In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The St Mark’s Campanile (€15, 98.6 m, by lift) is the highest. The Basilica terrace is in the €20 Basilica and Museum ticket, and the Scala Contarini del Bovolo is €9. Free: the Accademia Bridge, the Rialto Bridge, and the Grand Canal from a vaporetto on line 1 (€9.50 for 75 minutes). Two views have closed: the San Giorgio Maggiore bell tower, shut for extraordinary maintenance with no reopening date, and the T Fondaco terrace, shut since 1 May 2025. Or book: the Grand Canal boat tourad is from €45 and the St Marco to Rialto walkad from €27.
The views compared
Prices are the adult rate from the operators.
| View | Cost | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| St Mark’s Campanile | €15 | Timed ticket; closes in wind and bad weather |
| Basilica terrace | €20 (Basilica and Museum) | Over the Square; the bag rule applies |
| Scala Contarini del Bovolo | €9 | 80 steps; booking recommended, not mandatory |
| Accademia Bridge | Free | Always open |
| Rialto Bridge | Free | Always open; see the Rialto |
| Grand Canal, line 1 | €9.50 for 75 minutes | Sit outside; every stop from Piazzale Roma to San Marco |
| San Giorgio Maggiore bell tower | Closed | No reopening date |
| T Fondaco terrace | Closed | Shut since 1 May 2025 |
St Mark’s Campanile
€15 · by lift · opens 9:30
The Campanile is 98.6 m high, and the lift installed in 1932 reaches the bell chamber in 30 seconds. The ticket is timed and named, and the Procuratoria says the tower can close in wind or bad weather. It closes at 21:15 from April to October and 19:15 from November to March. It is the highest of the paid views and the only one with a lift.
The Square from the Campanile. Photo: Ferdinando Traversa, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Basilica terrace
€20 with the Basilica · Loggia dei Cavalli
The terrace over the Square is reached from the Basilica’s Museum, on the €20 Basilica and Museum ticket or the €30 full ticket. On Sunday mornings the Museum and terrace are the only part open, at €14. It is the cheaper of the two high views, and the Museum’s gilded horses are on the way. The rules in St Mark’s Basilica tickets apply: bags over 40 x 30 x 20 cm are refused, and children up to 12 are held by the hand on the terrace.
The Scala Contarini del Bovolo
€9 · reduced €7 · San Marco 4303
A spiral staircase of 80 stone steps climbs a 26 m cylindrical tower of Istrian stone and brick, on the side of the Contarini palace. Pietro Contarini commissioned it in 1499, and the steps end at a belvedere terrace with a view over the city. The operator’s page gives the price as €9, with €7 for ages 12 to 26, over-65s and members of FAI and the Touring Club. Children under 12, Venice residents and guides go free. Booking is recommended, not mandatory, and the staircase is open daily except 25 and 26 December.
The top of the Scala Contarini del Bovolo. Photo: Wolfgang Moroder, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Free views
The Accademia Bridge
Free · always open
One of the four bridges over the Grand Canal. From the middle you look along the canal to the Salute basilica.
The Salute from the Accademia Bridge. Photo: kallerna, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Rialto Bridge
Free · always open
The other bridge with a view along the Grand Canal. See the Rialto.
The Riva degli Schiavoni
Free · open at all hours
The waterfront promenade east of the Doge’s Palace, with the island of San Giorgio Maggiore across the water.
The Grand Canal by vaporetto
€9.50 for 75 minutes · line 1
Line 1 calls at every stop between Piazzale Roma and San Marco, with Ca’ d’Oro, Rialto Mercato, San Tomà, Ca’ Rezzonico and the Accademia on the way. A 24-hour ticket is €25. Venice public transport has the fares.
What has closed
- San Giorgio Maggiore’s bell tower is temporarily closed for extraordinary maintenance, and the abbey’s site gives no reopening date. The basilica is open daily from 9:00 to 18:00, and line 2 from San Zaccaria reaches the island’s stop in about 3 minutes. The view across the basin to the Square is from the island’s edge now, not from above.
- The T Fondaco dei Tedeschi terrace, a free rooftop viewing platform behind the Rialto Bridge visited in booked slots of about 15 minutes, has been closed since 1 May 2025, when the shopping centre shut.
- Ca’ d’Oro is closed too, but only the museum: the Gothic front on the Grand Canal can still be seen from the water. See best museums in Venice.
Tours worth paying for
Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.
Grand Canal boat tour
From €45 · 1 hour · 1,171 reviews
Venice: Grand Canal Boat Tourad is run by Bucintoro Viaggi with an English-speaking guide in a motorboat. It meets at the Alilaguna ticket office near the Royal Gardens by St Mark’s Square and passes Ca’ Vendramin Calergi, the Rialto Bridge, the Hotel Gritti and the Salute basilica. A vaporetto ticket on line 1 covers the same canal for €9.50. The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users, and it cancels free up to 24 hours ahead.
St Marco to Rialto walk with a spritz
From €27 · 1 to 3 hours · 3,692 reviews
Venice: St Marco - Rialto Walking Tour & Spritz Like a Localad walks from the Square to the Rialto Bridge with a guide and a spritz in a bacaro. See the Rialto page for the market on the way.
What to see
- The Square from above: the Campanile, or the Basilica terrace if you are paying for the Museum anyway.
- The Grand Canal at water level: line 1, outside.
- The Bovolo staircase, for a different kind of climb.
- The Accademia Bridge, for a free look down the canal to the Salute.
What to skip: the Rialto Bridge as a viewpoint, if you are crossing the Accademia Bridge too. Both look along the Grand Canal.
What to book before you go to Venice has the closed days for every sight, and free things to do in Venice gathers the rest of what costs nothing. Venice in one or two days places a view at dusk. To stay with a view, see where to stay in Venice.
Common questions
What is the best view in Venice?
The St Mark's Campanile is the highest, at 98.6 m, and costs €15 with a lift to the bell chamber. The Basilica terrace is lower, over the Square, and is in the €20 Basilica and Museum ticket. The Accademia Bridge and the Grand Canal by vaporetto are the cheap ones.
Can I still go up San Giorgio Maggiore's bell tower?
No. The abbey says the Campanile is temporarily closed for extraordinary maintenance and gives no reopening date. The basilica is open daily 9:00 to 18:00, and line 2 takes about 3 minutes from San Zaccaria.
Is the T Fondaco rooftop terrace by the Rialto still open?
No. The T Fondaco dei Tedeschi shopping centre closed on 1 May 2025, and its free rooftop terrace closed with it.
How much is the Scala Contarini del Bovolo?
€9, or €7 reduced for ages 12 to 26, over-65s and members of FAI or the Touring Club. Children under 12 and Venice residents go free. It is a spiral stair of 80 steps in a 26 m tower, built in 1499, with a rooftop belvedere.
Is there a free view over the Grand Canal?
The Accademia Bridge and the Rialto Bridge are free. Line 1 of the vaporetto runs along the whole Grand Canal for the price of a €9.50 75-minute ticket.
Does the Campanile close in bad weather?
It can. The Procuratoria di San Marco says its opening times vary with events and with wind or bad weather. It is open from 9:30 and closes at 21:15 from April to October and 19:15 from November to March.
