Best Spots in Venice for The Unhurried Travellers
Home · Venice · The Unhurried Traveller
For a relaxed pace
From the classic Libreria Acqua Alta and Piazza San Marco, to lesser-known spots worth adding to your trip.
★ 4.4 · 32,636 reviews
Wander into Libreria Acqua Alta, Venice's famously eccentric bookstore. Browse vintage books stacked in bathtubs and boats, meet the resident cats, and pick up postcards and prints.
★ 4.7 · 197,059 reviews
Stand in Piazza San Marco, the heart of Venice and the point where the city's main sights converge. Walk the arcades, take in the basilica's facade and watch the square shift from busy daytime to evening calm.
★ 4.6 · 27,914 reviews
See the Bridge of Sighs, Venice's most photographed prison passage beside the Doge's Palace. Take in its white stone and barred windows from the canal bridge and watch the gondolas glide beneath.
★ 4.7 · 198,138 reviews
Walk across the Rialto Bridge, the grand stone arch that has spanned the Grand Canal since the 16th century. Browse the small shops on the bridge and watch boat traffic pass below.
★ 4.7 · 10,845 reviews
Rise above Piazza San Marco on the St Mark's Campanile. Ride the lift to the belfry and look out over rooftops, canals, and the lagoon from Venice's highest viewpoint.
★ 4.7 · 30,569 reviews
Step inside St Mark's Basilica, the gilded centrepiece of Venice's main square. Look up at the mosaics, and if you take the museum ticket, climb higher for a closer view.
★ 4.7 · 16,271 reviews
Step into Teatro La Fenice, Venice's celebrated opera house, reborn after its fire. Join a daytime audio-guided visit of the gilded auditorium, or book an evening of opera, ballet, or a concert.
★ 4.2 · 26,522 reviews
Step aboard the Grand Canal Gondola Ride for a classic view of Venice from the water. Hear the craft's story at the Gondola Gallery, then glide past the Salute church and palaces along the canal.
★ 3.8 · 8,198 reviews
Step into Caffè Florian, the historic 1720 café on St Mark's Square. Order a coffee or cocktail beneath the arcades with live music, then wander through the ornate period rooms inside.
★ 4.7 · 14,247 reviews
Step inside Basilica Santa Maria della Salute, Venice's great domed church on the Grand Canal. Admire the octagonal interior, then look for the sacristy with its twelve Titian paintings and linger by the canal outside.
★ 3.6 · 300 reviews
Step into Ristorante Quadri, the grand dining address on Piazza San Marco. Linger over a long lunch or dinner with live music and square views, weighing the setting against its premium prices.
★ 4.4 · 1,151 reviews
Step into Cantina Do Mori, the Rialto-area bacaro that has been pouring wine since 1462. Squeeze up to the counter beneath the copper pots and work through a plate of cicchetti with a glass of local wine.
★ 3.6 · 4,433 reviews
Discover Harry's Bar, the storied Venice institution behind the Bellini cocktail. Order the original peach-and-prosecco drink and carpaccio at a reserved table in its understated, classic dining room.
★ 4.6 · 3,036 reviews
Step into Pasticceria Tonolo, a pastry shop that has been serving Venice since 1886. Choose a few of the small cakes from the long counter and enjoy them with a coffee at a relaxed morning pace.
★ 4.8 · 6,107 reviews
Step inside the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Tintoretto's great canvas-covered brotherhood hall. Spend an hour tracing biblical scenes across ceilings and walls, with mirrors to help you look up in comfort.
★ 4.4 · 1,990 reviews
Discover Trattoria Al Gatto Nero, the blue-fronted family trattoria on Burano. Take the boat out to the lagoon island and settle in for fresh seafood and homemade pasta.
★ 3.6 · 948 reviews
Settle in at Caffè Quadri, the 1638 café on St Mark's Square. Sip a shaken espresso or a martini with live music playing, and finish with a fresh dessert.
★ 4.4 · 6,575 reviews
Drop into Rosticceria Gislon, the busy Venetian counter-and-dining-room favourite. Pick from seafood sandwiches, pasta and cakes, then eat on the spot or take it with you.
★ 4.4 · 4,120 reviews
Settle into Cantina Do Spade, a wood-paneled Venetian cantina with a local following. Order a few cicchetti with wine, then move on to duck gnocchi, risotto or a generous plate of fried calamari.
★ 4.7 · 1,677 reviews
Stop at Bar All'Arco, a compact Venetian bar prized for fresh, well-made cicchetti. Order a few traditional bites, such as creamy cod, with a glass of wine at the streetside terrace.
★ 4.5 · 1,065 reviews
Experience Al Covo, a rustic Venetian restaurant celebrated for letting single ingredients lead the menu. Enjoy updated local classics at an indoor or outdoor table over a slow, carefully paced meal.
★ 4.6 · 20,649 reviews
Grab a box at Dal Moro's, the Venetian take-out counter that turns fresh pasta around in minutes. Choose your pasta and sauce, then eat on the go between sights.
★ 4.2 · 2,138 reviews
Discover Osteria Bancogiro, a lively Grand Canal restaurant with a terrace over the water. Pair modern Venetian plates with a glass from the wine list while gondolas pass by.
★ 4.8 · 2,391 reviews
Discover the Venetian Lagoon Tour and Galleon Dinner, an evening cruise departing near the Naval Museum. Sip a welcome Prosecco, then enjoy five courses with wine as the lagoon islands and city waterfront glide past.
★ 4.7 · 2,181 reviews
Go inside the Torre dell'Orologio, the Renaissance clock tower guarding Piazza San Marco. See the astronomical clock's mechanism up close, then step onto the terrace for views over the square.
★ 4.3 · 978 reviews
Discover Corte Sconta, a seafood restaurant hidden away from Venice's busiest streets. Dine in the vine-covered courtyard on inventive Venetian dishes, guided by the host and a sommelier who matches each course with local wines.
★ 4.6 · 4,126 reviews
Settle in at Brunch Cafe, Venice's go-to spot for a proper sit-down brunch rather than a standing espresso. Share fluffy mango pancakes, a granola bowl and veggie gyoza in a quaint, busy dining room.
★ 4.5 · 403 reviews
Discover Osteria alle Testiere, a small seafood osteria where the menu follows the day's Rialto Market catch. Take a seat in the intimate room and let the freshest fish drive your order.
★ 2.6 · 1,842 reviews
Pause at Caffè Lavena, an 1750 café beside St Mark's Basilica. Order a coffee or gelato, then take in the square from your table and look around the gilded interior.
★ 4.3 · 1,501 reviews
Discover Trattoria da Romano, the art-lined family restaurant on Burano. Lunch on the house seafood risotto while surrounded by paintings left by artists in exchange for meals.
Venice · 🛍️ Shopping
Libreria Acqua Alta
30 min
Venice · 🏛️ Landmark
Piazza San Marco
45 min
Bridge of Sighs
15 min
Ponte di Rialto
20 min
St Mark's Campanile
Saint Mark's Basilica
1h
Venice · 🎭 Entertainment
Teatro La Fenice
3h
Grand Canal Gondola Ride
Venice · ☕ Coffeebreak
Caffè Florian
Basilica Santa Maria della Salute
Venice · 🍽️ Food
Ristorante Quadri
2h
Cantina Do Mori
Venice · 🍸 Drinks
Harry's Bar-Venice
1h15
Venice · 🥐 Breakfast
Pasticceria Tonolo
Scuola Grande di San Rocco
Trattoria Al Gatto Nero
Caffè Quadri
Rosticceria Gislon
Cantina Do Spade
Bar All'Arco
Al Covo
Dal Moro's
Osteria Bancogiro
Venetian Lagoon Tour and Galleon Dinner
4h
Torre dell'Orologio
Corte Sconta
Brunch Cafe
Osteria alle Testiere
Caffè Lavena
Trattoria da Romano
