First of all, and I’ll get to the beautiful Venice in Italy right after, I apologize for posting so rarely, but my life caught up with me, and being settled in London now is not ideal for writing, but alas I’m back and here to stay!

Secondly, not only that I visit Venice, but I also lived there a bit working as a Spa Manager on the beautiful Royal Caribbean’s ship Rhapsody of the seas.

Absolutely phenomenal experience being able to live in one of the most beautiful ports in the world.

I absolutely love just strolling through the beautiful Venetian alleys and getting lost in fabulous Venice, so if you want to do that, be my guest!

I highly encourage it! If you opened this post to find tips on how to maximize your journey, then look below and enjoy all the sights!  

Interesting Facts:

• Venice is the capital of the Veneto region.
• It’s built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea.
• The name Venice comes from the Veneti people who inhabited the area 10th Century BC.
• Venice is defined by its canals. More than 150 waterways cutting through the city and crossed by 400 bridges.
• The worst months to visit are July and August as the heat is unbearable and AC is non-existent.
• The smell and humidity levels during the summer months are quite high, so be ready if traveling during the peak season.

Top 5 to do:

1. Accademia Bridge:

Whether on your first Venetian morning or late on a quiet Venetian night, the Punta Della Accademia is a place to swoon in the aquatic city. The Rialto may be Venice’s best-known bridge, but it’s this humbler wooden crossing further south that offers the most exalted Grand Canal views.

Looking east, you’ll see the canal curve and open out towards the lagoon, flanked by a run of some of the city’s most famous palazzi, among them the Babaro and Gritti.

On the tip of the southern Dorsoduro promontory, you’ll spot the Punta Della Dogana, formerly a customs office, now an art museum housing (part of) Francois Pinault’s art collection.

To its right, you can’t miss the proud and soaring dome of Santa Maria Della Salute.

2. St. Mark’s Basilica:

If you’re eager to see St Mark’s Basilica, Sunday morning sang mass makes for a particularly evocative experience, whether you’re a hardened atheist, a believer, or somewhere in between.

The biggest and most important church in Venice, the building is an apogee of Venice’s hybrid of East and West, taking much of its architectural and decorative influence from Byzantium.

Its elaborate interior is based on a Greek cross, with a richly tessellated marble floor and no less than 8,000 square meters of shimmering gold ground mosaics adorning its upper walls and domes.

There are Sunday services at 09.00 and 10.30 am, including brief remarks in different languages.

3. Gondola Ride

Gondola fares are standard and set officially. As of this writing, rates are €80 for a daytime ride and €100 for rides after 7 pm.

Rides last 40 minutes. If you want to extend your time on the water, you’ll pay €40 for each additional 20 minutes aboard – or €50 after 7 pm.

 You can check the current gondola fares before you book. And be aware that if you book a gondola ride through a hotel or agency, there’s likely to be an additional fee. Gondolas hold six people.

They can be shared without affecting the fee. So, if you’re travelling solo or with another person, you can find other travellers with whom to share the ride. It’s not quite as romantic but will save you some euros.

4. Visit the top 5 Best museums in Venice:

Peggy Guggenheim Collection

American heiress Peggy Guggenheim was an avid art collector who lived in Venice for three decades.

The unique 18th-century palace she called home is instantly recognizable on the Grand Canal for its low and understated stone façade amongst so many towering lace-like mansions on every side.

Though minimalist from the outside, today the palazzo has been converted into one of Italy’s most famous modern art museums.

Stroll through the heiress’s old dining room, study, and salons to admire work that spans from cubism to abstract expressionism.

Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale)

Venice was a wealthy independent republic for hundreds of years with a Doge acting as the head of the government.

Starting back in 810, the Doge decided he needed a new palace fit for his princely role and moved his apartments and statehouse to the Rialto area.

A succession of Doge’s rebuilt the palace several times over the centuries, each making it grander and more opulent.

Set on the edge of St. Mark’s Square, the palace is now a museum where it is possible to walk through beautiful loggias, up a brilliant golden stucco staircase, and through the dazzling halls where Venice’s past powerhouse status is on full display.

Ca’ Pesaro

Ca’ is the Venetian abbreviation for casa or “house” but this home sweet home happens to be an elaborate palace on the Grand Canal built by the Pesaro family in the 17thcentury.

The Pesaro’s were great collectors of art including commissioning works by Titian and Tintoretto, but their artwork was sold when the palace changed hands.

The last owner of Ca’ Pesaro was a duchess who donated the building to the City of Venice as a frescoed space for a museum of Modern Art.

The museum’s central hall showcases pieces of the work that the city has acquired at each Biennale since 1950. There are also notable paintings by the likes of Giorgio de Chirico, Joan Mirò, and Kandinsky.

Gallerie dell’Accademia

The wealthy Venetian Republic had plenty of cash to splash out on art to decorate the noble palaces that sprung up along its picturesque canals.

As a result, the city has also been home to many notable Italian masters including Bellini, Canaletto, Tiepolo, and Titian, to name a few.

If this kind of pre-18th-century art is your particular cup of tea then the Gallerie dell’Accademia is the place to be. It has the best collection of period Venetian art, as well as that ever-so-famous drawing of the Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci.

Scuola Grande di San Rocco

In 1478, a group of well-to-do Venetians banded together to establish a confraternity (think: a gentleman’s club with a charitable twist) dedicated to San Rocco – a saint believed to protect against the plague.

They erected their meeting hall next to the church that housed the remains of the saint and commissioned Tintoretto to decorate the new building.

The a masterful Italian painter produced more than 60 works for the Scuola Grande di San Rocco based on the Old and New Testaments.

The result is a jaw-dropping series of salons that hold some of Tintoretto’s best work, as well as masterpieces by Titian and Tiepolo, among others.  

5. Piazza San Marco:

The grandiose Piazza San Marco is a Venetian must-see but can lose a lot of its magic by day, when crowds, cameras, street sellers, and pigeons flock the square, often entirely blocking the view towards the Basilica. To lose the crowds and gain a whole lot more atmosphere, visit first thing in the morning or late at night, when the great basilica, the clock tower, and the square’s elegant arcades are all illuminated in the dark.      

Accommodation in Venice, Italy

I highly recommend getting a hotel as most of the Airbnb places have no AC, even when stated that they do.

The city is extremely humid due to the canals and during the summer months is hard to even breathe. It is really nice to come back to a cool room. However, if you don’t mind the heat, an Airbnb is a good cut in your trip’s cost.

They are half the price in the summer months!

Make sure you book early enough though because both hotels and Airbnbs jump in the high $300s closer to the date you are booking.

Things to be aware of in Venice, Italy

Shoplifters

They are everywhere ready to steal whatever you have popped out of your jacket, pockets, bag, etc.

Ensure you are really cautious with your belongings, even if you feel there is no one around you.  

Never pay full price

Unless you are shopping in a branded store, people will be ready to take the price down if you ask.

Make sure when you ask for a discount if they say NO, you say that you’re going to think about it and act as you’re leaving the store.

They will quickly lower the price.

Public Transport

The fine of freeriding is quite high, so make sure you always have tickets BEFORE you get into any public transport.

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Let me know in the comment section if you need to know anything extra. I’ll answer you directly, but I’ll also be able to curate a second blog post covering all the questions.