Venice Half Day Walking Tour [2024]
/Can you only visit Venice in half a day? Tick off Venice’s highlights by following this Venice half day self-guided walking tour itinerary.
When we visited Venice in December of 2019, we were battling a few things. Firstly, we were coming all the way from the Alpine town of Bolzano, which is a few hours away from Venice. Secondly, we were visiting on New Year’s Day (hello, hangover) – which means sluggish starts and groggy eyes! Thirdly, we were in the dead of winter, which meant the sun would be setting at the criminally early time of 4pm.
Prepare to walk during our half day in Venice!
What this all meant is that we really didn’t have much time to see Venice at all. I know, I know – rookie mistake – why would we leave such a small amount of time to visit such an iconic destination? Well, in our defence, both of us had been to Venice in the past and this time would be more of a ‘stopover’ before we jetted off to Prague rather than a full-blown Venice trip. Plus, this Italy trip was more about witnessing the amazing, majestic Dolomites rather than anything else (check out our post on the Dolomites here).
In the end, we only had 2.5 hours to explore the “City of Canals’. With a half day, you’ll probably have more time than us to soak in the sights – for us, we had to walk briskly and skip a lot of sights (unfortunately a lot of the sights closed early on New Year’s Day). Our half-day walking tour itinerary will take you through to Venice’s most iconic sights by foot, going through the most logical and time-efficient route possible. Without further ado, let’s get to it! This is your half day walking tour of Venezia.
Where to stay in Venice
You might want to find a place to stay before embarking on your half day walking tour. Here are some the best places to stay in Venice, designed for every budget.
Budget: Locanda Silva
Venice isn’t a cheap place to stay, but there are some ways you can save on your budget. Staying at Locanda Silva is one of those ways. Located in an extremely convenient location in the heart of Venice, Locanda Silva is a great option for budget travellers.
Take a closer look at Locanda Silva by clicking here.
Mid-Range: Luxury Venetian Rooms
This property isn’t as well known as some of the others in Venice, but it definitely deserves to be! A quaint guesthouse in a convenient location, the rooms here are opulently decorated with Venetian-themed furniture and ornaments.
Take a closer look at Luxury Venetian Rooms by clicking here.
Luxury: The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice
The rooms at the Gritti Palace look like they belong in an art museum, as they are insanely gorgeous. Featuring to-die-for views of Venice’s most famous canals, this hotel is a luxury traveller’s dream.
Take a closer look at The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice by clicking here.
1. Piazzale Roma
Chances are, you’ll pass through Piazzale Roma to enter Venice and be eager to quickly get to Venice’s main sights. But, take it from us – don’t rush through Piazzale Roma!
Piazzale Roma, Venice
Photos all to myself! Visiting Piazzale Roma in Venice
Unexpectedly, we actually enjoyed this area of Venice the most because of its relative peace, quiet and authenticity. As you go through this walking tour, the sights will get busier and busier because, let’s face it, Venice is one hell of a tourist magnet. Because of this, Piazzale Roma will be the perfect place for you to take pictures all by yourself, have canals all to yourself, buy cheap souvenirs, eat in an uncrowded and affordable restaurant... you get the drift. The more tourists, the more crowded and more expensive everything is.
Take your time on our walk through Piazzale Roma
Take your time to walk to the next stop from Piazzale Roma, because that walk from Piazzale Roma to Ponte della Academia could be your last opportunity to experience Venice’s canals without massive clusters of people trying to also get pictures.
2. Ponte della Academia (Academia Bridge)
This view from Ponte della Academia is worth a million dollars
Ponte della Academia is one of Venice’s best and most famous viewpoints because of the amazing view of the Grand Canal.
Ralph at Ponte della Academia
Views of the Grand Canal don’t get better than this
It’s stunning on both sides of the bridge and surprisingly not that crowded compared to the other sights here. It was 100% worth the stop simply for the jaw-droppingly gorgeous panorama you get treated to.
Ponte della Academia, Venice
3. St Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco)
Where everything happens – St Mark’s Square
Ralph and Fred at St Mark’s Square
Piazza San Marco is the main public square of Venice. This is the main hangout spot, the main tourist spot, the spot with the most ‘must-see’s’ – you name it, St Mark’s Square is where everything happens. It’s a truly beautiful square with stunning architecture surrounding everywhere you turn.
4. St Mark’s Basilica (Basilica San Marco)
Beautiful St Mark’s Basilica in Venice
A closer look at Basilica San Marco
Within Piazza San Marco stands St Mark’s Basilica, Venice’s most iconic cathedral. Built ornately in the Italo-Byzantine style, this church cathedral was completed in 1092 and is still absolutely beautiful. Needless to say that you should also try to take a look at the cathedral’s interior if you have the time.
5. St Mark’s Campanile
St Mark’s Campanile is the tallest structure in Venice.
Towering over Piazza San Marco is St Mark’s Campanile, the bell tower of St Mark’s Basilica and the tallest structure in Venice.
The breathtaking view at the top of St Mark’s Campanile. Source: Flickr
If you have time, you should definitely head to the top of the tower for probably one of the most breathtaking views of your life! We were on such a tight schedule and unfortunately didn’t have enough time to do this.
6. Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Duncale)
Doge’s Palace, Venice
Doge’s Palace used to be the place of residence and seat of the Venetian government and is considered an architectural masterpiece by many. Although the exterior is stunning, it’s the interior that is especially gorgeous.
Doge’s Palace’s interior. Source: Flickr
7. Bridge of Sighs
Bridge of Sighs, Venice
Connected to Doge’s Palace, the Bridge of Sighs is a small bridge made of white limestone. It’s particularly popular because of its raised appearance, as well as the fact that it has windows with stone bars.
The Bridge of Sighs is connected to Doge’s Palace.
The viewing spot to see the Bridge of Sighs is rather small, and there’s always a crowd around the area. Just be extra patient to see the Bridge – it might require some meandering through the crowd, but it’ll be worth it.
8. Viewspot of San Giorgio Maggiore Island
Stunning views of San Giorgio Maggiore Island
You can take in these views by walking for a minute from the Bridge of Sighs
This one will be right behind you after you visit the Bridge of Sighs. Just walk close to the pier behind Doge’s Palace and you’ll see a group of gondolas sitting pretty by the bay, with the view of San Giorgio Maggiore Island in the background.
9. Ponte Di Rialto (Rialto Bridge)
Venice’s most famous bridge – Ponte di Rialto
Rialto Bridge, Venice
The Ponte Di Rialto is the oldest of the four bridges across the Grand Canal in Venice, and it connects the sestieri of San Marco and San Polo. The Rialto Bridge is perhaps Venice’s most famous bridge for its distinct appearance, as well as the sweeping views of Grand Canal.
10. Caffé Florian
Caffé Florian’s interior
The good news is that Caffé Florian opens until midnight, so you won’t have to rush to visit this one! The slightly less-than-good-news is that the food here is reaaallly expensive... but the décor inside this 1700s café is so stunning that we think it’s worth it.
Similar to Budapest’s New York Café, the interior of Caffé Florian is adorned by beautiful gold panels and intricate artwork.
There’s so much more to see in Venice outside of what we’ve covered on this short list – I would recommend doing some extra research to see what else you could visit on your jam-packed half day. Good luck!
Did you manage to tick off all the items? Did you feel rushed? Let us know how much you enjoyed Venice in the comments below!
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