How to Spend One Day in Venice

There is perhaps no place as romantic and exceptional as Venice. One of my favorite cities in the world, Venice or Venezia as it is called in Italian, has inspired artistes and musicians for centuries, attracting them with its inimitable beauty. The reasons to visit Venice are endless, all you need is one excuse. Venice is a dreamy city of quaint alleyways, historical bridges, delectable cuisine, gondolas with the boatmen humming Italian melodies and an overall mystical air. A million lives live along the meandering canals.

Here’s my account of my holiday with a couple of my close friends and how to spend that perfect 1 day in Venice. 

Start to a Long Day

We arrived in Mestre, the last town in the mainland before Venice. Although a part of Venice, the small town doesn’t share Venice’s unique infrastructure. However, we’d chosen to stay at a hotel in Mestre to save on accommodation costs. Luckily for us, the hotel we chose was a zebra-crossing away from a small railway station that had frequent trains to Venice. And by frequent, I mean every few minutes! We quickly checked in, freshened up and took the train to start our 1 day in Venice.

Quick Tip – Train timings can be checked on trenitalia.it

Venice – Love at First Sight

We reached the grand Venezia Santa Lucia railway station in 10 minutes. As unplanned holidays go, we didn’t have a guide or a map with us so we bought one at the station. As we stepped out of the station, the first view that struck us was the Grand Canal, which runs through the city. Water taxis, gondolas and larger ferries (vaporetto) ply these waterways and serve as the public transport of the city. Where you would imagine roads to be, there is water!

We decided to walk to Rialto Bridge and from there take public transport to Piazza San Marco, which is the main square in the city.

Quick Tip – While gondolas are the prettiest of the boats, they might cost upwards of 90 Euros. The ferry is the cheapest mode of transport.

Wandering the Alleys, Stopping for Treats

As we made our way, crossing the bridge next to the station, we stopped for pictures at every corner and every bridge. The bridges are especially fairy taleish. You can see people going about their usual chores and see speedboats docked as if they were parked cars outside apartment buildings.

When we realised we were somewhat closer to Rialto, we decided to stop for a quick bite at a cute pasticceria or bakery. We ogled at the spread of baked tidbits, each looking as inviting as the next. We each chose a little pastry/chocolate for ourselves and set out relishing our delights.

Quick Tip – The streets are marked with directions towards Rialto, St. Mark’s Square and the station, so it’s fairly easy to get around.

Shopping and Selfies at Rialto Bridge

After some more walking and stopping to take pictures, we arrived at Rialto. Shops line the large stone bridge on all sides and suddenly, there’s a rush of people around you. This is where most people buy their souvenirs from as the choice is plenty. You can pick up a typical Venetian mask, colourful replicas of gondolas, Venetian costumes and some rather "adult" themed t-shirts and souvenirs.

Looking over the Rialto, you get a spectacular view of the Grand Canal and this is when you realise the true wonder of a city that has sustained itself on waterways for centuries. After taking customary pictures at the bridge, shopping for some souvenirs, enjoying a gelato at one of the gelaterias or ice cream shops, we took a water-bus in the direction of St. Mark’s Square.

Quick Tip – Bargain, bargain, bargain!

A Boat Ride and a Fancy Lunch

The ride on the ferry is a fun one. We chose seats at the very rear of the boat, from where we had a great view of the canal. After crossing buildings lined with flower pots on both sides of the canal, gondolas with couples and families on the water, little old men enjoying a chess game on the banks, beautiful architecture of churches and monuments, we arrive at St. Mark’s Square.

We stepped off the boat and decided to splurge on a fancy meal right at the piazza. Although restaurants here are highly priced, we wanted to experience the square in all its glory. With outdoor seating and great views, we sat down for some wooden-oven traditional Italian pizzas. Truly decadent! Amidst the joyous atmosphere, I devoured my favourite Pizza Diavola (pepperoni pizza).

Quick Tip – For a more economical dining option, trattorias or family run restaurants can be found all over the city.

St. Mark’s Basilica

After lunch, we visited St. Mark’s Basilica. We took a tour around the 11^th century cathedral, which is named Chiesa D’Oro or Church of Gold, a symbol of wealth and power with gold mosaic designs. True to its name, the cathedral resonated with the power and opulence of Venice and left us in sheer awe.

Quick Tip – It takes about 30 minutes to an hour to visit the cathedral, depending on how long the visitor’s lines are.

The Walk Back

We walked back at a casual pace, taking in the cacophony of the market vendors, quiet splashing of the water, faint music from the street musicians and the many sounds of the city. We added some of our own, as we hummed “yeh kahan aa gaye hum, yunhi saath saath chalte”, feeling the Yash Chopra romanticism in the air. The last image I remember of Venice is pink, red and yellow flowers, reflecting on the dark water and a gondola gliding by with a couple lovingly gazing at each other. If this isn’t reason enough to Venice, then I don’t know what is!

With that image safely stored in a corner of my heart, I sighed as we took the short train journey to our hotel, where we stayed up through the night, marveling at our 1 day in Venice.

Quick Tip – Do check the timings for the last train out of the city and plan your trip accordingly.