The sights of Venice

The quickest ways to find out what sorts of things there are to see and do in Venice, from major museums and churches to fun experiences and offbeat sights

Piazza San Marco
St. Mark's square with the Basilica San Marco.
Venice offers everything from the glittering mosaics of St. Mark's Basilica on Piazza San Marco to the Old Master paintings in the Accademia Gallery.

There's the romance of a ride in a gondola and the chilling tales of political intrigue, brutal justice, and Casanova's escape from prison you get to hear in the secret backrooms of the Doge's Palace on the "Secret Itineraries" tour.

Then there is the festival of Tintorettos in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, the world-renowned glass factories and medieval churches of Murano, the views from the Campanile, the sumptuous decor of the Ca' d'Oro, the fascinating tours of the Jewish Ghetto, the modern art masterpieces in the Peggy Guggenheim, and, of course, the Grand Canal, perhaps the most glorious—and oddest—main boulevard of any city in the world.

How to find the Venice sights that interest you

There are several ways ReidsItaly.com helps you browse the sights of Venice, each neatly tucked into its own box below. You can get quick lists of all the top sights—the ones no one wants to miss when they visit Venice—or of all the attractions that are free of charge.

Or you can check out Reid's List, a thoroughly subjective compendium of some of my favorite, slightly less famous sights and experiences.

If you prefer thematic categories, you can see all the major museums or churches or palazzi at once, or if you're looking for something else to see or do nearby a major sight, you can peruse everything by neighborhood.

If you like to leave the planning of the daily itinerary to others, you can also sign up for a guided tour or two.

Or, if you want help cramming as much of it all as possible into your visit, you can peruse our perfect itineraries for one, two, or three days in Venice.

The top half-dozen or so sights listed under each category below are just a sampling; If you want to read short, one-line reviews of all sights within a category, click on the category title (or you can click on an individual sight for a quick link to its full description).

By Category
By Category

• Museums
Churches
Palaces
Parks
Markets
Outlying islands
• Tours

About the star ratings

I've rated every sight and experience from zero to three stars. It's not that no-star sights aren't worth the bother.

In fact, in any other city they'd probably rank much higher. They're just cursed to be in Venice, competing for your precious vacation time alongside St. Mark's Basilica, the Accademia Gallery, and a gondola ride—all solid three-stars.

This is a purely subjective rating, but it will help you get a sense of which sights pack the highest wow factor—and where to spend your time. In fact, you could view the starts thusly:


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This material was last updated February 2011. All information was accurate at the time.

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