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I went to Venice for a friend’s wedding and stayed five nights. Between the celebrations there was time to explore, and the Venice I enjoyed most was the quieter one: the side streets of Dorsoduro, an afternoon with art, good pasta, and regular stops for pastries and gelato.
I preferred those quieter areas to the landmark circuit, and if I went back, I’d leave even more open time in each day. This guide reflects that. It isn’t a list of everything in Venice, just the places I’d send a friend, with every restaurant and café I actually went to and a separate list of places I’m saving for next time.
Where to stay: my base was Maison Boutique Al Redentore on Giudecca, the calmer island across the water. For the full breakdown of areas and hotels, see my guide to where to stay in Venice.
Things to Do in Venice
1. Wander Dorsoduro, Around Ca’ Dario
The streets around Ca’ Dario in Dorsoduro were my favorite part of Venice. The neighborhood is charming and noticeably less hectic than the stretch between Rialto and St. Mark’s, and it’s where I’d send anyone who wants to see the city without the crush.
Ca’ Dario itself is a slim palazzo on the Grand Canal, remodeled after 1486 for Giovanni Dario, with a facade set with round marble inlays that John Ruskin admired and Claude Monet painted in 1908. It’s privately owned, so you’ll see it from the outside, ideally from a vaporetto on the Grand Canal. It also carries a reputation in Venice as a “cursed” palace, a story attached to the misfortunes of several owners over the centuries. On the land side, it backs onto Campiello Barbaro, a small, shaded square a few steps from the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.
From there, it’s easy to keep walking through the small canals and bridges toward the Salute church, then out to the Zattere, the long waterfront promenade where the Giudecca Canal opens up and you can look straight across to the island.
2. Spend an Afternoon on the Dorsoduro Museum Mile
I loved the art scene in Venice, and Dorsoduro is the easiest place to experience it, because four major collections sit within a short walk of one another on what’s called the Dorsoduro Museum Mile.
The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is the best known. It’s housed in Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, an 18th-century palazzo on the Grand Canal that was never built beyond its ground floor, and where Peggy Guggenheim lived for three decades. The collection covers Cubism, Surrealism, and abstract art, and the garden and canal-side terrace are as much a part of the visit as the galleries.
At the tip of Dorsoduro, Punta della Dogana is a former customs house restored by the architect Tadao Ando and now used by the Pinault Collection for large contemporary exhibitions. For older work, the Gallerie dell’Accademia holds Venetian painting from Bellini and Giorgione to Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese, and Palazzo Cini is a smaller house museum between the Accademia and the Guggenheim. If you only have time for one, choose by what you love: the Guggenheim for modern masterpieces in a home setting, Punta della Dogana for contemporary art, or the Accademia for the Venetian masters. Check opening days before you go, as they vary.
3. See the 2026 Art Biennale
If you’re in Venice before November 22, 2026, the 61st Art Biennale, titled In Minor Keys, is on. The exhibition was conceived by the late curator Koyo Kouoh, and its main venues are the Giardini, home to the national pavilions, and the Arsenale, the city’s former shipyards. Both are in Castello, so give them most of a day. Collateral exhibitions are also spread through palazzos and churches across the city, and it’s easy to come across one while you’re walking.
4. Cross to Giudecca
Giudecca was my base, and even if you’re staying elsewhere, it’s worth crossing over. The water bus ride gives you a wide view back across to Dorsoduro and San Marco, and the island has an everyday, residential character that’s hard to find in the center. Walk along the waterfront to Palladio’s Redentore church, then stop for lunch at La Palanca, which I write about below.
If you’d like to stay on the island, I wrote about my base there in my Maison Boutique Al Redentore review.
5. See the Famous Sights
St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, and the Rialto Bridge are famous for good reason, and you should see them. The crowds concentrate along the routes between them, and quieter streets begin only a few turns away. To skip most of the line at St. Mark’s Basilica, book your entry ahead on the basilica’s official ticket site, and go right at opening or later in the afternoon, when the tour groups thin out.
Where I Ate and Drank in Venice
These are the places I ate and drank myself. The ones I haven’t tried yet are in a separate list further down.
Antiche Carampane, San Polo
If you book one special dinner in Venice, I’d make it Antiche Carampane. It’s tucked into a dead-end lane in a quieter corner of San Polo, near the Rialto market, and it’s hidden enough that you’ll only end up there on purpose. Stepping inside feels like walking into your grandmother’s house, warm and welcoming. The Bortoluzzi family has run it since the early 1980s, and the sign outside, “No pizza, no lasagne, no menù turistico,” tells you what kind of place it is.
The menu is mostly seafood, built around what comes in from the Rialto market. My standout was the crab pasta, and the raw fish selection was excellent too, so I’d order both. The dining room is compact, so reserve well before your trip.
Osteria Al Portego, Castello
Al Portego is a traditional bacaro on Calle Malvasia, a short walk from the Rialto Bridge. The front room is a bar with wine and cicchetti, and a second room serves sit-down meals of simple pasta and Venetian dishes. I came for lunch and ordered the special pasta, and I’d recommend asking what they’re making that day rather than deciding in advance. It’s popular, so arrive early, and bring cash, since listings say cards aren’t accepted.
La Palanca, Giudecca
La Palanca is a bar-trattoria on the Giudecca waterfront, right by the Palanca water bus stop, with tables along the water looking across to Dorsoduro. I had a very good plate of spaghetti with clams here, and a green herb pasta with shrimp. The kitchen serves food only at lunch, roughly noon to 2:30 from Monday to Saturday, and the rest of the day it runs as a bar, so time your crossing for lunch. Check current hours, and bring cash.
La Palanca is a short walk from Maison Boutique Al Redentore, where I stayed. If you’re thinking of staying on Giudecca too, here’s my full review of Al Redentore.
Pasticceria Rizzardini, San Polo
Pasticceria Rizzardini gets a very enthusiastic recommendation from me. It’s one of the oldest pastry shops in Venice, in business since 1742, in a small Art Nouveau shop on Campiello dei Meloni, between the Rialto and Campo San Polo.
It’s the place for traditional Venetian sweets, including bussolà, the ring-shaped butter biscuits, along with meringues and seasonal specialties. During Carnival, it’s known for fritole, Venice’s fried doughnuts. Because it’s in San Polo, it pairs easily with a morning at the Rialto market or a walk toward Antiche Carampane.
Taverna La Fenice, San Marco
Taverna La Fenice sits beside Teatro La Fenice, the opera house, and grew up alongside it. Its terrace is open all year, and it was such a cute little spot for a drink outside. It’s an easy place to stop if you’re around San Marco, for breakfast or a glass of wine in the evening.
Gelateria Gallonetto and Suso, near Rialto
I had excellent gelato at both. Gallonetto is a small family-run shop on Salizada San Lio in Castello, in the family since 1985, and for a small extra charge you can add a swirl of warm liquid chocolate to your cone. Suso, near the Rialto Bridge on the San Marco side, is known for creative flavors that change with the seasons and offers gluten-free cones. There’s usually a line, but it moves quickly.
More Food and Drink Spots on My List
I haven’t been to these yet. They’re the places I’d try on my next trip.
- Il Mercante, for cocktails: a contemporary cocktail bar inside a historic Venetian café, for an evening when drinks are the plan.
- Vino Vero, for natural wine: a wine bar in Cannaregio focused on natural and small-producer wines.
- Osteria Al Squero, for cicchetti: small Venetian bites across from the historic San Trovaso gondola workshop in Dorsoduro.
- Osteria alle Testiere, for seafood: a small, seafood-only restaurant that’s best booked well ahead.
- Al Covo, for a special dinner: family-run since 1987, with cooking built on local ingredients and lagoon traditions, in a quieter part of Castello.
FAQs About Things to Do in Venice
How do I avoid the crowds in Venice?
Spend more of your time in neighborhoods like Dorsoduro and Giudecca, and visit the major sights early or late in the day. A quieter base helps too.
Do I need restaurant reservations in Venice?
For the meals you care about most, yes. I’d book Antiche Carampane before your trip.
Where can I get good gelato in Venice?
Gelateria Gallonetto in Castello and Suso near the Rialto Bridge were my two favorites.
Final Thoughts
If I had to choose only a few things from this list, I’d spend an afternoon in Dorsoduro between Ca’ Dario and the museums, book dinner at Antiche Carampane, cross to Giudecca for lunch at La Palanca, and make time for Rizzardini. Everything else can fit around those.
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