Venice, Italy
Wednesday, May 21 - Friday, May 23
Wednesday, May 21
_____ Arrive at 2:57 P.M.
_____ Check-in / Drop bags off at the hotel
Since we do not know much about Venice, Italy, we will follow the advice from www.fodors.com. There is a three day itinerary listed below that was taken off of fodors.com.
Thursday, May 22
Before the building of the bridge that connects Venice with the mainland in 1846, all visitors from abroad approached the town from the sea, most of them landing on the Riva degli Schiavoni or the Piazzetta di San Marco. Today, no matter how you arrive, the best introduction to the city is an early morning vaporetto (water bus) cruise along the Grand Canal from Piazzale Roma (or the train station) to the San Zaccaria landing stage. The latter is just past Piazza San Marco, and you will treasure the experience of seeing it for the first time from the water, as did the astounded travelers of the past. Then spend the rest of the morning visiting the Basilica di San Marco and Palazzo Ducale, allowing time to climb to the top of the Campanile.
After lunch, take Salizzada San Moisè and Calle Larga XXII Marzo -- passing some of the most fashionable shops in town -- to reach Campo Santa Maria del Giglio and from there take the traghetto (gondola ferry) across the Grand Canal. On the other side, bear left and walk to the Baroque Santa Maria della Salute, which has several paintings by Titian in the sacristy. The Punta della Dogana, to the right as you come out of the church, opens to one of the best panoramas and breezes in town. Head toward the Collezione Peggy Guggenheim to see first-rate 20th-century paintings and sculpture. Rest in the museum café afterwards, then stretch your legs on the Zattere promenade and bask in the late afternoon sun over a cup of gelato (ice cream) or a glass of prosecco. Plan on a romantic gondola ride after dinner.
Make an early start to beat the crowds that clog the Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge) and nearby markets, making sure you don't miss the lively pescheria, where fish has been sold for more than 1,000 years. Follow the main drag to Campo San Polo and Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, which has two important works by Titian. Visit the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, famous for a series of more than 50 paintings by Tintoretto; it is to Venice what the Sistine Chapel is to Rome. After lunch, immerse yourself in 18th-century Venice by visiting the Museo del Settecento Veneziano in Ca' Rezzonico. Finish your day with a quick visit to the Gallerie dell'Accademia, with masterpieces dating from the 14th to 19th centuries, or stroll over the Ponte dell'Accademia to do some late-afternoon shopping in the center.
Take a quick look in Piazza San Marco at the Museo Correr, dedicated to the art and history of Venice, before setting out to explore the Castello neighborhood. (Or, if it's a clear morning, a good alternative to the museum would be a short trip to the Isola di San Giorgio and up the elevator of the San Giorgio Maggiore church for a breathtaking view of the lagoon and the city below.) From Piazza San Marco, go to the church of San Zaccaria, with a famous altarpiece by Giovanni Bellini and wonderful Gothic artworks, then visit the Greek San Giorgio dei Greci, lined floor to ceiling with glittering Byzantine icons. Time your walk so that you can hit the Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni before it closes for lunch. Find your way to the graceful Santa Maria Formosa, then take Calle del Paradiso and head via Campo Santa Marina toward a miracle of marble, the Lombardesque Santa Maria dei Miracoli.
After a late lunch in the neighborhood, visit Campo dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo with the massive Gothic abbey of the same name and the equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni, a 15th-century Venetian condottiere. Then take Barbaria delle Tole and find your way to the Campo dell'Arsenale, only a short walk -- via Campo della Tana, Fondamenta della Tana, Fondamenta Sant'Anna -- from your next stop, the picturesque island of San Pietro di Castello. Next, take vaporetto Line 82 from the Giardini della Biennale to the Giudecca, where you can stay for dinner, or return to Piazza San Marco along the Riva degli Schiavoni, particularly beautiful at sunset.
