10 of the Best Neighborhoods in Venice and How To Visit

Virtually every traveler who sets foot in Venice will pass through San Marco, the city’s most famous neighborhood and home to its heavy-hitter attractions. Saint Mark’s Square, Venice’s landmark square, sits at its center, flanked by St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace. Meanwhile, the Grand Canal snakes around three sides of San Marco, spanned by the Rialto Bridge and lined by ranks of ornate palaces and grand hotels.

Like all of Venice, San Marco can only be explored on foot or by boat. Knock off its top sights in just a few hours with a walking tour that takes in both the A-listers and unsung delights like the Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo. Or, opt for a gondola ride through its picturesque canals to take in views of the city’s top sights from the water.

After checking the top sights in San Marco off your list, stroll through Castello to experience Venice like a true Venetian, far from the tourist hordes. Take in the spectacular architecture of the Scuola di San Marco and pause on the neighborhood’s Arco del Paradiso bridge for a postcard-perfect view of the city sans tourists.

The city’s largest neighborhood, Castello is the only district not set along the Grand Canal—but that doesn’t mean that it lacks its fair share of attractions.

Via Giuseppe Garibaldi is one of Venice’s most elegant boulevards, a wide promenade lined with excellent shops and restaurants. The nearby Arsenale and Venice Naval History Museum honor Venice’s legacy as a powerful maritime republic. Every two years, the neighborhood steps into the limelight as the backdrop to La Biennale di Venezia, one of the world’s top contemporary art exhibitions.

One of the most atmospheric districts in Venice, Cannaregio stretches all the way from the Rialto Bridge to the Santa Lucia train station along the Grand Canal.

Step away from this main waterway, and you’ll stumble upon delightfully deserted squares and canals in what was once the city’s Jewish ghetto. The area is also known for its lively bacari (wine bars) serving traditional cicchetti, the region’s Italian-inspired answer to tapas.

While exploring Cannaregio on foot, take a few minutes to marvel at the exquisite Ca’ D’Oro, one of the most beautiful palaces in all of Venice. The neighborhood is also home to two important churches: Madonna d’Orto, decorated with a number of Venetian Gothic works, and the 15th-century Santa Maria dei Miracoli.

Related: Must-See Museums in Venice

Set just across the Rialto Bridge from the San Marco neighborhood, San Polo is Venice’s gastronomic hub. From the landmark Rialto fish market to the many gourmet food shops, old-school restaurants, and local bacari (wine bars), this is where hungry travelers should head.

The smallest Venetian neighborhood, San Polo has a maze-like center of narrow medieval alleys that remind visitors that this is one of the oldest corners of the city. After poking around in the fish market and snacking or dining, browse the area’s shops and pop into the Scuola Grande di San Rocco to marvel at works by Tintoretto, and the Frari Church, decorated by Titian’s masterpieces.

Bordering San Polo and set across the Grand Canal from San Marco, the sprawling Dorsoduro district boasts some of Venice’s top art collections in its storied museums and churches.

The galleries inside the Accademia Museum and Peggy Guggenheim Collection hold works that collectively span more than 1,000 years of art history, and the Ca’ Rezzonico showcases the glory of 18th-century Venetian masters. And the neighborhood’s Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute and Church of San Sebastiano are both treasure troves of Venetian art.

After admiring the neighborhood’s spectacular art, linger into the evening when Dorsoduro comes alive along Fondamenta delle Zattere, a paved dock with trendy bars and cafés lining the canal.

This historic area of Venice flies under the radar of most tourists, which has left Santa Croce with a sleepy air that seems worlds away from the chaos of St. Mark’s Square. Set close to the Piazzale Rome transport hub, Santa Croce is an ideal stop for a final walk in Venice before heading off by bus or train to your next destination.

Wander the area, stopping for classic Venetian food in one of the many bustling trattorias. Then, visit Venice’s Museum of Modern Art, housed in Santa Croce’s Baroque Ca’ Pesaro. Just beyond the Church of San Stae, Palazzo Mocenigo is home to the Museum of the History of Textiles and Costumes, with a special section dedicated to the history of perfume.

Most visitors don’t consider Venice a beach destination, but the city sits directly in the waters of the sun-soaked Adriatic, and it boasts an entire island dedicated almost entirely to beach clubs and seaside hotels: Lido. Hop on the vaporetto (water bus) from St. Mark’s Square to reach Lido in less than 30 minutes. Once you’re there, make for one of the beach clubs to rent an umbrella and sun bed for the day or to the free public beaches to claim your spot on the sand.

Insider tip: If relaxing on the sand isn’t your thing, don’t worry: Lido is also a popular destination for cycling tours and nature walks, as well as the venue for the star-studded Venice Film Festival each year.

Giudecca, a long, S-shaped group of islands located just south of central Venice, is home to a smattering of historic churches—including the massive San Giorgio Maggiore complex—but the islands really come to life after night falls. The fondamenta (waterfront walkway), which lines the island on the side facing central Venice, comes to life with restaurants and bars.

Grab dinner and drinks with views of the city, plus some excellent people watching, as the fondamenta is usually filled with locals and guests from the area’s numerous bed and breakfasts and the massive Molino Stucky, a former flour mill-turned-luxury hotel.

One of the most popular neighborhoods to visit outside of central Venice, Murano is known for the glass workshops that have occupied its seven islets since the 13th century. Take a boat tour from central Venice to visit one of the many workshops open to the public for a live demonstration, then browse the endless shops to pick up a handblown souvenir.

Then, dive deeper into Murano’s arts at The Glass Museum, which highlights the history of glassmaking as well as modern glass arts with rotating exhibits, or the Church of San Pietro Martire where you can admire works by Bellini and Veronese.

Often paired with a day trip to Murano, Burano is an idyllic clutch of islets that’s also a hub of a traditional handicraft: handmade lace. However, the bigger draws for most visitors are the photo ops of the rainbow-hued homes that line its placid canals. Pack your camera and head out for a day trip: Burano is located quite a distance north of central Venice in the Venetian Lagoon and it takes about 45 minutes to reach the island by vaporetto, so plan to have lunch or dinner in one of the island’s many excellent fish and seafood restaurants to make a day of it.