Venice Photography & Travel Guide (Italy 2023)
When many people think of Venice, they think of mass tourism, overcrowding and a cliche weekend city break destination. Although in some parts this can be true, I am here to say that if you know when to visit and what areas to explore, you can have an amazing time and even find yourself all alone in some cases.
In this guide I will be sharing how to get the best out of Venice, what to see, where to stay and of course how to walk away with some great photos too. Finally in this guide I will share only a few images to give you a sense of the place, however for the full gallery, please click here.
Why Venice
Venice a city like no other. As you already know there are no roads and the only way to get around is by boat because the city is built on wooden posts in the middle of a lagoon. The main island is small and every corner is easily walkable so it makes a good destination for a short time. There is a lot to see and plenty to photograph. Coupled with great food, relaxed atmosphere and a pleasant climate (in the warmer months) and you have a recipe for a perfect weekend or short city break.
When To Visit
Personally I visited in May and found it to be a great balance between good weather and not too many people. I would definitely avoid peak summer at all costs. In winter you can experience some flooding as well as cooler and wetter weather. If I had to go back I would go either in May again or in September - October.
How Long & Where To Stay
If all you care about is quickly seeing the main sights, then honestly a long weekend will be enough. If you want to really explore everything Venice has to offer (including the other islands), a week is ok. If you want to explore at a slow pace and even spend time focusing on photography, I would say 2 weeks is plenty. After 3 weeks of being there we explored every corner and by week 4 found ourselves bored. As for where to stay, I would suggest Dorsoduro.
Getting Here
Venice is easy to reach either by rail, bus or plane. If you fly into the airport, I would suggest taking the coach instead of the river taxi. It is much cheaper and from what I understand, quicker too. You can get tickets at the airport in the arrivals lounge.
General Info
Overall I found Venice very safe and have not had any issues. There are pick pockets operating in busy areas however from what I heard, they are not aggressive and when confronted, run away. My Airbnb host was a local and he said all parts of Venice are safe and there aren’t any no go areas. There is definitely some visible tension from locals towards tourists especially when the streets get packed. I suggest being extra nice to locals, greeting them in Italian, shopping in local independent stores and finding small cafes rather than going to well known chains. Make an extra effort here because although Venice needs tourism to survive, even I was getting irritated with the constant barrage of tourists. It also didn’t help that many tourists treated Venice like a drunk day out at the theme park and not a beautiful historical place. Attitude to photography was relaxed given the number of tourists with cameras and I had no issues.
Getting Around
There are two main ways to get around. By boat or by foot. Personally I walked everywhere on the main island. I never found myself more than 30-40 minutes away from where I needed to get to. You can easily do one end of town to the other in under an hour. Walking is the best because you can get lost in the narrow streets and find amazing hidden viewpoints and sights. Of course if you want to visit the other islands, taking a boat is a must. You can get tickets from machines or kiosks located at the larger stations. I suggest dedicating two days for the islands and buying a 48 hour unlimited pass.
Weather / Climate
I can only speak for May here as that is the month I spent in Venice. On average we had temperatures between 15C and 26C. We had a mixture of heavy non stop rain and clear skies. When it is raining and windy, it does feel noticeably colder than you would think. This is especially true if you’re in an exposed area or on the boat. When it is hot and you’re in the sun, it is nice and I certain walked away with a tan. Clothes wise I would say bring a mixture to cover the above. Ensure you do have some trousers or a long dress as some locations would not allow shorts / skirts.
Camera Gear
Personally I found longer lenses to yield more results than wider glass. My main 3 lenses were a 28mm, 50mm and a 135mm. In total I would say 30% of photos came from the 135mm, 50% from the 50mm and 20% from the 28mm. I found Venice to be very busy and cluttered hence the longer lenses coming in handy. However a couple of my best shots were on the 28mm. If unsure, bring a 24-70mm zoom.
Dorsoduro
Dorsoduro is located towards the south west part of the island and is an area full of locals and students. I didn’t realise that Venice would have such a bustling student population. This area is not on the direct tourist path and although some parts can have more tourists (especially the further east you go), in general it is chilled and not too busy. It is also full of great little cafes, bars and lots of food. Finally in the mornings and late afternoons, the light is just amazing. The narrow streets get lit up perfectly and will provide endless photo opportunities. Once you’ve done shooting, head down to the water and grab a Spritz from one of the many bars.
Cannaregio
Now it’s time to head to the north west of the island and explore what is known as the Jewish district. Cannaregio is a large area and quite a few parts will be very touristy. However if you head all the way to the most north west part of the island, you will have no one there. Then you can explore by heading east and zig zagging all the streets. It is all residential and even the first two canals will be quiet, however the Rio di San Girolamo canal can get pretty busy with locals especially around sunset. I would suggest to avoid The Rio Tera Lista Di Spagna as it is the main high street which will be unbearably busy. Instead just go a couple streets in and you wont have to deal with 1000 tourists.
San Polo
San Polo is the very centre of town. It is the busiest and most well known part of Venice. All the main sights such as the Rialto Bridge are located here. In many cases you will find yourself here when going from one part of the island to the other. I suggest trying to visit this area in the morning as anytime after 11am it becomes very busy. Also a few times a week you get the fish and fruit markets right by the grand canal. For this you do need to visit early. You will also find many viewpoints and roof tops in San Polo. I will cover these later on. When it comes to cafes and gift shops, I would exercise extra caution here to avoid the tourist traps. Overall it was my least favourite part of Venice due to the sheer volume of people and the feeling of everything being set up for tourists.
Castello
Castello is located towards the east of the main island and is very much a residential area. From the centre, it is about a 20 minute walk and I would suggest half a day to explore this area. Start on one side and zig zag your way across. On a sunny day you will see all the locals hang their washing out between the buildings. It’s nothing novel but looks cool. Although I would recommend exploring it all, I would like to highlight San Francesco della Vigna. A beautiful church yard which is tourist free and amazing for photos. Also make sure to explore some of the parks. Venice does not have much green space, so this is a refreshing change. There is an amazing cafe garden called Caffe La Serra which is located in the Viale Garibaldi. Finally while you’re there make sure to pop to the tiny islands on the edge of Castello such as Isola di San Pietro.
Giudecca
Giudecca is the large island that you can see from Dorsoduro and it is mostly residential and a little industrial too. In contrast, there are hardly any tourists there and it makes for a nice escape from the bustle of the main island. I suggest getting off at Sacca Fisola and then walking east. No specific route, just go with the flow and zig zag your way around. Finally when you get to the end, grab another ferry over San Giorgio. To be honest this could have easily been a bridge crossing but the ferry runs very frequently. There you will find a great museum and a beautiful sunset spot.
Murano
Murano is an island just a stones throw away from Venice and can be easily accessed by one of many boats that run there. Personally I found it quicker to walk to the station in the far north of Cannaregio near the hospital and get the boat from there rather than from the centre of Venice. Murano is well known for glass blowing. From a simple cup to insane sculptures that will leave you scratching your head. There are plenty of glass blowing displays that are definitely worth paying a few euros to watch. If you want to buy a small glass gift, this is the place. As for the island itself, it is basically a small Venice. Once you get out of the centre it gets quiet and peaceful. In total half a day is more than enough here.
Burano
Burano is a small island a little further out from Venice and you can get a boat there from the same spot as the one for Murano. I suggest not getting off in Burano but instead jump off at Mazzorbo which is the stop before. Then you can walk to Burano through a beautiful vineyard. Burano is a tiny island that is well known for the bright and vibrant houses. Unlike some tourist spots, these houses were not painted to attract the instagram selfie crowd, they actually serve a real purpose to help local fishermen easily find their place in heavy fog and mist. The island is tiny and gets crowded especially in the very centre. I suggest exploring the quieter areas away from the centre. In total you only need half a day here.
Pellestrina & Lido
If you insist on going to where no tourist ever goes, then you need to go to Pellestrina. I am sure you get the odd tourist, but considering how remote it is, you will be lucky to see one. First get the boat over to Lido and then jump on the 11 bus heading to Pellestrina. The cool bit is that the bus has to go on a ferry to cross from Lido to Pellestrina. That was one of my favourite parts. Then stay on the bus for a while until you’re about 3/4 of the way up. Jump out and head towards to sea. You will now find hardly anyone there. No shops, no cafes and no people. It seems like a small fishing village due to the high number of fishing boats all moored up. From here slowly head back towards Lido and whenever you had enough walking or you’re bored, find the nearest bus stop, jump on the 11 and head back to Lido. While in the area also have a quick look round Lido, there isn’t much here other than residential neighbourhoods and a big beach however it is worth a visit. In total set aside a 3/4 of day for Lido and Pellestrina.
Viewpoints
There are plenty of viewpoints in the city. However I personally enjoyed Fontego dei Tedeschi, Saint Mark’s Campanile and Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo. All of these require tickets however Fontego dei Tedeschi always has a huge waiting list of up to 2 weeks. So worth booking ahead of time. The others will be fine on the day as long as you come early.
Boats
Although you would mainly use public boats to get from A to B, they also offer great photo opportunities. So keep your camera out as you never know what you could get.
I hope you have found this brief travel guide to Venice helpful and it has helped you plan your trip. If you haven’t visited, I highly suggest you do. Thanks for reading!
If you want to see all the photos from Venice (and other locations), then may I suggest having a look at my Venice photography zine below. It is the best way to support me and my blog so that I can keep going and making these in the future.
