Venice for 3 nights

Have you bought the RS Venice 2011 book yet? If not, that will be the perfect starting point for you. He prioritizes all the major sights. Good luck. (Edited to be Venice book, rather than Italy book, as pointed out below)

Rick Steves' Venice Guide goes into more detail and has more info than the Italy book. also take a look at the DK Eyewitness Top Ten Travel Series. Top Ten Venice. Take a look at your local bookstore or order online.

Rick Steves has such a great guide to planning your time in Venice. You can't go wrong. In fact, I think it is on this website somewhere as well as in the book. That said, I cannot emphasize enough the need to get out of San Marco sestiere and just WALK. Go down an unmarked calle and get lost. I just bought a great book to guide our second trip, "24 Great Walks in Venice." We love to take self-guided walking tours and get away from the day trippers and common tourist hangouts.

Just try to visit the more popular sites early before the cruise crowds get there. Also, I'll second both the RS book and the Eyewitness book. They are both great. If you have time, don't leave out a trip to Murano/Burano.

3 days in Venice should allow for a day trip to Veronna (which I would highly recommend). Other than that taking a trip to Murano and the cementary island on the way are both unique attactions to visit. I use Rick's books but I also use Samantha Brown (Travel Channel) and Bizarre Foods (also Travel Channel) as well as No Reservations (Travel Channel) to find unique local places to eat at and visit. Unfortunately, many foreigners have bought up local businesses in Venice and finding a good local place to eat requires some research.

We booked a cicchetti tour with Alessandro Schezzini (in the RS book) and it was a great way to learn your way around happy hour in Venice. Also, we booked a 2 hour tour with www.venicewithaguide.com and enjoyed seeing parts of Venice we hadn't seen on previous trips. We specifically asked for a NO museum and NO church tour (the teenagers were rebelling at that point). The guide took us to the Arsenale (where the ships were built in a day in the 1500's) and while you could not get inside the Arsenale, it was interesting to see that area of the island. On our own, we have toured the various churches and San Zaccaria is our favorite. Oh, don't forget to save an evening for a Vivaldi concert at San Vidal, near the Accademia Bridge.

If you like modern art and are considering the Peggy Guggenheim, ask around if there will be an after-hours garden party (I forget exactly what they call it). Basically we got to see the entire museum with two complimentary drinks (and a DJ). While certainly feeling out of place with the hip locals, it was really a fun way of checking out the Museum. I believe it was on a Monday or Tuesday.

IF you are a fan of contemporary art, the Palazzo Grassi, La Dogana, and the new Vedova museum on the Zattere, are all a must. Just walking along the Zattere at the end of the day is pretty sweet. It is like a wide "sidewalk" on the edge of the water, looking across towards the Giudecca area.
The area down near the Public Gardens is less touristy, too. Check out Via Garibaldi...Have a great time!!

I loved just walking around the city - it's all fabulous. Drop into any church you see. the Frari is great. other must sees... St. Mark's square in the eveing when the bands are playing. Interior of St. Marks and the Doges Palace tour. Grand canal ride on vaparetto, or gondola ride (preferably in the evening), corny and pricey but unbelievable too.
for 3 days this should be enough!

Have a bellini at Harry's Bar. Go to a Vivaldi concert. Take in Teatro La Fenice. Sign up for a walking tour, or, just stroll around yourself and take in the Venetian life in Cannaregio.

Totally agree that Rick's list of top places is very helpful - there's so much to see and do, it's pretty overwhelming. Some other tips: try to get out early and/or stay out late - Rialto & Piazza San Marco are absolute ZOOS midday, and in my taste, not a whole lot of fun. Be sure to go to the Rialto market, but go really early when it's just locals. For visiting San Marco, definitely take advantage of the free bag check to legally cut in line, totally worth it just to hear the dismayed protests from the people you cut in front of who didn't read their guidebooks! Get off the beaten path and just wander around, and visit some more obscure, less crowded churches and campos. Venice is pricey and the food is generally not that amazing (cicchetti aside) so visit some markets and alimentari and have a cheap and tasty picnic in your room to save time & money. If you're going to the Accademia, go early - it opens at something like 8:30, and we got in with no reserved tickets and had the place to ourselves - by the time we got out, the tour groups were just getting started. Use the vaporetti sparingly, they're pretty pricey - be sure to do the Grand Canal cruise in the RS book, but if you can walk to your destination, do it. Gondolas are a great way to see a side of Venice you can't walking, if you do spring for one, skip the Grand Canal tour (you can see the exact same thing for a fraction of the price on a vaporetto) and ask for the quiet, back "alley" tour. It's so peaceful and relaxing. If you can't tell, I LOOOOVE Venice - have a great trip!

Went to Venice for 3 days last year, wish I could live there. Must see are: Of course Saint Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace (the prison's are amazing), St. Mark's square, Frari church, Correr Museum, Peggy Guggenheim Museum, Campo Della Salute, Hard Rock(free refills, amazing), just strolling is fun.

Just walking around is a wonderful experience, especially in the early morning and visiting the markets. The last time I was in Venice, the area around San Marco was overcrowded and quite uncomfortable. I ended up walking quite a bit in the Dorsoduro and Cannaregio areas. Loved the I Frari church and was amazed at the Tintorettos in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco next door to the church. For a first-time visit, the Basilica di San Marco is a must-see, and of course, the slow vaporetto ride down the Grand Canal.

I wanted this same info Lisa. I'm going in May. I bought Rick's Venice guide, and it rocks. After reading this you will know exactly what you want to do and when to do it. He has an itinerary in the book for a three-day visit, which hits all the high points. I will skip some of it, as I want plenty of time to just wander the neighborhoods. But the info in the guide will definitely help you make the best use of your time there. Colleen

Don't foget to buy a vaporetto pass so you aren't paying the high per-trip fees! Available online http://www.veniceconnected.com before you leave the US, or at the Hello Venezia booths in Venice. There is a booth right outside the train station. A 72-hour pass is about 27 euros, as I recall. Per trip it is 6.50 euros! With a pass you hop on-hop off at will and whim.