VENICE Guide

vinorosso © Venetian Gondoliers

(Note: Will update whenever I get more info.)

Main Tourist Sights in Venice (click on link)

Venetian Museums - Official Guide to Venice's historical and civic centers of art.

Information on booking tickets at Venetian museums: The Museum CARD grants entrance to groups of museums, connected by theme: the Museums of St. Mark’s Square, the Museums of 18th-Century Culture, the Museums of Modern Art, the Island Museums. The Museum Card is valid for 3 months and grants only one admission to each Museum. Full price: 11.00 Euros.

The Museum PASS grants entrance to THE MUSEUMS OF ST MARK'S SQUARE, MUSEUMS OF EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY CULTURE, Ca’ Rezzonico, Museum of Eighteenth-Century Venice Goldoni's House and Library of Theatrical Studies Museum of Palazzo Mocenigo and Study Centre for the History of Textiles and Costumes THE ISLAND MUSEUMS Glass Museum - Murano Lace Museum - Burano and to Ca’ Pesaro (International Gallery of Modern Art and Oriental Art Museum) Full price: 15.50 Euros.

NOTE: Neither the Museum Card nor the Museum Pass allows access into the more popular sights (3 sights within St. Mark's Basilica, Campanile Bell Tower, Accademia, Peggy Guggenheim Museum, Scuola Grande di San Rocca).

Secret itineraries tours are all with a specialized guide, for a minimum of 2 people and maximum of 25; they start at fixed time according to the following schedule; (English 9:55 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11:35 a.m.) after 1:00 p.m. tours can be arranged at various times, with an additional payment of 31 Euros for groups (tours are suspended from 1st July to 31 August). Call: 041/271.5911 for more information.

Bookings- can be made at the Museum Information Desk the day before the visit or the same day, depending on availability.

Telephone booking: 041/520.9070 up to 48 hours before the visit.

Suggested Itineraries
Itinerary in Venice - a la NYT and Fodors. They suggest weekend to weeklong excursions in St. Mark's city.
Rick Steves' Itinerary - he has additional tips on his website.

Venice's 6 Districts (I Sei Sestieri)
San Marco - home to the famous Piazza San Marco, the Basilica, Palazzo Ducale, Ponte Rialto, Campanile and Museo Correr
San Polo - home to the Dei Frari Church (has masterpieces by Bellini and Titian, also composer Claudio Monteverdi and sculptor Canova are buried here) and Scuola Grande di San Rocco (works by Tintoretto on display)
Santa Croce - home to Ca'Pesaro (Baroque palace)
Castello - home to Santa Maria Formosa (Renaissance church) and Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni (paintings by Carpaccio)
Dorsoduro - home to the Accademia (finest collection of Venetian works) and the Peggy Guggenheim (modern art collection)
Cannaregio - home to Ca'd'Oro (beautiful Gothic palace) and the Jewish Ghetto (first European occupation of Jews)

Eating in Venice

First, read my Foodie's Venice Guide. If that doesn't satifsy you, browse this more complete list of places to dine and wine!

San Marco
Hosteria Ai Rusteghi - On Campo San Bartolomeo. 041/523.2205. Closed Sunday. M-Sat. 9:30 am-3pm, 5-8:30pm. NO CC. 40+ varieties of freshly made panini.
Rosticceria San Bartolomeo - Calle Bissa (off Campo S. Bartolomeo) 041/522.3569. Closed Mon. High-quality takeout. Vaporetto stop: Rialto.

Dorsoduro
Ristorante da Gianni - Fondamenta delle Zattere ai Gesuati 918. 041/523.7210. Closed Wed. Vaporetto: Zattere.
Trattoria da Montin - Fondamenta di Borgo 1147. 041/522.7151. Closed Tue. dinner and Wed. all day. Vaporetto: Accademia, Ca’Rezzonico.
Ristorante L’Incontro - Rio Terra’ Canal 3062. 041/522.2402. Closed Mon. Inexpensive Sardinian fare. Vaporetto: Ca’Rezzonico.

San Polo
Antiche Carampane - Rio Terra’ delle Carampane 1911. 041/524.0165. Closed Mon. and Sunday dinner (but call to confirm this). This reasonably priced small restaurant in San Polo serves good seafood to the mostly locals. Vaparetto San Silvestro.
Da Sandro - Campiello Meloni 1473. 041/523.4894. Closed Friday. Pizza. Vaporetto: San Silvestro.

Santa Croce
Pizzeria Ae Oche - Calle del Tintor 1552B. 041/524.1161. Closed Mon. Pizza, salad, beer. Vaporetto: Riva di Biasio, San Stae.
Vecio Fritolin - Calle della Regina 2262. 041/522.2881. Closed Mon. lunch. and Sun. Good priced meal. Vaporetto: San Stae.

Canneregio
Osteria da Alberto- Calle Larga Giancinto Gallina 5401. 041/523.8153. Closed Sun. Lots of cicheti and wine. Vaporetto: Rialto.

Castello
Trattoria Aciugheta - Campo Santissimi Filippo e Giacomo 4357. 041/522.4292. Vaporetto: San Zaccaria. Bar and Restaurant have different schedules.
Trattoria Pizzeria da Paolo - Campo Arsenale 2389. 041/521.0660. Close to the Arsenale. Vaporetto: Tana, Arsenale.

Islands
Murano: Busa-alla-Torre. Campo Santo Stefano 3 (at Fondamenta Daniel Manin). 041/739.662. Daily lunch. Trattoria serving pasta and seafood. Vaporetto: Colonna, Faro.
Burano: Ristorante da Romano. Via Baldassare Galuppi 221 (NW of Piazza Baldassare Galuppi). 041/730.030. Closed Tue. and Sun. dinner. Great seafood restaurant that also serves pasta. Vaporetto: Burano.
Torcello: Ristorante Al Trono di Attila. Fondamenta Borgognoni 7A. 041/730.094. Closed Mon. Value priced meal in Torcello. Pasta and seafood. Vaporetto: Torcello.

Check out these online dining and travel guides for more info: Frommers, Fodors, NYT

Back to What to Do in the Venice. We might visit the other islands:
Venice's Outer Lagoon Islands
Guidecca

Burano, Murano, Torcello
2-day itinerary around Burano, Murano and Torcello

Venice Card
What is the Venice Card?
Here's the Official Venice Card site.
(When I was in Venice last (2000), there was no surcharge on the toilets! Oh well, c'est la vie!)