The Only Venice in One Day Itinerary You Need

Venice, the city that floats, is a tourist’s dream. Visiting Venice has to be on almost everyone’s bucket list, and sometimes you just get one day to tick it off your long-awaited list. So what do you do when you only have one day to live the dream? You follow this personally curated itinerary and make the most of your day in Venice. 

It may feel like a daunting task, but you can experience the best of Venice in just one day and have an amazing story to tell people. With its rich history and cultural importance, you would obviously need more than a day to get the most out of Venice. It has so much to offer that one day won’t do it justice, but sometimes one day is all it takes, falling in love with the city. 

If you plan on visiting Venice and have just one day to spare, here is a refined list just for you to help you experience the enchanted city in the best way possible under twenty-four hours.

• St. Mark’s Basilica and St. Mark’s Square
• The Doge’s Palace
• The Rialto Bridge 
• The Grand Canal
• A Gondola Ride
• The Bridge of Sighs
• Exploring the hidden backstreets of Venice
• Piazza San Marco at night

This may seem like a long list for just one day, and if it feels too much, you can skip the gondola ride and exploring the backstreets of Venice, but these make your Venetian experience is even more enchanting. But if time is what you lack, prioritise the best.

Please Note: Every place that I mention in the post below links to the google map location. So all you need to do is click it and save it. That way you will have all the important places marked for when you actually visit the city. Hope you find it useful! Alternatively, you can also refer to this map with all the locations that I have created, along with a list of recommended restaurants in the area for lunch, dinner and dessert.

Tips to Help You Make the Most of Your Day

Photo by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash

Starting the day early will automatically put you ahead of the crowd. Venice is a very popular destination throughout the year, and getting up early will give you access to a crowd-less city where you can enjoy all the sights in the soft morning light, perfect for all of your Instagram shots.

Staying near the heart of the city, which is St. Mark’s Square, lets you walk to almost all of the attractions, and you would want to explore Venice on foot, as that is simply the best way to do it.

Booking skip-the-line tours for St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace will save you the most amount of time, as these are some of the most popular monuments in Venice to be visited by tourists. A guided tour will also help you learn more about the history and significance of these beautiful monuments in less time.

Your One Day in Venice Itinerary

Photo by Nicola Pavan on Unsplash

6:30 am: Start your day at St. Mark's Square. Trust me, this is the best time to visit when the square is almost empty and you can truly appreciate the monument of St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace without being surrounded by thousands of people. Furthermore, the morning glow makes everything appear even more enchanting and is the perfect time for those Instagram perfect pictures in Venice.

7:00 a.m.: After exploring the square, stop by for a quick breakfast at a nearby café. Pair a Venetian pastry, such as fritole or baicoli, with freshly brewed coffee. It's the ideal way to start your day, Venetian style! Just perfect to set the mood for the rest of the day.

7:30 am: Head inside St. Mark’s Basilica as soon as it opens. You can The interior is breathtaking. A true example of the mighty Romans and the way they loved architecture. Filled with golden mosaics that will leave you in awe, the basilica is a living piece of art, filled with the most minute details; every nook and cranny has a story to tell. Don’t miss the Pala d’Oro, the stunning golden altar screen that’s a true masterpiece and one of the most significant showpieces of the basilica.

Photo by Alessandro De Marco on Unsplash

8:30 am: Next up is the Doge’s Palace, just steps away. This place is packed with history and art so significant that it narrates the history of Venice and its establishment in the late 1500s, a standing reminder that Venice is one of a kind and has been through so much over the centuries. You’ll even get to walk across the Bridge of Sighs. It’s a bit eerie, but fascinatingly, you won’t want to miss it. The bridge has its history and is one of Venice’s oldest and most well-known bridges.

10:00 am: After the palace, which can take some time to get through as it has so much to explore and register, you can then take a relaxing stroll along the Riva degli Schiavoni. This waterfront promenade offers beautiful views of the lagoon and the island of San Giovanni Maggiore. It’s a great spot to just take a breather and enjoy the scenery. Watch the gondolas filled with people float by as you take it all in—the scenic beauty of the Venetian morning.

10:30 am: Now, head over to the Rialto Bridge, one of Venice’s most iconic landmarks. The views of the Grand Canal from the bridge are just fantastic, and the nearby Rialto Market is a fun place to explore. You’ll see locals buying fresh produce and seafood in a proper bazaar setting where you get a real slice of Venetian life.

11:00 am: Walking on ahead, this is your chance to get lost in Venice’s narrow streets and alleys and explore the hidden gems in Venice. Don’t worry about where you’re going—just wander and experience the city like it was when the world was not as complicated and life was slow. You’ll stumble upon charming squares, hidden churches, and picturesque canals. This is where Venice’s true magic lies. These are places that won’t be on any maps, but just stumbling upon them will give you a sense of joy. The city has its secrets, and you can be the one to unravel them.

12:30 pm: Time for lunch! One of the best things that you can do in Venice is enjoy the local delicacies. Find a cozy osteria or trattoria and settle in for a nice, relaxed meal. Try some of the local Venetian dishes like risotto al nero di seppia (squid ink risotto) or sarde in saor (sweet and sour sardines). Take your time and relish each bite. When it comes to food, Italy is a world leader in cuisine, and the Venetians know how to serve these dishes the proper Italian way.

Photo by Ahmet Yüksek

2:00 pm: After enjoying a scrumptious lunch, why not treat yourself to a gondola ride? Yes, it’s a bit of a splurge, but there’s something truly special about gliding through the canals. It is one of the most iconic things to do when in Venice. I bet you have always imagined how it would feel to float around on a gondola exploring the scenic city with a drink in your hands.  It’s one of those experiences that will stick with you long after you leave Venice.

3:00 pm: After your gondola ride, head to the Bridge of Sighs, which you would have already crossed in the morning while going to the Doge’s Palace. This beautiful and utterly historic monument has a slightly haunting past, but it’s also incredibly romantic. Take a few moments to soak it all in and get some aesthetic photos of the bridge and its symbolic nature that depicts both love and the supernatural.

4:00 pm: From this point on, the afternoon is yours. You can maybe visit a museum, like the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, which houses some of the most beautiful pieces of art in Europe, or simply keep wandering through Venice’s quieter neighbourhoods, living through the streets and buildings, the lives of the many Venetians who have come and gone. Sometimes, the best way to experience Venice is just to let yourself get a little lost.

5:30 pm: All this walking around has got you feeling a bit tired? It’s the perfect time for a little break. You can walk into one of the many well-known or local dessert houses and grab some gelato or get a Spritz at a café by the Grand Canal. Then you can just sit back, relax, and watch the world go by. It’s the perfect way to recharge before the evening. The bobbing and floating gondolas, the many ferries that bring tourists from all over Italy, and the locals going about, doing what they do every day, unaffected by the world pouring into their city.

Photo by Alessio Furlan on Unsplash

8:00 pm: You won’t realise how fast time goes by when you are enjoying life and all of its fleeting moments. It is now time to grab some dinner, and you can find a nice restaurant near St. Mark’s Square or the Rialto area. Indulge in a delicious Italian meal, fresh seafood, pasta, or a classic Venetian dish; you could even go for some pizza, and all of these accompanied by some aperitivo, obviously. It’s the perfect way to wrap up your day. Just relish each bite of your dinner and get revitalised. After the long day that you have had, Venice still has some left to offer.

10:00 pm: As the day winds down and you feel it starting to take a toll, make your way back to St. Mark’s Square. At night, the square is beautifully lit, and there’s a magical atmosphere that’s simply unforgettable. The crowds are a lot more mellow, and the locals start to get in on the action. If you are lucky enough, you might even catch some live music from one of the cafés and experience the beauty of Venice at night.

10:30 pm: After all of this If you’re still up for it, take one last stroll through the canals or the quiet backstreets. Venice at night is pure magic; the noise dies down, and you can clearly hear the flow of the canals and the moonlight hitting the buildings just right. I must emphasise, it’s the perfect way to end your very eventful day.

I hope you have an amazing time in Venice! Just remember, it’s not about seeing everything; just take your time, soak in the beauty, and enjoy every moment. Venice is a city that’s meant to be savoured.