Cheap things to do in Venice
Espresso, cicchetti, free basilicas and a boat to Burano: Venice without the bill.
This is Venice for people who would rather spend money on a third spritz than on a tasting menu. The three days lean hard on San Polo's market and its street food, San Marco before the crowds arrive, and a lazy vaporetto ride out to Burano. It suits solo travellers and couples who are happy on their feet, comfortable eating standing up, and not in any rush.
Day 1: San Polo, market to campo
Start at a legendary roastery, eat your way through the Rialto market, then spend the afternoon between Frari's Titian and a slice of pizza on the way home.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:15 AM
Rialto Market
Wander the Rialto fish and produce market while stalls are still full and buzzing.
Map - 12:30 PM
Bepe Bigoi Venezia (San Polo) - Pasta Fresca To Go
Fresh pasta to go, dirt cheap, right by the market, the cacio e pepe in a paper cup is the move.
Map - 2:00 PM
Basilica S.Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
Frari Basilica, free to peek at the facade and campo, or pay a small entry for Titian's towering Assumption inside.
Map - 4:30 PM
Piedàterre
Velvet furlane, the gondoliers' slippers, in every colour; browsing the tiny Rialto shop costs nothing.
Map - 7:30 PM
Antico Forno
Thick-crust pizza by the slice on Ruga Rialto; two slices and a beer make a cheap dinner.
Map
Day 2: San Marco before the crowds
Hit the piazza early for a cheap standing coffee, walk straight into the Basilica before the queues form, then cross to Dorsoduro for cicchetti and wine at a local bar.
- 9:30 AM
Piazza San Marco
Free to stroll, grab a cheap coffee from a standing bar on the square and soak up the best piazza in the world at its quietest.
Map - 11:00 AM
Farini
A bakery chain with pizza by the slice and pastries; a cheap snack before the basilica queue.
Map - 11:45 AM
Saint Mark's Basilica
Gold Byzantine mosaics overhead; entry costs a few euros, and a timed online booking skips the line.
Map - 1:15 PM
Osteria Cicchetteria "Aea Canevassa" Venezia
Highly rated cicchetti bar in Dorsoduro, cheap standing lunch of little bites and a glass of wine, classic local style.
Map - 7:30 PM
Ristorante Sant'Angelo
A neighbourhood trattoria by Campo Sant'Angelo; keep to pasta and a quarter of house wine and it stays cheap.
Map - 9:30 PM
Bar Ai Do Leoni
Cheap, lively bar in San Marco favoured by locals, a spritz or an ombra to close the night without breaking the bank.
Map
Day 3: Out to Burano by vaporetto
Take the boat out past Burano to Torcello for Santa Fosca, then back to Burano to poke around the lace shops before the day-trippers take over.
Where to stay
Eight Venezia
Priced at mid-range, sits right between San Polo and Santa Croce, which puts you a short walk from the Rialto market on day one and the vaporetto stops for Burano.
Cima Rosa Boutique Bed & Breakfast
A small B and B close to the San Stae stop, a calm and affordable base that keeps the Rialto, Frari and the island boats all within easy reach.
Make Venice your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- St Mark's Basilica: weeks ahead
- Doge's Palace: weeks ahead
- Peggy Guggenheim Collection: weeks ahead
- Gallerie dell'Accademia: weeks ahead
- Teatro La Fenice: weeks ahead
- Musica a Palazzo: weeks ahead
Skip these
- Restaurants on Piazza San Marco and the Riva with photo menus, touts and tourist menus: the worst food at the highest prices.
- Murano free tour glass factories deliver you to a showroom hard sell. Go independently and look for the Vetro Artistico trademark.
- A gondola at midday on the Grand Canal is an overpriced traffic jam. Confirm the official tariff before boarding, or take a traghetto.
The full Venice travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around