommodation. Although hotels close to the center are more expensive, I strongly recommend them to anyone who can afford to stay in the area.

Thus, you will end up saving a lot on transportation, since you can do everything on foot. Plus, it will save you time waiting for boats and avoid crowds. We made our reservation the day before, but we were very lucky in choosing the guest house. We stayed at Porta Orientalis Venice. The room had a mini kitchen, which also helped us save money.

In this post, you will find some tips on budget travel in Venice.

Photo of the guesthouse room. The bed and two bedside tables are leaning against the left wall. On top of the gray comforter are two sets of white towels. On the other wall, two windows are covered by a violet curtain. — Our room at Porta Orientalis Venice.

Photo of the kitchen inside the room. The kitchen has white cabinets, a sink and a cooktop. In addition to a microwave and other utensils that are on the countertop. — Our room at Porta Orientalis Venice.

Venice travel guide: day 1

As we were tired from the bus trip, we took the morning to rest at the hotel. Around noon we went out to have lunch and explore the city. We traced an itinerary all on foot, to explore the streets and save a few euros.

We reserved this day to walk in the regions farther from the center. First, we visited the Ca’ d’Oro, passed the Mocenigo Palace-Museum, and descended towards the district of Dorsoduro. This is a more university district south of Venice, home to two important art galleries and the Basilica Santa Maria Della Salute, from which the dome can be seen from across the city.

We ended the day at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice. For €12 you can visit one of the most important art galleries in the world, which houses the largest collection of Venetian art.

Venice travel guide: day 2

Our second day in Venice started early. We planned to go to the most touristics spots in Venice that day. So we left the hotel towards the Bridge of Rialto, the most famous and oldest bridge in Venice. We crossed the Rialto Market, where fruits, vegetables, and fish are traditionally sold every morning. Then, we head to St. Mark’s Square.

St. Mark’s Square

St. Mark’s Square is the most important and busiest in the city. Most of Venice’s historic buildings are located there, such as the Ducal Palace, St. Mark’s Belfry, St. Mark’s Basilica, and the Clock Tower.

Photo at dusk of St. Mark's Basilica. The tall building is decorated throughout, with images of saints painted on its arches. — St. Mark’s Basilica

Photo at dusk of St. Mark's square. Several tourists walk in the center of the buildings illuminated by the yellow light. — St. Mark’s Basilica

I suggest visiting St. Mark’s Basilica and St. Mark’s Museum, which is located inside the basilica. Admission is free to see the interior (and the lines are almost always long). However, it’s required to purchase tickets to access the Museum of São Marcos and its treasuries.

The Belfry Tower is the name given to the bell tower of St. Mark’s Basilica. With 98 meters, the tower is the tallest building in Venice. But this isn’t the actual original tower, as the first one collapsed. The appearance is the same as the original. It’s possible to pay a visit to the tower and see Venice from another angle for 8 euros.

Doge’s Palace

The Doge’s Palace, located next to the Basilica, is also open to visitors. The common ticket (without a guide) entitles you to the Ducal Palace in addition to the Correr Museum, the National Archaeological Museum, and the Marciana Library.

It’s also possible to take a guided tour around the secret places inside the palace. This tour is offered daily in English, Italian, or French. You go through the basement, the officers’ offices, the courtyard… However, you need to make a reservation. The tour only takes place with a minimum number of people. You can get more information on the Doge’s Palace website.

Enjoy the sunset on the Riva Degli Schiavoni promenade. The landscape is incredible, overlooking the island of São Jorge Maior and several gondolas anchored. On the way back to your accommodation, take the opportunity to give a look at the Bridge of Sighs, right behind the Palace.

Photo of gondolas parked in St. Mark's Square during sunset. — Sunset on the Riva degli Schiavoni promenade.

Photo of the view of São Jorge Maior Island during sunset. — Sunset on the Riva degli Schiavoni promenade.

Extra day at Venice

Another option for those who have more time in the city is to go by boat to the islands of Burano and Murano. These smaller islands are located next to Venice. They are famous for their artisans and colorful houses.

Map of our Venice itinerary:

On the map below you can see all the places we visited on our itinerary. You can open and use it to guide yourself during your visit to the city.

Access and discover Venice:

Did you like our tour? Here we have a post with the best budget restaurants in Venice.

FAQ what to do in Venice

How many days is ideal to stay in Venice?

To visit all points of interest, stay for 2 days in the city of Venice. It’s possible to extend an extra day to discover the surrounding islands. Check out a complete two-day itinerary in the city here.

What to do in Venice in 1 day?

Don’t miss the walk to St. Mark’s Square. Walk through the Rialto Bridge on the way. Visit St. Mark’s Basilica and, if you’re willing to spend a few euros more, ride a gondola.

What can’t you miss in Venice?

You should walk to St. Mark’s Square and watch the gondolas. Another highlight of the visit is the Rialto Bridge and the market at its entrance.