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VENICE, ITALY

Venice is one of those romantic and dreamy destinations which is on most people’s radar...and for good reason! Whether you are taking a day trip or spending a night or two in Venice, we're going to show you how to spend the perfect day in this gorgeous city!

From the best places to eat & drink, whether a gondola ride is worth the price tag, along with some hidden gems you may not have heard about.

You could spend a lifetime getting lost in the streets of Venice but if you only have a limited time (like most of us) this one day itinerary is for you!

MORNING

Whether you spent the night or are arriving via train from a surrounding area, you'll want to start as early as possible. You'll get the best photos early morning when everyone else is sleeping.

6am - 7am

If you are able to start your day in Venice at the crack of dawn, head straight to the photo spots at the top of your list.

7am - 9am

After your DIY photo shoot, grab a cappuccino and cornetto at a local cafe.

9am - 12pm

Next, head straight to Doge's Palace & St. Mark's Basilica when they open (9am for Doge's Palace and 9:30am most days for the Basilica).

We recommend purchasing skip-the-line tickets for both to avoid the long lines. These can be purchased through Get Your Guide or Viator.

12pm - 1pm

After exploring either one or both of these places, head to Museo Correr Cafe for a coffee break. You get a wonderful view of St. Mark's Square here.

AFTERNOON

2pm - 3pm

After caffeinating, walk over to Gondola -Traghetto Santa Maria del Giglio. This is where you take a €2 gondola ride over to Basilica Santa Maria della Salute.

This is a great option if you want to experience a gondola for a fraction of the cost.

NOTE: This is a shared and short gondola ride. But if all you want is the gondola experience, this may be a great option for you! It's also the fastest way to cross the Grand Canal to get to the Basilica.

3pm - 4pm

After a quick stop at the Basilica, walk to Ponte dell'Accademia: One of only 4 bridges which span the Grand Canal. This is a great place to stop and take photos from above and below.

If the Gallerie dell'Accademia is on your to-do list, this would be the time to make a stop there (we didn't have time).

4pm - 5pm

I'm sure by now, you're starving so let's get some lunch. We recommend Birraria La Corte for some delicious pizza!

5pm - 6pm

Once you are full on pizza and spritz's, walk over to Calle Varisco - the narrowest street in Venice.

Beware: The Google coordinates are not quite accurate for this spot! So you may spend some time getting lost - which is half the fun after all!

EVENING

6pm - 7pm

Next, walk over to the Rialto Bridge. Enjoy some time just wandering the streets and getting lost a bit on your way.

If you want to take a romantic gondola ride, just stop whenever you see one that speaks to you. We recommend finding one in a back alley rather than on the main drag. We saw many gondolas that were bumper to bumper. And that's just not how you want to enjoy your overly price gondola ride.

A gondola ride will cost you €90 euros per boat - NOT per person! €90 per boat and lasts about 30 minutes.

This is one of those bucket list things that you gotta do at least once in our opinion.

NOTE: They DO NOT sing... but luckily I have Craig who serenade's me on every boat ride we take (watch our YouTube video if you want to see that!).

7pm - 8pm

We recommend heading somewhere for sunset and we think St. Mark's Square is a great option. Grab an aperitivo at a cafe in the square and relax just listening to music and people watching.

8pm - 11pm

Now it's time for dinner and we recommend Ristorante Santa Maria Formosa. Get the Venetian spaghetti which is spaghetti with butter and truffle - you won't regret it! Plus the staff here was amazing. So attentive and entertaining.

11pm - whenever you get tired

Now if you are into the nightlife scene, Venice has some pretty cool bars. Our favorite was the concept bar called Bras Bar. The concept is hilarious, the drinks were incredible, the staff was SO much fun, and the music was phenomenal.

Definitely stop in here for a drink...or two. One of my favorite activities was sitting there, watching people walk past the door and doing a double take. You could tell that everyone walking by was intrigued by the concept.