Best Things to Do in Venice for First Timers (and Repeat Visitors)
Words by
Sofia Esposito
Best Things to Do in Venice for First Timers (and Repeat Visitors)
I still remember the first time I stepped off the vaporetto at San Marco and realized I had no idea which direction to walk. That was fifteen years ago, and I have been back dozens of times since, each visit peeling back another layer of this impossible city. If you are looking for the best things to do in Venice, the trick is knowing where the locals actually go, not just where the tour buses drop people off. This Venice travel guide is built from years of wandering, eating, and getting gloriously lost in the calli and campi that make this place unlike anywhere else on earth.
1. The Rialto Fish Market (Rialto Pescheria)
Location: Campo della Pescaria, San Polo
I was there last Tuesday at 6:45 a.m., watching a fishmonger at the Rialto fish market separate mantis shrimp from a crate the size of a bathtub. The market has operated in this exact spot since the 11th century, and the Gothic arches overhead still shelter the same trade that made Venice a maritime empire. You will see tourists snapping photos of the displays, but the real action is in the wholesale auctions that happen before dawn, when restaurateurs from across the city bid on the catch. If you want to understand how Venice feeds itself, this is the starting point.
The market runs Tuesday through Saturday, and the energy peaks between 7 and 9 a.m. before the stalls start packing up by early afternoon. I always order a cicchetti plate at the nearby All'Arco, a tiny bar that has been open since 1998, where the owner remembers your face after two visits. The fried soft-shell crab in season is something I dream about months later.
Local Insider Tip: "Go on a Thursday morning, not Saturday. Saturday is when the tour groups flood in, and the vendors are too busy to talk. On Thursday, ask the man at the stall nearest the Grand Canal about the moeche, the soft-shell crab that only appears in spring and autumn. He will tell you exactly which restaurant to take it to if you want it cooked properly."
The market connects Venice's present to its past in a way no museum can replicate. This is where the Republic's wealth was measured in salt and silver, and the fish trade kept the city alive when the ships stopped coming. Even if you are not buying anything, standing under those arches at dawn is one of the most authentic experiences in Venice.
2. Libreria Acqua Alta
Location: Calle Longa, Cannaregio (near Campo Santa Maria Nova)
I ducked into Libreria Acqua Alta during a sudden downpour last March, and I have been recommending it ever since. The shop is famous for its bathtub full of books and a gondola filled with volumes in the back, but the real draw is the owner, Luigi Frizzo, who has been rescuing water-damaged books from flooded Venetian homes and shops for decades. The name itself means "high water," a nod to the acqua alta floods that define the city's relationship with the lagoon.
The best time to visit is mid-morning on a weekday, when the shop is less crowded and Luigi is more likely to chat. I once spent an hour talking to him about the history of Venetian printing, and he pulled out a 19th-century map of the city that showed how the streets have shifted. The shop does not have set hours, so arriving between 10 a.m. and noon gives you the best chance of finding it open.
Local Insider Tip: "Ask Luigi about the staircase made of books in the back. He built it himself after a flood destroyed his inventory, and he will tell you exactly which titles survived. If you mention you are a first-time visitor, he gives you a free postcard from the shop's collection."
The Libreria Acqua Alta is a living archive of Venice's relationship with water and words. It sits in Cannaregio, the neighborhood where the Jewish Ghetto was established in 1516, and the layers of history here are not just in the books but in the walls themselves. For a first-timer, this shop is a reminder that Venice is a city that has always been about preservation, even when the water rises.
3. The Jewish Ghetto and Museum
Location: Campo del Ghetto Nuovo, Cannaregio
I have walked through the Ghetto Nuovo more times than I can count, and each visit reveals something new. The Jewish Ghetto, established in 1516, is the origin of the word "ghetto" itself, and the museum in the campo tells the story of a community that was confined to this square yet produced some of Venice's greatest minds. The guided tours run hourly, and the guides are often descendants of families who have lived here for generations.
The best time to visit is late afternoon, when the light falls across the campo and the crowds thin. I always stop at the museum's small bookshop, which carries titles on Venetian Jewish history that you will not find elsewhere. The experience in Venice here is not just about the past; it is about how a community survived centuries of restriction and created a culture that still shapes the city.
Local Insider Tip: "The museum's upper floors have original documents from the 16th century, but most visitors skip them because the stairs are narrow. Ask the guard to let you see the room where the community council met. It is not on the standard tour, and it changes how you understand the word 'ghetto' forever."
The Ghetto Nuovo is a place where the weight of history is palpable. For repeat visitors, returning here after seeing the rest of Venice offers a perspective that no other neighborhood can match. The campo's well, still visible in the center, was the only source of fresh water for centuries, and standing there, you feel the density of lives lived in a small space.
4. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Location: Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, Dorsoduro (Grand Canal)
I visited the Peggy Guggenheim Collection on a rainy Thursday in October, and the garden was nearly empty. The palazzo itself was never finished, which gives it a raw, unfinished quality that suits the modern art inside. Peggy Guggenheim lived here for thirty years, and her collection includes works by Picasso, Dalí, Pollock, and Ernst, many of which she acquired directly from the artists. The sculpture garden is where I spend most of my time, especially in the late afternoon when the light on the Grand Canal turns gold.
The museum is open daily except Tuesdays, and the best time to visit is weekday mornings before 11 a.m. or after 3 p.m. on weekends. I always start with the room dedicated to Max Ernst, who was Peggy's husband for a short period, and then move to the terrace overlooking the canal. The audio guide is worth the extra fee, but I prefer to wander without it and let the art speak for itself.
Local Insider Tip: "The museum café has a terrace that most visitors miss because it is tucked behind the sculpture garden. Order the spritz and sit near the wall where Peggy's dogs are buried. The view of the Grand Canal from here is better than from the main terrace, and you will have it almost to yourself on a weekday."
The collection connects Venice to the 20th-century art world in a way that the city's Renaissance palazzi cannot. For first-timers, it is a reminder that Venice has always been a crossroads, and for repeat visitors, the rotating exhibitions in the winter months offer a reason to return. The palazzo's location on the Grand Canal, between the Accademia and the Salute, makes it a natural stop on any walk through Dorsoduro.
5. The Islands of Murano and Burano
Location: Murano and Burano, accessible by vaporetto from Fondamente Nove
I took the vaporetto to Murano on a Monday morning last spring, and the boat was half-empty. Murano's glassblowing tradition dates to 1291, when the Republic moved all glassmakers to the island to reduce the risk of fire in the city center. The Museo del Vetro in Palazzo Giustinian is the best place to start, and the demonstrations at the smaller furnaces are more intimate than the large tourist-oriented shows. I watched a master blow a vase in under ten minutes at a workshop near the museum, and the precision was unlike anything I have seen.
Burano, the next stop, is famous for its lace and its impossibly colorful houses. The lace tradition is real but fragile; the Scuola del Merletto has a small museum and a few elderly women who still work the patterns. I always eat at Trattoria al Gatto Nero, which has been run by the same family since 1965, and the risotto de gò (made with goby fish from the lagoon) is the best thing I have eaten in Venice.
Local Insider Tip: "Take the vaporetto to Murano first, then walk to Burano instead of taking the direct line. The walk takes about 30 minutes along the lagoon, and you pass the island of Mazzorbo, which has a vineyard and almost no tourists. On Burano, go to the Tre Ponti area where three canals meet. The reflections of the colored houses are best photographed from the bridge there, and it is where the locals actually live, not just pose for Instagram."
The islands are essential activities Venice offers beyond the main island. For first-timers, they provide context for the materials and crafts that built the Republic's wealth. For repeat visitors, returning to Burano in the late afternoon, when the day-trippers have left, reveals a quiet fishing village that most people never see.
6. The Scuola Grande di San Rocco
Location: Campo San Rocco, San Polo
I stumbled into the Scuola Grande di San Rocco on a whim during my second visit to Venice, and it remains one of the most overwhelming art experiences I have ever had. The building is covered floor to ceiling with paintings by Tintoretto, who spent over two decades working on the cycle. The upper hall, where the ceiling depicts scenes from the Old Testament, is so dense with imagery that I spent an hour looking up and still missed details. The scuola was a confraternity dedicated to helping the sick and poor, and the art was meant to inspire charity.
The best time to visit is midweek in the late morning, when the light from the windows illuminates the paintings without the glare of midday. I always sit on the wooden benches in the upper hall and just look. The audio guide is helpful, but the real experience is letting your eyes move across the walls and finding your own path through the stories.
Local Insider Tip: "Bring a small mirror or use your phone's selfie camera to look at the ceiling without craning your neck. The scuola provides mirrors for this purpose, but they are often taken. Also, the small room to the left of the altar, the Sala dell'Albergo, has the most intense Crucifixion scene Tintoretto ever painted. Most visitors walk past it because the door is partially hidden."
The Scuola Grande di San Rocco is one of the most underrated experiences in Venice. For first-timers, it offers a counterpoint to the crowds at the Basilica dei Frari next door. For repeat visitors, returning to a specific painting and noticing new details is one of the quietest pleasures the city offers.
7. The Lido and the Beach at the Alberoni
Location: Lido di Venezia, accessible by vaporetto from San Marco or the Rialto
I rode the vaporetto to the Lido on a sweltering August day, and the relief of having space to walk was immediate. The Lido is the barrier island that separates the lagoon from the Adriatic, and it has been Venice's beach since the 19th century. The Gran Viale Santa Maria Elisabetta is the main drag, lined with Liberty-style hotels and bike rental shops, but the real beach is at the Alberoni, at the southern end of the island. The dunes there are protected, and the water is cleaner than at the central beaches near the vaporetto stop.
The best time to visit is early morning or late afternoon in June or September, when the summer crowds have thinned but the water is still warm. I always rent a bike from one of the shops near the vaporetto stop and ride the length of the island, which takes about 40 minutes. The ride passes the Jewish cemetery, the golf course, and the old Fort of the Alberoni, which was built to defend against Ottoman ships.
Local Insider Tip: "The Alberoni beach is free and has no umbrella rentals, so bring your own. The pine forest behind the dunes is a nature reserve, and the walking paths through it are almost empty even in August. If you want a proper meal, ride the bike to Ristorante da Tato, near the church of San Nicolò, which has been serving lagoon fish since the 1970s and is where the Lido locals eat."
The Lido is often overlooked by first-timers who assume Venice is only about canals and churches. But the island has its own character, shaped by the sea rather than the lagoon. For repeat visitors, the Lido in autumn, when the Venice Film Festival crowds have gone and the locals reclaim the beaches, is a completely different place.
8. The Basilica di San Marco and the Palazzo Ducale
Location: Piazza San Marco, San Marco
I have been to the Basilica di San Marco more times than I can count, and it still stops me in my tracks. The Pala d'Oro, the golden altarpiece studded with thousands of gems, is the most valuable object in Venice, and the mosaics covering over 8,000 square feet of the interior are among the finest in the world. The basilica was built to house the relics of St. Mark, stolen from Alexandria in 828, and the building itself is a declaration of Venetian power and ambition. The Palazzo Ducale next door, where the Doge lived and the Republic was governed, is equally essential. The Bridge of Sighs, the armory, and the chambers of the Council of Ten are all part of a complex that reveals how Venice ruled an empire.
The best time to visit is early morning, right when the doors open at 9:30 a.m., or late afternoon after 4 p.m. I always book the "Secret Itineraries" tour of the Palazzo Ducale, which takes you through the hidden rooms, the torture chamber, and the cells where Casanova was imprisoned. The tour runs several times a day and must be reserved in advance.
Local Insider Tip: "Skip the main entrance line by booking the 'skip the line' ticket online, which also includes the Palazzo Ducale. But the real secret is the basilica's museum, upstairs, which has the original bronze horses and a terrace overlooking the piazza. Most visitors do not know it exists, and the view from the terrace, with the piazza below and the lagoon behind, is the best in Venice. Also, if you visit the Palazzo Ducale, ask the guard about the room where the Doge's body lay in state. It is not on any tour, and the story behind it is unforgettable."
These two landmarks are the heart of any Venice travel guide, and for good reason. For first-timers, they are the introduction to the Republic's glory. For repeat visitors, returning with a specific focus, the mosaics one visit, the political history the next, reveals new layers every time.
When to Go and What to Know
Venice is a city that changes dramatically with the seasons. The best months for first-timers are April, May, September, and October, when the weather is mild and the crowds are manageable. July and August are hot, humid, and packed with tourists, and the acqua alta floods between November and March can make walking difficult, though they are also when the city feels most authentic. I always tell people to avoid Carnival in February unless they specifically want the costumes and the chaos, because hotel prices triple and the streets become impassable.
The vaporetto system is the backbone of local transport, and a 72-hour pass is the best value for most visitors. Water taxis are expensive but worth it for late-night trips or if you have heavy luggage. Walking is the best way to experience the city, but wear comfortable shoes because the bridges are steep and the cobblestones are unforgiving. Carry a refillable water bottle; there are public fountains throughout the city with clean, drinkable water.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the most popular attractions in Venice require advance ticket booking, especially during peak season?
Yes. The Basilica di San Marco, the Palazzo Ducale, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection all offer online booking, and during peak season (April through October), same-day tickets for the basilica often sell out by mid-morning. The "Secret Itineraries" tour at the Palazzo Ducale has limited spots and should be reserved at least a week in advance. The Scuola Grande di San Rocco rarely requires advance booking, but weekday mornings are the safest bet.
Is it possible to walk between the main sightseeing spots in Venice, or is local transport is necessary?
Most of the main sights in Venice are within walking distance of each other. The walk from San Marco to the Rialto takes about 10 minutes, and from the Rialto to Santa Croce is another 15. However, reaching the islands of Murano, Burano, and Torcello requires the vaporetto, and the Lido is a 15-minute boat ride from San Marco. For first-timers, a combination of walking and vaporetto is the most practical approach.
What is the safest and most reliable way to get around Venice as a solo traveler?
Walking is the safest and most reliable way to get around Venice. The city has no cars, and the main risks are slippery bridges and crowded vaporetti during rush hour. The vaporetto lines 1 and 2 run along the Grand Canal and stop at all major points, and the night service (N line) operates until around midnight. Water taxis are available 24 hours but cost between €15 and €25 for a short trip. Solo travelers should avoid the smaller, less crowded calli late at night, not because of crime but because it is easy to get disoriented.
What are the best free or low-cost tourist places in Venice that are genuinely worth the visit?
The Basilica di San Marco is free to enter (though the museum and Pala d'Oro cost a few euros). The Rialto Market, the Jewish Ghetto, and the walk along the Zattere promenade in Dorsoduro are all free. The Scuola Grande di San Rocco costs about €10 and is one of the best values in the city. The Lido beaches at the Alberoni are free, and the vaporetto ride to Murano and Burano costs about €20 for a day pass. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is €16, but the sculpture garden alone is worth the price.
How many days are needed to see the major tourist attractions in Venice without feeling rushed?
Three full days is the minimum for first-timers who want to see the major sights without rushing. Day one can cover San Marco, the Rialto, and the surrounding neighborhoods. Day two can be dedicated to the Dorsoduro, the Accademia, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Day three can include the islands of Murano and Burano, with time for the Lido in the late afternoon. Repeat visitors often find that a week allows them to explore the lesser-known neighborhoods like Castello and Cannaregio at a more relaxed pace.
Enjoyed this guide? Support the work
