Venice is more than the crowds on San Marco: out in the lagoon there's a cemetery island and a fishing island of brightly painted houses. This part of my Venice guide covers what to see. The Arsenale, San Michele island with Brodsky's grave, and Burano come from my own saved list; the main churches, the San Marco bell tower and the museums I added from travel guides, 34travel first of all. All descriptions are compiled from Google Maps reviews; my own notes will follow after the trip.
Ticket prices are from reviews and 34travel, hours from Google; valid as of 7 October 2026. Rate: 1 € ≈ $1.12.
In short
- Book ahead: Basilica di San Marco and Palazzo Ducale; the Palazzo Ducale ticket is cheaper if bought 30 days ahead.
- Titian in peace: Basilica dei Frari, with two of his works and his tomb.
- Tintoretto and Titian: Scuola Grande di San Rocco and Gallerie dell'Accademia; the Accademia is closed on Mondays.
- 20th-century art: Peggy Guggenheim Collection, with Picasso, Pollock and Dalí; closed on Tuesdays.
- Away from the crowds: the Arsenale and San Michele island, where Brodsky, Stravinsky and Diaghilev are buried.
- Burano: bright houses and lace; the vaporetto back can be packed.
San Marco and the museums
Basilica di San Marco
San Marco · cathedral · Mon–Sat 9:30–17:15, Sun 14:00–17:15
Google Maps · website · Piazza San Marco, 328
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 30,300+): the golden church of the Venetian Republic — domes and mosaics outside, solid gold mosaic inside, and the Pala d'Oro altarpiece deep within. Reviewers suggest adding the museum upstairs: you see the mosaics up close and step out onto the terrace above the square. Book ahead (entry opens 30 minutes before your slot), and cover shoulders and knees. The square is packed during the day. 34travel recommends it too (guide).
Palazzo Ducale
San Marco · Doge's Palace · about 30 € (≈$34) per 34travel, 25 € if bought 30 days ahead · daily 9:00–19:00
Google Maps · website · Piazza San Marco, 1
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 40,200+): the Gothic palace of the doges, with state rooms, painted ceilings, prisons, an armoury and the famous Bridge of Sighs — you walk across it from inside, though you see little from it. The free audio guide in the app helps a lot. Downsides: very crowded in summer and pricey by Venetian standards — come at opening, late in the day or in the rain. 34travel recommends it too (guide).
Campanile di San Marco
San Marco · bell tower & viewpoint · about 15 € (≈$17) according to 34travel · daily 9:30–20:45
Google Maps · website · Piazza San Marco
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 10,000+): the angel-topped bell tower over Piazza San Marco, which reviewers say gives the best view of Venice, with rooftops, canals and the lagoon in every direction, and the Dolomites on a clear day. A lift with an attendant whisks you up. Buy timed tickets in advance: with them you walk almost straight in, though the lift down can take ten minutes or so.
Basilica dei Frari
San Polo · Gothic basilica · Mon–Sat 9:00–19:30, Sun 13:00–18:00
Google Maps · website · San Polo, 3072
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 12,900+): a vast 14th-century Gothic church that feels more like a museum — two Titians and his tomb, a monument to Canova, and a choir many call the most beautiful part. It's always quiet inside, with plenty of seats — a good break from walking. The audio guide is recommended. Downside: one guest found the ticket more than twice the price of Santi Giovanni e Paolo. 34travel recommends it too (guide).
Scuola Grande di San Rocco
San Polo · confraternity hall & Tintoretto museum · 3.50–12 € (≈$4–13) according to 34travel · daily 9:30–17:30
Google Maps · website · Campo San Rocco, 3052
According to Google Maps reviews (4.8 from 6,000+): the hall of the confraternity of St Roch, founded in 1478, covered wall to ceiling by Tintoretto. The highlight is the upper hall with its ceiling paintings and carved wooden walls; sometimes you're handed mirrors to study the ceiling. Many compare it with Europe's best museums and recommend going with a guide. There's a combined ticket with the church next door, and the ground floor is uneven underfoot. 34travel recommends it too (guide).
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Dorsoduro · 20th-century art museum · Mon and Wed–Sun 10:00–18:00, closed Tue
Google Maps · website · Dorsoduro, 701
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 14,900+): Peggy Guggenheim's former home, Palazzo Venier dei Leoni on the Canal Grande. A small but dense collection — Picasso, Pollock, Dalí, Magritte, Kandinsky, Mondrian, Duchamp — with a sculpture garden between the rooms. One or two hours is enough; the audio guide is worth it, and young visitors get a discount with the Rolling Venice card. Buy online and arrive early. 34travel recommends it too (guide).
Gallerie dell'Accademia
Dorsoduro · art museum · about 15 € (≈$17) according to 34travel, free on the first Sunday of the month · Tue–Sun 9:00–19:00, closed Mon
Google Maps · website · Calle della Carità, 1050
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 11,000+): the main collection of Venetian painting from the 13th to the 18th century, with Titian, Canaletto and Tiepolo, in a former monastery by the Accademia bridge. It isn't huge; two or three hours is enough. Leonardo's famous Vitruvian Man goes on show only once every few years. Entry is free on the first Sunday of the month, but online booking doesn't work on those days. 34travel recommends it too (guide).
Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute
Dorsoduro · Baroque basilica · free, sacristy and dome about 13 € (≈$15) according to 34travel · daily 9:00–12:00 and 15:00–17:30
Google Maps · website · Dorsoduro, 1
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 14,000+): an octagonal Baroque basilica with a white dome at the mouth of the Grand Canal, built after a plague. The sacristy holds works by Titian, and inside it's bright and quiet, a break from the crowds. At sunset the dome is lovely reflected in the water. Get there by vaporetto line 1 or by traghetto across the canal. Downside: the sacristy and dome are sometimes closed without explanation. 34travel recommends it too (guide).
Castello and the lagoon
Arsenale di Venezia
Castello · historic shipyard and Biennale venue · per Google Mon–Fri 8:00–15:00; during the Biennale, its own hours
Google Maps · website · Campo de la Tana, 2169
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 11,700+): the shipyard of the Venetian Republic, founded in 1104, where whole fleets could be built in a matter of weeks. The famous gate with its stone lions, the canals and the old sheds are especially beautiful at sunset, and it's far quieter than San Marco. Today the halls host exhibitions and Biennale pavilions.
Cimitero di San Michele
Isola di San Michele · cemetery island · free · daily 7:30–18:00
Google Maps · website · Isola di San Michele
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 480+): a whole walled island that became the city's cemetery in the early 1800s. Cypress avenues and silence broken only by water and bells — and the graves of artists, musicians and poets, Ezra Pound and Igor Stravinsky among them. There are signs to Brodsky's grave, but it's still not easy to find. A good place to get away from the crowds.
Tomba di Joseph Brodsky
Isola di San Michele · grave of Joseph Brodsky · free · cemetery hours
Google Maps · Isola di San Michele
According to Google Maps reviews (4.8 from 140+): the poet's grave on San Michele — for many visitors a goal they'd dreamed of for years. Two more famous Russians lie on the same island: Sergei Diaghilev and Igor Stravinsky. An ordinary vaporetto goes there, no special tickets or queues. Bring insect repellent — the mosquitoes are fierce. 34travel mentions it too in its Venice guide.
Burano
Burano · island of fishermen and lacemakers · always open
Google Maps · Burano
According to Google Maps reviews (4.8 from 12,400+): a fishing island of brightly painted houses along the canals — every corner begs for a photo. It's known for lace (there's a lace museum and a market selling it), seafood restaurants and a bell tower. It's a long way out, but almost everyone says it's worth it; the vaporetto back can be packed. Trattoria Al Gatto Nero is here too — it’s in where to eat in Venice.
One last thing
Combine San Michele and Burano in one vaporetto trip from Fondamente Nove. Book a time slot for Basilica di San Marco in advance, and remember to cover your shoulders and knees. Gallerie dell'Accademia is closed on Mondays, the Peggy Guggenheim on Tuesdays, and the Salute takes a midday break from 12:00 to 15:00.
More on Venice: where to eat and drink.