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Hi all! I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted, but I promise I have a very good excuse. Tania and I just got back from a glorious two weeks in Italy! Italy is one of those bucket-list destinations that I’ve always dreamed about visiting. Tania had never been, and I’d only been to Europe once in my life, so this was the trip of a lifetime for us – and it did not disappoint! We started in Venice, then worked our way down to Florence and Rome, finishing on the gorgeous Amalfi Coast. We had a fabulous time and I’m so grateful for the experience. Over the next few weeks, I’m going to be sharing my highlights from each city we visited, along with some practical information that I think will be helpful to anyone planning a trip to bella Italia. I’m kicking it off with a guide to the first stop on our itinerary: the Floating City of Venice!

When we were in the early stages of trip planning and deciding where we wanted to go within Italy, we knew Venice had to be on the list. It was admittedly tough deciding which cities would make the cut, but we were ultimately very happy with our final decision. You really can’t go wrong with Venice, Florence, Rome or the Amalfi Coast – after all, they’re among Italy’s most popular tourist destinations – but we really felt the mix lent a well-rounded diversity to our itinerary. We got to experience the romantic charm and unique infrastructure of Venice, the world-renowned art and culture of Florence, the rich history and famed architecture of Rome, and the jaw-dropping natural beauty of the Amalfi Coast. Of course, I hope to visit Italy again in the future and see many more places – Milan, Pisa, Verona, Sardinia and Lake Como are still on my list – but for a first trip, I think we did well!

When we were first planning our trip, someone told me I’d be disappointed by Venice. I’m happy to report they were proved wrong, because both Tania and I loved this city so much. It truly lives up to its reputation as one of the most romantic and beautiful cities in the world! It is very touristy (as were all the places we visited) but if you wander enough, you’ll find some great hidden gems away from the crowds. And in my opinion, the colourful islands of Murano and Burano, which are easily accessible from Venice by boat (and which I’ll talk more about later on in this post) make this city worth visiting – they were among the top highlights of our entire trip!

Where We Stayed In Venice

It probably comes as no surprise that hotels in Venice proper are exorbitantly expensive. You can find some accommodations that are more affordable, but everything we found within our budget looked cramped, dated and/or not too clean. Tania and I aren’t ones to rough it too much (we like our creature comforts!) so we decided to stay in Mestre, a suburb that’s only a 15-minute drive from Venice. The hotel we stayed at – Campanile Venice Mestre – was nothing spectacular, but at the end of the day, it was clean, modern and comfortable; everything we needed. I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend this hotel in particular, but I would highly recommend staying in Mestre if you’re on a budget! You can definitely get more bang for your buck in terms of accommodations here, and it’s located relatively close to Venice. Which brings me to my next point…

Getting Around Venice

I’ll confess that this one took us a while to figure out! Transportation around Venice isn’t as simple as in other cities: no motor vehicles are allowed within the city, so you can’t just grab a cab. You can, however, take a taxi from Mestre to Venice, which is what we did the first morning. The taxi cost about 30 Euros and took us to Piazzale Roma, Venice’s central bus station. Piazzale Roma is located at the entrance to Venice, and is the only place in the city where cars and buses are allowed. From there, it was about a half-hour walk to Saint Mark’s Square, which many consider Venice’s main tourist hub. This was actually a great way to start our first day, as it gave us a chance to explore quieter areas of the city on our way to its centre – but I also understand that not everyone wants to start and end every day with a 15-minute taxi ride and 30-minute walk, especially if you already have limited time for sightseeing.

We ended up finding a better transportation option (and the one I’d strongly recommend) by accident! That same day, we decided to do a half-day trip to the islands of Murano and Burano (more on that below!) and purchased a 24-hour vaporetto (water bus) pass to take us to the islands. (The 24-hour pass costs 25 Euros per person, and it would have cost nearly the same amount just for the single fares to Murano, Burano and back to Venice, so the pass just made more sense.) Afterwards, we realized we could use the pass to take us on any of the vaporettos around Venice, and that it also included bus access! That night, we used the pass to take a vaporetto from Saint Mark’s Square back to Piazzale Roma, and there, we took a bus back to our hotel. The pass ended up being our go-to transportation mode going forward, and it worked out perfectly. It was quick, convenient and cost-effective; not to mention, the vaporetto ride provides beautiful views of Venice’s waterfront!

Things To See & Do In Venice

Saint Mark’s Square – I’d mentioned earlier that Saint Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco) is a central tourism hub for Venice, and with good reason. It’s the former political and religious centre of the Republic of Venice, and is home to Saint Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace, two of Venice’s most important historic and cultural landmarks. You can take inside tours of both the Basilica and the Palace, but we decided to just see them from the outside, and they were even more majestic in person than I’d imagined! (A note on this: while we’d loved to have experienced absolutely everything in Italy, we were trying to stay within our budget, so we had to cherry-pick which attractions to visit. But if we’d taken a shorter trip or had only gone to Venice, I definitely would have toured both!) Also in Saint Mark’s Square, you’ll find Saint Mark’s Campanile and Clock Tower, along with several upscale shops and restaurants.

The Canals – Of course, when everyone thinks of Venice, the first thing that comes to mind is canals! There’s the Grand Canal, which is Venice’s major water corridor: it runs for 2.4 miles and ranges in width from 98 to 295 feet, and it’s an incredible sight to see. But if I’m being honest, it’s all the other smaller canals throughout Venice that were my favourite parts of the city. There’s a grand total of 150 canals within Venice, and just when you think you’ve seen them all, you’ll stumble across another one that’s even more charming. I could have spent several days just wandering around the city, going from footbridge to footbridge, and taking everything in.

Gondola Rides – Of course, there’s an even better way to experience Venice’s canals, which leads me to the next item on my list… the gondola ride! When you think of the most quintessentially Venetian experience one can have, a gondola ride is likely the first thing that comes to mind. Some people will tell you that gondola rides are overpriced tourist traps (and okay, they’re not exactly wrong!) but this is one of those bucket-list experiences that I truly feel is worth having. The nice thing about gondola prices in Venice is that they’re regulated by the city, so gondoliers can’t just charge whatever they want. A standard 25-30 minute tour costs 80 Euros during the day, and 100 Euros after 7pm. Now, your gondolier may try to upsell you on a longer tour for more money, but personally I wouldn’t bother: Tania and I both felt the 30-minute tour was just enough time.

I have a couple of recommendations to help you have the best gondola experience! One, go in the morning: the canals will be less crowded, the gondoliers are more energetic, and it won’t be too hot. And two, where you pick up your gondola matters! I learned this tip from various travel blogs while doing pre-trip research, and after we saw canals crammed with multiple gondola-riders at a time, I was so grateful for it. If you want a quiet and peaceful ride, don’t pick up your gondola by Saint Mark’s Square, the Rialto Bridge, or any of Venice’s major tourist destinations. The exception to this is if you want your tour to include the Grand Canal. We didn’t – we preferred to ride around the smaller canals which we thought were more charming – but either way, be sure to ask your gondolier about their route before getting on the boat. Even if you want to experience the Grand Canal by gondola, make sure that your entire ride doesn’t take place there! Ask your gondolier if they’ll take you through some of the smaller canals too: I promise, you won’t be disappointed. We picked up our gondola in the quieter neighbourhood of Castello and couldn’t have been happier with the experience. Our gondolier was so sweet, snapped photos of us, and gave us a full tour of the area, telling us interesting facts about all the historic buildings we passed. Our ride was so peaceful; we saw so many lovely canals and I don’t think we saw a single other rider during our trip! We both really enjoyed the experience and thought it was so worth it.

Rialto Bridge – The oldest of the four bridges crossing the Grand Canal (and arguably Venice’s most famous), the Rialto Bridge is truly a sight to behold. It was first constructed in 1173 and has been rebuilt several times since then, and is one of Venice’s most impressive landmarks. The architectural detail of the bridge is stunning, and it provides a beautiful view of the Grand Canal. A trip to Venice wouldn’t be complete without seeing this iconic bridge!

Bridge of Sighs – While we’re on the subject of iconic bridges, I’d be remiss not to mention the Bridge of Sighs. While today it’s considered one of the most romantic spots in the world, this picturesque ponte – built in 1600 – has a dark history. It connects the Doge’s Palace to the New Prison across the canal, and reportedly got its name from the sighs prisoners would take as they glimpsed their final view of Venice before incarceration. Of course, it’s now best known for being a “Lover’s Lane” of sorts: the legend goes that if a couple kisses in a gondola beneath the Bridge of Sighs, they’ll be forever in love. Is it true… who knows? One thing I do know for sure is that romantics and cynics alike will be impressed by this architecturally stunning landmark.

Chiesa Di San Zaccaria – This 15th century monastic church is one of the oldest churches in Venice. It’s located near the waterfront, just a five-minute walk from Saint Mark’s Square – and unlike many other historic churches in Italy, it’s free to visit. The exterior is a stunning mix of Gothic and Renaissance architecture, and the interior is truly majestic, with a dramatic ambulatory and walls covered in 17th and 18th century art – including Giovanni Bellini’s famous San Zaccaria Altarpiece. Another interesting (albeit spooky) fact of note: the church has an underground crypt which houses the remains of past doges of Venice.

Palazzo Contarini Del Bovolo – If you’re a fan of unique architecture, you won’t want to miss this! Built in the 15th century by architect Giovanni Candi for the Contarinis, one of Venice’s founding families, the building is famous for it’s snail-like spiral staircase (“bovolo” means “snail shell” in Italian.) This is supposedly one of Venice’s hidden gems, but when we visited there was a large tour group going through the area, so perhaps word is getting out! You can purchase tickets to walk the staircase yourself for 9 Euros, or you can simply stop by and admire the exterior like we did. Either way, it’s well worth a visit!

Libreria Acqua Alta – This eclectic shop has billed itself “the most beautiful bookstore in the world”. Now, I wouldn’t necessarily agree with most beautiful – I think Portugal’s Livraria Lello (another spot on my travel bucket list) deserves that title – but this is certainly one of the most unique bookstores I’ve ever seen! Due to Venice’s frequent flooding, the books must be housed in waterproof bins, so the shop decided to get creative with it. A bathtub, canoe and full-sized gondola are among the store’s unique “bookshelves”. Libreria Acqua Alta has become particularly Insta-famous for its staircase made of books, which is located outdoors behind the shop, and is apparently one of the most photographed spots in Venice! Even if you’re not there “for the gram”, this store is a great place to shop for souvenirs: tasteful postcards, art prints and vintage Italian movie posters that go beyond the standard magnets and keychains you’ll find in other shops. Libreria Acqua Alta is also known as a refuge for various stray cats, and we got to meet a particularly cute one on our visit there, much to Tania’s delight! One word of warning: this store is extremely narrow and tight, and visitors are asked to move through it single-file, so if you’re claustrophobic you may want to skip this one.

Mask Shops – Venice is world-famous for its Carnevale, an annual Mardi Gras celebration that rivals New Orleans’ festivities with its ornate costumes and over-the-top revelry. Around three million visitors attend Carnevale every year! It’s an important part of Venetian culture, not to mention a huge tourism draw for the city, so it makes sense that Carnevale costumes – specifically masks – would feature prominently around Venice. We had so much fun exploring all the mask shops and marveling at the intricate craftsmanship that goes into each piece. I don’t have a specific store to recommend as we saw so many, but trust me – you won’t be able to walk a block in central Venice without finding one! If you’re not in the market for a Carnevale mask, many shops sell smaller mask-themed souvenirs – we picked up a beautiful magnet to take home!

Murano & Burano – I saved the best for last! These two charming islands are easily accessible from Venice by boat (scroll up further in the post to “Getting Around Venice” for more details on how to get there.) We purchased our vaporetto pass at Fondamente Nove, which is where it departs. From Venice, it’s about a 15-minute ride to Murano – yes, that Murano, of Murano Glass fame. The skilled artisans on this tiny island (just 1 mile wide, with a population of only 5,000) have been producing glass for centuries, and the ancient tradition continues on today! We had a great time strolling Murano’s beautiful Grand Canal (just a tad smaller than Venice’s) and popping into various shops to goggle at the gorgeous chandeliers, sculptures and other glasswares.

From Murano, it’s about a 30-minute ride to Burano, and you’ll need to pick up the vaporetto at its Faro “B1” stop. Be warned: Burano is a popular island and you should expect a long line for the boat – we probably waited about 45 minutes. That said, if anything is worth the wait, it’s this! If I could sum up Burano in one word, it would be delightful. The island is best known for its vibrant buildings, which are painted in every colour of the rainbow. The buildings are repainted every two years, and islanders have to follow certain guidelines: each house must be painted a different colour from its neighbours, and anyone intending to repaint must get government approval beforehand (!) And while Murano is synonymous with glassware, Burano is best known for its Venetian lacemaking, a tradition which dates back several centuries and can be seen in the many beautiful clothing shops on the island. Burano is a small village and doesn’t have much in terms of traditional tourist attractions – though they do have their own Lace Museum!) However, because we always plan very active vacations and had been so busy in Venice already, it was honestly so nice to have some time to just wander and relax! We strolled around Burano’s canals and pretty residential areas, popped into the shops, indulged in some cocktails and snacks, and just enjoyed the afternoon.

The islands of Murano and Burano are small, so they make a perfect half or full day trip from Venice. If you want to explore each island in depth and tour the Murano Glass Museum and the Burano Lace Museum, you’ll probably want to dedicate an entire day. But if you’re only in Venice for a short time, you’ll probably find that a half-day trip to the islands (which we did) is sufficient. Either way, if you’re going to Venice, don’t miss these islands! We almost skipped them, but we’re so glad we made the time to see them because they were one of our favourite parts of the entire trip.

Well… if you’re still here, thanks for staying with me through this long post – I hope you enjoyed reading about our adventures in Venezia! And if you’re more of a video person, you can check out my Instagram reel of our experience here. As someone who’s used to travelling within North America, I know how daunting and overwhelming it can be to plan an international trip, so if you’re planning your own trip to Venice and there’s any questions I can answer for you, please let me know! I’m always here to provide suggestions or advice wherever I can.

In a few days, I’ll be back to share my favourite places to eat within the Floating City. Stay tuned!