Travel guide
Independent guide to visiting Venice
Independent guide to help you plan your trip to Venice: districts, places to see, itineraries, maps and practical tips for your stay.
Venice reveals itself as much through its sestieri - the six historic districts that structure the city - as through its lagoon, with islands each having their own distinct character: Murano and its glass, Burano and its colours, Torcello and its origins. In between, hundreds of places to see: basilicas, palaces, bridges and museums, each linked to its district to help you plan your visit.
No need to see everything at once: add the places that interest you to your personalised itinerary as you read, and find them organised to help plan your route through Venice.
Highlights
Prepare your trip
Hotels and places to stay
Conseils pratiques pour choisir son quartier et son hébergement à Venise, avec une carte interactive des disponibilités.
My itinerary
Places added while planning are kept in this browser. You can add a place directly from the map below or…
Find guided tours and book tickets
Book your guided tours, skip-the-line access and entry tickets in advance for the main sights and museums of Venice.
Three tools to turn this guide into an actual trip: choosing your district and where to stay, building a personal itinerary as you read, and booking ahead for the visits that fill up fast.
Must-sees
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Church
St Mark's Basilica
Venice's ducal basilica, famous for its mosaics, Byzantine plan and ties to the Republic's maritime power.
Monument
St Mark's Campanile
Standing 98.6 meters tall at the center of St Mark's Square, the Campanile has dominated Venice for over a thousand years. Rebuilt identically after its co…
Monument
Venice Ghetto
Historic sector of Cannaregio where the Jewish community of Venice was confined to residence starting in 1516. Near the busy streets close to the station, …
Theatre
La Fenice Theatre
Venice's great opera house, rebuilt several times, tied to the story of Italian and European music.
Church
Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute
The great votive basilica by Longhena, built on the tip of Dorsoduro after the plague of 1630.
Museum
Scuola Grande di San Rocco
Seat of a great Venetian confraternity, famous for the vast cycle painted by Tintoretto.
Museum
Gallerie dell'Accademia
The great museum of Venetian painting, housed near the Accademia Bridge in the former complex of Santa Maria della Carità.
Church
Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
Large Franciscan basilica in San Polo, important for Gothic architecture and Venetian painting.
Bridge
Rialto Bridge
The most famous bridge in Venice connects San Polo to San Marco over the Grand Canal, in the historic heart of Rialto's trade.
Square
St Mark's Square
Venice's monumental and civic centre, lined by the basilica, the Doge's Palace, the Procuratie and the campanile.
Palace
Doge's Palace
Former seat of Venetian power, combining ducal apartments, institutional halls, prisons and the Bridge of Sighs.
La sélection des 11 ou 12 lieux et expériences à ne pas manquer lors d'un séjour à Venise, pour profiter de l'essentiel, même en peu de temps.
Maps of Venice and the lagoon
Districts
Sestiere
San Marco
Visiting San Marco is entering the historic and monumental heart of Venice, where the Republic showcased its power with a flair for spectacle. Around St Ma…
Sestiere
San Polo
San Polo brings together several faces of Venice: the great commercial center of Rialto, an exceptional religious and artistic heritage around the Frari, b…
Sestiere
Cannaregio
The vast sestiere of Cannaregio stretches to the north of Venice, from Santa Lucia station to the shores of the lagoon.
Still largely residential, it reve…
Sestiere
Santa Croce
Santa Croce is often hurriedly crossed from Piazzale Roma, yet it is well worth slowing down for. Behind the main thoroughfares lie peaceful squares, ancie…
Sestiere
Castello
The Castello district is the easternmost and largest in Venice. Its history and appearance have been deeply marked by the Arsenal, which for centuries conc…
Sestiere
Dorsoduro
Dorsoduro is one of the most varied and pleasant districts of Venice. It brings together some of its great museums, major churches, Grand Canal palaces and…
Places to discover
Island
Lazzaretto Nuovo Island
Former quarantine station of the Republic of Venice, today a visitable archaeological and natural site.
Museum
Mocenigo Palace-Museum
This palace-museum in Santa Croce is dedicated to costumes, textiles, patrician interiors and perfume. It is suitable for a more in-depth discovery of the …
Street / Area
Zattere Quays
A long promenade in the south of Dorsoduro along the Giudecca Canal, born of the timber trade and now one of the favorite walks of the Venetians.
Street / Area
Gran Viale Santa Maria Elisabetta
The shopping artery connecting the Lido landing stage to the beaches, lined with villas and shops.
Church
San Trovaso Church
A church with two faces, featuring two identical facades — a peculiarity said to have originated from the rivalry between opposing Venetian factions.
Bridge
Bridge to Mazzorbo
A wooden footbridge connects Burano to Mazzorbo, a much quieter and greener agricultural island.
Church
Santa Maria degli Angeli Church
Ancient 12th-century conventual church in the west of Murano, which welcomed some of Venice's greatest noble families before becoming a parish church.
Monument
St Mark's Clock Tower
The Clock Tower overlooks the entrance to the Mercerie and is one of the historic sights around St Mark's Square.
Church
Church of Saint Mary of the Rosary in Venice
18th-century church on the Zattere, Rococo masterpiece by Giorgio Massari housing a famous ceiling by Tiepolo.
Voici plusieurs lieux de Venise affichés au hasard, retrouvez les tous sur la page Lieux de Venise, par quartier, avec les places, églises, monuments, musées et curiosités.
Culture
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Practical Venice
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