In this guide
💡 The Short Version: One day: St Mark’s Basilica at 9:30 (€10, a named slot booked online), the Doge’s Palace (€35), lunch at the Rialto bacari, the Rialto Bridge and a gondola (€90 a boat). Two days: add Dorsoduro: the Accademia (€20), the Peggy Guggenheim (€17), the Zattere and the Frari (€8). Monday closes the Accademia, Ca’ Pesaro and the Rialto fish market, Tuesday closes Ca’ Rezzonico and the Peggy Guggenheim, and the Basilica opens at 14:00 on Sunday. The five paid sights come to €97. No access fee is in force now. Or book a walk: the City Highlights Walking Tour with a Local Guidead is from €24 for 2 hours.
What to book
| Booking | Price | Hours and closed days |
|---|---|---|
| St Mark’s Basilica | €10, online only, named and timed; on sale 90 days ahead | Monday to Saturday 9:30 to 17:15; opens at 14:00 on Sunday |
| St Mark’s Campanile | €15, booked and timed | From 9:30 daily; closes at 21:15 from April to October and 19:15 from November to March; closes in wind |
| Doge’s Palace | €35; €30 online for visits 30 or more days away | Daily 9:00 to 19:00 to 31 October, 9:00 to 18:00 from 1 November |
| Gallerie dell’Accademia | €20 | Tuesday to Sunday 9:00 to 19:00; closed Monday |
| Peggy Guggenheim | €17; booking a slot is advised | Daily 10:00 to 18:00; closed Tuesday |
| The Frari and San Rocco | Frari €8; Scuola Grande di San Rocco €12 | San Rocco daily 9:30 to 17:30; the Frari opens at 13:00 on Sunday |
| Gondola | €90 a boat by day, €110 at night, up to five people | Pay the gondolier; the traghetto across the Grand Canal is €2 |
The Basilica, the Campanile, the Doge’s Palace, the Accademia and the Peggy Guggenheim come to €97. The Doge’s Palace ticket also opens the Museo Correr and two other museums on the Square. For the full list with the booking links, see what to book before you go to Venice.
One day: St Mark’s, the Doge’s Palace and the Rialto
The columns of St Mark and St Theodore on the Molo, with San Giorgio Maggiore beyond. Photo: Lothar John, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
This is the order for a Wednesday to Friday.
9:30, St Mark’s Basilica
€10 · named and timed · Monday to Saturday from 9:30
Take the first slot. The €20 tickets add the Pala d’Oro or the Museum, and the full ticket at €30 adds both, with the Loggia dei Cavalli, the terrace over the Square. Photo ID must match the name on the ticket. Shoulders and knees must be covered, and rucksacks and bags over 40 x 30 x 20 cm and all wheeled cases are refused at the door, so leave luggage at the hotel. See St Mark’s Basilica tickets.
10:45, the Campanile or the terrace
Campanile €15 · or the Loggia dei Cavalli, in the €20 and €30 Basilica tickets
The Campanile is 98.6 m tall, with a lift to the bell chamber, and it can close for wind. The Loggia dei Cavalli looks over the Square from the Basilica’s Museum, so with the €20 Museum ticket you do not need both. See St Mark’s Campanile tickets and the best views in Venice.
12:00, the Doge’s Palace
€35 · or €30 online 30 or more days ahead · daily to 19:00 until 31 October
The St Mark’s Square Museums ticket opens the Doge’s Palace, the Museo Correr, the National Archaeological Museum and the rooms of the Marciana Library. A ticket without a time slot is admitted from 12:00. The Secret Itineraries tour is €40, in English at 10:00, 11:30 and 13:00, for about an hour and a quarter, and includes entry to the Palace and the other museums. It needs at least two people and is not for people with claustrophobia, vertigo, or heart or breathing conditions. See Doge’s Palace tickets.
14:00, lunch at the Rialto bacari
Cicchetti from about €1.50 · the fish market is closed on Sunday and Monday
Cantina Do Mori, All’Arco and Cantina Do Spade are within a few streets of the Rialto Bridge, and Cantina Do Spade is open daily from 10:00 to 15:00 and again from 18:00. Go early, because the best bacari close early. See cicchetti and bacari in Venice and where to eat in Venice.
Afternoon, the Rialto and the Mercerie
Free
The Rialto Bridge is free and always open, and the market is a working one: the fish market is open Tuesday to Saturday from 7:00 to 14:00. The Mercerie, the shopping street between the Rialto and the Square, leads back. See the Rialto Bridge and market.
Evening, a gondola or La Fenice
Gondola €90 a boat by day, €110 from 19:00 · La Fenice visit €12
The city sets the gondola fare at €90 for 30 minutes by day and €110 for 35 minutes at night, per boat of up to five. La Fenice opera house has daytime visits at €12 with a free audio guide, and its hours change by day. See the gondola ride and La Fenice tickets.
The second day: Dorsoduro, the Zattere and the Frari
Campo Santa Margherita in Dorsoduro. Photo: Øyvind Holmstad, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
9:00, the Accademia
€20 · Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00
The Gallerie dell’Accademia open at 9:00, and ticket sales end at 18:00. Rucksacks and bulky bags are not allowed, and free lockers take bags up to 45 x 35 x 65 cm for a €1 coin. It is free on the first Sunday of each month. See the best museums in Venice.
11:00, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection
€17 · 10:00 to 18:00 · closed Tuesday
In Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, on the Grand Canal between the Accademia Bridge and the Salute. Buying a timed slot online is advised, and large bags, backpacks and suitcases are not allowed. A paid ticket at the Accademia or the Guggenheim gives a reduced second ticket within seven days at the other museums on the Dorsoduro Museum Mile.
13:00, the Zattere and the Dorsoduro bacari
Cicchetti from about €1.50 · Osteria Al Squero is closed on Sunday
Cantinone Già Schiavi and Osteria Al Squero are on Fondamenta Nani, beside the Rio San Trovaso, and Al Squero faces the San Trovaso boatyard. Gelateria Nico on the Zattere is closed on Thursday in its winter hours. See where to eat in Venice.
15:00, the Frari and San Rocco
Frari €8 · Scuola Grande di San Rocco €12, or €14 with the church · open to 17:30
The Frari and San Rocco are in San Polo. The Scuola Grande di San Rocco is open daily 9:30 to 17:30 and takes no online sales. The Frari does not take part in city passes. See Venice’s churches.
Evening, Cannaregio
Free
The Fondamenta degli Ormesini and the Fondamenta della Misericordia are the bar streets of Cannaregio, with Al Timon and Il Paradiso Perduto. The Ghetto’s synagogue tours are €15, but not on Saturday: see the Jewish Ghetto in Venice.
The Ponte San Marziale over the canal at the Fondamenta della Misericordia in Cannaregio. Photo: Armin Kleiner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
If your days are different
- Monday: the Accademia and Ca’ Pesaro are closed, and so is the Rialto fish market. The Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, the Peggy Guggenheim and Ca’ Rezzonico are open.
- Tuesday: Ca’ Rezzonico, the Peggy Guggenheim, Palazzo Grassi and the Punta della Dogana are closed. The Accademia, the Doge’s Palace and the Basilica are open, and the Rialto fish market is open.
- Saturday: the Jewish Ghetto is closed, and the Frari closes at 18:00.
- Sunday: the Basilica opens at 14:00, with only the Museum and the Loggia dei Cavalli open before that (€14). Spend the morning at the Doge’s Palace and the Basilica in the afternoon. The former Chorus churches are closed, the Rialto markets are shut, and the Accademia is free on the first Sunday of the month.
- From 1 November: the Doge’s Palace and the Museo Correr move to winter hours, and Ca’ Rezzonico closes at 17:00.
- At high water: the Basilica’s narthex floods first, and the Libreria Acqua Alta closes its book staircase at high and low tide: see acqua alta in Venice.
- A third day: 3 days in Venice adds the lagoon islands, and day trips from Venice compares the trips out. Venice walking tours compares the guided walks.
Where to sleep and what next
Where to stay in Venice compares the areas, and hotels near St Mark’s Square lists the hotels within 850 m of St Mark’s Square. For the way in, see Venice airport to the city and Venice public transport. The best time to visit Venice gives the weather by month, Venice food tours compares the tastings, and Venice Carnival 2027 covers the winter season.
Common questions
Can you see Venice in one day?
The centre, yes. Book the first St Mark's Basilica slot at 9:30, then the Doge's Palace, lunch at the bacari by the Rialto market, the Rialto Bridge and a gondola in the evening. Dorsoduro, the Accademia and the Frari need a second day.
Which day of the week is best to visit Venice?
Wednesday to Friday, when almost everything is open. Monday closes the Accademia and Ca' Pesaro and the Rialto fish market, Tuesday closes Ca' Rezzonico and the Peggy Guggenheim, Saturday closes the Jewish Ghetto, and the Basilica opens at 14:00 on Sunday.
What should I book before going to Venice?
A named, timed slot for St Mark's Basilica (€10) and the Campanile (€15), booked online from the Procuratoria di San Marco; tickets go on sale 90 days ahead. The Doge's Palace (€35, or €30 online 30 or more days ahead) is timed, and the Peggy Guggenheim advises booking a slot.
How much do the main sights cost in Venice?
€97 for the five paid ones: the Basilica €10, the Campanile €15, the Doge's Palace €35, the Accademia €20 and the Peggy Guggenheim €17. The Rialto Bridge, Piazza San Marco and the former Chorus churches, open Monday to Saturday, are free. A gondola is €90 a boat by day.
Is two days enough for Venice?
For the main sights, yes. Day one can hold the Basilica, the Doge's Palace and the Rialto, and day two the Accademia, the Peggy Guggenheim, the Zattere and the Frari.
Do I have to pay the Venice access fee?
No fee is in force now, and none is fixed for 2027. The 2026 trial ran from 3 April to 26 July; guests staying overnight were exempt if registered, and paid the tourist tax instead.
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