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Venice Vacation, Trip, Tour & Travel Package


  • The famous Grand Canal from Rialto Bridge is a must photograph spot while on your Italy vacation.
  • Glimpse a piece of history with the Rialto Bridge, the oldest of Venice's four bridges spanning the Grand Canal
  • Stroll through Piazza San Marco to visit St Mark's Basilica or shop local vendors
  • Escape the busy streets of Venice to tour the Pastel Buildings of Burano Island in the Venetian Lagoon
  • Join the fun of elaborate costumes and masks when celebrating the Carnival of Venice
  • Dress to impress before entering the hallowed halls of Basilica di San Marco

Venice is one of Italy's most beautiful and romantic cities with many attractions. Its small, traffic-free streets mingled with winding canals make for great walking. You will find many magnificent churches and palaces, lively squares, and interesting shops all to be enjoyed on an Italy vacation. 

Venice and the Grand Canal

Venice actually consists of 118 small islands connected by more than 400 bridges over its 150 canals. The Grand Canal is like a main street cutting through the centre of the city. The city in its entirety is listed as a World Heritage Site, along with its lagoon. 

Venice is divided into 6 regions plus Venice Lido. Some of the most important sites on an Italy vacation package include the following but these are just a smattering of wonderful places to visit. Piazza San Marco, known in English as St Mark's Square, is the principal public square of Venice. The Piazza is dominated at its eastern end by the great church of St Mark. The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best-known examples of Italian-Byzantine architecture. It lies adjacent to and connected to the Doge's Palace. It is noted for its opulent design, gold ground mosaics and its status as a symbol of Venetian wealth and power. St Mark's Campanile is the bell tower of St Mark's Basilica in Venice and is one of the most recognizable symbols of the city. The ornate but beautiful Doge's Palace is a palace built in the Venetian Gothic style and one of the main landmarks of the city. The palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme authority of the Republic of Venice and is now a museum. 

In another part of Venice is the district of Santa Croce which can be divided into two areas: the eastern area being largely mediaeval and the western, including the main port, mostly lying on land reclaimed in the 10th century. The attractions here are the churches, the Patrician Palace and the Museum of the History of Fabric and Costume. 

The Rialto Bridge is one of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice. It is the oldest bridge across the canal and was the dividing line for the districts of San Marco and San Polo. The Bridge of Sighs is an enclosed bridge made of white limestone and has windows with stone bars. It passes over the Rio di Palazzo and connects the New Prison to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace. The view from the Bridge of Sighs was the last view of Venice that convicts saw before their imprisonment. 

A common sight in Venice on a trip to Italy is its water transportation system. This can be via the vaporetto (water taxi or the more romantic gondola. The gondola is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat well suited to the conditions of the Venetian canals. For centuries gondolas were the chief means of transportation and the most common watercraft within Venice. In modern times iconic boats still have a role as public transportation within the city.

Venice Lido is an 11-kilometre/7-mile-long sandbar in Venice and home to about 20,000 residents. The Venice Film Festival takes place at the Lido every September. At least half the Adriatic side of the island is a sandy beach, much of it belonging to the various hotels that house summer visitors. This includes the renowned Des Bains, the setting for Thomas Mann's classic novel Death in Venice. 

Visit Murano and Burano from Venice

On Italy vacations, not far from Venice are three interesting locations. Murano is a series of islands linked by bridges to the Venetian Lagoon. It lies about 1.5 kilometres/1 mile north of Venice It is famous for its glass making, particularly lampworking. Burano is an island in the Venetian Lagoon. It is situated at the northern end of the Lagoon and is known for its lacework and brightly coloured homes. Torcello is a quiet and sparsely populated island at the northern end of the Venetian Lagoon. It is the oldest continuously populated region of Venice. Its main attraction is the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, founded in 639 with 11th and 12th-century Byzantine work including mosaics.

 

Italy Vacation Information

At Goway we believe that a well-informed traveller is a safer traveller. With this in mind, we have compiled an easy-to-navigate travel information section dedicated to Italy vacations. 

Learn about the history and culture of Italy, the must-try food and drink, and what to pack in your suitcase. Read about Italy's nature and wildlife, weather and geography, along with 'Country Quickfacts' compiled by our travel experts. Our globetrotting tips, as well as our visa and health information, will help ensure you're properly prepared for a safe and enjoyable trip. The only way you could possibly learn more is by embarking on your journey and discovering Italy for yourself. Start exploring...book your Italy vacation today!

 

Extend your Stay

Consider an additional stopover to your Italy vacation at one of Goway's other European destinations. You can choose from a Paris vacation, a London vacation or an Amsterdam vacation. This can be done stopping over en route to or from Italy.

 

 

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Venice, Italy

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    FIRST-CLASS | TAILOR-MADE: Discover the beauty and charm of three of Italy's iconic cities - Rome, Florence and Venice. Visit historic Rome with its ancient ruins and Vatican City, enjoy wine tasting and the magnificent art and architecture of Florence. As a grand finale, spend time in Venice, city of canals.
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