Dreaming of a Venice city break or even a longer holiday to see all the attractions in Venice?
You found the best Venice travel guide, well done! Among those things to do in Venice, there are also things to avoid to do in Venice or if you want to call it, mistakes that first-time travellers do when visiting the famous city of La Serenissima.
One of the things that I never forget to do before leaving for a trip is to check what things are better to avoid doing to ensure that my holiday will be a success and not a failure.
Still, inevitably, I always find some new when I am at my destination.
That's why I created this list for you, my dear traveller friend, to make sure you will have a wonderful time in Venice.
So follow my advice, and you will be more than ok and your Venetian holiday will be such a fantastic experience that you will wish to go back one day.
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Do you know about Venice tourist fee?
Venice has implemented a tourist tax to help preserve the city's cultural heritage. Find out how much it costs and who is exempt in this informative article.
Read 21 Things to Don't Do in Venice Below
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1. Don't go to Venice for only one day:
It might seem small, but trust me, there are so many things to see in Venice that one day is not enough. The fantastic churches, picture-perfect little alleys, bridges, historical buildings, art museums, and famous Islands. You will see only a little tiny part of it in one day.
So please, plan to have more days available to explore every corner of it and all the attractions in Venice, because it deserves all your time and attention.
How long should I stay in Venice?
I advise you to stay at least four full days in Venice.
There are so many things to do in Venice and places to see. There are very famous museums and palaces like the Doge's palace, the Peggy Guggenheim collection, La Biennale and so many stunning churches and cathedrals that you won't regret it, I promise you.
2. Don't limit your visit to only the main island:
There is so much to see in Venice that staying and visiting only the main island would be a shame.
Because Venice is not only a big group of islands (118 tiny islands form the main one, with 435 bridges and 176 canals), there are also Murano, Burano, Torcello, San Michele e Sant'Erasmo's Island. Murano and Burano are the most visited but also the other ones deserve a visit in case you have more time to explore.
Plan Your Vacation in Venice in the Best Way
Check out all my articles in the "Most Complete Guide of Venice" and get all the information you need to make your next travel a success.
3. Don't forget to bring a map with you:
The main island of Venice is quite extensive. There are many museums to visit, perfect picture spots for your Facebook or Instagram account, famous buildings, churches, handmade souvenir shops, and don't forget typical cuisine restaurants.
Plan your visit with everything you don't want to miss adding it to a map. This is the best way to see everything Venice offers without forgetting what you have planned to visit.
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4. Don't have an overplanned itinerary. Get Lost!
As I said in point 3, having an itinerary with everything you want to see is excellent but please don't plan to explore Venice just in one day because it is impossible and also you won't enjoy it at all!
You will end up just running trying to see everything, without enjoying your holiday.
So plan a day where you can have time to stop for a more extended lunch, take the same picture 10 times because you are trying to make it perfect and get lost exploring this beautiful city.
Don't plan a too straight itinerary. If you see an unexpected alley that looks interesting, don't be afraid to go to explore it because even in the smallest passages, you can find an incredible picture spot.
Do you want to see everything Venice has to offer and save money at the same time?
Check here all the activities and tours available. You won't regret it!
5. Don't go to Venice between June and September:
Venice can be so hot you will hate to be there during summertime.
Try to imagine walking all day at 40 degrees celsius in a very crowded city with so many tourists that you cannot take a single picture without people walking in front of you and pushing you.
Trust me. You won't enjoy it at all, so please avoid planning a visit to Venice in the summer.
6. Don't forget to purchase activity and attractions tickets in advance:
Travelling can be very expensive, but there are so many ways to save money and still see and do everything you want. So, my advice is always to check what you wish to see and do in advance and purchase the tickets.
You will always find skip the queue tickets that will allow you to save a lot of time (Venice is a very touristic city and you can be stuck in a queue for at least one hour waiting to enter a museum or church) and you will also save money.
I always purchase all my tickets in advance. I look for the best prices on GetYourGuide, Viator and Tiqets.
These websites that never disappointed me, and I have always found amazing deals to save on my holidays. (The more money I save ahead and more money I have to spend when I am there).
7. Don't forget to book a glass factory in advance from a trusted website:
How can you visit Murano Island and don't see the fantastic work behind a glass factory is a mystery to me.
It is an exciting experience. Those glass masters are artists.
Seeing how fast and efficiently they can make a horse has been a wonderful experience for me.
So please book ahead and avoid joining those "free Murano Glass tour" where they promise to take you to the island for free, to a non-professional glass factory where you will be pushed to make a purchase.
I booked a Murano Glassblowing and Burano Lacemaking experience, and it was awesome.
8. Don't pack too heavy:
Of course, many of you want to have different outfits to look amazing in every picture. Still, unfortunately, Venice doesn't have regular streets where you can get to your accommodation by taxi or bus.
You will catch a ferry or a water taxi that will take you to a stop on the central canal, closer to your Hotel but from there you will have to carry your luggage so try to pack light if you can or book accommodation close to the train station as I did so you will have to walk only a few minutes.
Check Out my "The Most Complete Guide of Where to Stay in Venice" and see all the accommodations for every budget.
9. Don't pay for a Gondola ride on the spot but book it in advance and save a lot of money:
A romantic and trendy Gondola ride in Venice can cost you 80 euros for as little as 30 minutes if you pay for it on the spot. If you ask for a serenade from your "Gondoliere", it might cost you double, so if this is an experience you wish to do, don't wait till the last minute ending paying a fortune and book it in advance here.
Wouldn't it be wonderful to enjoy a romantic gondola ride where you will be able to take a stunning picture from the Gran Canal for as little as 30 Euro for 35 minutes instead of paying 80 euros or more?
I got you covered with a fantastic deal. Just click here, where you will be able to book it in advance and enjoy a private Gondola ride with your loved one or a friend.
10. Don't Eat around St. mark's Square:
Yes, I know that a picture with you sitting in St. Mark's Square having an aperitivo will look amazing on your Instagram profile but be ready to pay the price for it that won't be cheap.
Every place around the central Square is costly, so unless you are willing to pay 12 euros for a coffee (maybe there will be some musician playing for you), please avoid eating and drinking in that area. Far from the Main Square, you can get a delicious Italian coffee for just 1 Euro so keep in mind your budget.
Venice is beautiful but also a perfect place where to taste all the delicious food and wine that its region has to offer.
So Why not have an unforgettable experience to remember for the rest of your life? I have some great ideas for you.
Do you like Wine? Who doesn't right?
Have a look at this: Venetian Wine Tasting
With so many different wines to choose from, you won't have this problem because you will try only the best ones!
If you love cooking like me, always looking to try different recipes, after trying this fabulous Cooking class and tasting at a Cesarina's home in Venice you will feel so satisfied that you will feel like a local.
11. Don't Dine in a Tourist Trap:
Unfortunately, you will see many tourist traps in a tourist city like Venice, so please be wise and avoid them. You can see if a place is local, like this one in the picture, if it loos old and you see many Italians eating there, it is probably local.
Do your research about where to eat or have a look at my article "5 Best Local Restaurants in Venice", where I listed the best places where you can have a delicious Venetian meal, where the locals go, and you won't be overcharged because you are a tourist.
If you are looking for some places where to have a light lunch or an aperitivo, read my
Very Important Question: Do you like Wine?
If the answer is Yes! Check out the wine tasting available in Venice here.
12. Don't go to Eat in an American Restaurant:
I know some young and not so young people like to go to Mc Donald's and other kinds of fast food, but you are in Venice, one of the most famous cities in Italy, so please be thoughtful and try those fantastic recipes that Venice has to offer.
They won't serve you frozen or ready to eat meals but only fresh fish that comes from the Adriatic Sea. So think about it before ordering a burger with a side of fries (you can eat it at home anytime, but you won't be able to eat Venetian food at home. Think about that).
Aren't you going to feel hungry after walking so much through Venetian Art and Culture?
Guess what? I got you covered!
Check my Article
"15 Delicious Food and Drinks to Try in Venice" to know which delicacies you will enjoy and then check out "Best Places to have an Aperitivo or light lunch in Venice and Best Bacari".
So now you know where to go for a quick and delicious bite between visiting a museum and admiring a church.
Are you looking for a Food Tasting Tour? Why not try all the best Venetian food with a Guide who will explain to you everything about it:
Book your reservation here: Walking Tour with Venice Street Food Tasting
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13. Don't cool down your feet in the canal water.
The water looks already brown and not appealing, so please, if you see some tourists doing that, do a favour to your health and don't do the same.
An estimated 90 % of Venice's human waste is flushed directly into the city's canals. A public-health study identified the Hepatitis A virus and enteroviruses in 78 % of the channels tested over two years from 2003 to 2005.
Venice's canal-based sewer system is more than a thousand years old, and it continues to work well by medieval or pre-Victorian standards. That means (I explain it again to make sure you understand it) bathing your feet in the water canal means you will wash your feet with the pee and poo of millions of tourists.
Please don't say that I didn't warn you then.
Plan Your Vacation in Venice in the Best Way
Check out all my articles in the "Most Complete Guide of Venice" and get all the information you need to make your next travel a success.
14. Don't use public toilets:
There are many reasons you should not use a public toilet, but I will tell you only one.
In Venice, public toilets cost 2 euros and who knows how many people use them every day (and how often they clean them).
There are so many museums, restaurants and bars where you can go when you have a chance. You can stop for a delicious Italian coffee or a healthy fruit juice in the morning.
At lunchtime, for example, there are so many "Bacari"(local wine bars) where you can have an authentic Venetian lunch.
Aren't you going to visit a museum? of course, you will and in the afternoon don't you fancy an Italian Icecream or a coffee? Of course, everybody does when in Italy.
Do you see it?
I have already given you four ideas to find a clean and free of charge toilet.
You are Welcome!
Tip: Don't forget that one espresso can cost you as little as 1 euro in a cafe' far from St Mark's Square.
Do you want to see everything Venice has to offer and save money at the same time?
Check here all the activities and tours available. You won't regret it!
15. Don't buy cheap and fake Venetian souvenirs made in China. Buy original handmade in Venice:
You will see many street stands and souvenir shops that will try to sell you fake stuff, so please keep your eyes open and buy only originals worth the money, and you will also help real Venetian artisans.
There are so many fantastic handmade Masks of every colour and shape. You can also book a Carnival Mask Workshop where they will teach you how to make your own Carnival Mask.
Do you like Murano Glass? At one of the official Murano Glass making demonstrations, you will find many original Murano Glass to purchase, like jewellery, picture frames, vase, glasses and other beautiful little accessories that will remind you forever of your wonderful Venetian holiday.
16. Don't forget a scarf to cover your shoulder during the warm months to visit churches:
It is respect and good education to cover your shoulders while visiting a religious building, so please don't forget about it because they won't allow you to enter some places.
This was my list of 16 Things to Don't do in Venice. I hope you found it helpful. I did my best because I want to help you, my dear traveller friend, so that you will have a fantastic holiday in beautiful Venice.
17. Don't forget to pack some waterproof shoes:
"Alta marea" (high tide) doesn't happen very often and it doesn't even last for so long. It usually happens in autumn and winter, and the months with more chances to see high tide are November and December.
In case you are planning to visit Venice during these months, make sure to bring with you some comfortable and most important waterproof boots, so you will explore Venice without any problems.
18. Don't forget you will walk a lot:
Venice is bigger than you think. There are many bridges to cross and there are no taxis or buses like in any other city.
In Venice, the only transports you will find are ferries and water taxis and they only move up and down the grand canal and around the island (don't forget Venice is a big island made of hundreds of little islands connected by bridges).
So, be prepared to walk all day, wear comfortable shoes, drink plenty of water and take thousands of stunning pictures.
19. Don't block the passage on the street:
Remember that Venice streets are mostly narrow alleys and little streets on the side of a canal. If visiting during the high season, you will find it difficult to walk among so many tourists.
So, do not stop in the middle, find a place where you are not blocking the passage and most important, if it is crowded and you are walking on a canal-side street, walk in line and close to the wall.
Too many tourists end up in the dirty canals because there are too many people walking on a narrow street and everybody is pushing to pass through.
20. Take off your backpack on the vaporetto (ferry):
Unless you are visiting Venice from November to March (when is much quieter), vaporetto (ferry) tends to get very crowded.
So, remove your backpack, leave more room for other people, and avoid hurting someone with it because you keep turning around to look outside of the window
21. If you are a man, don't remove your t-shirt:
Even if you are a woman, obviously.
I know that during summer Venice can be so hot you wish to jump into the canal (please don't do it, the water is a mix of sewage and other stuff). But walking top-less is forbidden. And it doesn't change if you are a man.
So keep your t-shirt on, I know it is hot, but I told you to avoid visiting Venice during summertime. Next time, please listen to me, I give you advice for your own good.
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