How many nights in Venice?

I think it really depends on what you plan to do in Venice besides visiting Burano and Murano. I would stay for a typical visit to the city, three nights would be sufficient. What time do you arrive on your first day? Rather than "rest", I suggest getting out and doing some things until the local bedtime on that first day, which really helps me the best with jet lag and acclimation (resetting that internal clock).

We want to do the regular sites and spend time wandering. I didn’t know if we would have enough time with visiting the islands (I’ve not been to Venice before). I agree with not napping but keep moving, lol, until bedtime.

I would book for four nights. This way you can spend a leisurely day going to the islands. If you find yourselves with an extra day, take a day trip to Padua.

I think 3 nights is enough for Venice, but it also depends on how much time you have for the rest of your trip. If you are traveling for 6 weeks in Italy, then you can devote more time to every place compared to someone who travels there for 2 or 3 weeks.

Personally, if you get there early enough, I would even consider going to Murano and Burano on the afternoon of your arrival day. That way you get it out of your system right away. The next two days then you devote to Venice only, which I think it's sufficient for most visitors.

Four nights. You never know when you're really going to get there, based on my last two post- COVID trips, on which the flights were significantly delayed / canceled.
Have a great trip!

We spent four nights in Venice last summer and felt like that was perfect. It was the last stop of a 12 night trip. We arrived about noon the first day and left first thing in the morning the last day. We had thus 3.5 days during which we spent one day visiting the islands including Cemetery Island, Murano, and Burano.

I think you are underestimating how long it will take to go to Murano and Burano. Murano isn’t too far but Burano took us an hour.

I would say 4 nights in Venice, if that fits into your trip. Your first day will be a part day, once you get into the city, check in to your lodging, etc. Stroll some interesting neighborhoods, take in a site or two if you have the energy during jet lag etc. Eat up! Try to make your “islands” day a long one. Start with rural Torcello and a visit to its ancient (639 AD) Basilica complex, birthplace of Venice. Then nearby Burano, including a nice lunch. Finally Murano and its glass work. On both Burano and Murano, I encourage you to go walking well beyond the heavily-touristed commercial areas, and explore the quieter and interesting residential neighborhoods, very different on the two islands. That leaves you two days for the many varied sites, neighborhoods, canals and experiences of Venice itself, including meals, markets, evening concerts, etc. As mentioned earlier, if you find you have an extra day, head out to nearby Padua, which would also merit a visit of at least a couple of days.

I would concur with Beth to extend to 4 nights. We were in Venice for a week doing some ancestral research. We ended up skipping Murano and focused on Burano & Torcello. Loved both islands!
As suggested up thread you might consider visiting the islands on day of arrival? Getting out in the fresh air would be great.

Four nights for sure! Doing Murano and Burano takes longer than you might think, as it is 3/4 hour plus a bit vaporetto trip. Download the app Chebateo (which boat) and you can plot your route and see the vaporetto timetable.

Personally, I would skip Murano, unless you are really keen to see glass blown (and get a hard sell in the showroom). But do go to Torcello, short vap ride from Burano. The mosaics in the cathedral on Torcello are stunning, a Virgin with all the cares of the world looking down on you. Torcello was the first settlement in the Lagoon, abandoned when silting of the canals and malaria made life too tough. The Torcello campanile is really worth the climb, great views over the Lagoon.

On the vap from Venice to Burano, get off the vap at Mazzorbo, and then it is a stroll through a vineyard and over a bridge to Burano. When returning, the line/queue for the vap at Burano may be so long that you cannot get on the first boat. But if you walk over to Mazzorbo, they have to let you board.

Mazzorbo used to be a big deal, convents with particularly racy nuns, campaniles, customs entry point from the Levant and so on. It is more quiet now.
Fun fact. From the Latin. Big city = major urbis = Mazzorbo.

The ;more nights in Venice the better.

You do need a bit of time to get a handle on Venice. Navigation is difficult; many main thoroughfares are only a couple of metres wide, and you will undoubtedly get lost. The key to finding your way about is to navigate from campo to campo, and also look for the signs “per San Marco”, “per Rialto” and “per Ferrovia” (the iron road, aka station). I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a paper map, Google navigation and the like are crappy in Venice. With a paper map, ask directions and someone can point out on the map where you are.

Many people say that getting lost in Venice is a great thing to do, and there is some truth to that; I have found heaps of things there just by chance. But when you are lugging luggage, jet lagged and tired, the happiest thing you will see is the front door of your hotel.

Getting around takes longer than you might expect. Sure, one can walk from Ferrovia to San Marco in half an hour. Maybe if you know your way, don’t get lost and do it at night you can achieve that. But not when the tourist traffic is heavy.

Wow, so much helpful insight. I haven’t booked flights yet because they aren’t available yet and it seems kinda early, right? The prices keep significantly fluctuating. I’m looking at flying multi city into Venice and home from Rome.
Aussie, thanks for the idea to board in Mazzorbo. I did wonder how long the lines would be to board each way. That’s quite an interesting bit of fact you added! 😄
Roberto, the extra day, if we decide to do it, would be added to the beginning of our trip so it wouldn’t interfere with anything. I like the idea of visiting the islands on arrival day but it depends if we can find decently priced flights to Venice. She’s coming from LA and me from NC. If we fly into Rome, that would add a 4 hour train ride, doable, but some of the flights arrive pretty early.
Oh Pat, I’m sorry to hear about your flights, hence the reason I was considering going a day early like I said.
You’ve given me a lot to think about.

Just a suggestion, take a look at the book Secret Venice by Jonglez. It lists many of the Off Broadway things to see in Venice. For instance, the numerology that influenced the design pf the Salute. For me, it is the small stuff that keeps drawing us back to Venice.

Best book ever written about Venice is”Venice” by Morris.

I can never be in Venice too long. I was just there in March, 5th visit, for 4 nights and decided the next time, I'd spend at least a week.

It's the very best place to start a trip to Italy (or maybe anywhere :-). There's no traffic, it's easy to get away from the crowds by walking a few minutes down a side canal. You can relax and soak up the atmosphere at a cafe on the Grand Canal, or riding the vaporetto and watching the city slip past - best in the early morning and after dark.

And any time you can add a day to a trip to Europe, I think you should do it!

Chani, you are making me relax just by reading your post. We have planned this trip to include cities yes, but to also be balanced with enough relaxing, leisurely times in Tuscany. And starting in Venice without feeling rushed would be a nice way to start.
Aussie, thanks for the book suggestions. Sounds like a good way to get acquainted with Venice beforehand.

On the recommendation of @Aussie, I purchased the Jonglez Secret Venice. Oh my! We have a full 8 days there and I can’t imagine we will be able to see all the items I have marked in the book! And then add to that a few must see and a couple of fun Venetian tours and we aren’t going to get any rest. Yikes.
It’s a great book and I am looking forward to seeing what we can from what I marked.

Venice sees about 18 million visitors a year, although I am unconvinced that 18 million see Venice. I some ways, Venice is a very intimate city. It can be fun to discover those intimate things, in a way it gives a sense of quiet ownership.
In the Piazza, facing Quadri, go left past the Olivetti showroom. At the point where the Piazza paving meets the Istrian stone edge of the paving in the colonade, there is a little brass marker set into the Istrian stone, about 1.5 inches in diameter. It marks the exact axis of the Basilica. Find that, and you are one in 18 million.

In the far reaches of Castello stands the church of St Peter, once the seat of the Patriarch of Venice. The stone clad campanile is unigue. In the path leading diagonally from the church door to the canal, there is a single white paving stone. It is equidistant from the door and the landing place on the canal. It marks the exact spot where the Patriarch would greet he Doge when he visited. A monument to the egos of those two gents, both having to walk the same distance.

“Egomaniac? Moi?”

I've been there a number of times, and the last two visits were two weeks each.
Still not enough time to really delve deep into the history and the outer areas of the city!
On our last night one time, a barman asked how long we had been there, and when we said two weeks, he was horrified and wondered what on earth there was to do for that length of time!
I think he was about 20 years old, so we forgave him. ;)

Aussie, sounds like you could be a guide of hidden gems in Venice!
SJ, that is very funny. We usually don’t think the place we live in is very interesting and yet people vacation in our towns. Well, that and the fact he’s 20!

Hi Kath,
Our first visit was for six nights, and we fellin love with Venice. So the next visit we stayed for almost two months, and in total, we have spent almost a year in Venice, over eight or ten visits.
We find Venice endlessly engaging. Hope you do too.

We just returned from Europe and had three nights in Venice. We left wishing we had longer and to repeat what an earlier poster stated; you need to allow for delays. While it was mostly an inconvenience, there was an electrical issue with the train lines near Rome that throw the Trentalia system into disarray. Our train was canceled and we had to reschedule arriving much later than planned, via a very hot train. While this did not "ruin" the tour of Venice, once we arrived at our accommodations, we were done for the day.

Sailbeachbum and Aussie, we decided to add the fourth day if the Air BNB is still available. I sent an email this evening requesting it. Friends just returned from London (direct flight to Dulles) and said the people that had connecting flights were nervous. So to be safe, we hope it works out to add a cushion day.
Everyone, I appreciate all your help.