Venice 3-day itinerary
Italy
Where to go and what to see in Venice to get the most from your trip – a 3-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Nicky Swallow.
Bucket list experience:
Venice, Veneto, Italy
Murano became the capital of glass in 1291 thanks to a decree banning all furnaces from Venice proper to avoid fire risk. The island soon became centre for glass-blowing, shipping chandeliers, mirrors, vases and glass tableware across the world. Today, Murano remains a unique place where the skills of centuries are still practised by latter-day artisans.
Watching a top glass-blower is an absorbing sight, from the ferocious heat thrown out by the yellow glow of the furnaces to the balletic genius of the Murano craftsmen as they blow, snip, twist and tug at their fiery blob of liquid to transform it into an exquisite vase or seahorse. Afterwards, you can buy pieces in the showrooms.
The Museo del Vetro (Glass Museum) is housed in a beautiful 17th-century palazzo and has a vast collection of Murano glass from elaborate 18th-century chandeliers to exquisite glass beads.
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Destination Guide >Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience
Italy
Where to go and what to see in Venice to get the most from your trip – a 3-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Nicky Swallow.
Italy
Where to go and what to see in Venice to get the most from your trip – a 5-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Nicky Swallow.
While it is perfectly possible to wander round the glass shops independently, you need to book an appointment at a furnace in advance. You’re best off booking onto a guide tour. If you want to buy glass, a few pointers to sort the schlock from true quality:
Newly-opened gallery/design shop/restaurant/bistro Punta Conterie is a good stop-off for snacks or a gourmet meal and some contemporary glass culture. It has a rooftop terrace with watery views.
You can visit Murano seven days a week, all year round. But in the summer months it will be packed; go in winter for a more authentic experience.
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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Venice, Veneto, Italy[2.6 miles]
A stylish, modern and good value alternative to some of Venice’s more traditional hotels. Just steps from the Rialto produce market and the Rialto bridge.
Official star rating:
Venice, Veneto, Italy[2.9 miles]
A prime waterfront location minutes from Piazza San Marco, magnificent views over the water to San Giorgio Maggiore and lovely service make this a popular choice for stays in central Venice.
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Venice, Veneto, Italy[3 miles]
A romantic six-room Arcadian retreat of family-run homeliness. The shady, canal-side garden is a godsend at the end of a long, hot day’s culture fest.
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Venice, Veneto, Italy[3.1 miles]
An 11-room boutique hotel with a lovely courtyard, personalised service and a centralissima location within easy reach of the Accademia, the Rialto and Piazza San Marco. The contemporary, design-led interior provides a refreshing contrast to the usual flock wallpaper and swathes of brocade.
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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Veneto, Italy
Crammed with picturesque canals, Renaissance palazzos and artistic masterpieces, this unique and alluring city is heaven-on-earth for art lovers and romantics.
Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Venice, Veneto, Italy[2.9 miles]
Surely the most exquisite, beguiling and opulent place of worship in Italy, St Mark’s cathedral was built to satisfy the wildest dreams of the Doges and is rich in glittering Byzantine mosaics, Gothic carvings and sumptuous treasures.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Venice, Veneto, Italy[3 miles]
It’s huge, and often crowded, but St. Mark’s square is one of the most emblematic spots in the city and is lined with over-priced cafés that offer live music. But out of season, on a foggy winter’s evening or at dawn, it’s undeniably atmospheric.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Venice, Veneto, Italy[3 miles]
A glittering monument to the Golden Age of Venice – ducal, divine and downright decadent. From Casanova’s rooftop escapade to the twisty tale behind Tintoretto’s enormous Paradise paintings, these walls have seen Venetian history at its most decadent and devious.
Best for ages: 18+ | £25
Venice, Veneto, Italy[3.4 miles]
The Grand Canal is Venice’s busy, trafficked high street and an essential part of Venetian everyday life. Its winding two-miles of double waterfront is lined with magnificent palazzi and is crossed by four bridges.
Best for ages: 8+ | £5 | 45 minutes
Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..
Venice, Veneto, Italy[2.1 miles]
Way off-piste in northern Cannaregio, Madonna ‘of the Garden’ (1399-1473) is stuffed with paintings by the great Venetian master who is also buried here along with his son and daughter. A highlight is his beautiful painting of St. Agnes in the Contarini Chapel.
Best for ages: 18+ | £2
Venice, Veneto, Italy[2.4 miles]
Venice’s original Jewish ghetto dates from 1516 and is a fascinating, atmospheric neighbourhood. It remained home to the city’s Jewish population until 1797; today you can take a guided tour of the five magnificent synagogues and museum and eat in a neighbourhood Kosher restaurant.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Venice, Veneto, Italy[2.6 miles]
The little-visited Palazzo Grimani is one of the city’s great Renaissance palazzos, now a museum housing an extraordinary collection of classical sculptures, stuccoes, elaborate frescoes and paintings by Hieronymus Bosch.
Best for ages: 18+ | £5
Venice, Veneto, Italy[2.7 miles]
Venetians have shopped and haggled at this food market on the banks of the Grand Canal since 1097 AD. It’s a mosaic of stalls piled with aubergines, tomatoes, vats of artichoke hearts and (under the arched Pescaria) a zillion varieties of wriggling, glistening fish.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free