In this masterpiece of a floating city, you'll understandably want to savour and appreciate her timeless beauty from all angles.
Interestingly though, some of the best views of Venice do not only come from towers up high places or rooftop bars, but also from hidden away or less obvious spots in and around the historic centre. This is a city which was designed to be experienced and enjoyed from the water, as well as from way up in the heavens, and so if you only make a beeline to belltowers, you'll be missing half the picture (quite literally).
As you explore the labyrinthine backstreets on foot, traversing some of its 400 or so bridges and 150 canals, you'll uncover some of your own favourite, intimate locations which capture Venice for you. However, this post all about bringing you to the iconic and the intriguing Venetian vistas where the city unfurls before you or reveals a seductive sliver which would have inspired Canoletto.
Rather than just dumping every single potential view over Venice into a single post, we've curated our personal best views of Venice - including all the necessary details for you to visit them too.
The Best Venice Views
Campanile di San Marco
The best known and most visited panoramic viewpoint of Venice.
Opposite the Basilica, we felt that the bell tower, which adds so much to the aesthetic of St Mark's Square whilst concurrently feeling a little out of place, was a tad overpriced despite its undoubted photogenic merits and intriguing history.
However in Venice, places really can charge whatever they want for entry.
Open from 9.45 a.m., with a lift straight up to the top, you will share the same vantage point as Galileo Galili did for his telescope demonstration in 1609. From all the 12-windows on four sides at 99 metres up, you can gaze out and enjoy excellent views over Venice: north over quintessential terracotta rooftops, east over the silver domes and wooden ladders of the Basilica roof, south into the cobalt blue of the grand canal, the two columns, and across to the Basilica, then west overlooking the open space and arches of St Mark's Square. Look out for the old international phone card telephones on each corner from which one could phone home to tell them where you were - how times change!
This is a true symbol of Venice and does offer unrivalled views over the Square and shadows below as well as the orange rooftops. Our recommendation is to do it earlier in your visit, rather than later, as it also provides (literally) the best overview of the city to help you get to grips with its idiosyncratic topography.
The Details
Tickets | €10 per person to ascend, increased from €8, and you can stay up there as long as you wish. Long queues and waiting times are standard, so buying the skip the queue ticket in advance is a good idea to save time (not currently available).
Where | The belltower is easy to spot in St Mark's Square - find it here on Google Maps.
When | 9.45 a.m. - 7 p.m., last entry at 6 p.m.
Accessibility | It's a lift from the church right up to the top of the belltower.
Tip | You can also get a pretty nice view of St Mark's Square from the windows of Museo Correr.
The Venice View From San Giorgio Maggiore Church
A two-minute vaporetto ride from San Marco-San Zaccaria "E" or "F", the blinding white marble face of the San Giorgio Maggiore Church beckons travellers across the bright blue of the Grand Canal. Set upon a tiny island of the same name, with little more than an old convent, a concert hall, and an outdoor theatre sequestered amongst an expanse of greenery, the view back upon Venice from the vaporetto dock is worth the journey alone.
However, it is from atop the Church's 1791 belltower (Campanile di San Giorgio) where you can take in a stellar 360-degree view over much of Venice's most famous landmarks, the Grand Canal, and lesser-known parts of the lagoon.
This was our favourite view of Venice.
The Church's bright peaceful interior, home to two Tintoretto paintings, is more than worth a respectful wander around before you leave too. We recommend not rushing back either, as you can hang out and enjoy the views here by the water (something you are forbidden from doing elsewhere in Venice, as we discuss in 23 Things To Know Before You Visit Venice).
THE DETAILS
Tickets | The church is free to enter, but it's €6 per person to go up the tower. It's cash only, but let us know if this changes.
Where | To access, go to San Marco-San Zaccaria, stop "E" or "F", and take the #2 vaporetto for one stop to the 'San Giorgio' terminal. Given the brevity of the journey, we recommend doing this on a day when you have purchased the 24-hour transport ticket (find out more information here).
When | Open from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Accessibility | There’s a small lift from the church right up to the top of the belltower.
Within and Outwith The Bridge of Sighs
At least the second-most photographed bridge in Venice, its two corridors linked the Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale) courts to the New Prisons. Its name stems from the supposed sighs of the condemned prisoners who, on the last walk from the courtroom to their cell, were faced with one final beautiful view of Venice and freedom.
This is one of the most iconic backdrops of Venice.
We recommend taking in several different viewpoints of the Bridge of Sighs (Ponte de Sospiri) - the good news is that the majority of them are free, the bad news is that they're also incredibly busy.
Firstly, the best photos of the bridge can be taken from Ponte della Paglia (you're guaranteed to cross this at some point on your way to/from San Marco) or Ponte de la Canonica (one of several on the beautiful but busy Rio del Palazzo). If you're looking for that overly-taken Instagram pose shot by the way, you'll find it around here. Please don't do that one where you drape yourself over the bridges though - Venetians (and other visitors like us) really don't like it.
However, it was the opportunity to look out onto a wonderful still-frame of Venice from within the bridge, built in 1614, which we found most captivating. When you visit the Doge’s Palace, you'll cross over twice, and be sure to take your time - even if people are getting a bit impatient with you - to look out with no prospect of confinement awaiting you on the either side. If you're lucky, you'll have a gondola pass by just at the right time too...
THE DETAILS
Tickets | The only current option for the Doge’s Palace is the €25 per person 'Museums of Piazza San Marco' combined ticket. This includes one entry to the Palace, as well as entries to other sites within St Mark's Square: Museo Correr, Museo Archeologico Nazionale and Monumental Rooms of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana. Buy here or find out more in our ‘13 Wonderful Things To Do in Venice’ post.
Views from the other bridges are free.
Where | You can find the Bridge of Sighs here.
When | You're best to take your shots early in the morning as the bridges we recommend see a lot of foot traffic during the day.
The Boats of Riva degli Schiavoni
Since you're in the area early...it makes sense to swing by the Riva degli Schiavoni to enjoy the gondolas bobbing in the Grand Canal with San Giorgio Maggiore in the background.
A classic Venetian image, which captures the city within one scene.
THE DETAILS
Tickets | Not required.
Where | You’ll easily find this spot by along the water.
When | The earlier the better given the activity and crowds this area receives.
Scala Contarini del Bovolo
We are split on this 28 metre tower, whose existence spans five centuries and has seen a number of aesthetic transformations due to different ownership.
The view lacks the 'wow' factor of the others on this list, namely because it could be in a number of other Italian cities with the backdrop rather than unmistakably Venetian. However, the building itself is really interesting and architecturally engaging, the spiral 'snail' (bovolo) staircase is beautiful, there's often a temporary art installation on the lower floors, and there's a natural limit on the number of people that can be up the top at one time.
We think it's a symptom of Instagram popularity that the desire to take a photo of yourself enjoying the view from here perhaps precedes the actual merits of the view itself. Nevertheless, we felt it deserve a place on this list and many of you will enjoy it.
THE DETAILS
Tickets | Full-price tickets are €7, concessions €6, and children under 12 can enter for free. Tickets can be purchased here.
At time of writing, access is only via reservation for a specific half hour timeslot and a maximum group of 10 people per slot. You are however able to walk down the alley to look at the building for free.
Where | Find the location here on Google Maps here.
When | 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. every day.
Ponte della Accademia
Only four bridges traverse Venice's famous Grand Canal, with the iron Ponte dell'Accademia being the second constructed in 1854.
A little walk from Campo Santo Stefano, it takes one over to Gallerie dell'Accademia and our favourite lunch spot in Venice, the bridge itself isn't the most aesthetically pleasing in Venice (not by a long shot) but the views of Venice it provides are majestic.
Indeed, in our opinion they far surpass the crowded views available from both sides of the Rialto Bridge, which you'll also witness during your trip given a few walks over that famous 16th century bridge is inevitable.
THE DETAILS
Tickets | The bridge is always free to access.
Where | Find the location here on Google Maps here.
When | Whenever you like. We’d actually recommend trying to get up here in the daytime as well evening if you have time as the change of light creates quite a different vibe.
Tip | Another popular Venice viewpoint we found in our pre-trip research was the rooftop at Fondaco dei Tedeschi shopping centre. Right by Rialto Bridge, it’s free to enter its rooftop which looks out onto the Grand Canal and a bit of Rialto Bridge. Looking at photos online, we simply didn’t think it was that great a view and don't regret not visiting. Given its cost (absolutely free), it may appeal if you’re on a budget. Visits are permitted in slots of 15 minutes only, and it’s highly recommended to reserve yours in advance on the official website.
From The Vaporetto or A Water Taxi
A floating Italian city in a lagoon which has been conjured be a slow-burn magician madness over a millennia, quite simply has to be seen in the way which millions of visitors have fallen for Venice at first sight.
From its water.
Quite by accident, a nighttime ride along the #1 public waterbus from Piazallle Roma to San Marco served as the most enchanting ntroduction to Venice. A necessary step in our journey from Marco Polo Airport to Venice, the starlight shimmered on the water and Venice was reflected back upon itself in the moonlight.
This scenic route along the Grand Canal is not only one of the best value experiences in the city, but it will provide you with a plethora of iconic views of Venice from either direction. We did it twice during our visit so we can could enjoy it going the other direction in the daylight!
The #1 vaporetto line runs regularly throughout the day (every 10 minutes or so, then every 20 minutes or so after 9.30 p.m.), running from the transport hub of Piazzale Roma (where the airport buses terminate) and along the Grand Canal before ending in the Lido. The 45-minute ride to San Zaccaria station (where most of you will disemark) passes under the Accademia and Rialto Bridges and a number of canalside palaces.
This is however a popular and practical line for locals and visitors, so it can become uncomfortably crowded. We recommend avoiding peak morning and late afternoon times when more locals will be commuting, and viewing this as a sensory experience rather than worrying about photos too much. If you want to be smart about it, then get on at Piazzale Roma or a station a few stops before San Zaccaria so that you can grab a seat outdoors in prime position at the front or back before all the other tourists pile on a few stops later!
THE DETAILS
Tickets | A single vaporetto tickets cost €7.50, and it's worth every penny for this journey. However, if you'd like to save money, then do this on a day when you've already got a 24-hour transport card with you (find out more about how public transport in Venice works).
Where | Piazzale Roma is here, San Zaccaria is here.
When | It runs late into the night and from early in the morning.
Tip | A private or shared water taxi ride is more expensive but will provide the same views, within a more comfortable, less crowded setting. You can find out more and book here.
From A Gondola
Yes, yes, we're stating the obvious here, but there’s a good reason.
You may be dreaming right now of taking a gondola boat on the Grand Canal - what could be more Venetian right?
Wrong.
Although you would be able to enjoy some great Venice views, there are a myriad of reason why don’t recommend taking these traditional long boats into the main thoroughfare (you can read them in this post). Instead, opt for a journey through the narrow neighbourhood canals and under its hidden away bridges for a surefire way to gain an intimate view of Venice.
Just be sure to read our complete guide to taking a gondola ride in Venice first!
YOUR NEXT STOP
Now you know where to find the very best views of Venice, it’s time to plan your the rest of your time in the Floating City - we’ve got you covered with our in-depth guides!
13 Wonderful Things to Do in Venice
23 Things to Know Before You Visit Venice
How to Get From Marco Polo Airport to Venice
A Complete Guide to Taking a Gondola Ride in Venice
How to Plan Your Venice Travel Budget
Burano | The Perfect Day Trip From Venice
Where to Stay in Venice (published soon)
23 Things to Know Before You Visit Italy (published soon)
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