Venice city guide: how to spend 24 hours in the Floating City

And even if you only have 24 hours in Venice, you can still discover some of the biggest highlights – here’s everything you need to know in our Venice city guide.

Where in Italy is Venice?

Venice is the capital of the Veneto region in north-eastern Venice. Set on the coast, Venice itself is made up of 118 islands dotted through the lagoon.

What’s the weather like in Venice?

The weather in Venice varies significantly throughout the year, with temperatures dropping close to freezing during the winter months, and rising close to 30C during the summer months, when it’s also extremely humid. The best months to visit Venice are usually April to May and September to October, when average high temperatures hover between 20-25C, although you can expect some rain during these months.

Unless you’re visiting in midwinter, lightweight layers are often the best option for exploring. Venice is filled with churches, where you’ll be expected to dress modestly (including covering shoulders and knees), while there can also be a breeze on the water if you’re taking the vaporetto water bus through the city. During spring and autumn, it can be cooler in the mornings and evenings as well. Comfortable shoes are a must, as you’ll be spending much of your day walking and crossing many of the city’s little bridges.

Gondola ride in Venice

How big is Venice?

The city of Venice covers around three square miles, although the whole metropolitan area of Venice stretches much further. The ‘Floating City’ is famously built on a network of canals, with the majority of Venice’s sights on the main island, or Centro Storico, divided into six neighbourhoods. There are boats connecting the main island with surrounding islands, such as the Lido, Murano and Burano, as well as vaporetti, or water buses which travel along the canals.

Otherwise, the main way to explore Venice is on foot; gondolas follow a set circular route rather than taking you from A to B, and the other water transport, including water taxis, are also limited to the canals. While Venice’s maze of streets can be confusing at times, the city isn’t too big, and you’re likely to find yourself spending most of your time in a relatively small area.

Is Venice expensive?

Yes, Venice is comparatively expensive because of its popularity as a tourist destination, but you can still explore the city on a budget. Accommodation tends to be one of the most costly aspects of a stay in Venice, especially during peak season and special events such as Carnevale and the Biennale art festival. Food and drink can also be pricy, especially in tourist areas, although you can find cheaper alternatives if you venture a little way from the busiest locations, while the city’s bar snacks, or cicchetti, are often more substantial than might be suggested. Public transport isn’t cheap either, with a single journey on the vaporetto costing around 7.50 Euros, or 20 Euros for a day pass, although if you’re happy to walk, you may find you don’t need to use the water buses much.

However, many of Venice’s famous sights are completely free, while you can save on entrance fees to many of the city’s churches if you buy the Chorus Pass. Even entry into the iconic St Mark’s Basilica is only 10 Euros (with additional costs for some of the other attractions inside). If you’re tempted by a gondola but not by the cost, try the traghetti which cross the Grand Canal; looking like a larger version of a gondola, you’ll be packed in with others so it’s a less intimate experience, but at only a couple of euros, it’s a bargain alternative.

Does Venice have a tourist tax?

Yes, there are two separate taxes depending on whether you are staying overnight or visiting for the day. For overnight guests, your accommodation will add a charge per person per night, which varies depending on the time of year, type of accommodation and the number of nights you stay.

There is also a ‘Contributo di Accesso’ for day visitors on certain dates of the year, which all visitors aged 14+ must pay if visiting the main island of Venice. This is currently 5 Euros if paid in advance, or 10 Euros if bought last-minute, and applies if you enter the city between 8.30am and 4pm on designated days. The dates vary but tend to cover Friday-Sunday and holidays during April, May, June and July.

The payment needs to be made on the Comune de Venezia website, and you’ll receive a QR code which needs to be shown if requested. If you’re staying overnight, you don’t need to pay this additional charge, but may need to show proof of your stay. If you’re only visiting the outer islands, including the Lido, Murano and Burano, you don’t need to pay the Access Contribution either.

How much time should you spend in Venice?

Venice is eternally fascinating, and it’s easy to spend days exploring – if you’re hoping to visit Murano and Burano, or the Lido, as well as the sights of central Venice, you’ll want to allow up to four days, more if you’re using Venice as a base to explore further in the Veneto. However, you can see many of the highlights of the city within two to three days if you’re planning a long weekend in Venice. If you only have one day in Venice, you can still pack in many of the key sights thanks to the city’s relatively compact size and location of most popular attractions.

When is carnival in Venice?

The dates for carnival, or Carnevale, change each year. It takes place over the two weeks leading up to Ash Wednesday, which is 40 days before Easter, culminating on Shrove Tuesday. The dates usually fall during February but vary depending on the timing of Easter, with some of the best events taking place during the final weekend, although these final days are also the busiest.

What to do with 24 hours in Venice

Although you can’t hope to see all Venice’s attractions in 24 hours, you can easily pack in a few of the city’s iconic sights in one day. Here’s how.

Spending the morning in Venice

Start at the Piazza di San Marco, St Mark’s Square, which is home to a string of Venice’s biggest attractions. You could easily while away the morning sitting in a café and soaking up the atmosphere, but instead, head straight to the Doge’s Palace to explore. Once home to the ruler of La Serenissima, as the Republic of Venice was known, the lavish rooms are crammed with art as well as a chance to discover tales of the ruthless enforcers who carried out the Doge’s commands, secret passages and dungeons tucked away below the lavish palace rooms. You can also walk across the inside of the Bridge of Sighs here, the final view many prisoners had of Venice.

Allow a couple of hours to look around, then head straight to St Mark’s Basilica nearby. While the basilica is never less than impressive, the lights are usually turned on inside between 11.30am and 12.30pm, illuminating the gold and mosaics so you’ll get the best views. You can also buy tickets to the Pala d’Oro, the ornate golden altarpiece crammed with precious gems which sits behind the high altar, parts of which date back to the early 13th century.

You’ll need to prebook tickets to both attractions, as queues can be very long, even outside peak season.

Spending lunchtime in Venice

Look out for a classic Venetian bacaro, a traditional wine bar, where you can grab some lunch. Venice’s version of tapas is known as cicchetti, but these bar snacks can often be fairly substantial, with cheese or meat on slices of bread, as well as classic Venetian dishes like sarde in saor, sardines with pine nuts and raisins. If you fancy a small glass of wine to accompany it, ask for an ombra (ombra de bianco for white, ombra de rosso for red), usually only around a euro or so, or a Select spritz, which the Venetians drink in preference to Aperol.

Or head to the Rialto Market, where the stalls packed with fresh fruit, vegetables and fish are surrounded with little bars and restaurants, perfect for tucking into the fish and seafood that Venice is known for.

For something sweet, Venice’s oldest pastry shop Rosa Salva, has a couple of branches in the city for an indulgent treat and coffee.

Spending the afternoon in Venice

Venice is an art-lover’s paradise, from the galleries to churches which are home to some of the city’s best artworks.

In the Dorsoduro district, the Accademia gallery traces the development of Venetian art from the 14th to 19th centuries, so you can see everyone from Bellini, Veronese, Tintoretto, Tiziano and Tiepolo to Canaletto.

Some of the city’s best pieces are tucked away in its many churches; fans of Tiziano should head to Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, while the Chiesa della Madonna dell'Orto is home to paintings by Tintoretto, San Sebastiano is covered with frescoes and paintings by Veronese, while the Scuola Grande di San Rocco contains works by Tintoretto and Tiepolo. San Giorgio Maggiore, Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, San Zaccaria and are Santa Maria dei Miracoli are well worth a visit too.

Peggy Guggenheim Collection

Or there’s modern art at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, with collections including works from Cubism, Futurism, Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism, among others.

Once you’ve soaked up the art, gaze out onto some equally spectacular views from one of the city’s viewpoints bathed in late afternoon sunshine at golden hour. On the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, the church belltower looks back towards Venice with wonderful panoramas of the Doge’s Palace. Back in St Mark’s Square, the Campanile has its own fabulous views towards Santa Maria della Salute. Or hop aboard a vaporetto to rest your feet and enjoy looking out at the palazzos along the Grand Canal. Line 1 will give you a more leisurely journey, or Line 2 is a speedier alternative linking San Giorgio Maggiore and San Zaccaria.

Spending an evening in Venice

Venice is known for its romantic atmosphere, and evening is one of the best times to enjoy this, after many tourists have left at the end of the day. Save a little time to stroll the streets, stopping for a drink or two along the way; if you have enough energy, there are even ghost tours of Venice, to share some of the darker tales of the city’s history, as well as food tours if you want to sample some more Venetian classics. If you’re planning to splash out on a gondola ride, prices rise after sunset but it’s a memorable way to end your day.

Or indulge in one final slice of culture, with a live classical music concert in one of the city’s churches, some played by candlelight for an unforgettably atmospheric experience. Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista and the Church of San Vidal near the Grand Canal are two popular locations – book ahead as they usually sell out.

Looking to relax after a day walking around the sights? Find a trattoria or ristorante (rather than an osteria, which tends to have a more limited menu) and taste some of the city’s best dishes, including polenta, squid ink pasta and seafood. Or settle back with a drink and a view. Harry’s Bar is famously the home of the Bellini cocktail, a mix of fresh peach puree and prosecco, although you’ll pay through the nose for a drink here; try the Gritti Terrace or the Skyline Rooftop Bar at the Hilton Molino Stucky on Giudecca Island for a stylish bellini with a view and a slightly lower price tag.

Venice’s top sights

With almost 140 churches in Venice, countless art galleries, historic buildings, museums and more, there’s a huge amount to pack into your trip. But if you’re short of time, these are Venice’s top sights.

Basilica di San Marco

Basilica di San Marco

This ornate Byzantine basilica is one of Venice’s most famous sights, a magnificent church decorated in gold and mosaics, where the relics of the city’s patron saint, Saint Mark the Evangelist lie. Home to the spectacular golden Pala d’Oro, it also contains items from the sack of Constantinople.

The Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale)

The seat of power of the Republic of Venice for around 900 years, the Doge’s Palace is filled with artworks as well as information on the rulers of Venice, and a chance to walk across the interior of the Bridge of Sighs, before venturing down into the dungeons.

Rialto Bridge

Venice has around 435 bridges crossing its many canals, but the Rialto Bridge is easily one of the most famous. This ornate white structure has shops at its heart, and some wonderful views along the Grand Canal.

Bridge of Sighs

This tiny enclosed bridge was given its name by Lord Byron, from the legend that prisoners would sigh at their last view of Venice through the windows before descending to the cells below. You can walk inside during a visit to the Doge’s Palace or view it from the outside, at the Ponte della Paglia by the waterfront.

St Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco)

Known simply as ‘la Piazza’ to the Venetians, St Mark’s Square is home not only to some of Venice’s top sights – including the Basilica di San Marco, the Doge’s Palace and the Campanile – but also the Museo Correr, which tells the story of the city. The square is also lined with cafes, including the famous Caffe Florian, which opened in 1720, for a drink with a side of people-watching.

The Grand Canal

The biggest of Venice’s canals, the Grand Canal is a sight in itself, lined with historic palazzos and churches, as well as converted buildings such as the Fondaco dei Turchi; once the headquarters for Arab and Muslim merchants, it now houses the city’s Natural History Museum.

The Accademia gallery

One of Italy’s finest art museums, the Gallerie dell’Accademia tells the story of Venetian art, packed with works by many of the city’s greatest artists, including Tintoretto, Titian and Veronese.

Discover the sights of Venice on an escorted tour of Italy