1 day in Venice, the complete travel guide for your perfect day in the most romantic city of Europe
Is Venice the most romantic city in Europe? We tend to say yes.
Why is Venice the most romantic city in Europe? That cannot be described in words, it is the feeling this city gives you.
Maybe it's the narrow, picturesque streets where you walk from one bridge to the next cute bridge. Maybe it's the romantic gondolas that cruise the canals of Venice. Perhaps they are already cozy restaurants where you can see yourself sitting and sharing a pasta with your loved one while enjoying a glass of Italian wine. Perhaps it is the old houses and historic buildings that contribute to that authentic romance. Or maybe it's a combination of all of this. One thing is certain, Venice breathes romance.
What if you only have 1 day to spend in Venice?
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to go to Venice for a few days and it is often a day trip from another Italian holiday destination. Certainly a few days in Venice is much more fun than 1 day, but you can certainly taste the atmosphere of Venice in one day. We made this one day in Venice travel guide for you, so that you get to see as much of Venice as possible during this one day in the beautiful city. Read our travel blog below for your perfect day in Venice.
Our tips for your day trip to Venice
If you only have one day to spend in Venice, we recommend that you start as early as possible. That is not only to see as much of Venice as possible, but also to avoid the big crowds. During the afternoon it can get quite busy in Venice and traffic jams in the narrow streets of Venice may not be quite what you expect from a romantic day in Venice.
Get up in time for your visit to Venice
The best travel tip we can give for your day in Venice is to start as early as possible. If you are an early riser, head to Venice as soon as you wake up.
Book your tickets for the most beautiful sights of Venice in advance
Another Venice travel tip to make the most of your day in Venice is to book tickets in advance. This way you know for sure that you don't miss out and you don't lose time queuing for tickets.
Avoid pain in your feet during your visit to Venice
Wear good shoes. Exploring Venice for a day means that you will have to walk a lot of meters. You can also use Venice's public transport. That is certainly a nice experience, because public transport in Venice does not consist of buses, but boats. However, the so-called Vaporetta is quite pricey, a single ticket costs €7.50 per person and a day ticket costs €22.00 per person. One thing is for sure when you use the Vaporetta, you will have to walk less. We think that you will certainly miss something of the atmosphere of Venice, because when you wander through all the streets and over all the bridges in Venice, you see the romantic charm of Venice. BUY YOUR TICKETS FOR THE VAPORETTA HERE
Get a tour guide in Venice
If you want to make the most of your time and learn something about the history of Venice at the same time, you can book a guided tour through Venice that takes you to the most famous sights of Venice. BOOK YOUR GUIDE TOUR THROUGH VENICE HERE
Your day in Venice
The Rialto bridge, the perfect start of your day in Venice
The Rialto Bridge is one of the four bridges that cross el Grand Canal and certainly the most iconic of these four bridges. The Rialto Bridge is both the oldest and the most beautiful bridge in Venice.
For a long time, the Rialto Bridge was the only way to cross el Grand Canal without using a ferry.
In the middle of the Rialto bridge you can visit all kinds of small shops. Most of these shops sell typical Venetian souvenirs. If you do buy a souvenir in Venice, it is of course extra cool to be able to say that you bought it in the middle of the Rialto bridge.
Don't forget to enjoy the view over el Grand Canal. Both on both sides of the Rialto bridge you have a beautiful view over Venice.
Piazza de San Marco, an impressive large square in picturesque Venice
From the Rialto bridge we go to Piazza de San Marco. Piazza de San Marco, with its impressive size, is actually a bit out of place in Venice. Everything is narrow and small in Venice and Piazza de San Marco is impressively large. But perhaps it is this stark contrast that makes Piazza de San Marco so impressive.
Because this square in Venice is so popular, this square can become quite crowded with tourists. So our travel tip for Piazza de San Marco is to visit this square as early as possible. We walked here around nine o'clock in the morning and there were not even a dozen tourists at that time, wonderful!
At Piazza de San Marco you can also have something to eat and/or drink whenever you want. However, be aware that eating and drinking in Piazza de San Marco is very expensive. A coffee easily costs more than € 10.00. If you're willing to do that, then it is of course a luxurious experience to have a drink here. If you'd rather not just throw your money away, go for a drink in one of the side streets of Piazza de San Marco, where a coffee costs less than half this amount.
Piazza de San Marco is the heart of Venice and you will find the most famous sights of Venice in this square.
BasÃlica de San Marco
BasÃlica de San Marco is one of these impressive structures that you can admire in Piazza de San Marco. You can visit BasÃlica de San Marco from 09:30 in the morning. If you have not reserved your tickets in advance, we advise you to go here a little earlier. Because people are already queuing for tickets for this basÃlica well before 9:30 am.
As we mentioned at the top of this Venice travel guide, we advise you to book your tickets for BasÃlica de San Marco in advance to save time and avoid disappointment.
The inside of BasÃlica de San Marco is definitely worth a visit. If you are inside, we recommend that you also visit the roof terrace for a great view.
But you probably can't visit everything during your day in Venice or you may not be interested in seeing the inside of the church at all. Then you will still not be disappointed, because BasÃlica de San Marco is also a beautiful, impressive appearance on the Piazza de San Marco from the outside.
Palacio Ducal
Palacio Ducal is another historic building that you can visit on Piazza de San Marco. According to many, Palacio Ducal is the most beautiful building in this square. We can't choose, but it sure is a beautiful sight on Piazza de San Marco.
You can also visit Palacio Ducal to admire the interior of this palace. We would mainly describe the interior of Palacio Ducal as majestic and grand.
Campanile de San Marco
One of the last special buildings that we want to highlight on Piazza de San Marco is Campanile de San Marco. Although this pillar in the middle of San Marco square may not be very special to see, we do recommend that you visit this building. When you climb the stairs of Campanile de San Marco, you have a great view over Venice. There are few places where you can admire Venice from above. Campanile de San Marco is perhaps the most popular of these places.
Ponte dei Sospiri, the bridge of sights
From Piazza de San Marco we continue to one of the most famous bridges in Venice. At least for a view over this special bridge in Venice, Ponte dei Sospiri.
This place is one of the most iconic places in Venice. You will often come across this bridge in photos when you look up information about Venice.
This bridge was built in 1600. It was the connection between the interrogation rooms in Palacio Ducal and the new prison of Venice.
Time for a break
After visiting all these places, it may be time for a snack and a drink in one of the many restaurants in Venice. Do not hold back and enjoy the delicious pizzas, pastas and especially have a real Italian Gelato for dessert.
Visit the authentic Venice
Via the Accademia bridge you go to the more authentic district of Venice Dorsoduro. This district is the most picturesque area of ​​Venice and you will therefore lack eyes and space on your phone here. Every corner you turn, there is another picture that you want to photograph.
Venice from the water
The afternoon is also the ideal time to explore Venice from the water. There are different ways to admire Venice from the water, but "when in Venice, go on a Gondola" is really our advice. On our first two visits to Venice we didn't and we always felt regret and the feeling that we had cut back on the wrong activity. Our third time in Venice, we decided that three times is a charm and we finally got on one of the many gondolas you see all over Venice.
And yes, a gondola really adds something to that Venice feeling. It's not cheap, but well worth it.
From the water you will see some historic buildings, which you can only see from the water in Venice. So apart from the fact that it is just really cool to ride in a gondola, you will also really see things that you would not otherwise see in Venice.
Explore the streets of Venice
You will notice when you take a not so obvious turn, that Venice is even more fun. Our favorite moment was picnicking by the canal in a random cul-de-sac where you won't find a tourist.
Well, not quite a picnic, but we bought some snacks and drinks at the supermarket and went looking for a spot by the canal. No tourist around you, but the gondolas that pass by every now and then in these quieter parts of Venice, just give you that little bit extra Venice feeling.
Tired and can't wait to get back to your hotel and put your feet up?
We recommend that you stay in Venice for a while. Venice at night is perhaps even more romantic than Venice at noon. The glittering lights reflected in the water actually give Venice even more magic.
Be sure to visit Piazza de San Marco in the evening. The lighting and live music make this square all about romance during the evenings.
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