Best Things to Do in Venice

A few travel destinations are known to be romantic: Paris, Santorini, the Maldives, and Venice, to name a few. As someone who is in a relationship but also loves traveling alone, I often wonder if I’d still enjoy a romantic destination by myself.

When a weeklong work trip to Venice came up for my partner, I thought it would make for the perfect opportunity to experience the floating city both as a couple and a solo traveler. I am happy to report that I find Venice to be equally fabulous for a couple or as a solo trip!

Since I had a week, I took my time to check out various tour options, indulged at several restaurants, and took day trips to the surrounding islands before seeing some sights with my partner.

If you are visiting Venice and want to make the best of your time, here are the very best things to do in and around the city of water, with insider tips:

1. Visit the Doge’s Palace (early in the morning)

You will pass by St.Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco) — where three of the most iconic buildings in Venice are located: the Doge’s Palace, Torre dell’Orlogio, and St.Mark Basilica — several times during your trip. Tourists from all around the world fill the square throughout the day, so expect to be stuck in human traffic! With that said, it is absolutely worth it to come to the square in the early hours (I am talking sunrise) to have a quiet and peaceful experience. You will be in a calmer state of mind to enjoy the architecture — and get photos without anyone in them!

I decided to take an early-morning skip-the-line guided tour to the Doge’s Palace and St.Mark’s Basilica, with terrace access. It started at 8am, which means I was one of the first visitors of the day. This gave me some breathing space in the palace, which I appreciated, though by the time we made our way to the basilica, the other tour groups — as well as other tourists who had been lining up outside — had already taken over. (I was able to have an exclusive experience at the basilica later — more on that below!)

Although you can purchase tickets directly from the official sites, I recommend taking a guided tour, because there were so many details I would’ve missed otherwise. Learning about Venice’s glorious trading past was really interesting, and having an experienced guide to show us around the basilica was a wonderful experience.

2. …or join an exclusive after-hours tour

Everyone who went on the…