Things to do in Venice in 24 hours
- Posted on: 13th May 2025
- Posted by: admin
Venice – the city of canals – is loaded with attractions.
A lot of people visit Venice on weekends or as part of a multi-day road trips (with itineraries that cover a lot of Italian cities) and since it has been seen that the majority of tourists usually end up spending only a day in Venice, in this post we are sharing a detailed ‘one day itinerary’ for a self guided tour of Venice. Though, seeing all that there is to see in Venice is almost impossible, this itinerary helps you to narrow down the list of attractions & allows you to see the best of Venice in just 24 hours. Though it is advised that you should arrive a day before the self guided tour, in most of the cases it is not always possible, so even if you are arriving the same day, no problem, this detailed itinerary will still prove helpful.
Though it is a great idea to rent a car to travel to Venice, you will not be able to take the car into the city. It will be best to park the rental vehicle at Piazzale Roma a square at the entrance to Venice – which is also the last stop, after that buses, cars and trains are not permitted into the city.
Start your day with the tour of Grand Canal
No matter how you arrive, you will come face to face with Venice’s watery main street – the Grand Canal. So, why not do the tour of the Grand Canal early on and be done with it. For the tour you will need at least 45 minutes.
The banks of the Grand Canal are lined with buildings that date back to the 13th and the 18th centuries, and are living examples of the art that was created over the years by the Republic of Venice. Most of the buildings were constructed by reputed Venetian families who spent big portions of their wealths in order to demonstrate their status and richness through these buildings. Some of the building you will encounter on the tour are: the Palazzi Barbaro, Ca’ d’Oro, Ca’ Rezzonico, Ca’ Foscari, Palazzo Dario and Palazzo Barbarigo; the renowned basilica of Santa Maria della Salute is also located along the canal. After the tour, find your hotel, have something to eat and be ready for a terrific day in Venice.
Visit Campanile di San Marco followed by St Mark’s Basilica
Campanile di San Marco is the famous bell tower of Venice’s St Mark’s Basilica; both are part of Piazza San Marco. The current bell tower was constructed in 1912, about 10 years after the demolition of the original one. The bell tower opens before the Basilica itself, so visit it for the amazing panoramic views of the city it provides. Spend half an hour here and then head towards the Basilica.
Make sure you reach the Basilica before it opens, that way you will be able to avoid long queues that usually eat up an hour from one’s vacation time. The building of the cathedral church of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice dates back to the 11th century and is loaded with heavenly mosaics. There is an extra fee for entry to Pala d’Oro altarpiece and the Marciana Museum but it’s totally worth every penny you spend. Spend 1.5 hours exploring the Basilica.
Spend a few hours exploring Piazza San Marco’s other attractions
Though Piazza San Marco (also called St Mark’s Square) is known for its Renaissance Clock Tower, the square offers lots of other attractions which are worth visiting. Napoleon once described the Piazza San Marco as the ‘drawing room of Europe’, speaks volumes about its beauty. In addition to the basilica and the bell tower, the square is dotted with cafes and museums, and of course the lovely Doge’s Palace. Since there is more than one place that you can visit at Piazza San Marco and entry is not free in most of the cases, we suggest you buy a ticket that provides access to the maximum venues.
Do visit Doge’s Palace, one of the main attractions on the Piazza San Marco – the place which was the center of authority for 900 years . To save time, we suggest you join a tour; during your time here, you will get to witness the hidden offices, courtrooms, prisons and numerous archives.
Rialto Bridge & the Bridge of Sighs
Since most of the traffic through the Grand Canal is along its path, there are not many bridges across it. Built in the 12th Century, Rialto Bridge is one of the most famous bridges that links the two banks for the Grand Canal. Located nearby is the Rialto market, which though has been in existence since the 11th Century, because of a fire in the 1500s, the present buildings belong to the 16th century.
Located next to the Palace is the Bridge of Sighs which links the palace with Rio di Palazzo which at one time was used as a prison.
Spend the evening exploring Venice’s Floating markets
There was one time when Venice had many floating markets, now the scenario has changed. There is one floating market in Dorsoduro and one in Via Garibaldi. Just pick one for the experience and head towards Murano & Burano. Make sure you visit Burano’s 4 islands as the sun sets; the colourful houses and the back feel will accentuate your experience.