EXPLORING VENICE

Exploring Venice is an experience that you will never forget. Whether taking a gondola down the Grand Canal or examining this romantic city's unique setting and architecture while on foot, you will find Venice inviting and magical.

Piazza San Marco
Most tourists make a beeline for the Piazza San Marco (Saint Mark's Square, also known as the Piazetta), a large, broad public square. St. Mark's is the main meeting place in Venice and host to the most well-known attractions in tourist Venice. As you land at the dock of St, Mark's, you will see two columns. One is crowned with Saint Theodore, the patron saint of Venice, while the other is topped with the Lion of St. Mark.

St. Mark's Basilica
St. Mark's Basilica was built to house the reliquary of St. Mark and the saint's tomb is the focus of the cathedral. Venetian merchants in reportedly smuggled St. Mark's body out of Egypt in the 9th century, packed in pork to avoid searches by the port inspectors who, of course, practiced Islam, a religion that considers pig and its by-products to be "unclean".

Campanile
The original Campanile, which was visited by Galileo in the 17th century, collapsed during repair work in 1902 and the present structure was rebuilt in 1912. You can climb to the top for a nice view of the Piazza, St. Mark's and the Doge's Palace. The Campanile is the tallest structure in Venice.

Doge’s Palace also known as Palazzo Ducale (Ducal Palace)
The Doges (dukes) ruled Venice and the Palazzo Ducale, serving as both the Doge's Palace and the seat of government, was Venice's center of power until the Venetian Republic ended in the 18th century. A tour of the building reveals the historic grandeur that accrued to Venice in its role as a major sea power and the mercantile center of the Mediterranean.

Museo Correr
In the Napoleon wing of the Piazza San Marco, you will find the Museo Correr. The Museo houses a sizable collection of Venetian art and artifacts from medieval and Renaissance times. You will see a lot of the similar art in the major museum venues of Venice,

Grand Canal /Canalazzo
The famous waterway is approximately two-miles long and faced with impressive palaces that were owned by the city's wealthy seafaring merchants. Take the Vaporetto and tour during the day and night to see the real beauty of the Grand Canal.The Rialto Bridge provides a good land view of the Grand Canal and is the center of commerce in modern day Venice

Island Excursions

Murano Located just north of Venice, this island is famous for its glass arts and glassblowers. If you are interested in the art of glassmaking, visit the Museo del Vetro (if you have a Venice Museum Pass, you can use it here as well). Most of the glass shops are open daily. Prices are at a premium, but there are few places you can find a bargain in Venice.


Burano Famous for its lace shops, most of which are open daily, some closed on Sunday. Look closely to make sure you are buying Italian lace, as many varieties of lace, including imports from China, are available here