Hotel Bisanzio. 4* hotel close to Piazza San Marco and the Biennale fair
grounds. You can book it here.
Hotel al Sole. Basic 3* hotel with high
ceilings. You can book it here.
Foresteria Levi. 3* hotel in the Palazzo
Giustinian, located right at the Canal Grande next to Accademia bridge. You can book it here.
Hotel Bauer. For a luxurious 5* stay right at the Canal
Grande. You can book it here.
Eat:
Ristorante Wildner. Delicious food
and fish soup, located right by the water.
Antiche Carampane. Close to Rialto bridge and absolutely
great sea food.
Ai Barbacani. Small restaurant at a small canal with nice appetizers, great fish platters
and friendly service. They have a cute two-seater table right at the canal.
Hostaria da Franz. Elegant fish restaurant with a very good wine selection.
Corte Sconta. A real gem – don‘t miss the seafood
appetizer plates!
Al Covo. Charming family-owned restaurant close to the Arsenale
area.
Campo Santo Stefano is a nice and tranquil square close to Accademia. At Ristorante Santo Stefano you can get Pizza, Spaghetti alle vongole and more.
On the way between the Biennale locations of Giardini and Arsenale you can find a lot of restaurants and bars on Via Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Drink:
For drinks before dinner: Under the arcades of Campo San Giacomo di Rialto you will find various bars, e.g. Osteria Bancogiro.
The pretty square in front of the church Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista in Bragora has a lot of outdoor bars, e.g. Osteria alla
Bandiera.
For cocktails check out the Oriental Bar at the Hotel Metropole, which is open even late in the night.
Do & See:
Teatro La Fenice. If you do not have time to see a play, it is possible to visit the impressive
interiors of the building as a tour.
Main sights of Venice (beside its beautiful streets, bridges and canals): Basilica San Marco (get there by 11.30h to see it in best light), Doge`s Palace, Rialto bridge (great view on Canal Grande), Bridge of Sighs.
Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Peggy Guggenheim‘s former home
with her personal collections and a beautiful garden.
Palazzo Franchetti. A pretty palazzo by the Canal Grande
with changing exhibitions.
Palazzo Fortuny. Museum set in an old gothic
palazzo and former atelier of artist Mariano Fortuny.
Fondazione Prada. Since 2011 the Fondazione in Venice has its headquarter in this old palazzo.
Scuola di San
Rocco. Confraternity building with impressive ceiling paintings by Jacopo Tintoretto.
Cà d Oro. Best known gothic facade at Canal Grande, nowadays a gallery.
Venice Biennale. Very recommended to get a
guided tour when you visit the exhibitions at Arsenale and Giardini.
Scala Contarini del Bovolo, San Marco, 4299. Lovely spiral staircase.
Fondaco dei Tedeschi. The former headquarter of the German merchants has been transformed
into a luxurious department store by architects from OMA. The roof terrace has a nice view over the Canal Grande.
The islands around Venice are also very beautiful, e.g. Murano with its glass museum and San Giorgio Maggiore with its church by Andrea Palladio.
Tip:
To take a water taxi from the airport costs around €100-150 per boat, with a group of people it is a beautiful way to enter Venice.
Getting around in Venice usually means on foot or on water. There are comfortable day passes for the water buses known as "vaporetto". Note: When Venetians celebrate the Regatta Storica on the first
weekend of September, you cannot use them.