Venice, founded more than 1,500 years ago across 118 small islands, grew from a marshland refuge into the mighty Maritime Republic. Its web of canals, Gothic palaces, and stone bridges tells stories of spice routes, gold mosaics, and artists who turned light and water into poetry. Today the city still moves at the pace of the tide—best explored on foot and by vaporetto as the bells of San Marco ring out over the lagoon.

Beyond the icons—St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, the Rialto Bridge—Venice thrives in the details. A cicchetto (Venetian tapas) with a spritz in a standing-room-only bacaro. A gondola builder planing larch wood at the Squero di San Trovaso. Laundry fluttering in Cannaregio’s backstreets. With this 3-day itinerary, you’ll balance essential highlights with local flavor, island time, and a few delicious detours.

Practical notes: Venice now tests a day-tripper access fee on select peak days—check dates before traveling. Dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered) for churches, including St. Mark’s. Consider an ACTV vaporetto pass for 48–72 hours if you’ll ride boats often. High water (acqua alta) is most common from fall to winter; raised walkways appear and visits remain very doable.

Venice

Venice is more village than metropolis: neighborhoods (sestieri) stitched together by 400+ bridges. Cannaregio brings slow mornings and artisan roasters; San Polo and San Marco deliver market bustle and grand monuments; Dorsoduro charms with galleries and golden-hour Zattere strolls. The best way to see it? Wander, then wander a little more.

• Top sights: St. Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace, Rialto Bridge and market, Grand Canal, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Scuola Grande di San Rocco.
• Classic experiences: Gondola ride at sunset, cicchetti crawl near Rialto, island-hopping to Murano (glass) and Burano (lace and colorful facades).
• Fun fact: Venice stands on millions of waterlogged wooden piles—fir and larch—hardened over centuries by the lagoon’s mineral-rich, low-oxygen environment.

Where to stay (handpicked):

• The Gritti Palace (canal views, old-world grandeur): Book on Hotels.com
• Hotel Antiche Figure (boutique, right by the Grand Canal near the station—super handy arrival/departure base): Book on Hotels.com
• Hilton Molino Stucky Venice (Giudecca island icon with rooftop pool/bar and skyline sunsets): Book on Hotels.com
• Belmond Hotel Cipriani (legendary lagoon-side retreat with gardens and a superb pool): Book on Hotels.com
• Aman Venice (palatial frescoes in a 16th-century canal palace): Explore Aman Venice
• Browse apartments and villas: Search Venice stays on VRBO | Hotels across all budgets: Search Venice hotels

Getting to Venice:

• Flights (to/from Europe): Compare fares and routes on Omio (Flights). Venice has two main airports: Marco Polo (VCE, closest) and Treviso (TSF, budget carriers).
• Flights (long-haul from outside Europe): Check global options on Trip.com or Kiwi.com, then connect onward to VCE.
• Trains in Europe: Venice Santa Lucia station sits on the Grand Canal. Book high-speed routes on Omio (Trains)—approx: Milan (2h25, from ~€19–€49), Florence (2h05, from ~€19–€49), Rome (3h45, from ~€29–€89). Budget bus options: Omio (Buses).
• From VCE to the city: 30–60 minutes by Alilaguna boat or 25–35 minutes by private water taxi; the ACTV bus to Piazzale Roma takes ~20 minutes, then vaporetto/walk to your hotel.
• Getting around: A single vaporetto ticket runs high for visitors; consider 48–72 hour passes if you’ll ride often. Walk whenever you can—many “wow” moments hide one turn away.

Day 1: Arrival, Rialto’s Markets, and Your First Cicchetti Crawl

Morning: Travel day. Aim to arrive around midday or early afternoon. If coming by train, step out of Venezia Santa Lucia and drink in that first view of the Grand Canal—then hop Vaporetto Line 1 for a slow-motion “city tour” to your stop. Check in, freshen up, and have your hotel store bags if the room isn’t ready.

Afternoon: Start near the Rialto Market (best earlier in the day for fish displays). Even later, you’ll still feel the hum around the bridge and produce stalls. Pop into Torrefazione Cannaregio for a quick espresso; or grab creamy scoops at Gelatoteca Suso (try pistachio Bronte). For a light bite, Osteria al Portego serves top-notch fried moeche (seasonal soft-shell crab) and stuffed zucchini flowers—tiny, lively, and very Venetian.

Evening: Ease straight into local life on the Eat Like a Local: 3-hour Venice Small-Group Food Tasting Walking Tour. You’ll nibble through cicchetti bars and sip regional wines while learning the stories behind each bite—perfect orientation for where to return later.

If you’d rather DIY: build a cicchetti crawl—Cantina Do Mori (1462, prosciutto and truffle bites), All’Arco (crudo-topped crostini), and canal-facing Osteria al Squero across from the gondola workshop. Cap with a spritz Select (the Venetian original) or a Cynar and soda.

Day 2: St. Mark’s, Doge’s Palace, Dorsoduro Art, and a Private Gondola

Morning: Beat the lines with the Skip-the-Line: Doge's Palace & St. Mark's Basilica Fully Guided Tour. In a few hours you’ll cross the Bridge of Sighs, admire Tintoretto’s colossal canvases, and step beneath St. Mark’s golden mosaics. Dress code applies; your guide handles the logistics so you can focus on the art and intrigue.

Refuel at Rosa Salva or Marchini Time (sublime Venetian pastries—try the frittelle in season). For lunch, Trattoria da Remigio (quiet street, classic lagoon seafood) or Osteria alle Testiere (tiny, beloved—book well ahead for razor clams and branzino).

Afternoon: Cross to Dorsoduro. Visit the Peggy Guggenheim Collection for a compact, excellent modern art journey in the heiress’s canal-side home. Nearby, peek at the Squero di San Trovaso, one of the city’s last gondola workshops. Espresso on the Zattere promenade, or a gianduiotto (a brick of chocolate-hazelnut gelato drowned in whipped cream) at Gelateria Nico.

Evening: Make your Venetian fairytale official with a Venice Private Gondola Ride: Explore Hidden Canals and Sights. Ask your gondolier for a route through quiet back canals near San Polo or Dorsoduro at golden hour for mirror-still water and soft light.

Dinner ideas: Antiche Carampane (locals’ favorite for moeche and spaghetti alla busara—book ahead), Al Covo (seasonal Venetian with a serious wine list), or Ristorante Local (modern lagoon cuisine, tasting menu available). Nightcap at Il Mercante, a creative cocktail bar near the Frari—think spice-trade riffs in a historic setting.

Day 3: Murano & Burano, Cannaregio Stroll, and Departure

Morning: Set out on the lagoon with the Murano & Burano Islands Guided Small-Group Tour by Private Boat. Watch master glassblowers in Murano transform molten glass into vases and chandeliers; wander among rainbow houses in Burano and learn about lace traditions that outfitted European courts.

Brunch or early lunch on Burano if time allows—Trattoria al Gatto Nero is famed for risotto di gò (a lagoon goby fish specialty), or grab bussolà cookies to-go from a local bakery. Return to Venice by early afternoon.

Afternoon: Back in the city, pick up last-minute souvenirs around the Ghetto Ebraico (Jewish Ghetto) in Cannaregio—quiet canals, historic synagogues, and artisan workshops. Coffee and beans to take home at Torrefazione Cannaregio. Collect your luggage and allow time for the vaporetto or water taxi to your departure point.

Evening: If you have a late flight, toast the trip with cicchetti at Ai Promessi Sposi (cozy, excellent baccalà mantecato) or a sunset stroll along the Zattere with views to Giudecca. Otherwise, it’s arrivederci—until your next rendezvous with the lagoon.

Optional/Alternative Highlight (if you swap a morning): For buffet-line access to the icons plus a canal glide, consider the all-in-one Venice in A Day: St Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace & Gondola Ride.

Insider tips:

• Reservations: Small restaurants fill fast—book dinners several days ahead.
• Gondola fares: Standard 30-minute rides have official tariffs; private tours add narrative and quieter routes—great near sunset.
• Vaporetto passes: If you’re doing islands plus cross-city moves, a 48–72h pass usually pays off.
• Museum closures: Many museums close one day midweek (e.g., Peggy Guggenheim typically Tuesday). Check hours before you regroup your day.

Summary: In three days you’ll trace Venice from palace grandeur to humble bacari, from silent back canals to the kaleidoscope of Burano. Keep your pace unhurried; the city rewards those who follow curiosity down the next narrow calle. You’ll leave with salty air in your hair and a promise to return.