Korean MOFA travel advisory: Level 1 (exercise caution) — whole country

checked 2026-10-05 · Details ↗ This is the Korean government’s advisory — also check your own government’s travel advice.

Venice Travel Guide

A city on the water where 118 islands are joined by more than 400 bridges and waterbuses and gondolas travel the canals instead of streets. 'Venice and its Lagoon' has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, with St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace on St Mark's Square, art museums along the Grand Canal and lagoon islands such as Murano and Burano.

A narrow Venetian canal running between ordinary brick houses with water-level doors and windows.
A small canal in Venice · Photo: Jorge Franganillo / CC BY 2.0

Plan your Venice trip

We never take payment — compare, then book on the official partner site.

Find flightsFind staysTours & ticketsLocal mode (taxi, delivery, SOS)

At a glance

Currency
EUR (€)
Power & plugs
230V · Type C/F/L
Driving side
Right
Tipping
Optional (small, for good service)
Local language
Italiano
How long to stay
2 to 3 nights

Emergency numbers

When to go

The Doge's Palace stays open later in summer: 9 a.m.-7 p.m. from April to October and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. from November to March. The Biennale alternates Art and Architecture exhibitions each year from April/May to November; the 2026 Art Biennale runs from 9 May to 22 November 2026 at the Giardini, the Arsenale and other venues. Every year on 21 November, for the Feast of Our Lady of Health, a bridge of boats is built across the Grand Canal to the Salute basilica. In fog or when the tide rises above +95 cm, waterbus services change, and St Mark's Square, the lowest part of the city, floods easily.

Airport to the city

Marco Polo Airport (VCE): ACTV Aerobus line 5

According to the airport, ACTV urban bus 5 links the airport with Piazzale Roma (the bus terminal), and line 15 goes to Venezia Mestre station. The stop is on the second lane outside arrivals; buy tickets from machines in baggage claim (near carousels 3 and 5) or at the public transport ticket office in the arrivals hall. From Piazzale Roma you can walk to Santa Lucia station over the Ponte della Costituzione. The 'Aerobus + 90-minute Rete Unica' ticket lets you change straight onto a waterbus.

Time check official infoCost 75-minute ticket EUR 10, return EUR 18, Aerobus + 90-minute waterbus ticket EUR 18

Marco Polo Airport (VCE): ATVO express bus

According to the airport, ATVO express buses run without intermediate stops to Venice (Piazzale Roma) and Venezia Mestre station. Tickets are sold at the airport machines and ticket office, and also on board.

Time check official infoCost check official info

Marco Polo Airport (VCE): Alilaguna water bus

According to the airport, Alilaguna water buses connect to Venice and the islands of Murano, Burano, Lido and Certosa. Buy tickets at the Alilaguna ticket offices in the dock area. According to AVM, ACTV tickets are not valid on Alilaguna.

Time check official infoCost check official info

Marco Polo Airport (VCE): Taxi

According to the airport, taxis run 24 hours a day and fixed rates apply to and from the airport. Private water taxis (motorboats) are also available; ask the operator or staff about prices before boarding.

Time check official infoCost Piazzale Roma EUR 40, Mestre centre EUR 35, cruise terminal EUR 45 (fixed)

Getting around

Waterbus (vaporetto) single ticket

According to the official AVM/Actv fares, the 75-minute Rete Unica ticket costs EUR 9.50 and covers waterbuses plus Lido and Mestre buses, trams and the People Mover for 75 minutes from first validation. It excludes routes 16 and 19, the Casinò route, Alilaguna and buses to or from the airport. If you buy on board, ask when you board; payment is by card terminal.

1-, 2-, 3- and 7-day tickets

Valid for 24, 48, 72 and 168 hours from first validation, at EUR 25, 35, 45 and 65. The 1-day Venezia Daily Pass also covers Trenitalia regional trains (R and RV) within the municipality, such as Santa Lucia-Mestre. Airport buses cost an extra EUR 7 one way or EUR 13 return, bought together with the pass. Ages 6-29 with a Rolling Venice card (EUR 6) can buy a 3-day ticket for EUR 27.

How to ride & pay

Buy tickets at Venezia Unica points of sale, authorised retailers, stop machines or in the AVM Venezia Official App; the validators also accept contactless bank cards and phones. Validate at the start of every journey and every time you change, at the stop or on board; travelling without a validated ticket brings a fine. Children under 6 ride free.

Key lines

Line 1 runs the length of the Grand Canal, and Italy's tourism board recommends it for seeing the canal. Lines 1 and 2 stop at Accademia. For the Murano Glass Museum take line 4.1, 4.2 or 3 from Piazzale Roma or Santa Lucia (Museo Murano stop) or line 7 from San Zaccaria (Murano Navagero); for Burano take line 12 from Fondamenta Nuove.

Fog & high water

According to AVM, in fog or when the tide exceeds +95 cm above sea level, waterbus services are changed under a plan agreed with the city. Check the panels at the stops, the call centre (+39 041 041) or AVM's official social channels (@muoversivenezia).

Where to stay

San Marco

Good for: First-timers, the main sights

Long the home of the city's government and monumental buildings. St Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace and the Correr Museum line the square, and La Fenice theatre is close by.

Dorsoduro

Good for: Museums, canal walks

Home to the Accademia Galleries, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and the Salute basilica. The Squero di San Trovaso is a small boatyard that still builds gondolas, and Campo Santa Margherita is always lively.

San Polo (around Rialto)

Good for: Market browsing, evening bacari

The smallest of Venice's six districts, with the Rialto Bridge and the fish and produce market. In the evening its bacari (small taverns) fill with people eating cicchetti, and the Frari basilica and the Scuola Grande di San Rocco are here too.

Cannaregio

Good for: Quiet residential streets, local feel

The northernmost district and a favourite place to live for Venetians, with quiet corners looking onto the lagoon and bacari opening along the canals in the evening. It has the oldest Jewish ghetto in Europe.

Castello

Good for: Quiet walks, the Biennale

The easternmost district, not very touristy, so you see daily Venetian life. It holds the Biennale gardens (Giardini), the largest green area in Venice, and the old Arsenale shipyard.

Map of stays in Venice

Compare prices from many booking sites on the map

Search stays in Venice in the app

Map & prices: Stay22 — you book on each site

Top sights

  1. St Mark's Square

    The only square in Venice called a 'piazza'; all the others are 'campi'. The trapezoidal square, 175 m long and 72 m wide, is framed by the basilica, the Doge's Palace and the bell tower. It is the lowest part of the city and floods easily at high tide.

  2. St Mark's Basilica

    Built after Saint Mark's body was brought from Alexandria in 829; the current church was rebuilt from 1063 and consecrated in 1094. Mosaic decoration began in 1071, and the interior walls are covered in golden mosaics. The bell tower beside it is 98.6 m tall. Check hours and tickets on the official site (basilicasanmarco.it).

  3. Doge's Palace

    The palace of the Venetian Republic's elected ruler, the Doge. Officially open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. (last entry 6 p.m.) from 1 April to 31 October and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (last entry 5 p.m.) from 1 November to 31 March. The St Mark's Square Museums ticket, EUR 35 (EUR 30 online at least 30 days ahead), also covers the Correr Museum, the National Archaeological Museum and the Monumental Rooms of the Marciana Library, with an app audio guide included. The Bridge of Sighs links the palace to the prisons.

  4. Rialto Bridge & Rialto Market

    The oldest of the four bridges over the Grand Canal, built in 1588-1591 by Antonio da Ponte; until 1854 it was the only bridge across the canal. The fish and produce market beside it is always busy. Check market hours officially.

  5. Accademia Galleries

    A state museum with a huge collection of Venetian painting plus sculptures and drawings, including Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man. Officially open Tuesday to Sunday 9 a.m.-7 p.m. (ticket sales end 6 p.m.); check the official calendar for Mondays. Adults EUR 20, under-18s free, and free for everyone on the first Sunday of each month (also on 1 and 4 November 2026). Backpacks and bulky bags are not allowed; free lockers take a EUR 1 coin deposit. Waterbus lines 1 and 2 stop at Accademia.

  6. Peggy Guggenheim Collection

    A modern art museum on the Grand Canal between the Accademia Bridge and the Salute basilica. Officially open daily 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (last entry 5 p.m.), closed on Tuesdays and 25 December. Adults EUR 17, over-70s EUR 14, students under 26 EUR 9, under-10s free. Large bags and backpacks are not allowed, and visitors who are shirtless, in swimwear or barefoot are refused entry.

  7. Murano & Burano

    Murano is famous for glass because the Republic moved the city's glassworks here in 1291 to limit fires. The Glass Museum is open daily 10 a.m.-6 p.m. from April to October and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. from November to March, for EUR 15. Burano is known for its colourful houses and handmade lace; the Lace Museum is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (closed Mondays) for EUR 7.

    Brightly coloured houses lining a canal on the island of Burano.
    Rio Mandracchio, Burano · Photo: Matthias Süßen / CC BY-SA 4.0

  8. Torcello

    A lagoon island with very few inhabitants, where time seems to stand still. It has the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta and its bell tower, with views as far as Burano, and the parapet-less Devil's Bridge. Italy's tourism board suggests a day on the LN line from Fondamenta Nuove or San Zaccaria covering Torcello, Burano and Murano; check routes and changes in the AVM official app.

    The Venetian lagoon with low islands and waterways, seen from high above on Torcello.
    The Venetian lagoon seen from Torcello · Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg / CC BY 4.0

Tours & tickets →

What to eat

Cicchetti & spritz

Cicchetti are small Venetian snacks eaten with wine or a spritz in a bacaro, a small wine tavern. Italy's tourism board names Cannaregio and San Polo as the districts with the most bacari.

Sarde in saor

Sardines prepared 'in saor', described by Italy's tourism board as perhaps the most famous Venetian dish.

Fegato alla veneziana (Venetian-style liver)

One of the city's famous dishes and a classic choice for lunch.

Bigoli

Thick spaghetti with a hole through the middle, named after the dialect word 'bigat' (caterpillar).

Risi e bisi

A traditional first course made with vialone nano, a local Veneto rice.

Burano risotto di gò

Risotto made with gò, a lagoon fish; Italy's tourism board recommends trying it on Burano.

Daily budget (per person)

BudgetTransport: 75-minute waterbus ticket EUR 9.50, 1-day ticket EUR 25 (24 hours). Ages 6-29 with a Rolling Venice card (EUR 6) pay EUR 27 for a 3-day ticket. Hotel and food costs vary a lot by date; check booking sites
Mid-range2-day EUR 35, 3-day EUR 45, 7-day EUR 65 (airport buses EUR 7 one way or EUR 13 return extra). Sample admissions: St Mark's Square Museums ticket (incl. the Doge's Palace) EUR 35, Accademia Galleries EUR 20, Peggy Guggenheim EUR 17, Murano Glass Museum EUR 15. Check booking sites for hotels and food
ComfortAccommodation is most of the budget; compare prices for your dates on booking sites. An airport taxi to Piazzale Roma is a fixed EUR 40

Amounts are rough figures in local currency. Check exchange rates before you go.

Sample itinerary

  1. Day 1

    Aerobus line 5 from the airport to Piazzale Roma → waterbus line 1 along the Grand Canal to Rialto → Rialto Bridge and market → St Mark's Square and the basilica → Doge's Palace (until 7 p.m. in summer, 6 p.m. in winter).

  2. Day 2

    Accademia Galleries (check Monday opening) → Peggy Guggenheim Collection (closed Tuesdays) → a walk around the Salute basilica → cicchetti and a spritz in a bacaro in San Polo or Cannaregio in the evening.

  3. Day 3

    Boat from Fondamenta Nuove to Torcello → Burano (Lace Museum closed Mondays; risotto di gò for lunch) → Murano Glass Museum → back to the historic centre.

Local tips

Related articles

ComparisonWhere to travel in April — cherry blossoms, tulips, spring city walks and dry-season islandsEight April picks — cherry blossoms, tulips, spring city walks and dry-season islands —…ComparisonWhere to travel in February — warm dry-season cities, snow festivals and Lunar New Year tipsEight February picks — warm dry-season cities, snow festivals and winter city breaks —…ComparisonWhere to travel in March — dry-season cities, warm islands, camellias and the first cherry blossomsEight March picks — dry-season cities, warm islands, camellias and cherry blossoms —…ComparisonWhere to travel in December — warm dry-season cities, snow trips and Christmas marketsEight December picks — warm dry-season cities, snow trips and Christmas markets — from…

All articles →

Prices and times are approximate as of 2026-09 and may change. Always re-check visa and entry rules with official sources before you travel.

More city guides