Thursday, September 20, 2012

Planning Our Time in Venice


Venice

Planning Your Time

Venice is remarkably small. You can walk across it, from head to tail, in about an hour. Nearly all of your sightseeing is within a 20-minute walk of the Rialto Bridge or St. Mark's Square. Remember that Venice itself is its greatest sight. Make time to wander, explore, shop, and simply be.

Two key considerations: Maximize your evening magic, and avoid the midday crowds around St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace.

Venice in One (Busy) Day

9:00 Walk from St. Mark's Square to Frari Church (following my self-guided St. Mark's to Rialto Walk chapter), taking time to enjoy the Rialto market action.

11:00 Tour Frari Church.

12:00 Lunch near the Frari, then catch the vaporetto (boat) back to St. Mark's to wander and shop.

14:30 Correr Museum.

15:30 St. Mark's Basilica.

16:30 Doge's Palace.

18:00 Go up the Campanile bell tower for city view.

18:30 Pub dinner (crawl or stay put and munch).

20:00 Gondola ride (or follow my self-guided Grand Canal Cruise chapter).

21:00 Enjoy the dueling orchestras with a drink on St. Mark's Square.

Venice in Two Days

Day 1

9:00 Walk from St. Mark's Square to Frari Church. Stop along the way at the Rialto market to browse.

11:00 Tour Frari Church.

12:00 Tour Ca' Rezzonico (Museum of 18th-Century Venice) or Scuola San Rocco (if you prefer Tintoretto to Casanova).

13:00 Lunch in Dorsoduro neighborhood, then take the vaporetto back to St. Mark's Square to wander and shop.

15:00 Correr Museum.

16:00 St. Mark's Basilica.

17:00 Doge's Palace.

19:00 Go up the Campanile for city view.

20:00 Dinner.

22:00 Enjoy the dueling orchestras with a drink on St. Mark's Square.

Day 2

9:00 Shopping or exploring.

11:00 Follow my self-guided Grand Canal Cruise chapter by vaporetto.

13:00 Lunch (pizza near Accademia Bridge?).

14:00 Tour Accademia, explore Dorsoduro neighborhood, visit La Salute Church or Peggy Guggenheim Collection.

17:00 Commence pub crawl, eating dinner along the way.

20:00 Gondola ride.

Venice in Three (or Four) Days

Day 1

9:45 St. Mark's Basilica and Square.

11:00 Correr Museum.

12:00 Shop, wander, and have lunch in St. Mark's area.

16:00 Doge's Palace.

18:00 Ascend Campanile.

19:00 Gondola ride.

20:00 Dinner.

Day 2

9:00 Walk from St. Mark's Square to Frari Church (following my self-guided St. Mark's to Rialto Walk chapter), allowing time to experience the Rialto market scene.

11:00 Tour Frari Church.

12:00 Tour Scuola San Rocco for Tintoretto.

13:00 Lunch.

14:00 Tour Ca' Rezzonico.

15:00 Explore Dorsoduro, the neighborhood around the Accademia.

17:00 Tour the Accademia.

18:00 Cruise Grand Canal.

Day 3

9:00 Explore lagoon by vaporetto or tour boat, visiting Burano and Torcello.

15:00 Walk from St. Mark's to San Zaccaria, then catch a vaporetto to visit the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore.

17:00 Start pub crawl.

21:00 Savor a drink while listening to the dueling orchestras on St. Mark's Square.

Day 4

Side-trip to Padua and/or Verona.

For up-to-date specifics, see the latest edition of the Rick Steves' Venice travel guide. We also offer free-spirited Italy tours.

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