For the first time visitor short on time, the key attractions you will normally head for are the Rialto Bridge and St Mark's Square and normally you will arrive at either the bus station, cruise terminal or Santa Lucia Railway Station all clustered together at the northern end of the main island.
Your options are either to walk or to get the Venice water bus down the Grand Canal. The following few paragraphs outline the main walking route.
St Lucia station/cruise terminal/bus station to Rialto Bridge
The main walking route between St Lucia Station and St Mark's Square passes the Rialto Bridge. The people mover from the cruise terminal will deposit you in Piazzale Roma, the end of the road from the mainland where the car parks and the bus station is located. From Piazzale Roma you just cross the pedestrian bridge over to St Lucia Station.
With your back to the railway station and facing the Grand Canal with the water bus stops in front of you turn left and follow the wide path parallel to the Grand Canal. A tourist office is here in front of the station where you can pick up a map (for a fee) which is recommended.
Signage is surprisingly very basic and sporadic, just the occasional battered sign at some points whilst at some junctions, nothing.
After leaving the railway station the main pedestrian road veers inland away from the Grand canal, you will only catch glimpses of it now until you reach the Rialto Bridge. The way ahead sets the scene for this section of the walk, a wide pedestrianised street with shops either side.
Along the way you will pass countless restaurants and tourist shops, a couple of supermarkets and a McDonald's.
You are basically following the main route used by the majority and it's a matter of following the crowd, ignoring all side alleys and routes. The way for the most part is wide, lined by shops, but a few small bottleneck sections are narrow and twisty.
The street (Rio Tera Lista di Spagna) leads you to a small square and immediately after you cross a bridge over a major canal.
On the other side of the bridge our way becomes the Rio Tera San Leonardo.
After about 150m the wide street forks and there is no signage. Our way takes the right fork.
You can now go on auto-pilot where the way ahead is obvious, the main shopping street just interrupted by a few points where small bridges cross canals.
After a Conad supermarket and a McDonald's on your left, keep going straight along the main street until the street kinks left. After the kink, you turn right along with most other people down a narrow section and almost immediately cross a canal, shortly followed by another canal crossing. Another 150 yards and you cross a 3rd canal. Another 100 yards and you empty out onto a small square, (Campo San Bartolomeo) with statue pictured above prominent.
From the Campo San Bartolomeo, take the main turn right and the Rialto Bridge is right in front of you.
Rialto Bridge to St Mark's Square
Resuming our walk from the Campo San Bartolomeo as if we had not turned right to the Rialto Bridge walk straight ahead to the other end of the square and carry on straight forward.
After about 150m ahead after going through the Campo San Salvador you cross over a canal, then take the next left, the Calle dei Fabbri.
Follow the the Calle dei Fabbri straight ignoring all turn-offs and crossing a canal before the path comes to an end at a T-junction. Turn left then immediately right and you are in St Mark's Square.
FAQs
These are the solutions: walk on the right side of the streets, don't block bridges to make pictures, they are often bottle necks, if you walk at slowly pace try to walk on a single line.
What to see walking around Venice? ›
For the first time visitor short on time, the key attractions you will normally head for are the Rialto Bridge and St Mark's Square and normally you will arrive at either the bus station, cruise terminal or Santa Lucia Railway Station all clustered together at the northern end of the main island.
How hard is it to walk around Venice? ›
Venice is actually quite small and you can walk to most places if you want. You will need a good sense of direction, though, because the labyrinth of little streets is confusing to newcomers. If you are not up to walking you can ride in a vaporetto, the floating buses that serve stops along the biggest canal.
How long does it take to walk from one end of Venice to the other? ›
To help you plan your sightseeing, we've listed our ideal itineraries for Venice, whether you're going for one day, two days, three days, or more. Venice is small. You can walk across it, from head to tail, in about an hour. Nearly all of your sightseeing is within a 20-minute walk of the Rialto Bridge or St.
Is Venice pedestrian friendly? ›
In Venice, most travel is on foot. Venice may be famous for its vaporetti and gondolas, but walking is often the quickest way to get from place to place.
Do people wear jeans in Venice? ›
Do people wear jeans in Venice? Yes, they do. Most of the places in Venice are fine with casual attire.
Where to start walking in Venice? ›
Start: St Mark's Square
There is no better place to start a walk in Venice than St Mark's Square. Linger here if you haven't already but from the piazza we walked to Acqua Alta bookshop, one of the most interesting spots in Venice.
What is the prettiest area in Venice? ›
DORSODURO AND ITS BREATHTAKING VIEWS
Why is Dorsoduro one of the most beautiful areas of Venice? Without doubt for the panoramic views it offers to tourists and city dwellers. Just think of the Giudecca islands that extend right in front of Dorsoduro and San Marco.
What is the best food to eat in Venice? ›
Food in Venice
- Bigoli in salsa.
- Risi e Bisi.
- Scampi alla Busara.
- Baccalà Mantecato.
- Fegato alla veneziana.
- Fritole veneziane.
- Spaghetti al nero di seppia.
- Sarde in saor.
San Marco. At one point or another, every traveler to Venice winds up in San Marco. This small sestiere boasts many of Venice's main sights—which means that, while beautiful, it's also now one of the most crowded, touristic, and expensive neighborhoods in Venice.
Roller bags are exceptionally difficult in Venice, between the cobbled streets and steps up to bridges. But then, we are "ultra-light" travelers, so I can fit everything into that sized backpack and on oversized purse. We try to be as "portable" and hands-free as possible.
What are the best walking streets in Venice? ›
Where to find the Venice Beach Walk Streets. There are four walk streets to discover in total – Crescent Place, Amoroso Place, Marco Place and Nowita Place.
Is Venice walkable in a day? ›
Train travel makes seeing Venice in a day easy. Once you arrive in Venice, the best way to get around is on foot. All the main tourist attractions are within walking distance of one another. However, public transport is available via expensive water taxis, traditional gondola rides, and easily accessible ferry boats.
Can you walk to St. Mark's Square, Venice? ›
For first time visitors it's the natural magnet to head for upon arriving. However, the only way to get to St Mark's Square is by water transport or at least an hour's walk from the railway station, car parks, bus stations and cruise terminals of Venice.
Can you walk along the Grand Canal in Venice? ›
Accessing the Grand Canal
Either side of the Grand Canal private buildings front the waterfront, there is no footpath alongside the Grand Canal. You can walk between Santa Lucia Railway Station and St Mark's Square and view the Rialto Bridge on the way, but your only glimpse of the Grand Canal will be at Rialto Bridge.
Is Venice floating or on stilts? ›
While barbarians pillaged Italy, Venice thrived. Their settlement grew into a city, which grew into the greatest naval power in the Mediterranean—with the whole thing built on stilts. Over the centuries, sediments beneath the city gradually compacted.
Can you walk streets in Venice? ›
For those not aware of them, Venice's Walk Streets are pedestrian-only enclaves tucked away in the fabric of Venice that harken back to another era.
Can you sit on the floor in Venice? ›
3) Sitting on the ground
If you decide to try your luck and rest your weary soul you might be fined between €100 and €200 and risk being banned from the immediate location.
Does Venice have a lot of steps? ›
As a city of canals, Venice understandably has lot of bridges. This means there will be a lot of steps required in your day to day exploring. If this is likely to pose a challenge for you, consider if this means you need more down time in your itinerary.
