This 3 day itinerary for Venice covers San Marco, Dorsoduro, Cannaregio and the lagoon islands day by day, with euro costs, the best months to visit Venice in Italy, seasonal weather and a Google Maps link for every stop. Venice is small enough to cross on foot in an hour, but getting lost in it is half the point. Each day stays in one part of the city: San Marco and the Doge's Palace first, then the quieter Dorsoduro and Cannaregio sestieri, and finally a lagoon day on Murano and Burano.
April to early June and late September to October bring mild days and thinner crowds. July and August are hot, humid and packed. November to January is quiet and atmospheric but brings acqua alta, when raised walkways appear across St Mark's Square.
Walk everywhere you can — most distances are shorter than they look. Vaporetto waterbuses cover the Grand Canal and the islands; a 24, 48 or 72-hour travel pass is far cheaper than single tickets. Traghetto gondola ferries cross the Grand Canal for a couple of euros. There are no cars on the islands, so pack light and expect bridges with steps.
Morning
€6–€15 (basilica) · €12 (campanile)
Book the earliest timed entry for St Mark's Basilica to see the golden mosaics before the queues build, then go up the Campanile for the best overview of the rooftops and the lagoon.
St Mark's Basilica, VeniceAfternoon
~€30
Walk the state rooms, the armoury and the prison crossing of the Bridge of Sighs at the Doge's Palace, then take a coffee standing at the bar on the square — sitting costs several times more.
Doge's Palace, VeniceEvening
Vaporetto pass · dinner €25–€45
Ride Line 1 from San Marco to the Rialto and back at dusk for a slow pass of the palazzi with their lights coming on, then eat cicchetti at a bacaro in the lanes behind the Rialto market.
Rialto Bridge, VeniceMorning
€15 + €17
Start with the Venetian masters at the Gallerie dell'Accademia, then walk ten minutes along the canal to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection for modern work in a garden palazzo on the water.
Gallerie dell'Accademia, VeniceAfternoon
Free (sacristy ~€6)
See the domed Salute church at the mouth of the Grand Canal, then follow the Zattere promenade south-west for open water, sunlight and gelato away from the crowds.
Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, VeniceEvening
€25–€45
Cross to Cannaregio for the world's first Jewish Ghetto and its tall houses, then eat along the Fondamenta della Misericordia, where canal-side tables are cheaper and mostly local.
Jewish Ghetto, Cannaregio, VeniceMorning
~€10 museum
Take the vaporetto from Fondamente Nove to Murano, watch a glassblowing demonstration and visit the Museo del Vetro for the history behind the island's furnaces.
Museo del Vetro, Murano, VeniceAfternoon
Vaporetto pass · €5 basilica
Continue 40 minutes across the lagoon to Burano for the painted fishermen's houses and lace shops, then hop the short ferry to Torcello for the Byzantine mosaics in Santa Maria Assunta.
Burano, VeniceEvening
€20–€40
Take an early-evening boat back so you cross the lagoon in the low light, then finish with a final bacaro crawl near Campo Santa Margherita, the liveliest square for an ordinary Venetian night out.
Campo Santa Margherita, VeniceMid-range estimate: one shared hotel room, a casual lunch of cicchetti and a sit-down dinner, plus one or two paid sights a day and a vaporetto pass. A gondola ride (around €90 for up to five people, more after 19:00) and the city access fee on peak days are extra.
Estimated daily total
€150–€270 per person, per day
| Season | Typical range | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Spring (Mar–May) | 6–21°C / 43–70°F | Mild and bright; occasional rain, ideal for walking. |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | 18–30°C / 64–86°F | Hot, humid and busiest; start early and rest midday. |
| Autumn (Sep–Nov) | 8–24°C / 46–75°F | Warm in September, wetter by November with high-water days. |
| Winter (Dec–Feb) | 1–9°C / 34–48°F | Cold, foggy and quiet; Carnival brings a February surge. |
SmartVoyage shows the live forecast, or seasonal averages for far-off dates, next to every day of a generated itinerary.
SmartVoyage generates a personalized Venice, Italy itinerary with your budget, interests and live weather — your first one is free, no account needed.
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