Venice Must-See Attractions: 12 Sights With Prices, Hours and a 3-Day Itinerary

The twelve sights below are the core of a first stay. They are grouped by neighborhood to limit backtracking. For lodging, neighborhoods and getting into the city, see our complete Venice guide. Prices are those published by the official sites in autumn 2026, and converted at about 1 euro = 1.10 dollars. Winter hours apply from November to March.

Venice must-sees at a glance

St. Mark's Square: basilica, Doge's Palace and bell tower

The square holds three of the most visited sights in the city. Each has its own ticket office. A full day is not enough to see everything in detail. Plan the morning for the basilica and the afternoon for the palace.

St. Mark's Basilica

The basilica is open Monday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. On Sundays and religious holidays it opens only at 2 p.m. Last entry is at 4:45 p.m. The skip-the-line ticket, which lets you enter through the San Pietro door, costs €10 (about $11) for the basilica alone. It costs €20 (about $22) with the Pala d'Oro (the Byzantine goldwork altarpiece behind the high altar) or with the museum and the Loggia dei Cavalli. The full ticket is €30 (about $33). The loggia is the terrace on the façade, where the copies of the bronze horses stand. It gives a direct view over the square. Ages 10 to 18, students under 26 and visitors over 65 pay half price. Children under 11 get in free. Prices vary by sales channel: book on the official Procuratoria di San Marco ticket site.

The Doge's Palace

The palace was the seat of power of the Republic. You visit the Great Council Hall, the Bridge of Sighs and the prisons. There is no ticket for the palace alone. The I Musei di Piazza San Marco ticket costs €35 (about $39), or €15 (about $17) reduced. It drops to €30 (about $33) if you buy online more than 30 days before your visit. It also covers the Correr Museum, the National Archaeological Museum and the monumental rooms of the Marciana Library, and includes an app-based audio guide. The entrance is at the Porta del Frumento, on the piazzetta side. From November 1 to March 31 the palace is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last entry 5 p.m.). From April 1 to October 31 it is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (last entry 6 p.m.). Details are on the official Doge's Palace practical information page.

The Itinerari Segreti (Secret Itineraries) take you through the offices, the torture room and the cells under the roof. They are guided tours only, in small groups and by reservation. The ticket costs €40 (about $44), or €20 (about $22) reduced, and also includes the square's museums. If you plan to visit other city museums, compare with the Museum Pass: €50 (about $55), valid for 6 months, one entry per museum.

The campanile

The bell tower on the square costs €15 (about $17). The free entry granted for the basilica does not apply here. You go up by elevator. For a view that includes St. Mark's itself, the campanile of San Giorgio Maggiore, on the island across the water, is an alternative. It also has an elevator, and the church is free.

The Grand Canal and the Rialto Bridge

To see the Grand Canal without paying for a guided tour, take vaporetto line 1. It stops at every landing between Santa Lucia station and St. Mark's, and passes the palaces on both banks. A single ACTV ticket costs €9.50 (about $10) and stays valid for 75 minutes after first validation. If you plan several rides in a day, passes are better value: €25 (about $28) for 24 hours, €35 (about $39) for 48 hours, €45 (about $50) for 72 hours and €65 (about $72) for 7 days. They are valid on all vaporettos and buses, and the clock starts at first validation. Ages 6 to 29 can get the Rolling Venice pack (€33, about $36), which includes three days of transport. All fares are on the official AVM/ACTV site.

The Rialto Bridge is the oldest crossing of the Grand Canal. It marks the city's commercial center. On the San Polo side, the fish and vegetable market is worth visiting in the morning, when the stalls are set up.

Dorsoduro: Accademia, Peggy Guggenheim and the Salute

This neighborhood, on the south bank of the Grand Canal, holds the city's two major painting museums. They are a few minutes' walk from each other. Mind the closing days, which are not the same.

• Gallerie dell'Accademia: the main collection of Venetian painting. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the ticket office closes at 6 p.m. The ticket costs €15 (about $17). It is €2 for EU citizens aged 18 to 25, and free for under-18s. The price rises during major exhibitions: it was €20 (about $22) from May to October 2026. Entry is free on the first Sunday of every month, with no reservation.
• Peggy Guggenheim Collection: 20th-century modern art, in the collector's palace on the Grand Canal. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., except Tuesday and December 25. Last entry is at 5 p.m. The adult ticket costs €17 (about $19), €14 (about $15) for over-70s and €9 (about $10) for students under 26. Entry is free for children under 10. The museum recommends booking a time slot online.
• Santa Maria della Salute: the domed basilica stands at the tip of Dorsoduro, facing St. Mark's Square. The neighboring point, Punta della Dogana, offers one of the best views over the St. Mark's basin.

San Polo: the Scuola Grande di San Rocco

This site is less well known than the Doge's Palace. Yet it holds more than sixty paintings by Tintoretto, in the very rooms they were painted for. The Scuola is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and the ticket office closes at 5 p.m. The full ticket costs €12 (about $13) according to Coopculture, which runs ticketing. The neighboring Frari basilica holds other masterpieces of Venetian painting. It fits easily into the same walk.

Gondola or traghetto: how to get out on the water

The gondola rate is set by the city and posted at the stations. It is €90 (about $99) for 30 minutes in daytime and €110 (about $121) after 7 p.m. This price covers the whole gondola, up to five passengers. Each extra block of time is charged on top. Agree on the length and route before boarding.

For a short, inexpensive experience, take a traghetto. These gondolas work as ferries across the Grand Canal, notably at Santa Sofia and San Tomà. The crossing costs about €2 (about $2) for visitors, paid directly to the gondolier. It lasts a few minutes. These crossings mainly serve residents: give them priority.

Murano, Burano and Torcello: the islands to see

You can visit all three islands in one day from Fondamente Nove, on the north shore of the city.

1. Murano, the glass island: lines 4.1 and 4.2 get there in about ten minutes. For the Glass Museum and the Santi Maria e Donato basilica, take the 4.1, which serves the Museo stop.
2. Burano, known for its colorful houses and lace: line 12 goes via Murano Faro. Allow 35 to 45 minutes from Fondamente Nove, depending on the schedule.
3. Torcello, with its cathedral of Byzantine mosaics: during the day, line 12 does not usually stop at Torcello. Get off at Burano and take line 9, which gets there in about 5 minutes.

Schedules change with the season. Check the ACTV timetable on the day, especially for the last boat back. A 24-hour pass pays for itself from the third ride.

How many days for Venice's must-sees?

Three days let you see all twelve sights without rushing. With two days, you have to give up the islands or one of the Dorsoduro museums. Here is a visiting order that accounts for closing days and hours.

If you are combining Venice with other stops, our Italy destinations guide helps you build a wider itinerary.

Access fee: do you have to pay to enter Venice?

In 2026 the city applied an access fee to day visitors for 60 days, between April 3 and July 26. It applied from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and cost €5 (about $5.50) if you paid at least four days ahead, €10 (about $11) after that. The minor islands were not covered, and several categories were exempt, including people staying overnight. Since July 27, 2026, no action is needed.

For 2027, the press reports a calendar of 72 days, from March 26 to August 15, pending approval. A fee increase is also being discussed. The city says it will announce the details by December 31, 2026 at the latest. Before fixing your dates, check the official access fee page.

What budget should you plan for the must-sees?

For one adult at full price, here is the cost of admissions and transport for the three-day program.

This total does not include the gondola (€90, about $99, per boat in daytime). You can cut it in several ways: buy the St. Mark's Square museums more than 30 days ahead (€30, about $33), choose the basilica alone (€10, about $11) or visit the Accademia on the first Sunday of the month. Young people and students get significant discounts at almost all of these places.

Frequently asked questions