Venice in 1 day

To me, one of the great joys of Venice is just walking, and getting lost. The whole Island is a maze and I seem to almost always find something new or interesting. I quite like walking along the water from the Doge's palace up as far as the Biennial gardens, stopping briefly to look at the gates of the Arsenale. On the other side of the Island, the Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo where there is also a medical museum and (if I remember correctly) one of the landside entrances to the hospital which is almost unrecognisable as such because of the architecture.

TimW, the medical museum and the entrance to the hospital are part of the Scuola Grande di San Marco - one of Venice’s seven historic scuole grandi which were essentially charitable institutions brimming with art you can still admire today.

On this train of thought, merfranklin13 you could visit Scuola Grande di San Rocco (its chapter hall rivals the grand rooms in Doge's Palace).

You mention active experiences, so why not see Venice from above? Reaching some of the city’s most spectacular viewpoints often means climbing staircases and sometimes squeezing through tight spaces — especially at places like the cupola of Santa Maria della Salute or St. Mark's Clock Tower: https://www.cityscrolls.com/venice/from-above/

Btw, since July 2025, your entrance ticket to St. Mark’s Basilica also includes free access to see Tintoretto and Titian's paintings in the Sacristy of La Salute — giving you one more reason to take on the climb to the dome (a separate €8 fee). From up there, the views over the Grand Canal and the San Marco Basin are breathtaking.

Once you're back down, head to nearby Punta della Dogana for another fabulous panoramic spot, this time at water level. From there, begin your stroll along the Zattere waterfront - the promenade is especially magical at sunset!

And if you're not ready to stop, then simply wander into the heart of Dorsoduro where the ever-changing layout of canals and charming bridges invite you to never stop exploring as no 2 areas are the same.

...one of the great joys of Venice is just walking, and getting lost.

Very, very true! It's amazing the great thing one finds when just wandering about the city. The RS guide book has (or had) at least one self guided walking tour. You may also be able to download an audio tour/guide.

One thing that many completely overlook is the Jewish Ghetto. Do some checking on the internet and see if it holds any interest for you.

Agree with the others that exploring and wandering is the most enjoyable part. If you want something active and unique to Venice - check out Row Venice for sure.

yes Row Venice! :)

Explore Venice! Get lost! Don't use a paper map or google maps. Venice is like no other. With its canals, bridges, and beautiful architecture, and there is something interesting to see, however big or small, around every corner. Explore Dorsoduro which is so beautiful and interesting, and will take you far from the maddening crowds. Have drinks and cicchettis on the Zattere along the Giudecca Canal!

Getting lost in the labyrinthine passages of Venice is a great way to explore the city.

If you continue east from St. Mark’s square and the Doge’s Palace along the canal, you’ll soon be in front of the 14th-century Palazzo Dandolo, built by the Dandolo family—one of Venice’s most powerful dynasties which had four descendants become Dogi of Venice. Today, the Palazzo Dandolo is part of the luxurious Hotel Danieli. Check out the lobby and public spaces of this incredible building from the 1300’s.

Walk on a bit further and you’ll soon be at the Arsenale which were the shipyards and armories that produced Venice’s massive navy fleet. Venice grew into an empire and became a world power for 500 years because of this Arsenale. . One ship every day could be built by the teams of shipbuilders who worked here in what basically was one of the world’s first mass production assembly lines.

The Navy History Museum is here with its ship models and—-this year— if you go to the Biennale architectural exhibit being held here— you can enter many of the buildings where the Venetian naval fleet was built centuries ago.

Because some areas of the Arsenale today are an Italian Navy base, much of it is usually off limits to the public. But with this year’s Biennale exhibition being held through November 23, you can see some of these historic buildings—and also enter many of them—just by buying an admission ticket for about €25 to the 2025 Biennale.

Happy to see the Venetian Arsenal being mentioned. I agree with Kenko that the entire complex is fascinating.

Btw, the northern part (vaporetto stop 'Bacini - Arsenale Nord') should be free to enter, and that's also the place where you'll find an interesting sculpture of 6 giant pairs of hands atop a dock, each symbolizing an universal human value.