Things to do in

San Polo

Admire the San Marco Civic Museums, such as the Doge’s Palace, Correr Museum, National Archaeological Museum, and Biblioteca Marciana. You can also explore the history of the Jewish communities of Venice at the Ghetto Museum. Founded in 1953, and situated between the city’s 2 most historic synagogues, the museum is both devoted to the cycle of Jewish festivities and objects used for the liturgy, and explores the history of the Venetian Jews through images and objects. Museums of St. Mark's Square (available with the Venice Museum Pass and Venice Museum Pass Plus): • Doge's Palace • Correr Museum • National Archaeological Museum • Biblioteca Marciana If you select the Venice Museum Pass Plus option you will also enjoy entry to the following civic museums: • Ca' Rezzonico • Carlo Goldoni's House • Mocenigo Palace • Ca' Pesaro (Modern Art Gallery and Oriental Art Gallery) • Glass Museum (Murano) • Lace Museum (Burano) • Natural History Museum Both options include the following historic churches in the Chorus Pass: • Chiesa di Santa Maria del Giglio • Chiesa di Santo Stefano • Santa Maria dei Miracoli • San Giovanni Elemosinario • Ca’ San Polo • Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari • San Giacomo dell'Orio • San Stae • Sant'Alvise • San Pietro di Castello • San Redentore • Santa Maria di Rosario • San Sebastiano • San Giobbe • San Giuseppe di Castello • San Vidal • San Giacomo di Rialto.

Eat your way around Venice on a 2.5-hour tasting tour of some of the city's eateries, and get views of the historical monuments and attractions along the way. Begin in the San Marco district and stroll to the Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal. Visit Rialto Market and marvel at the colorful fruit and vegetable stalls. Experience everyday life in the city as the locals come to purchase fresh fish and other ingredients. Next, go to Campo San Polo and enter the Basilica dei Frari. Pass the square of Campo San Bartolomeo, where the locals like to gather. Along the way, taste a wide range of food specialties, from regional cheeses to buranelli biscuits and traditional cakes. Sample some sweet tiramisù in the city where it was invented, and experience the unique culture of cicchetti, the tapas-like snacks loved by Venetians served in typically cozy bàcari (bars). End on the Campo Santa Margherita in the historical sestiere (district) of Dorsoduro near the university.  

Catch the train from Rome to Venice to enjoy seven hours in the famous lagoon city. Your full-day pass includes return tickets on the high-speed train from central Rome to the center of Venice and a ferry pass with a validity of 12 hours for the public transport system along on the Canal Grande. You will be accompanied to Rome's train station to make sure you catch the right train, but the day will be yours to explore at leisure. The 3.5-hour journey to Santa Lucia Station in Venice takes you to the mainland, but a tour coordinator will meet you there to give you tips on how to easily get to places of interest. With your complimentary maps and suggested itineraries at hand, wander through the labyrinthine calli (streets) and across mythical bridges. Head for San Marco to use your skip-the-line ticket to the Basilica. Go next door to the Doge's Palace and stand on the Bridge of Sighs for unforgettable moments and photo shots. Another route follows the Sestiere, from Piazza San Marco to the Palazzo Grassi. Admire the Church of San Moise and Teatro La Fenice, as well as the Campo Santa Maria del Giglio, Campo Santo Stefano and Accademia Bridge. If you want to explore a more local neighborhood, go to San Polo, characterized by homes that also function as shops. This is a great area to taste food specialties of Veneto in one of the many taverns or typical 'bàcari', where you can try some authentic 'cicheti' (small tapas-like snacks). With your 12-hour ferry pass, all areas of Venice are easy to reach. You could even relax on a cruise along the Canal Grande, watching close-to-water Byzantine buildings and villas passing by. Enjoy some time to shop, or try a gelato or Italian coffee before you make your way back to the train station, where a group coordinator will be waiting to help you catch the train back to Rome.

Discover all the six Sestieri (neighborhoods) of Venice and satisfy your sweet tooth on this tasty tour. Walk over dozens of picturesque bridges powered by espresso, delicious pastries, ice creams and tiramisu. Stop in local bakeries and taste top quality pastries in historical cafés featuring ornate baroque mirrors. Be mesmerized by traditional cream puffs and biscuits and try fresh Italian espresso.

Embark on an authentic experience in Venice and wander around the vibrant streets of San Marco and San Polo like a local on this guided food and drink tasting experience. A visit to Venice is incomplete without drinking a Spritz in town. So explore Venetian bàcari (typical Venetian wine bars and food joints). Pleasantly tipsy after having this popular drink, start your culinary journey through the city. Hop from wine bars to family-owned shops. Choose several mouthwatering cicchetti bites (small snacks or side dishes) paired with local wine glasses. Find yourself in Venetian heaven, hopping from city highlights to hidden gems. Satisfy all your cravings for local food and culture with your passionate foodie host. Finally, be treated to a traditional treat, the ultimate gelato or a typical Venetian cookie—a fitting end to your culinary adventure.

Explore the alleys of the Dorsoduro district on a small group walking tour. Sample the delicious foods and wines Venice has to offer as you learn about the culture, history, and daily life of Venetians from your local guide. Meet your guide under the Ponte della Costituzione bridge. Start with a prosecco toast. Try real regional prosecco and find out more about this world-famous drink. Sample some tasty treats that pair beautifully with your drink. Next, stop for a spritz unlike any you've tried before. Real Venetian spritz doesn't contain any Aperol or Campari. Learn its secrets as you enjoy an unfiltered Venetian experience. Pair your spritz with some fine fish. Try well-known antipasti like baccalà mantecato and sarde in saor and discover local dishes that most tourists don't know about. Enjoy another glass of wine at the third stop before rounding off your tour with dessert and grappa.

Discover a more authentic side to Venice on a 90-minute walking tour, and wander among the alleys and peaceful canals away from the crowded areas. Encounter precious gems of art and architecture, and get a deeper more intimate experience of the city. Your guide will take you to some of the “campi” (little squares of Venice) and point out thriving “bacari” (local bars), describing the surroundings and telling you interesting facts about life in a city built on water along the way. Head towards the famous opera house of La Fenice, before going to the Bovolo Staircase, inspired by the architecture of the Orient and a living example of the city’s bond with the East. Named after the Venetian word for snail, the “Bovolo” clearly refers to its original spiral shape. Although pretty hard to find, a visit to this little gem is worth it. Stroll the elegant area surrounding the Rialto Bridge, connecting the Sestieri (“districts”) of San Marco and San Polo. Learn how it was a busy crossing area in commercial life, always crawling with local and foreign merchants. The Rialto is still the pulsing center of shops and commercial life in Venice, as well as home to the picturesque food and fish market of the city. Enjoy a beautiful view of the bridge from a dock on the Grand Canal. Photography lovers get ready!

Uncover the simple authenticity of Venice, away from mass tourism, and explore the heart of the city from rooftops on a guided walking tour. Lose track of time and feast your eyes of the real beauty of Venice with access to incredible places. See the city and its waterways from a different angle and clink your glass with a drink of Prosecco, celebrating in true Italian style. Meet your local guide and start discovering the sestiere San Polo, one of the lively places of Venice, mostly inhabited by locals. Enter private Venetian palaces and admire the wonderful views from hidden panoramic terraces. Discover enchanting views over the lagoon, admiring canals, churches, and bridges from a new and dreamy perspective. Enjoy a privileged view on the most beautiful and unique city in the world from above. See Venice from the rooftops, get lost in Rialto market, where locals still go everyday to buy fresh fish, discover the ancient Red Light District, imagine Casanova walking through the city with his lovers, walk in Venice’s smallest “calle” (street), and enjoy a traditional aperitivo with a panoramic view over the Grand Canal.

Learn the history of Venice as told through the tales of its prominent merchants, courtesans, and painters in San Polo, the site of the city's main market since 1097. The tour starts near the Rialto area. Venice was a city where west met east, and exotic items such as silk and spices were traded alongside traditional goods like copper and wood. The city's courtesans were well-off in this golden age and lived in sumptuous apartments. They were often accomplished musicians and raconteurs, and some were even deployed as secret spies for the state. Focus will then shift to the Venetian artists, with a visit to the Gothic Frari church, which dwarfs the eastern side of San Polo. Built by Franciscans in the 13th century, it is one of the city's largest places of worship. Simply the sheer size of its striking interior will amaze you, let alone the quality of its High Renaissance masterpieces – Titian's Assumption being the most famous.

Experience the wonders of Venice on a guided walking tour past city highlights like the Frari Chapel, San Polo Square, and Doge’s Palace. Hear your guide clearly with sanitized headsets. Float through the city's dreamy canals and under charming bridges on a gondola ride. Meet your guide at Santa Lucia station and begin your Venice adventure. Pickup your headsets and get your camera ready for your stroll through one of the world's most romantic cities. Walk across the first bridge and pass by the 15th-century San Rocco school and church. Go around the corner to see the Frari Chapel, a popular wedding location. Stop at San Polo Square, where Venetians used to organize bullfights for Carneval. Make your way to the lively Rialto market where locals go for fresh fish and produce. Have the opportunity to buy a snack or drink at the market, browse the local delicacies, and go souvenir shopping. Cross the grand Rialto Bridge and take in the views of the canal. Learn about the lives of traders and merchants. Be awed by the grandeur of the central square of Venice, St Marks Piazza. Watch as your guide points out the mosaics adorning St Mark's Basilica and its clock tower and the Campinale (bell tower). Admire views of Doge’s Palace, which for over 1000 years served as the government administration center for the region. Hop aboard a gondola and step back in time on this mode of travel that was once regularly used by upper class Venetians. Take in views of the city from the water and pass under romantic bridges. Finish your tour in St Mark's Square.