Venice rises straight out of the lagoon, a city with no cars and no straight lines, just canals, bridges, and centuries of quiet grandeur behind every façade. Highlights include the grandeur of St. Mark's Square and the Doge's Palace, the glassblowing furnaces of Murano, handmade Venetian crafts, and a day trip to Verona, the setting of Shakespeare's most famous romance.
Day 1 — Arrive · Rialto
Arrive and settle into your hotel. A first evening stroll toward St. Mark's Square as the crowds thin and the lights come up over the basilica, then dinner at Antica Trattoria Poste Vecie, tucked beside the Rialto fish market and serving Venetian cuisine since 1500.
Day 2 — Guggenheim · Doge's Palace · Harry's Bar
Start at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, housed in her unfinished palazzo along the Grand Canal, home to a striking collection of 20th-century art including works by Giacometti, Pollock, and a small Rodin piece in the garden. In the afternoon, tour the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica, then climb the Campanile for a view over the rooftops and lagoon. Round out the evening with drinks at Harry's Bar, birthplace of the Bellini and a Hemingway favorite.
Day 3 — Murano · Burano · Handmade Venice
A day on the water: take a boat to Murano to watch glassblowers at work in the furnaces that have made the island famous for centuries, then continue to Burano for its rainbow-colored houses and lace-making tradition. Back in Venice, browse the city's handmade goods — velvet slippers, hand-painted masks — in the workshops tucked around the back streets.
Day 4 — Verona
A day trip to Verona, the setting of Romeo and Juliet. Visit Juliet's House and its famous balcony, wander the Roman Arena still used for opera and concerts, and explore the medieval streets and piazzas of the old town. Lunch at a trattoria near Piazza delle Erbe before the train back to Venice.
Day 5 — Dorsoduro · Depart
A slower final day to revisit favorite corners of the city, wander the Dorsoduro neighborhood, or shop along Calle Larga XXII Marzo. An easy last evening with dinner somewhere overlooking a canal, a fitting close to the trip.
This itinerary was built around a city that rewards getting lost — the landmarks worth the visit, and the back streets that make Venice feel like it belongs to you. The details shift depending on group size and pace. That's where we start.
