Tours and Tickets to Experience Santa Croce

There are plenty of ways to experience Santa Croce. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Private Venice Canal Cruise: 2-Hour Grand Canal and Secret Canals

• Private 1-Day Tour of Venice!

• The Secret Venice + Cicheti & Wine Private Tour

• Iconic Photos and Adventure in Venice

• Private Mini Venice Photo Walk 2 Hours

It’s free to visit Santa Croce—one of Venice’s six sestieri, or districts—on your own. You can also see it with a guide for a fee. Venice walking tours and gondola rides typically start at US$50, and prices go up for private guides and other add-ons, such as museum admission.

While many of Santa Croce’s churches are free, the canalside Church of San Stae charges an admission fee. Several of the area’s museums are also ticketed, including the Natural History Museum and art-filled palazzi such as Ca’ Pesaro and Mocenigo Palace. The Campo San Giacomo dell’Oro public square is free.

Yes, guided tours visit Santa Croce. Book a boat cruise or gondola ride to admire the area’s canalside palaces from the water, or join a walking tour to hear historical tidbits and pop into centuries-old churches. Food tours are a popular way to experience Santa Croce through its cicchetti bars.

Yes, Santa Croce is a great place to stay. Though it has fewer attractions than the San Polo or San Marco districts, this calmer Venice corner is closer to the main port and transit stations—and landmarks such as St. Mark’s Square are a short walk or water bus ride away.

Yes, Santa Croce is great for kids. The district’s streets are easier for families to navigate than the bustling San Marco and San Polo squares, and it has a variety of kid-friendly attractions. These include the Natural History Museum and Giardini Papadopoli, a park with green space and a playground.