When this trip came to be it was planned out to be four days in Rome with an overnight excursion to Florence. We quickly received an email letting us know our flight was being moved a day and so, with the extra day, the trip shifted a bit to two days in Florence, two days in Venice, and two days in Rome. Venice for me, was a chance to see the famous canal city. Venice for Corey was a chance at a whole new list of birds. A last-minute addition of two days in Venice was a slice of Italian magic and we loved being on the water. We had no agenda for our two days in Venice and we wandered in and out of shops, enjoyed cocktails in piazzas, tried different restaurants, and soaked in the culture of the canal city.
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| Taking the bus to Venice |
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| Taking the train from Florence to Venice |
Getting to Venice, truly could not have been easier. We were exploring Italy via the high-speed trains (affordable, convenient, and so sincredily easy and when our time in Florence ended, we headed back to the train station, Firenze Santa Maria Novella, the same one we arrived on from Rome. We bought our tickets online and waited at the station for our platform to show up on the board. The platfroms are all outside and set up in this linear fashion making it very easy to quickly head to your platform. Once we were onboard, it was an easy 2 hour train ride to Venice (clean, comfortable, wifi, bathrooms) where we got off at the Mestre station. There are two stations in Venice, so make sure you find out which is closer to your final destination. From there, our host picked us up and got us squared away on the access fees, how to get around, and where the nearest grocery store was.
Venice Access Fee and Exemptions
Our AirBnb host off the island helped us with the Venice Access Fee exemption. This website includes a list of exemptions and it seems that for us, because we paid our AirBnb a tourist tax, we were exempt from the Venice Access Fee. However, even exempt, you still have to fill out the applicable form (it asks where you are staying, etc) and get a QR code. You may be asked by city staff to present this code. I was asked one morning entering the city and Corey was never stopped and asked.
Starting April 3, 2026, Venice requires a €5–€10 access fee for day-trippers (14+ years old) entering the historic center on 60 specific high-traffic days, mainly between 8:30 am and 4 pm. Visitors must pay online at the official Venezia Unica portal to receive a required QR code, which costs €5 if booked early, or €10 if booked 3 days or less before the visit
click here to pay the access fee and read about exemptions
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| Streets of Venice |
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| Night 1 dinner spot |
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| Canals of Venice |
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| Venice Vaporetto rides at night |
Visiting Venice
Venice was as magical and beautiful as (almost) everyone says it is. It is a car free island and you get around by foot, or by boat. We went into our two days in Venice with zero plans. Corey and I talked about having the days free to wander, stumble upon shops, get lost on the island, and just explore the quiet alleys and beautiful views the island is known for. There is something so freeing about wandering around with zero plans, expectations, or timetable to meet. Corey and I are also both fiercely independent and it was lovely to spend half of our days splitting up (Corey birding, me wandering and eating) and get together in the later afternoon again to explore.
48 Hour Transportation Pass
Corey did some research and discovered the easiest and probably cheapest way for us to get around the city was to get the 48-hour pass. ACTV provides all public transport in Venice and your pass works on all the transportation that has the wave logo. We used the water bus known as the "Vaporetto" to get around Venice itself and the other islands, and the normal bus which took us from our AirBnb to the start of Venice/last point where vehicles are allowed.
If you are looking to plan a more affordable trip to Venice, I highly recommend staying off the island and taking the bus in to visit. Public transportation is clean, safe, easy to navigate, and affordable.
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| Island map from storymaps.arcgis.com |
About Venice
While it is easy to think of Venice as an island, what we think of as the "Island" of Venice is actually a collection of over 100 islands and over 150 canals divided into 6 boroughs: Cannaregio, Castello, Dorsoduro, San Marco, San Polo, and Santa Croce. The buildings were built with long wooden piles that were driven deep into the ground in a sequence of timber piles, a wooden base, a brick foundation and a limestone wall, and there are so many amazing videos and images of how the city came to be.
Beyond the main area that we know as Venice, there are numerous islands and sub islands in the lagoon to explore including the more known islands of Murano and Burano. You can take the vaporetto to some of other islands in the Venetian Lagoon and each island has its own flair and sense of community.
Exploring Venice
If you are looking for a guide of exactly what to do and see, you are not in the right place. We avoided the hot spots (the busiest squares and bridges) and instead just explored the canals and other islands in the lagoons.
Day 1 - Evening in Venice
Day 1 was our travel day and we were in Venice by the late afternoon. We spent the evening exploring the canals and getting our bearings in the city. Heading into the trip, we had a list of food recommendations and for our first night in Venice, we hopped on the water busy and headed to the quieter southeastern end of the island for our first dinner recommendation at Osteria San Isepo. Dinner was also next to a green space/quiet park which was a win for Corey who is always on the lookout for birds, and we wandered around for a bit and even heard a few owls chatting through the spring night. At dinner, we went with the staff recommendation of linguine and clams which had come out of the lagoon that same day. We had an amazing meal and took in the magic that is Venice views from the water at night. There is something so surreal about jumping around this beautiful city on different water taxis with boats and gondolas all around and not a car in sight. The city is bustling, the lights are twinkling, and all around you is laughter, music, lights, and boats.
Day 2 - Venice, Murano and Burano
Day 2, I set out early to explore the main island/Venice for a bit before meeting Corey later in the day at the island of Burano. I took the bus down to Piazzale Roma (the last area accessible by cars) and I walked through the city on a beautiful spring morning, wandering through streets and stopping into shops as they opened for the day. The city was special in the morning light and I followed narrow side streets that opened into random piazzas and squares were people were starting off their day. I decided to wander through some of Venice's more touristy spots like the Rialto Bridge, Piazza San Marco, and St Mark's Basilica. The architecture was stunning but as the crowds built up in this famous spot, I continued on to the water taxis that ventured farther into the lagoon.
Murano and Burano
Murano is a collection of 7 islands connected by bridges and canals just north of Venice, famous for artisanal glass making. Visitors come to the island for glass-blowing demonstrations and souvenirs. I wandered around the island for a bit, purchasing glass beaded bracelets for Piper and I and taking in the sights of the island before hopping back on the vaporetto for the further island of Burano.
While Murano is known for its glass, Burano is a much smaller island known for its brightly colored fishermen's houses and lace-making heritage. Burano is also a great spot to buy Murano glass but it was here on the island of lace where I set off to find a dress as a souvenir. In KW fashion, I had no agenda and just spent the day wandering around the island. I walked over bridges, sat on the docks, had a slow seafood lunch with wine and tiramisu, and just enjoyed the reflection of the colorful houses on the water.
Venice is one of those places that is so hard to describe. You go to experience the culture, to enjoy long days walking around a car free island and the network of canals and hundreds bridges that weave through the city. You can enjoy fresh seafood right from the lagoon while taking in the beauty that is a city built on a network of islands. April was a lovely time to visit and no matter how crowded one piazza could be, just a few turns down a city street and you could find yourself quietly wandering the canals in silence. Water boats are the city bus here and it is special to motor around the lagoon and take in the city lights from the boats at night. I don't have an extensive "must see" guide and just the opposite, I think the beauty of this city is to show up and wander, walk as much as you can and get a little lost while soaking up all the sunshine, good food and wine that are almost always promised in Venice.
Beyond the main area that we know as Venice, there are numerous islands and sub islands in the lagoon to explore including the more known islands of Murano and Burano. You can take the vaporetto to some of other islands in the Venetian Lagoon and each island has its own flair and sense of community.
Exploring Venice
If you are looking for a guide of exactly what to do and see, you are not in the right place. We avoided the hot spots (the busiest squares and bridges) and instead just explored the canals and other islands in the lagoons.
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| St Mark's Basilica |
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| Gondola's in the canal |
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| Walking through Venice |
Day 1 was our travel day and we were in Venice by the late afternoon. We spent the evening exploring the canals and getting our bearings in the city. Heading into the trip, we had a list of food recommendations and for our first night in Venice, we hopped on the water busy and headed to the quieter southeastern end of the island for our first dinner recommendation at Osteria San Isepo. Dinner was also next to a green space/quiet park which was a win for Corey who is always on the lookout for birds, and we wandered around for a bit and even heard a few owls chatting through the spring night. At dinner, we went with the staff recommendation of linguine and clams which had come out of the lagoon that same day. We had an amazing meal and took in the magic that is Venice views from the water at night. There is something so surreal about jumping around this beautiful city on different water taxis with boats and gondolas all around and not a car in sight. The city is bustling, the lights are twinkling, and all around you is laughter, music, lights, and boats.
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| Linguini and clams at Osteria San Isepo |
Day 2, I set out early to explore the main island/Venice for a bit before meeting Corey later in the day at the island of Burano. I took the bus down to Piazzale Roma (the last area accessible by cars) and I walked through the city on a beautiful spring morning, wandering through streets and stopping into shops as they opened for the day. The city was special in the morning light and I followed narrow side streets that opened into random piazzas and squares were people were starting off their day. I decided to wander through some of Venice's more touristy spots like the Rialto Bridge, Piazza San Marco, and St Mark's Basilica. The architecture was stunning but as the crowds built up in this famous spot, I continued on to the water taxis that ventured farther into the lagoon.
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| Glass Making on Murano |
Murano and Burano
Murano is a collection of 7 islands connected by bridges and canals just north of Venice, famous for artisanal glass making. Visitors come to the island for glass-blowing demonstrations and souvenirs. I wandered around the island for a bit, purchasing glass beaded bracelets for Piper and I and taking in the sights of the island before hopping back on the vaporetto for the further island of Burano.
While Murano is known for its glass, Burano is a much smaller island known for its brightly colored fishermen's houses and lace-making heritage. Burano is also a great spot to buy Murano glass but it was here on the island of lace where I set off to find a dress as a souvenir. In KW fashion, I had no agenda and just spent the day wandering around the island. I walked over bridges, sat on the docks, had a slow seafood lunch with wine and tiramisu, and just enjoyed the reflection of the colorful houses on the water.
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| Artwork on Burano depicting the colorful houses |
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| Colorful houses of Burano |
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Venice is one of those places that is so hard to describe. You go to experience the culture, to enjoy long days walking around a car free island and the network of canals and hundreds bridges that weave through the city. You can enjoy fresh seafood right from the lagoon while taking in the beauty that is a city built on a network of islands. April was a lovely time to visit and no matter how crowded one piazza could be, just a few turns down a city street and you could find yourself quietly wandering the canals in silence. Water boats are the city bus here and it is special to motor around the lagoon and take in the city lights from the boats at night. I don't have an extensive "must see" guide and just the opposite, I think the beauty of this city is to show up and wander, walk as much as you can and get a little lost while soaking up all the sunshine, good food and wine that are almost always promised in Venice.
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