Is Venice Worth Visiting? Honest Takes on the Italian City

Venice, Italy, is one of those places that you either have super high expectations for or prepare for the worst.

You’ve probably heard that it’s one of the most beautiful, romantic cities in the world. You’ve also probably heard that it’s crowded as heck, with tourist taxes imposed as a feeble attempt to curb the madness.

In the words of one of my favorite memes, “Why not both?”

While it isn’t my favorite Italian city, Venice is everything all at once, in the best AND the worst ways. You won’t know that until you see it, though, and I’m all about reserving judgment until you’ve had personal experience.

That said, I have visited Venice, so I can let the opinions fly fast and loose around here.

Is Venice worth visiting?

Venice is worth visiting for the spectacle. Yes, it’s one of the most crowded cities in Italy, especially during big travel times, but it’s also one of the country’s most iconic cities.

You should see it at least once for those gondolas and the atmospheric setting.

Then you can judge for yourself whether that elbow in the ribs was worth navigating those narrow alleyways.

For me, the pros outweigh the cons, but let’s get into it, shall we?

Venice is photogenic.

I don’t even mean that Venice is all that pretty. The city is showing its age, something you may not notice until you’re here in the off-season and the crowds aren’t as thick.

That canal water gets murky, and I imagine it smells pretty ripe come summer when that water comes up to flood St. Mark’s Square.

Even so, it remains quite photogenic.

Walking the Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal for the first time makes you feel like you’re doing something pretty special. That’s if you can see over all of the ponytails, of course. Even on its worst day, Venice is still visually impressive.

The city is historically important.

Visiting Venice is like stepping through time, once you get away from the dudes selling iPhone chargers near St. Mark’s Square.

It’s hard not to think about the echoes of a bygone era when you’re wandering those labyrinthine streets, wondering when your maps app will start functioning again.

Note: It won’t. Go with it, or download that sh*t before you arrive.

Venice sites like the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica show off a time when Venice was at the crossroads of civilizations.

Inside the old residence of the Doge, you can walk below the Bridge of Sighs, a place named as such because of the heavy sigh prisoners would heave as they passed the view of the canal on their way to the slammer.

As you walk along the canal with your freedom, think about its importance as a maritime power and transportation hub vs. a tourist mecca. That perspective makes Venice hit a little differently.

It’s culturally important, too.

Venice has an excellent cultural scene that will impress any art lover out there.

I read a comment from a blogger once about not being “into” museums and I was just flabbergasted. You’re telling me you moved through cities like Florence, Paris, or even my hometown Chicago without stepping foot in a museum?

Imagine me shaking my head right now.

If you’re not trying to be all punk rock over museums, see the Renaissance wonders of the Gallerie dell’Accademia or more contemporary treasures in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.

I loved the setting of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, too. Once you’re done checking out art by Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, and Salvador Dalí inside, you can walk the garden and visit Peggy’s ashes and the remains of her 14 Lhasa Apsos dogs.

Venice architecture is no slouch.

The architecture in Venice is an intriguing mix of East meets West because of its deep trading history with the Muslim world. A great example of this is Doge’s Palace. The ornaments on the structure’s facade are typical of what you’d see on religious buildings throughout the Middle East.

My favorite architectural wonder in Venice is the historic Teatro La Fenice. It’s also the city’s most resilient attraction. The opera house has burned down and rebuilt multiple times since its founding in 1792.

Fun fact: The theater’s name means “The Phoenix.”

The Rialto Bridge, one of the city’s most iconic structures, is another important architectural spot. It’s the oldest bridge spanning the Grand Canal and has served as an important crossing point in Venice for centuries.

It can be easy to forget that when you’re navigating duck lips on that bridge, but you’ve been reminded now.

Those gondola rides are a treat.

I have a detailed review of gondola rides in Venice to give you a more comprehensive idea of our experience, but I’m firmly in the camp of, “Don’t knock it ’til you try it.”

After you try it, then you can knock it.

There really isn’t anything else in the city that compares to gliding through those canals with ease, though, with a charming gondolier at the helm. Yeah, it’s expensive, but prices are fixed around the city, so you won’t get scammed here.

If it’s a bucket list thing for you and you’re cool with the cost, it’s worth the ride.

You won’t need to dodge cars as you explore.

Our visit to Naples was a harrowing experience because of the madness on roads we couldn’t even tell were roads half the time. Sure, the pizza was great, but I shouldn’t have to dodge cars and mopeds to nosh on some pies.

That won’t happen to you in Venice. You’ll have to navigate snap-happy tourists, but Venice is a car-free zone.

Note: Somehow, the city still isn’t the most walkable, even in the region, but it’s definitely a positive when you’re distracted by everything else all around you.

The key to walking around Venice is deep breaths, especially if you’re not here in the slower winter months. Everyone is here because they want to see what you’re seeing, so remind yourself of that when crowds get thick.

The city rewards those who travel light.

Brian had to help a woman with her enormous bags because she underestimated all of the bridges and hills and uneven stone steps she’d have to navigate upon arrival.

I know you want to bring along some options for all of those aesthetic photos along the canals, but don’t pack more than you can lift.

Fun fact: You will NOT be able to roll your bags to your hotel in Venice no matter where you’re staying.

If you can keep everything in a backpack, that’d be best.

Venetian food is better than they say.

“I visited Venice and the food sucked.”

I’ve seen this criticism a lot on the forums that outrank travel sites these days.

It’s trash criticism. If you can’t find good food in any Italian city, you’re doing something wrong. Maybe you were persuaded inside a restaurant by one of those dudes who stand outside with menus. Maybe you’re relying on advice from Reddit.

Neither option results in a good time.

READ MORE: Love eating your way through Italy? Read about my favorite food tour in Bologna!

In truth, we ate very well in Venice. My favorite thing about the eating scene is that you can survive on snacks.

In Venice, they’re called cicchetti. These finger foods might be little sandwiches, fried pieces of fish, or wedges of cheese. It’s all great, cheap, and pairs well with a budget-friendly glass of red wine.

You have lots of options for cicchetti in town, but Cantina Do Mori was the Anthony Bourdain favorite.

For a heartier meal, look for fresh pasta featuring cuttlefish ink. It’s not as fishy as it sounds, way better than it looks, and very filling.

The wine is cheap.

Despite higher prices on food and tchotchkes, the wine is as cheap as you’d expect when you’re sipping it from the source.

I’ve already mentioned how well it pairs with equally cheap cicchetti, but it’s totally fine to have some sips without snacks, too.

If you’re fancy, Vino Vero is an excellent spot for biodynamic options. You’ll pay a few dollars more for the pleasure, but it’s still nowhere near the prices for wines in Napa or Sonoma.

This city caters to tourists.

This may sound like a backhanded compliment, but it can be a positive for nervous travelers, travelers with kids, or even folks like me who don’t love a late dinner.

Venice has options for decent eating no matter the hours and an easy-to-use public transportation system that includes the vaporetto network.

You can also pop in any of the Venice tourism offices around the city to chat with the very helpful staff about directions, day trips, whether you should get the Venezia Unica City Pass, or dinner options. They love enthusiastic travelers.

All they ask from you is that you respect their city. Easy, right?

Venice goes hard on its festivals.

We arrived on the last night of Carnevale di Venezia, or the Venice Carnival, entirely by accident. Honestly, I am getting a little too old for crowds of this magnitude, and would not have visited on purpose now that I’ve experienced it.

If you are not a stick in the mud, it may be your jam. The costumes were certainly fun, and it seemed like both locals and tourists were very much invested in moving through the city all masked and dramatic.

That’s not all Venice has to offer on the festival circuit. The Venice Film Festival, Regata Storica, and Festa della Sensa are three more big-deal events that happen in the city each year.

While we didn’t notice much of a price difference for Carnevale, I’d expect accommodations to get snatched up quick around these times. Book early.

Venice isn’t a day trip.

I hate telling people that they need to spend a certain amount of time in a destination to do right by that place, but I have to take exception with Venice day trips here.

All of that stuff I said about how friendly and helpful they are here may not apply if you arrive via cruise ship for a few hours of torment. It’s the worst way to see Venice.

To curb some of the day trip traffic, Venice has imposed a fee of €5 for all day trippers over 14 years old.

I’m not sure this will dissuade most from visiting Venice for the day, but knowing that locals are calling out visitors who breeze through in this way wouldn’t make me want to do the very thing that’s bothering them.

I like locals thinking I’m one of the good ones.

You can go island-hopping.

The vibrant colors of Burano are so impressive I’ve seen bloggers favor them all over guides like this to get you to pull out that Visa for Venice travel. I get it. Burano is lovely, and super easy to visit from mainland Venice. I get into it all in my Burano guide.

It’s not your only option for easy trips within the Venetian Lagoon. We fit Burano, Murano, Torcello, and Mazzorbo in one full day and still have energy left over for more cicchetti that night.

READ MORE: Care to recreate our adventure? Read my guide to the islands of the Venetian Lagoon.

It’s a great base for day trips.

Venice is an excellent base for long stays because of its proximity to so much fun outside of the Venetian Lagoon. Padua and the enormous Basilica di Santa’Antonio are just half an hour away by train.

Verona, my favorite day trip from Venice, can be reached in just over an hour. Much like Lucca from busy Florence, the town was a welcome break from crowded Venice nearby.

I have a day trip guide to Verona if you’re visiting Venice for a bit longer. It includes all of the expected Romeo and Juliet stuff in addition to lesser-known stops for the more intrepid travelers out there.

Vicenza sits another half hour east of Verona. That one is still on my list, but it’s known for incredible architecture from Andrea Palladio.

You really need to see Venice for yourself.

I feel like I was a little cautious in my endorsement of Venice to start, but I do think this is one place that you really should see in person, even if it’s just once.

Venice and the coastal region as a whole are also extremely vulnerable to climate change, so there’s an added layer of urgency there to see the city as it is today.

If you’re worried about adding to the overtourism, sites like Responsible Tourism recommend visiting in the winter months when the city is just as lovely and often cheaper. Stay for a few nights rather than popping in for the day, shop locally, and spread your money around outside of the main tourist hubs.

Most importantly, be respectful. Talk to the locals, learn some Italian before your trip, and show your enthusiasm for this city. Simple gestures like this go a long way in changing minds about the impact of tourists on Venice.

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• A Guide to How to See the Florence Duomo
• Things to See on a Day Trip to Parma

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