My special tour through hidden Venice - a weekend itinerary

Here comes my personal itinerary for an intimate visit to the magical city of Venice.

I know Venice since my early childhood days – but after that Venice has been abandoned from me for a long time. Five years ago, I have returned to the city and from then Venice has put its magic spell on me. Now it became a yearly ritual to celebrate my birthday in this fascinating, but also so fragile city.

Venice has two faces – one is the ugly one of a mass tourism destination. An almost never-ending flow of tourists that is moving in an overwhelming wave between the train station and St. Mark´s Square. Most of them hardly bring any added value to Venice as they are just a few hours in the city and bring their own food and drinks along with them. The recently raised entrance fee to the city on some selected dates does not make things much better.

On the other side you have the picturesque, but also fragile and morbid face of a city that can look back to a long and moving past. There is a Venice away from the main tourism streets that belongs to the few real Venetians that have resisted to leave. A Venice of empty streets, quiet canals, laundry that is moving in the wind and the smell of delicious food coming through the cracks in the always closed wooden window shutters. It feels like from another time.

The second face is my face of Venice and the reason of my many returns. I truly love Venice and the city is a very special place for me. So join me now on my very own itinerary of a weekend in Venice.

Where to stay

But before we start to explore the hidden sides of Venice – let´s see where it is nice to stay. I usually prefer to stay in different hotels and in quiet neighbourhoods. However, this time through a coincidence I booked myself in a hotel just beside Rialto – an area that I usually avoid as it is too crowded for me.

But this hotel is a very special place and once you enter through the main entrance door you feel like in a different and very peaceful world. The hectic life from outside is totally forgotten here.

The Ego Boutique Hotel (www.egovenice.com) – is located on the first floor of the noble Palazzo Bembo.

You will emerge in a luxury Silk Road journey following the path of the great explorer Marco Polo.

The amazing owner, Ekaterina and her wonderful team will do their best to comfort you and to make you feel like home. Every room has a different design, carefully planned and curated by Ekaterina herself. We stayed at the splendid Sole room – as the name reveals it is all about the sun in this room. Bright, golden, luxurious….

If you want to cash out some more money it is worth to take a Suite facing the Canale Grande as from there you have a first-row seat over the hectic life in and around that busy waterway.

For those who do not have this view in the room can enjoy the same during breakfast over some deliciously prepared a la carte items. With the windows wide open to the Canale Grande there is no better place to start into a day in Venice.

For my birthday I got a very special treat from Ekaterina – was so amazing!

Also try…..

Further hotels where I have stayed and that I can highly recommend would be the Il Palazzo Experimentale in Dorsoduro (www.palazzoexperimental.com) – see my earlier Venice post for this hotel: www.traveltreasuresbymarion.com/post/secret-venice-explore-venice-away-from-the-crowds

Or in my favourite neighbourhood of Cannaregio/San Michele – Heureka Hotel (www.hotel-heureka.com), Palazzo Abadessa (www.abadessa.com) or Pesaro Palace (www.hotelpesaropalace.it).

My weekend itinerary:

Friday

11.00 hrs – Arrival to Venice either via train, plane (continue with a shuttle boat) or like myself by car. If you arrive by car I can recommend you to make an online pre-booking at Garage San Marco (www.garagesanmarco.it/en/). Check with your hotel they might have a discounted rate there.

Afterwards you cross over to the large wooden bridge to the Vaporetto station – the official public transportation boats or you choose an arrival in style and get a private taxi boat. Let the hotel arrange that for you – otherwise it is likely you will pay too much for your ride. Well, it is already a heavy price tag in general for a relatively short ride. But hey, we are in Venice and most likely you will not be the proud owner of a private boat yourself.

12.00 hrs After the hotel check-in make your way to the Mercato di Rialto – the market itself will be already closed by this time, but in the area around you can have a nice lunch.

If you want to experience the real market spirit wake up early tomorrow and come here for a morning visit at about 8.00 hrs. Especially the fish market is really worth a visit – it is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

My recommendation for lunch: Osteria I Compari Venezia (Campo de la Pescaria 255) for some nice pasta or dish of the day fresh from the market.

Or try the historic Cantina do Mori (Calle do Mori 429) for some Italian styled finger-food called cicchetti. Cantina do Mori is a 500-year-old traditional bacari, which is a rustic Venetian tavern serving local wine in small glasses, known as ombra, alongside small affordable snacks. (You have to stand here, there are no seats available).

14.00 It´s time for a walk – if you wander from the market southward you will cross through San Polo, the smallest but also oldest neighbourhood or better Sestiere how they are called here in Venice. The magic of Venice is that you can come here many times, but you will always discover new corners and new alleys. Therefore, I cannot describe to you THE ONE WAY through each neighbourhood. Just go and discover for yourself. Main sights of San Polo are the Basilica Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari plus the Scuola Grande di San Rocco Museum (www.scuolagrandesanrocco.org).

If you make your way further south you will cross the Sestiere of Dorsoduro, a vary varied area where you will find a mix of student bars, coffee shops, social gathering places side by side with high-end galleries and exclusive living spaces. Main sights of the Sestiere as well as the whole city is the impressive Chiesa Santa Maria della Salute. All culturally interested visitors find many things to do over here like a visit to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (www.guggenheim-venice.it/en/), Galleria Academia (www.gallerieaccademia.it/en) and the Pinault Collection (www.pinaultcollection.com/en). If your walk brings you until the Giudecca Canal don´t miss to try one of Venice best ice cream shops - Gelateria Nico (www.gelaterianico.com), another very popular ice cream shop in Dorsoduro is Gelateria Il Doge (Campo Santa Margherita).

Depends how long you have extended your walk you might have a small siesta at the hotel before the evening starts with….

18.00 hrs Take an Aperitivo at the Café Florian (www.caffeflorian.com) in San Mark´s Square. Ok, I admit this is not a hidden place at all ….as it is in the touristic epi-center. Nevertheless, I really like this old-fashioned Venetian place. It exists since 1720 and is according to them the oldest Café in the world and has seen illustrious guests like the womanizer Casanova or the mystical Lord Byron. The classical Aperitivo would be the home-made Bellini that comes along with some olives and chips – at least something for the heavy price tag. However, you mainly pay here for the unique atmosphere in its historic rooms like the Sala Oriente or the Sala Cinese or you can listen outside on the terrace to music from their very own house orchestra. Venice in style!

20.00 hrs Dinner at El Magazen (www.elmagazen.com) – a discovery from my last trip that really amazed me. The owner couple Nino and Yasmin offer a delicious cross-over Italian-Asian kitchen. A rare combination in Venice and one that will really satisfy your taste buds. The restaurant is small and cozy – make a reservation for their only window table and you will have a very nice seating on top of your perfect dinner.

Also try…. Osteria la Busara (www.ostarialabusara.it) for nice pasta dishes.

Saturday

10.00 hrs Take a morning walk through the lesser frequented streets of the San Marco Sestiere around the Campo Santo Stefano. This square used to be in former times a bullfight arena but counts nowadays to the most beautiful “plazas” of the city. From there it is just a short walk to the picturesque Palazzo Grassi or the Palazzo Mocenigo Casa Nuova.

11.00 hrs Time for a coffee or freshly squeezed orange juice in the shady garden of the Moro Café (www.morovenezia.it/en).

12.00 hrs Make your way back towards Rialto bridge and on your way grab one of the heavenly sweets at the Pasticceria Marchini Time (Campo San Luca).

13.00 hrs Time for a small rest at the hotel.

15.00 hrs Make your own carnival mask! This activity was offered to book through Ego Boutique Hotel and it was really something very special. Our private guide picked us from the hotel and took as on a walk through San Polo. On the way he gave us many interesting insights into the ancient old tradition of mask making in Venice and the history of the popular Venice carnival.

We were then taken to a beautiful mask atelier and got an introduction from the owner how to make a mask from scratch. As I am not the most passionate artist myself I was a bit overwhelmed with all the options that you have to make your mask – you get to choose your mask model, your colours, your add-ons – not so easy for a beginner, but you always get a helping hand and lots of useful advices. I must say that I was quite impressed with my result at the end – didn´t know that I have such an artist blood in me – but to put it right, the last finish is given by the owner herself and she can hide a lot of your mistakes in a magic way 😊 

Also if you are looking for a ready-made mask on another level I can highly recommend a visit to this Atelier – Atelier Marega (www.marega.it).

19.00 hrs Dinner we will have today in my favourite Sestiere, Cannaregio. Especially the northern part around the Fondamente Misericordia can´t be missed in any of my Venice visits. Around that area you have one restaurant and bar after another and at night it is a very lively area. You will have tourists here, but also local residents and students like this area.

My recommendations: Il Paradiso Perduto (Fondamente Misericordia) – mainly fish and seafood, Il Gran Fritoin is their specialty dish (fried fish with polenta). Beside the food this place is a unique social mingle point and one of the rare places in Venice with live music, readings and other performances.

Further I can recommend the wine bar Vino Vero (www.vinovero.wine), where you can enjoy excellent wines and tasty cicchetti.

Also try: Al Mariner (Fondamente dei Ormesini 2679) or Osteria ai 40 Ladroni (www.40ladroni.it).

22.00 hrs End the day with a drink and a view over the Canale Grande and the Rialto Bridge at the Rooftop Bar of the H10 Palazzo Canova Hotel (www.h10hotels.com/en/venice-hotels/h10-palazzo-canova). Salute!

Sunday

10.00 hrs Let´s start the day with a short Vaporetto ride from St. Mark´s Square to the little monastery island of San Giorgio Maggiore.

Have a visit to the impressive Basilica and after climb the campanile (bell tower) for spectacular views onto the lagoon and St. Mark´s Square. www.abbaziasangiorgio.it

Afterwards enjoy a coffee on the lovely little terrace of San Giorgio Café and Bar www.sangiorgio.cafe

12.30 hrs Time to return to St. Mark´s Square for a walk along the corniche of Riva degli Schavoni until the embarking spot of the Venezia Catamaran cruise (www.venezia-cat.it).

From 14.00 -15.30 hrs they have a lovely Spritz Tour on their super nice Catamaran. You can enjoy your Spritz & more while cruising through the Venice lagoon. What better way to experience this stunning city than from the water side. If you are with another time schedule, then check their website for further tours throughout the day. An advanced online booking is highly recommended.

16.00 hrs After your return to solid grounds it is time to relax and to experience the green side of Venice in the nearby Giardini Pubblici garden.

17.00 hrs the adjacent Castello neighbourhood is one of my favourite areas of Venice as it is still a very authentic Sestiere with quiet streets and laundry drying on lines that are fixed across the pathways. Castello was traditionally the living place of the Venetian workforce, however came to life some years back when the popular yearly Biennale Art Show took place in Castello (nowadays it is widely spread around the whole city) -  www.labiennale.org/en/art/2026

Castello is a perfect place to just wander around and loose yourself in the labyrinth of tiny little alleys and canals. Many times, a street might end in a dead end and you have to turn around and will find yourself somehow at the same place where you have started – but that is the beauty of Venice to live in the moment and especially Castello reflects this atmosphere a lot. Main sights of Castello are the monastery San Francesco della Vigna with its significant Campanile (www.facebook.com/SanFrancescoDellaVignaVenezia), the mystical former bishops residence of San Pietro di Castello that is rich in history and the biggest basilica of Venice Santi Giovanni Paolo (www.santigiovanniepaolo.it). Named as the most impressive medieval and religious building in Venice, this church has been also the burial place of many famous doges of Venice.

19.00 hrs time for dinner and Castello hosts also one of my favourite dinning places Al Giardinetto da Severino (www.algiardinetto.it), especially when it comes to the set-up. Because here you can enjoy traditional Venetian food while seating outside on their beautiful courtyard garden under a roof of grapevines. If you come during colder days you will sit in their historic restaurant around their open fireplace that is dating back to the 16^th century. Try out their amazing food like the spider crab with oil and lemon, the hearty fish lasagne or the cuttle fish a la Venezia. Food, set-up and service never disappoint here. It is also a good spot to try a traditional dessert of Venice: Buranelli – which is a typical Venetian cookie served with a very sweet desert wine.

21.00 hrs If you are up for a last drink the square (Campo Santi Giovanni) in front of the Basilica Santi Giovanni is always a nice place to end your weekend in Venetian style.

Alla prossima my beautiful Serenissima!!!!