Venice, Italy is incomparable to any place on this earth. It is a complicated web of a city in a beautiful waterfront setting. I sky rocketed Venice to the top of my bucket list for fear that one day, in the near future, I would only be able to scuba dive through the city. There is so much to do and see, yet it is crucial that you take your time and wander. Our list of Best Things to do in Venice Italy will give you plenty of time to get lost.

When we first arrived in Venice, we explored on foot. We structured our days by “sites to see” rather than “be here at this time”. It is very fun to wander and be lost. Can we add “get lost” on our list of Best Things to do in Venice Italy? On the first day, we saw the Rialto Bridge, Doge’s Palace, Bridge of Sighs, Piazza San Marco, St. Marks Basilica, rows of shops, Rialto Market and more. We dared not pull out our phone maps and we laughed when we found ourselves in the same spot three times over.

Perhaps the most fascinating part of Venice is their water transportation system, the Vaporetto. I am still not over it. Imagine the New York City transportation network, except all taxis and subways are BOATS. It is hectic, fast paced and very hard to understand sometimes. I am still not quite sure if we ever successfully hopped on the right boat. After a long first day, mom and I decided to hop on the Vaporetto to give our feet a break. We got on the right Vaporetto loop, but going in the wrong direction. We gave ourselves one point for effort. Despite our directional fail, this turned out to be a magical sunset boat ride around Venice. We got to see all of the sites by boat, that we just explored on foot. the peaceful feeling on the water was unforgettable.

We ended our evening with Bellinis at the Bauer Hotel. The Bellini originated in Venice and is created by mixing Prosecco and peach pureé. You must have one while you are in Venice! Another refreshing cocktail is Aperol Spritz. You can make it a variety of ways, combining either Prosecco or club soda with Aperol or Campari bitters.

Murano and Burano are also part of our Best Things to do in Venice Italy. These tiny islands are located just outside of Venice and are reachable by boat. You can read about these colorful gems here.

When we returned from Murano and Burano, we ventured up to the Bell Tower in Piazza San Marco. I highly recommend purchasing tickets in advance. It makes the process seamless and line free. The view from the Bell Tower is jaw dropping. I couldn’t have imagined a better way to say good bye (or more like see you later) to Venice. There is something magical about viewing a city from above once you have explored all the intricate details below. It brings travel to full perspective.

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