About

About ULTIMATE Venice City Guide

ULTIMATE Venice City Guide is an independent guide for visitors to Venice, Italy. We publish 14 curated lists: restaurants, cafés, bars, hotels, sights, arts & culture, parks, walks, shopping, health, property, developments, boats and getting around. We cover San Marco, Dorsoduro, San Polo and Santa Croce, Cannaregio, Castello and the Giudecca, the lagoon islands of Murano, Burano, Mazzorbo and Torcello, and the Lido, with day trips to Verona, Padua, the Dolomites and the Prosecco hills.

Our editor

Jai Michael is Editor-in-Chief of the ULTIMATE City Guides. With more than 25 years in the media industry, he founded ABSOLUTE brighton and London TV, and has worked with leading luxury brands around the world.

How we choose

Every place in our lists has been checked against its own website or an official source such as the Procuratoria di San Marco, the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia (MUVE), La Biennale di Venezia, Teatro La Fenice, the City of Venice, ACTV, Venice Marco Polo Airport, FS Italiane, UNESCO or The MICHELIN Guide. MICHELIN stars are quoted only from the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Italy. We use no ratings, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.

Before you go

Opening hours, entry rules, access-fee days and timetables change often. Please check directly with each place, and with official sources, before you travel. Prices are in euros (€).

For venues

Run a venue in Venice and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

• The land gate and tower of the Arsenale, guarded by stone lions, by Didier Descouens, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The gilded tiers of boxes inside Teatro La Fenice, by Photo: Andreas Praefcke, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Doge’s Palace and the Campanile seen across the water from the basin of San Marco, by Martin Falbisoner, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The front of Cantine del Vino già Schiavi by the San Trovaso bridge, by Tim Sackton [1], licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A pavilion portico in the Giardini della Biennale, by Armin Kleiner, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Bridge of Sighs between the Doge’s Palace and the prisons, with gondolas below, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Painted houses in pink, red and turquoise on Burano, by Marco Ober, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Gothic façade of the Ca’ d’Oro on the Grand Canal, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A mirrored, gilded salon of Caffè Florian, by Armin Kleiner, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Scuola Vecchia della Misericordia and its canal in Cannaregio, by Didier Descouens, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Scuola Vecchia della Misericordia and its canal in Cannaregio, by Didier Descouens, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gondolas moored on the Grand Canal, with the Campanile of San Marco beyond, by Jsamwrites, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Via Garibaldi in Castello on a sunny day, by trolvag, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Via Garibaldi in Castello on a sunny day, by trolvag, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Christmas lights strung above a canal on Murano at dusk, by Ewald Ehtreiber, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The front of Cantine del Vino già Schiavi by the San Trovaso bridge, by Tim Sackton [1], licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hotel Cipriani on the Giudecca, seen from the water, by Bjoertvedt, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Cortina d’Ampezzo in its valley beneath the Tofane, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Tre Cime di Lavaredo in the Dolomites, by Ximonic (Simo Räsänen), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• San Giorgio Maggiore and its bell tower across the lagoon, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Punta della Dogana and its golden globe at the mouth of the Grand Canal, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Tre Cime di Lavaredo in the Dolomites, by Ximonic (Simo Räsänen), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The great dome of Santa Maria della Salute against a blue sky, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Doge’s Palace and the Campanile seen across the water from the basin of San Marco, by Martin Falbisoner, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sala del Maggior Consiglio in the Doge’s Palace, with its gilded painted ceiling, by Riccardo Lelli, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The gilded tiers of boxes inside Teatro La Fenice, by Photo: Andreas Praefcke, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A mirrored, gilded salon of Caffè Florian, by Armin Kleiner, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The iron-and-glass pergola and canal of the Giardini Reali, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Palladio’s church of the Redentore across the Giudecca Canal, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Palladio’s church of the Redentore across the Giudecca Canal, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gondolas moored on the Grand Canal, with the Campanile of San Marco beyond, by Jsamwrites, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Canal with gondolas and water taxis, Santa Maria della Salute beyond, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Gritti Palace on the Grand Canal, by Didier Descouens, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, home of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, on the Grand Canal, by Peter Haas, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The iron-and-glass pergola and canal of the Giardini Reali, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Canal from the Accademia bridge in late sun, with Santa Maria della Salute and the Punta della Dogana, by Irin Acassi, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Gritti Palace on the Grand Canal, by Didier Descouens, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Gritti Palace on the Grand Canal, by Didier Descouens, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Painted houses in pink, red and turquoise on Burano, by Marco Ober, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Beach cabins on the Lido, by Gianfranco Zanovello, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Beach cabins on the Lido, by Gianfranco Zanovello, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Gritti Palace on the Grand Canal, by Didier Descouens, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The glass furnaces of the Fondamenta dei Vetrai on Murano at dusk, by Ewald Ehtreiber, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Canal houses and bridges in Amsterdam, by Michielverbeek, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alhambra in Granada in the evening light, by Jebulon, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The floodlit Acropolis and Parthenon at dusk, seen from Philopappos Hill, by Giles Laurent, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pink sand beach of Harbour Island, the Bahamas, by Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The road winding out to the lighthouse on Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, above the open sea, by Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Palace reflected at dawn, by Nawit science, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. James, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sagrada Família lit up at night, by Maksim Sokolov, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Belgrade's old town and the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael above the Sava at sunset, photo: © ULTIMATE International Media.
• The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin against a blue sky, by Berthold Werner, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Royal Pavilion in Brighton under a blue sky, by Qmin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the Danube, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bixby Creek Bridge on the Big Sur coast, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, by Gzzz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Burj Khalifa and Business Bay at blue hour, by Robert Bock, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A schooner silhouetted against the sunset off Key West, by Joe Parks from Berkeley, CA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Aerial view of the white sand spit of Ses Illetes and Llevant, the salt pans and, across the strait, Ibiza and Es Vedrà, by Beni Marull, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Baie des Anges, Nice, by Tobi 87, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Blue domes of Oia above the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Helsinki Cathedral above the South Harbour, by Ввласенко, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hong Kong Island and the harbour at night from Victoria Peak, by Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The walls of Dalt Vila and the cathedral above the harbour of Ibiza Town, in late sun, by Charles from Port Chester, New York, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hagia Sophia and its minarets in golden evening light, by Nserrano, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Las Vegas Strip at dusk, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Congress Square, Ljubljana, with the castle on its hill behind, by Petar Milošević, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower lit at dusk across the Thames, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Downtown Los Angeles at sunset beneath the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains, by Alek Leckszas, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Metrópolis building at the start of the Gran Vía, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• La Seu, Palma’s Gothic cathedral, and the Almudaina above the old sea wall, seen from the Parc de la Mar, by Enric, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the Maldives, by Luka Peternel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Valletta’s honey-coloured skyline, with the dome of the Carmelite church and the spire of St Paul’s, above the harbour at sunset, by Olga Prystai, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in Puerto Banús, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Turquoise water below the pine-topped cliffs at Cala Macarella, Menorca, by Markus Trienke, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, by Robbschultz69, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountains, by Spike, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Taj Mahal Palace and the Gateway of India from the harbour, by iMahesh, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset at the Naples Pier, by pmarkham, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The New York City skyline from Top of the Rock, by Dillan Payne, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Eiffel Tower seen from the Trocadéro in Paris, by Chabe01, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Bridge over the Morača, by Desemeus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, by Berthold Werner, edit by Böhringer, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peak, by Kabelleger / David Gubler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Church of St John at Kaneo above Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Peter’s Basilica in Rome under a clear blue sky, by Alvesgaspar, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Golden Gate Bridge seen from Battery Spencer, by Christoph Strässler, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sebilj fountain and the square of Baščaršija, by Yukof, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Lujiazui skyline lit up at night across the Huangpu River, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of the Central Business District lit up at night, reflected in Marina Bay, by Bijay Chaurasia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Matterhorn in winter above Zermatt, by JoachimKohler-HB, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Warrior on a Horse fountain in Macedonia Square, Skopje, lit at night, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, under a pink evening sky, by Jose Ligero Loarte, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A caparisoned elephant in the Esala Perahera procession, Kandy, by Daniel Liabeuf, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed Pitons, by xiquinhosilva, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Longtail boats on West Railay beach beneath the limestone cliffs, by Krzysztof Golik, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The restored Pyramid of Tirana under a blue sky, by BBB2021, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rolling green hills and a farmhouse near Pienza in the Val d’Orcia, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Calatrava’s Hemisfèric lit at twilight, reflected in its pool, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Canal and Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, by Irin Acassi, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tiled roof of St Stephen’s Cathedral and the rooftops of central Vienna, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Mark's Church and its tiled roof on St Mark's Square, Zagreb's Upper Town, by Jorge Láscar from Australia, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Torre dell’Orologio on Piazza San Marco, with its blue and gold clock face, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Giotto’s frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel, Padua, by FrDr, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Prato della Valle in Padua, with the Basilica of Santa Giustina, by AnatolyPm, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The iron-and-glass pergola and canal of the Giardini Reali, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Campanile of San Marco and the arcades of the Procuratie Nuove on Piazza San Marco, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Gothic façade of the Ca’ d’Oro on the Grand Canal, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Vineyards on the steep hills of Valdobbiadene, by Civvì, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Gothic façade of the Ca’ d’Oro on the Grand Canal, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Redentore on the Giudecca, seen from the water, by Falk2, edited by MenkinAlRire, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A gilded ceremonial boat rowed in the Regata Storica, by Jon Mountjoy, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The front of Cantine del Vino già Schiavi by the San Trovaso bridge, by Tim Sackton [1], licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Rialto Bridge lit at dusk over the Grand Canal, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The great dome of Santa Maria della Salute against a blue sky, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• San Giorgio Maggiore and its bell tower across the lagoon, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Golden mosaics and marble on the west front of St Mark’s Basilica, by Richard Mortel, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Campanile of San Marco and the arcades of the Procuratie Nuove on Piazza San Marco, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Rialto Bridge lit at dusk over the Grand Canal, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Tintoretto’s Annunciation at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, by Didier Descouens, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The glass furnaces of the Fondamenta dei Vetrai on Murano at dusk, by Ewald Ehtreiber, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden apse mosaic of the Virgin and Child in Torcello Cathedral, by Remi Mathis, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Torcello seen from its bell tower, with the lagoon beyond, by Zairon, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An ACTV vaporetto on the Grand Canal, by Andrzej Otrębski, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An ACTV vaporetto on the Grand Canal, by Andrzej Otrębski, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Piazza delle Erbe in Verona seen from above, with the Torre dei Lamberti, by Orledio, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Gesuati church and café terraces on the Zattere, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A panettone, cut open to show its raisins and candied peel, in front of a Christmas tree, by Nicola from Fiumicino (Rome), Italy, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Tortellini in brodo: little tortellini floating in a clear broth, by Ramagliolo9 at Italian Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Spaghetti alle vongole, with clams, cherry tomatoes and parsley, by Irureta, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Christmas lights strung above a canal on Murano at dusk, by Ewald Ehtreiber, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The gilded tiers of boxes inside Teatro La Fenice, by Photo: Andreas Praefcke, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Gesuati church and café terraces on the Zattere, by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.