Top things to do in Venice.

Top things to do in Venice will surely guide you for your first venetian vacation. It will tell you the must do small things which will make your Venice trip more memorable.

The water canals, the infinite bridges,the quirky face masks, the astonishing history and exquisite art, the distinctive gondola and the beautiful churches. There is so much to see and explore in this magical city which is also known as a floating city and its one of its kind….yes. ..Its none other than Venice..:)

When in Venice there is so much to see and do and many a times while hopping from one tourist place to another,the magic in doing small things is lost.

When we (Sid+Nik) travel to any new place, we always want something unique to do there which remains with us forever.

So here is our Top things to do in Venice for all of you.

• Top things to do in Venice-1:Talk your heart out sitting on the steps of Santa Lucia railway station.

Just when we came out of the Santa Lucia rail station in Venice, the first thing that caught our eyes were the canals and thats when, we actually got the feel of being in Venice.We spent one evening sitting on this steps and enjoyed the views of the canals.At the advent of sunset the canals looked even more beautiful.

Its something which stays with you, so a must do thing according to us.Here you can also meet some tourists and can exchange some great travel tips with each other.

• Top things to do in Venice-2: Buy yourself something made of Venetian glass which is Murano glass.

Murano Glass is the speciality of Venice and can be a great souvenir to take home.Your shopping experiences is incomplete if you haven’t shopped anything made of this colourful local glass.

I was so fascinated by this art that I decided to gift my folks Murano bead necklaces and Murano dial wrist watches.You have a huge variety here and there is so much to choose from.

Definitely a must buy when in Venice.

• Top things to do in Venice- 3:Take a gondola ride

Gondola rides and trip to Venice goes hand in hand. Though it is little costly (like the standard rate is 80 Euros for 40 -45 mins), it is a experience one should not miss when in Venice.

Many of my friends said they did not enjoy the gondola ride that much and its not worth the money. There can be 2 things for not enjoying the ride.One is the timings when you take the ride and second is the route you take.

When we were walking down the lanes of Venice we were tempted many times to take the gondola but we waited till the onset of sunset and then enjoyed the ride.Its quite sunny in afternoons and if one is having the ride in scorching sun,its definitely not going to be an enjoyable fair. We wanted to experience sailing in the narrow canals and have the adventure of passing by another gondola so we decided to ride in the Rialto area in the grand canal which was truly awesome.

Also whenever you take a gondola ride check if the gondolier is a licensed one.One more peculiar feature is that the gondolier sing too and also give you some touristy information on the way. Make sure you get all this and confirm about it before the ride.

The unique and traditional gondola ride is undoubtedly our unforgettable experience and is a must have one.

• Top things to do in Venice : 4 Enjoy Spritz

Spritz is a traditional venetian drink which is mostly consumed as a aperitif(appetiser before dinner). It is an alcoholic drink made up of local white wine, Aperol (bitter liquor) soda and orange wedges with loads of ice.

Though its an appetiser, this drink is consumed all day long to beat the heat. Sipping spritz and watching tourists pass by was a relaxing thing to do after a long walking tour in the city foe us. I really liked this cocktail a lot and its a must have when in Venice.

• Top things to do in Venice 5: Visit San Marco square at night

San Marco is the most visited spot in Venice and is crowded on mostly all days. If one wants to actually enjoy the beauty of this piazza then you should visit it at night.Its magical with the stars and you can enjoy live music orchestras playing here. One of the most worth taking experience when in Venice.

• Top things to do in Venice 6: Select a restaurant with a great view

When in Venice, everything around is so picturesque and in that if you eat at some restaurant with a great view, it just adds to the experience.

• Top things to do in Venice 7: Shop for a trendy bag from local road side vendors

You will see many local roadside vendors selling branded bags like Gucci,Dolce & Gabana, Prada etc….No off course they are not original but the designs and the fashion is bang on.

I was tempted to shop for one of those bags and I used my bargaining power at its best. You need to bargain and bargain and bargain a lot to get a good deal, and the happiness of buying something half its price is always a bliss.

The vendor was talkative and was happy to know that we were from India. As he was a fan of some Indian singers he was more happy to sell us. I bought a Channel bag just for15 euros which originally costed 70 euros…taddaaaaaa…:)

• Top things to do in Venice 8: Indulge in a Gelato

Coming to Italy and not having a gelato ice cream is definitely a crime. Gelatos are perfect in this summer air of Venice.Remember its not necessary to just take one flavour but you can mix 2-3 flavours at one time.I always love to combine 3-4 ice creams in one cone for eg bacio is combination of hazelnut with chocolate like that there are many other combinations. You can also ask the seller for the recommended ones. Enjoy your own different combos and have fun with your gelati.

• Top things to do in Venice 9: Enjoy ‘happy hours’ meals.

Happy hours are that hours of the day where you get something free with the meal or an amazing discount on the drinks and the food.

Summers is full of tourists and hence there are always ‘happy hours’ going on in many restaurants.Its displayed outside the restaurant and hence you can select it and avail the offer. We got a bruschetta free with our meal once and also got a summer salad at half its price. Usually they give a coke free or may be a drink free with the meal. It was fun to have these happy hour meals.For budget travellers its a bonus to get such meals.

• Top things to do in Venice 10: Cover yourself, carry a bottle of water and always use a sunblock.

Yes its a must must do thing and the reason why I am mentioning it here is we Indians don’t really bother about the sunscreen and don’t take that much care of our skin. But in Venice I tanned like anything. I was 2 tones darker than my usual skin tone as I was not very regular in putting sun screen.

After coming from my Venice trip, my friends actually wondered if I was on a African safari or on a Romantic Europe trip…..LOL, so do use Sunscreen, even guys this is for you too.

Also you have to carry a bottle of water and keep sipping as many liquids as you can to keep yourself hydrated. Caps and sunglasses are must too.

• Top things to do in Venice 11: Wear comfortable walking shoes

You will have to walk a lot in Venice as its best viewed on foot so comfortable shoes are must.

• Top things to do in Venice 12: Get a bottle of Prosecco (local semi sparkling white wine)

Prosecco is the local white wine produces in Veneto.You get good quality Prosecco wines in Venice. We tasted this and it was just amazing .I also gifted this bottle to my dad and he absolutely loved it so do try it when in Venice.

• Top things to do in Venice 11: Go on a food tour

I so so wanted to do this but I did miss it when I travelled to Venice. I am still mentioning it here for all those who are eager to know about the food and wines in this area.

Food tours are best ways of knowing the place, meeting the locals,learning about different natural spices and herbs, local vegetables and fruits etc

Food tours like (http://www.viator.com/tours/Venice/Venice-Food-Tour-Cicchetti-and-Wine/d522-5965CICCHETTI) and (https://www.walksofitaly.com/venice-tours/venice-food-tour) are on my list for sure in my next visit to Venice.

• Top things to do in Venice 14: last but not the least,Get lost in the lanes of Venice.

Nothing can beat this experience as everything looks very similar and by getting lost you can actually enjoy the small cozy lanes and piazzas of this amazing floating city. Venice was actually designed that way as it was a city of merchants and lovers so the roads here are quite tricky and confusing but its the best thing to do when you are here.

In our total stay in venice, we lost almost every day but as I said it was worth it.

As I said before there is so much to do and enjoy in Venice but this was our list of things to enjoy here. If you have something more to share do write to me back.

Now as you know what to do in Venice, You must also know what not to do when in Venice.My next blog about the same coming soon.

Till then Keep reading and keep travelling… CIAO