This blog post is all about the top things to do in 3 days in Venice, Italy. This post will show you what to do and where to eat while in Venice, Italy.
UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 2023
Have you been to Venice, Italy? While doing research for our summer European trip in 2019, I wasn’t sure we should go to Venice, Italy since everything I had read was that it’s overrun by tourists and cruise boats. While that is true, I’m still glad that we decided to go! Venice is truly breathtaking and such an interesting city. We were pretty jet lagged by the time we arrived in Venice since it was our first true stop in Europe (we had a relatively quick layover at Gatwick Airport in London). Once we arrived at the Venice airport, you have to take a bus to the city center. Buy a ticket ahead of time here!
We arrived in Venice in the late afternoon and went exploring right away because we didn’t want to take a nap at our cozy apartment rental in order to get our bodies used to the time difference. While our trip to Venice was pretty short, we packed our days with fun activities and things to do. Buy your water taxi/vaporetto tickets ahead of time here: TIX
When to visit Venice
The best time to visit Venice is during the off-season or shoulder season. Venice is extremely crowded during the summer which makes it hard to get around. The best time to visit is September-November and March-May. The off-season is during the winter so there would be much fewer people, but the weather is much less predictable.
where to stay in Venice
Check out this awesome list of places to stay in Venice: HOTELS AND APARTMENTS IN VENICE, ITALY
These are the top things to do in 3 days in Venice, Italy:
Before I get on with the list, I just wanted to say one thing about this European trip and actually, any trip that we take. We were extremely (extremely) glad that we traveled with only small/medium-sized backpacks. This is the best way to travel! I’d rather wear the same clothes over and over than have to lug big heavy suitcases around. The backpacks were truly amazing and while taking the vaporettos (water taxis) and seeing everybody else having many problems with their luggage, we were even happier that we weren’t going through that. Plus, we were able to take cheap flights between European countries and not have to pay for our luggage since they qualified as carry-on. Our favorite backpacks were these and these.
Top Things to Do in 3 Days in Venice, Italy:
- Explore/walk the canals, get lost in the city (don’t worry – it’s pretty small so you won’t be lost for long!)
- Biennale – if you happen to be here during the Biennale, it’s awesome to explore the artwork associated with this event.
- Piazza San Marco + Basilica – This tour is amazing for a skip-the-line visit. People-watching is the best here!
- Visit the Canale Grande and Rialto Bridge – so beautiful to see in person. And THIS EXPERIENCE would be truly amazing! It really is a must-visit, even if it’s loaded with tourists!
- Visit the Alta Acqua Libreria
- Take either this private gondola ride or this gondola ride.
- Sit in one of the plazas and listen to the local music.
- Take a vaporetto to Murano and/or Burano Island to see the glassblowing. Or take this amazing tour! Venice is known for its glass artwork and objects and it’s fun to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of this traditional art.
Where to eat:
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- There aren’t too many exclusively vegan restaurants in Venice. We found a great pizza place that had lovely vegan options and ate there. Pizzeria L’Angelo
- Get some fresh fruits and veggies from a local market and make food at your rental.
- Oh .. don’t forget to splurge on vegan gelato – most gelato shops have at least 1-2 vegan flavors, usually chocolate and fruit-based sorbettos.
where to stay:
- This beautiful luxury apartment with a view of the Grand Canal
- This lovely hotel with city view
- This Venice dream house
- This amazing penthouse apartment
- This suite with a view
fun paid experiences in venice:
This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend items that we truly love!
The 5 items we were so happy to have for all of our trips:
- Merrell women’s light hiking shoes – these are amazing because they are lightweight, but are extra grippy and helpful! I also have this pair that I always get compliments on: Merrell Rainbow shoes. Fernando loves his Asics trail runners which are also grippy and perfect for walking on cobblestone streets.
- Thermoflask water bottle – like a Hydroflask, but more affordable! We don’t go anywhere without these water bottles full of purified water.
- North Face Aphrodite 2.0 capris – I seriously wear these pants every.single.day! I couldn’t live without these ultra-comfy, lightweight pants that dry so quickly. They are 100% worth the money!
- Osprey Day Pack – this is an awesome lightweight backpack that we can easily put the belongings we need at hand for traveling around the city and on public transportation.
- N95 face mask – we bought a 50 pack of these and they last a long time. Until Covid is under control, we will continue to use face masks.
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