2 Days in Venice: A Day-by-Day Itinerary

Get ready for a city with no cars. The buses here are boats, and every wrong turn seems to end at a canal you’ll want to photograph. This 2-day plan is for first-time visitors who want the big sights (St Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, the Rialto and the Grand Canal) plus a colourful half day on the lagoon islands of Murano and Burano.

The pace is quick but doable. Day 1 has two timed bookings, Day 2 starts with a morning of island hopping by boat, and there is plenty of spare time for getting happily lost. Venice is small, but alleys, bridges and crowds make distances feel longer. That’s why we have grouped every stop by area, so you won’t have to double back much. Plan less, see more.

At a glance

Day	Area	Highlights
1	San Marco, Rialto, Grand Canal	St Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace, Museo Correr, Rialto, Line 1 boat ride, St Mark’s Campanile
2	Murano, Burano, Dorsoduro, Cannaregio	Glass Museum, Lace Museum, Salute, Zattere waterfront, Ca’ Rezzonico, evening cicchetti

Day 1: San Marco, the Rialto and the Grand Canal

Morning

Get ready for your first dreamy Venetian morning! Start early at St Mark’s Basilica, the golden heart of Venice. From Monday to Saturday it opens at 9:30, with last admission at 16:45 and closing at 17:15. On Sundays and public holidays the Basilica itself only opens at 14:00, although the Museum and Horses Loggia open at 9:30. If Day 1 falls on a Sunday, swap the morning and afternoon.

Book a timed slot on the official Basilica ticket site, because you can only enter the Basilica during the slot you booked. Current prices for individual visitors at the Porta San Pietro entrance:

• Basilica entry: EUR 10
• Basilica and Pala d’Oro: EUR 20
• Full ticket (Basilica, Pala d’Oro, Museum and Horses Loggia): EUR 30

Children under 11 get in free. A lovely bonus: for six months after purchase, your Basilica ticket also covers the sacristy of the Basilica della Salute and a long list of other Venetian churches. You’ll use it again on Day 2.

Next door is the Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale), where Venice was governed for centuries. Opening hours:

• Until 31 October: every day 9:00 to 19:00 (last entry 18:00)
• 1 November to 31 March: every day 9:00 to 18:00 (last entry 17:00)

You enter with “I Musei di Piazza San Marco”, a single ticket that also covers the Museo Correr, the National Archaeological Museum and the monumental rooms of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana. The standard price is EUR 35 (EUR 15 reduced). If you buy online more than 30 days before your visit, it’s EUR 30. An audio guide app is included.

Book a timed entry on the official Palazzo Ducale site, because tickets without a time slot can’t enter the palace before 12:00. If you love hidden corners, the guided Secret Itineraries tour (EUR 40 full price) shows you rooms the standard route skips. Book it on the same site.

Afternoon

After lunch, if you still have energy, cross the square to the Museo Correr, which your Piazza San Marco ticket covers. It is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00 until 31 October, and from 10:00 to 17:00 from 1 November.

Then wander north through the shopping streets to the Rialto Bridge. It’s a short walk, roughly 10 to 15 minutes depending on crowds, and “Per Rialto” signs painted on the walls show the way. Cross the bridge, explore the market area on the San Polo side, and stop for a coffee standing at a bar counter like the locals do.

Evening

Now for the moment you’ve been waiting for: the Grand Canal by vaporetto (water bus). Validate your ACTV ticket and take a Line 1 boat from Rialto towards San Marco. You’ll glide past palaces all the way to the Vallaresso or San Zaccaria stops, both close to the Piazza and the Doge’s Palace. Line 1 stops often along the canal, which is exactly what you want for sightseeing.

End the day at the top of St Mark’s Campanile, the bell tower. Tickets cost EUR 15 on the official Basilica ticket site. The Basilica’s free-entry categories don’t apply to the Campanile.

• Winter period: opens 9:30, last admission between 18:00 and 18:45, closes 19:15
• Summer: open until 21:15, last admission between 20:00 and 20:30

Hours can change for events or bad weather, so check the official site on the day.

For dinner, the easiest choice is the lanes of Castello, just east of the Piazza, where things get quieter after dark.

Day 2: Murano, Burano, Dorsoduro and Cannaregio

Morning

This is the day for islands, colour and canal-side snacks. Head out across the lagoon early. Your ACTV pass covers the regular vaporetto network to the islands. Use the AVM Venezia Official App or the ACTV site to find the best boat from where you’re staying.

On Murano, the glassmaking island, visit the Museo del Vetro (Glass Museum). It is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00 until 31 October, and from 10:00 to 17:00 from 1 November to 31 March. Check ticket prices on the official Musei Civici site.

Continue to Burano, famous for its rainbow-painted houses and lace. The Museo del Merletto (Lace Museum) is open 10:00 to 16:00 and closed on Mondays. If Day 2 is a Monday, enjoy the streets and canals instead. Leave time for photos: every corner here looks like a postcard.

Afternoon

Take a boat back to the main islands and head to Dorsoduro, the artsy southern district. Start at the domed Basilica della Salute, where your St Mark’s ticket gets you into the sacristy. Then stroll west along the sunny Zattere promenade. It’s ideal for a gelato break with views over the Giudecca Canal.

If you want one more museum, try Ca’ Rezzonico, the museum of 18th-century Venice. It is open from 10:00 to 18:00 until 31 October and from 10:00 to 17:00 from 1 November, and it’s closed on Tuesdays. Art lovers can also consider the Gallerie dell’Accademia or the Peggy Guggenheim Collection nearby. Check opening days and prices on their official sites before you go.

Evening

Finish in Cannaregio, the most lived-in of the central districts. Hop between canal-side bars for cicchetti, Venetian small plates eaten standing up with a local drink. It’s a relaxed farewell to the city, and you’re close to the train station if you’re leaving that night.

Getting there and getting around

From Marco Polo Airport (VCE) you have three main public options:

Option	Operator	Fare	Notes
Boat (Alilaguna)	Alilaguna	EUR 18 one way, EUR 32 return	Arrives by water. Linea Arancio stops include Guglie, San Stae, Rialto, Sant’Angelo, Ca’ Rezzonico and Santa Maria del Giglio
Express bus to Piazzale Roma	ATVO	Check the official site	About 20 minutes to Venice, according to ATVO. Leave by Exit D: stop no. 3 is for Venice
Aerobus (line 5)	ACTV	EUR 10 single (75 minutes), EUR 18 return	Or add the airport supplement to an ACTV pass: EUR 7 one way, EUR 13 return

From 28 October 2026, Alilaguna’s Linea Blu and Linea Arancio switch to winter timetables, and the seasonal Linea Rossa stops for the winter. Check the official timetable for journey times. You can buy ATVO tickets online, or at the ticket offices and machines in the arrivals hall and baggage claim area.

Arriving by train? Venezia Santa Lucia station sits right on the Grand Canal, with vaporetto stops just outside.

Getting around: in the historic centre you either walk or take the ACTV vaporetto. A single ticket costs EUR 9.50 and lasts 75 minutes. For this plan, a pass is much better value:

ACTV ticket	Price
Single, 75 minutes	EUR 9.50
1 day (Venezia Daily Pass)	EUR 25
2 days (48 hours)	EUR 35
3 days (72 hours)	EUR 45
7 days	EUR 65
3 days, Rolling Venice (ages 6 to 29)	EUR 27, plus the EUR 6 Rolling Venice card

What a pass covers:

• Time starts from the first validation.
• Included: the urban vaporetto network, buses and the People Mover.
• Not included: Alilaguna boats, lines 16 and 19, the Casino line, and airport trips unless you buy the supplement.

You can buy tickets in the AVM Venezia Official App or at Venezia Unica ticket points, or pay with a contactless card using Tap to pay.

Where to stay

• San Marco: right in the middle of things, with the big sights on your doorstep. Ideal for a short first visit if you want to walk everywhere, though it’s the busiest area.
• Cannaregio: close to the train station and Alilaguna stops, with a more local feel and great evening bars. Good if you’re arriving by train or like a neighbourhood feel.
• Dorsoduro: galleries, students, the Zattere and quieter evenings. Suits art lovers and couples.
• Castello: east of San Marco, calmer and more residential, but still walkable to the Piazza. Good for families and light sleepers.

Staying in Mestre on the mainland can save money, but you’ll commute in every day. If your dates fall on access fee days, check whether the fee applies to you.

Budget

These prices come from official sites. Accommodation, meals, gondolas and flights are left out because they vary too much to quote reliably.

Item	Typical cost
ACTV 2-day (48 hour) pass	EUR 35
Airport supplement on an ACTV pass	EUR 7 one way, EUR 13 return
Alilaguna airport boat	EUR 18 one way
St Mark’s Basilica entry	EUR 10 (with Pala d’Oro EUR 20, full ticket EUR 30)
St Mark’s Campanile	EUR 15
I Musei di Piazza San Marco (Doge’s Palace and more)	EUR 35 standard, EUR 30 online if bought more than 30 days ahead
Doge’s Palace Secret Itineraries tour	EUR 40

If you follow this plan with a 2-day pass, the Basilica, the Campanile and the Piazza San Marco museums, sights and transport come to roughly EUR 50 to 80 per person per day, before food and accommodation.

Practical tips

• Book two things in advance: your Basilica time slot and your Doge’s Palace timed entry. Everything else can be decided on the day.
• Dress for the Basilica: the official entry rules require suitable clothing. No bare shoulders, very short skirts or shorts, or low necklines. Men must take off hats, and no one may enter barefoot.
• Travel light: backpacks or bags larger than 40 x 30 x 20 cm can’t go into the Basilica, trolley bags are never allowed, and there’s a metal detector at the entrance.
• Watch the closing days: the Burano Lace Museum closes on Mondays and Ca’ Rezzonico on Tuesdays. On Sundays and public holidays, the Basilica only opens to visitors at 14:00.
• Walk on the right: keeping right in narrow streets is one of the tips in the city’s #EnjoyRespectVenezia guide.
• Money and connectivity: Italy uses the euro. A card works well for transport with Tap to pay, but carry some cash for small bars. The simplest way to stay online is an EU-wide eSIM bought before you travel.

Visa and entry: Italy is in the Schengen Area, and the rules depend on your nationality and passport. Check the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa portal at vistoperitalia.esteri.it well before you book.

Heads-up

Venice is a joy, and a few local rules help keep it that way. None of this is meant to worry you. It’s just here to save you a fine or a disappointment.

• Access fee for day-trippers: the 2026 trial of the Venice Access Fee has ended. Since 27 July 2026 you don’t need to pay or ask for an exemption. The fee returns in 2027 on set days between 26 March and 15 August, from 8:30 to 16:30, and details will be announced by 31 December 2026. If you’re visiting in 2027, check the official calendar and exemptions page before you go.
• Only sit where it’s allowed: outside designated areas, the City of Venice bans sitting in St Mark’s Square and Piazzetta dei Leoncini. That includes under the arcades, on the steps of the Procuratie Nuove and under the Doge’s Palace arcades. Save your picnic for a public garden.
• No swimming: swimming, diving or bathing in the canals or St Mark’s Basin is forbidden, however hot the day.
• Keep your shirt on: you can’t walk around the city bare-chested or in swimwear.
• Don’t feed the pigeons: don’t leave food scraps in streets or canals either.
• No lying on benches or camping: both are banned anywhere in the city.
• No bikes: bicycles are banned in the historic centre, even if you’re only pushing them.
• Always carry a valid ticket on boats and buses: ACTV requires every passenger to have a valid ticket for the trip, and riding without one can get you fined. Validate your pass before boarding.
• Dress-code refusals happen: St Mark’s Basilica turns away visitors who don’t meet the clothing and bag rules.
• High water and weather: in the cooler months, low-lying areas such as St Mark’s Square can flood at high tide, and the Campanile may change its hours in bad weather. Pack shoes you don’t mind getting wet, and check official updates on the day.

According to the City of Venice, breaking these rules can bring fines of up to several hundred euros.

FAQ

Is 2 days enough for Venice?

Two days is enough for the main sights and one trip to the lagoon islands at a comfortable pace. Add a third day if you want more museums or a visit to Torcello or the Lido.

Do I need to pay the Venice access fee?

Not right now. The 2026 trial has ended and the fee hasn’t applied since 27 July 2026. It returns on specific days in 2027, so check cda.ve.it before your trip.

Is a vaporetto pass worth it for 2 days?

Usually, yes. One ride costs EUR 9.50 and the 48-hour pass is EUR 35, so the pass pays for itself by your fourth ride. This plan easily uses more than four.

Can I visit St Mark’s Basilica on a Sunday?

Yes, but only from 14:00 on Sundays and public holidays. On Sunday mornings only the Museum and Horses Loggia are open to visitors.

What should I wear to St Mark’s Basilica?

Cover your shoulders, avoid very short skirts or shorts and low necklines, and men should take off hats. Leave large backpacks and trolley bags where you’re staying.

What is the best way from the airport to the centre?

For speed, take the ATVO express bus or the ACTV Aerobus to Piazzale Roma. For a scenic arrival straight into the canals, take the Alilaguna boat for EUR 18.