3 Days In Venice Itinerary [2024]

By Gemma Tedaldi | Published: 27th June 2020 | Updated: 18th November 2024

Capital of the Veneto region in northern Italy and with over 100 islands linked by bridges and canals, where else than the wonderful Venice. Venice is one of those places people dream about visiting for years and it rarely disappoints when you do make it there. We spent 3 days there at the end of a European road trip and it was more than we could imagine.

Amazing sights, stunning food, and wonderful people. That being said it is worth having some idea of where you want to go so you can plan your days and sightseeing/gelato eating wisely! So, with that in mind, here is our guide on how to spend 3 days in Venice, exploring the main sights, off-the-beaten-path areas, and some of the nearby islands.

📍 3 days in Venice itinerary – Day 1: Venice Mestre main sights

📍 3 days in Venice itinerary – Day 2: Burano & Murano (with optional Torcello)

📍 3 days in Venice itinerary – Day 3: San Giorgio Maggiore & Venice Mestre lesser known sights

Planning Your Trip? Use our favourite travel resources below:

Accommodation: We recommend Booking.com

Rental Car: We recommend Rentalcars.com

Flights: We recommend Kiwi.com

Tours: We recommend Get Your Guide

3 days in Venice Itinerary

3 Days in Venice: Day 1 – Explore the sights of the main islands and get to grips with getting lost

Day 1 of 3 days in Venice, means getting lost and thinking you will never find your accommodation again! Only kidding, well you will get lost… But during all the getting lost you are sure to stumble upon some of the main sights of Venice. The ones to see on your first day are all fairly close together so once you find one you will know you’re in the right area.

So, for your first stop head along the Grand Canal. Wandering along the Grand Canal not only allows you to take in the sights throughout Venice but also get a good feel for how one of the major water corridors in the city works. Historic palaces also follow along the Grand Canal, some dating back to the 13^th century, from the San Marco Basilica to the Santa Chiara Church.

Along the canal, you can find the famous ornate stone bridge, the Ponte di Rialto. This wonderful bridge, and one of the oldest bridges to span the Grand Canal, is not only a footbridge but home to shops and restaurants that overlook the Grand Canal. The Ponte Vecchio in Florence and Pulteney Bridge in Bath are said to have been designed in the style of the Ponte di Rialto.

Next up, and at the end of the Grand Canal, is the Piazza San Marco home to the Basilica di San Marco, Torre dell’ Orologio, Palazzo Ducale, (also known as Doge’s Palace), and the Campanile di San Marco.

The Basilica di San Marco is quite possibly the most stunning cathedral we have ever come across during our travels. The painted artworks, the mosaics, and the coloured marble columns really make this place iconic, and not just in Venice. Alongside the Basilica sits the Palazzo Ducale, or Doge’s Palace. If you thought the Basilica was ornate then think again once laying eyes on this ornate palace!

Words can’t even describe how beautiful the building is and the sense of grandeur you get from standing in front of it.

The Campanile di San Marco is the main cathedral tower in the piazza with a belfry you can climb up to for incredible views over Venice. Unfortunately, it was closed when we visited as the local universities had their graduation in the piazza, (which is a whole other thing to experience!).

The final sight you must see in the piazza is the Torre dell’ Orologio a beautiful Renaissance tower with a decorated clock face on the front. It’s not what most of the tourists come to see in this piazza but it is really something.

The Ponte della Paglia, a historic 1800s footbridge is also just a short walk away from the piazza too. When crossing over the bridge be sure to get a glimpse of the Ponte dei Sospiri, better known as the Bridge of Sighs. Famously named after the sighs that prisoners made when crossing it knowing that this was the last view of Venice they may see.

From here make your way along the Riva Degli Schiavoni exploring the alleyways and eating all the gelato you can find.

3 Days in Venice: Day 2 – Take a trip to Burano & Murano

Day 2 of the 3 days in Venice, is all about exploring the islands a little further afield. So get to grips with the Vaporettos, buy yourself a 24-hour ticket, and make your way to the north side of the main Venice islands and Vaporetto number 12. From here you will set sail for the stunning islands of Murano, Burano, and Torcello.

Murano

Famous for its glassmaking, which you should really try and watch in one of the numerous glasshouses if you can, Murano is a beautiful series of islands well worth a wander around. Murano became home for the glassmaking industry as they had to move from Venice in case of fires in the largely wooden buildings. It takes only 10 minutes to get from the main islands to Murano via Vaporetto 12 so why wouldn’t you want to visit?

Compared to the hundreds of islands of main Venice you’ll have a hard time getting lost here too. From Murano or the main islands in Venice get on the Vaporetto 12 to continue to Burano. It takes roughly 40 minutes from Murano and an hour from Venice.

Burano

Known for its colourful fisherman’s houses and the beautiful lace that is made on the islands, Burano is fast becoming ‘the’ place to go when in Venice and it’s not really difficult to see why. Every way you turn you will come across another brightly coloured house along a canal. It can get quite crowded in Burano but as soon as you wander away from the main tourist routes you will find yourself surrounded by colourful houses and not a soul in sight.

If you like seafood, be sure to try some of the local fish dishes from one of the many restaurants and the bussolai buranei, (local butter cookies), for a real taste of Burano. If you want to avoid most of the crowds and the main heat of the day, (there’s not much shade on Burano), then either make this your first or last stop of the day.

Be sure to check out the other leaning tower in Italy here too, the Chiesa di San Martino bell tower.

Torcello

Just 5 minutes on the Vaporetto from Burano, this island isn’t as big or touristy as the previous two but has a stunning Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta with views over to Burano from the bell tower, a bridge with no edges, Ponte del Diavolo and a small bunch of local eateries that sit alongside the main canal.

If you want more Venetian island inspiration check out our post here

3 Days in Venice: Day 3 – Explore the lesser-known sights and San Giorgio Maggiore

Rather than visiting the main sights of Venice, today is a day of exploring the lesser well-known areas and sights of Venice. A little off the beaten track but just as beautiful, perfect for the final day of your 3 days in Venice.

There are numerous centuries-old churches scattered all throughout Venice. We visited a few of them but you could easily spend a week just visiting them and nothing else! Some of our favourites include the Chiesa della Madonna dell’ Orto situated in the north of the main islands of Venice, a beautiful church that you should visit. Built in the 1400’s it houses artwork from Tintoretto who is also buried here.

The Basilica dei Frari is another stunning example of Gothic architecture. The most beautiful church we visited was the Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, which is situated within a city piazza in the northeast of Venice, Campo San Giovanni e Paolo. Filled with Gothic art and the resting place of 25 doges, there was a wonderful peace and calm about the place.

Whilst over this side of Venice you can also catch a glimpse of the Casa di Marco Polo, Marco Polo’s home, and the Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo, a restored palace with a famous spiral staircase known as the Scala Contarini del Bovolo. Google will tell you they are within a 10-minute walk of one another but when you factor in the getting lost…

There are also countless art galleries and museums that can be visited throughout Venice. The Venice Biennale is one of the largest art attractions around the world, so if you can visit whilst that is on, we would highly recommend it. We were lucky enough to see some of the incredible artwork whilst exploring one of the little-known islands just off of the main tourist sites in Venice…

The smallest and quietest of all the islands we visited in Venice but with some of the best views going, San Giorgio Maggiore should be one of the places you visit on your third day. Just a 5-minute Vaporetto ride from San Marco on line 2, we were really surprised at how little people were on the island with us considering how close it is to the main areas in Venice. The Chiesa di San Giorgio Maggiore is stunning inside and out, and you can climb the campanile for incredible views back over Venice and beyond.

Planning your own trip to Venice? Make sure you check out our Travelling Tedaldi Amazon Store Travel Guides for all your guidebooks and maps. (We’ve done the hard work for you and linked all the things we used to plan our trip!)

Where to stay during 3 days in Venice

We would recommend not staying near the main tourist attractions or overlooking the Grand Canal during your time in Venice, as not only will you pay extra purely for the view, (which is obviously fine if you want it), but these areas are also the more noisy locations in Venice. Plus you could save that money and spend it sampling local delicacies and Bellini’s! (They were first created in Venice so it would be rude not too).

We can highly recommend staying at Apostoli Palace in the northern area of Venice. Not only is it slightly out of the main tourist areas so that it is quiet at night, but it is close enough to both the Vaporetto stops and typical sights that it doesn’t take an hour to get anywhere.

Wherever you end up, be sure to really explore the local area and take a map with you when you go out. You might never find your way back there otherwise!

Check out Booking.com or the below map for the best accommodation options for your stay.

3 days in Venice FAQs

How to get to Venice

Getting to Venice isn’t necessarily as simple as it seems… The nearest airport is Venice Marco Polo International Airport, which is situated on the mainland of Italy, but from there to some it is a complete guessing game as to how to get to the actual islands of Venice.

From the airport, the best way is via Vaporetto. The B, 4.1, and 4.2 all stop at the airport before heading back to F.te Nove on the northeast side of the main islands of Venice. It takes anywhere between 40 minutes to an hour, depending on passengers and other stops.

Arriving from elsewhere in Italy the best and cheapest way to get to Venice is via train. From Venice Mestre station it is only a short 10-minute train ride to Stazione di Venezia Santa Lucia on the main islands of Venice.

How to get around Venice

Before you even get to spend your 3 days in Venice know that you will get lost. It will also take you much longer to get from A to B as you are bound to get to end up down a dead-end street or up alongside a canal. But that will be half the adventure of being in Venice!

One of the many side streets we got lost down had a beautiful tiny bar selling the best Bellini’s we found in the area…

The best way in our opinion to get around Venice is on foot or by utilising the Vaporetto. Exploring the twisting turning alleyways, over countless bridges, and to the edge of too many canals to count on foot is all part of the experience of being in Venice. You don’t have to just stick in the tourist areas then either, you can venture away from the hustle and bustle and find quaint shops, restaurants, and bars to sit in with the locals instead.

The Vaporetto are basically a waterbus, ferrying people from stop to stop around the main islands in Venice and out into the lagoon. We used these to get to Burano, Murano, San Giorgio Maggiore, and the airport. Just make sure to validate the ticket before you board or you may have to pay a hefty fine.

If you are visiting Venice for a few days like we were, then you can buy a variety of different Vaporetto passes that last for more than one trip. They are also slightly cheaper in comparison to buying a single journey every time. You can also take one piece of luggage with you on the Vaporetto without paying a supplement, so it is a no-brainer to use them to and from the airport. There are of course water taxis and gondolas that you can find throughout Venice, but they are really quite expensive to use in comparison to the Vaporetto.

Where to eat in Venice

It goes without saying as it is the same everywhere worldwide but keep off the main squares and away from the tourist attractions and you are guaranteed to get more for your money in terms of food and drink. Eat where the locals do and get to practice your Italian, you will get a much more Venetian experience that way. You might even get a free drink or two too…

Vineria all’ Amarone is a tiny little family-run bar/restaurant we stumbled across in the heart of Venice, a few streets away from the Grand Canal, and the food is incredible! You should definitely try to get here if you visit Venice. Also, along the Salizada S. Canzian there is a wonderful little bar with the best Bellinis you could ever dream of… unfortunately, neither of us can remember the name of the bar but you’ll know when you’ve found it.

What is the best time of year to visit Venice?

We visited Venice at the very beginning of the summer before the schools had broken up the holidays and it was perfect. The days were lovely and warm, and not sweltering like they can get in the peak of summer, the city was busy but not overwhelmingly busy, and the nights were still cool, so perfect for a Bellini or two under the stars.

Are 3 days in Venice enough?

Honestly, probably not. There is just so much to see and explore in Venice if you have more time to do it the better. If you want a day out to the islands in the lagoon, then a day doing all the typical sights, it only leaves a day to really get into the heart of Venice and find the places the locals go.

That being said, we only had 3 days for our first trip, and it was the perfect amount of time for us. If anything, it has made us want to return even more to explore the places we couldn’t the first time!

Is Venice expensive?

Venice is one of the most touristy places in Italy, only second to Rome, so yes a trip to Venice can be expensive. However, if you visit out of peak season, (so instead visit in the spring or autumn), and plan in advance any day trips or tours you want to take, then Venice can definitely be more affordable. The reason behind it being what some are saying is ‘too expensive’ is purely as Venice is a series of islands, so there are logistical problems with getting goods in and out!

How much money do you need for 3 days in Venice?

This can vary greatly depending on your budget and the time of year that you plan on visiting, but you can easily spend €120 per person a day for food / transport in Venice. If you visit during the spring or autumn months, you can get cheaper accommodation but again expect to spend roughly €120-€200 a night for a double room.

What is a Sestiere in Venice?

A Sestiere is a neighbourhood or district in Venice. There are actually 6 Sestieri across Venice including, Cannaregio, (in the north), Castello, (in the east), Dorsoduro, (in the south), Santa Croce, (in the west), and San Marco and San Polo, (both towards the centre).

Day trips from Venice

We wouldn’t suggest taking any day trips to mainland Italy from Venice, purely as there is so much to see and do in Venice and its outlying islands anyway. If you want to visit locations on mainland Italy, these really should be part of a separate trip, or following on from your time in Venice. The best day trips from Venice are to the islands of Murano, Burano, San Giorgio Maggiore, Torcello, and Lido.

Venice Tours

Tours are a great way to see the sights of Venice without the worry of getting lost! Check out the Get Your Guide tours below for some of the best options:

Conclusion: 3 days in Venice Itinerary

So, there you have our guide on how to spend 3 days in Venice. From exploring the sights of the main island group to getting out in the Venice Lagoon and visiting some of the other islands. We hope it helps you out if you are planning a future trip here, or even if you’re visiting Venice again.

Gemma Tedaldi

Gemma is the owner and author of The Travelling Tedaldi, a travel blog helping travellers to discover the best road trips and travel itineraries throughout the UK and Europe. When she isn’t writing about her favourite travel destinations, she can often be found out exploring local hikes or planning future trips.