Travel Dates: December 2024
Things to do in Venice
St. Mark’s Basilica (Basilica di San Marco) & Museum – Loggia dei Cavalli – We visited both the basilica and the museum, which is on the 2nd floor of the church, and spent about 40 minutes in total. The museum was definitely worthwhile because it provides access to a terrace with nice views of Piazza San Marco. The museum also houses the original four horses of St. Mark’s; the replicas are currently placed on the facade of St. Mark’s Basilica.
It costs €3 for the church and €7 for the museum. You can purchase both separately and even buy the tickets online, although prices seem a bit more expensive (Basilica + Museum cost €15 online vs. €10 in-person). However, because it was the winter and slow season, there wasn’t a line when purchasing tickets in-person and they had a good amount of availability left. If it were peak season, I would recommend booking online in advance to secure your spot and skip the line.
St. Mark’s Campanile (Bell Tower) – If a panoramic view of Venice is on your bucket list, we recommend spending €10 (€12 online) to visit the top of the Bell Tower for stunning 360-degree vistas of the city. We spent about 20 minutes here, and as with the Basilica and Museum, it’s a good idea to buy tickets online in advance, especially during the busy season.
Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) – For history buffs, a visit to Doge’s Palace is a must, as it once housed both the government offices and a prison. You’ll have the chance to walk through the Bridge of Sighs, where convicts would sigh and take one last look at Venice before being imprisoned. We paid €30 per person (€25 if purchased more than 30 days in advance) and spent about 45 minutes here. Our ticket didn’t include a guided tour, and in hindsight, it would’ve been better to opt for one to gain more context while exploring the Palace. Without it, we felt the experience lacked depth.
Scenic viewpoints:
- Ponte Rialto – Oldest and most iconic bridge in Venice that can’t be missed.
- Ponte dell’Accademia – Provides scenic views of the canal, with Basilica Santa Maria della Salute in the background.
- Basilica Santa Maria della Salute – Paid access to La Cupola (the dome of the church) is said to have beautiful panoramic views of the city. When I visited, it seemed to be closed for the winter and only the main church area was open. For that reason, it wasn’t worth the trek over.
- Ponte della Paglia – The bridge here offers views of the Bridge of Sighs, and if you walk along the waterfront in the area, there are scenic views of gondolas and the picturesque island of San Giorgio Maggiore across the waters.
- T Fondaco Rooftop Terrace – This department store offers free rooftop views of Ponte Rialto. While we were excited to visit, we didn’t realize you need to make reservations online in advance, so we unfortunately missed the chance to see it.
Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo – For €9, climb the six-flight spiral staircase for what I’d call “romantic” city views of Venice.
Where to eat in Venice
Baci & Pasta – For affordable, fresh pasta to-go, this is the spot. A small takeout box costs €9 (or €10 with a drink as part of a combo). We tried the tagliatelle with ragu, and it was delicious. Note that there are no seats here.
Bar Rialto da Lollo – A counter-service eatery that has delicious sandwiches. We highly recommend the Tramezzino Manzo Ruccola Tartufo (beef sandwich with truffle).
Harry’s Bar – The OG of the Cipriani restaurants, this is the birthplace of the Bellini cocktail, and as such almost all patrons here order one. It’s expensive at €22 for a small cup, but it is delicious. Unless you like Bellinis, I would skip this no-frill, high-priced restaurant.
I Tre Mercanti – This gourmet shop sells tiramisu in different flavors. We only tried the classic tiramisu and it’s a gold standard–don’t miss out!
* Le Beccherie – Speaking of tiramisu, if you’re a fan like me and have access to a car, make the 30-minute drive from Venice to Le Beccherie in Treviso, where tiramisu was invented. This was hands down the best tiramisu I’ve ever had—it’s perfectly balanced, not too sweet, with the ideal ratio of mascarpone, ladyfinger biscuits, and cocoa powder. After trying this, I noticed that many other tiramisus can either have overpowering cocoa powder or too much mascarpone. While Tre Mercanti was still delicious, Le Beccherie was my favorite.
Canova Restaurant & Canova Bistrot (at Baglioni Hotel) – When we stayed at the Baglioni Hotel, we had restaurant credit to use, and coincidentally, many of the places we wanted to try were closed for the winter holiday. Canova Restaurant is a fine dining spot offering both à la carte and prix fixe options. We went à la carte, ordering the seafood risotto and lamb chops. Both dishes were decent, but what truly stood out were the complimentary mini appetizers, warm fresh bread, amuse-bouche, and desserts that came with the meal. I’d definitely return just for those!
Canova Bistrot is a less expensive restaurant, and the entrees were better in our opinion. We ordered the veal and octopus, and both were delicious.
Where to stay in Venice
The St. Regis Venice – Thanks to our Platinum Marriott status, we were upgraded to a suite with a beautiful view of the canal and Basilica Santa Maria della Salute, which made our stay even more special. The cherry on top was the complimentary breakfast, which was not only delicious but also featured cappuccinos with adorable foam art. We also had complimentary bottled water in our room. Of course, The St. Regis isn’t cheap, but we were fortunate to stay here thanks to a great promotion using points.
Baglioni Hotel Luna – We chose Baglioni Hotel for its close proximity to The St. Regis, making it easy to switch between the two hotels, and because we had American Express credit to use. While Baglioni isn’t as modern or new, and the complimentary breakfast didn’t quite match the quality at The St. Regis, they did offer a nice touch with free welcome cookies. Both hotels are in a convenient location—close to Piazza San Marco and the vaporettos we needed to access to reach our car.
Other tips for visiting Venice
- Parking – We parked at Venezia Tronchetto Parking because online reviews suggested it had fewer break-ins compared to the lot near Stazione di Venezia Santa Lucia. It costs €27 per 24 hours, and you pay at the ticket machine before driving out. From the entrance, we drove to the far end and parked there for a shorter walk to the Tronchetto ferry terminal. Just be sure not to leave anything valuable in your car to avoid the risk of break-ins.
- Vaporetto – Also known as Venice waterbus, the vaporetto costs €9.50 per person for a one-way trip. According to online information, this is a 75-minute ticket that provides unlimited travel during that period, starting from the time of validation (you scan the ticket at a machine at the dock before boarding). If you plan to use the vaporetto frequently, it might be more economical to purchase a full day or multi-day pass. Google Maps does a decent job showing you which ferry to take and when to get off.
- If you’re parking at Tronchetto, look for “Tronchetto A” on Google Maps, as that’s where we caught the number 2 vaporetto to Piazza San Marco. You can buy tickets from a small storefront just before the docks. Be sure to validate your ticket by scanning it at one of the machines before boarding. There will also be a digital screen displaying the ferry schedules. Since our hotel was near Piazza San Marco, we could take the vaporetto in either direction–both start and end at either San Marco Giardini (closer to Piazza San Marco) or San Marco Zaccaria (10 minute walk to Piazza San Marco).
Globe Trotter 