Cruise Guide to Venice, Italy

Venice is one of the most popular places in Italy for tourists and travelers to visit. This city is the capital of Italy’s Veneto region in the northern part of the area with only canals as the main form of transportation that attracts romantics from around the world to float along the water to see the palaces that line the Grand Canal. There are many Mediterranean cruises that have an itinerary that takes in Venice, so be sure to take a look at our list of cruises if Venice is a city that you’ve always wanted to visit.

Facts About Venice

Venice is located on a collection of islands, 118 in number, which is not connected by any roads and uses only canals between them. These islands are connected by a series of over 400 different bridges that allow gondolas to float underneath them as the major form of transportation even in modern times. Not only in Venice home to the first women ever to graduate from school, but it is also home to the first public casino in the entire world that was built in 1638.

Cruise Lines that visit Venice

With Venice, Italy being a wonderful stop for many visitors that want to see Italy up close and personal, there are a high number of cruise lines that begin in Venice and travel around the area. With cruises like Royal Caribbean, Viking Ocean Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and Carnival Cruises all make a point to spend time in this beautiful city. With the cruise lines docking near the edge of the city, you can take a water boat to the main downtown area for shopping and excursions for an easy way to get to the middle of the action.

Things to Do and See in Venice

In the city that has amazing gothic architecture, blue lagoons, and multiple grand palaces, there are plenty of things to see when on your cruise. Once docked in the city, you will want to see all of the things that this wonderful city has to offer.

San Marco Square Tour

Of many areas in Venice offering a great sight of the beautiful statues, sculptures, and buildings, you can take a tour of San Marco Square to see the best of the best. Starting with the Ducal Palace, heading over to see the apartment of the Duke, the old prison, and the State Rooms, you can get a glimpse of the best architecture in Venice. The tour lasts for three hours and can be booked for small groups, large parties, or single visitors for the most customized experience.

Gems of the Venetian Lagoon Tours

This boat tour takes you around the Venetian Lagoons for a tour that you will never forget. The tour will start with St. Mark’s waterfront and make its way to Murano and Burano where you will see unique demonstrations on how to blow glass and make lace. You will then see the waters of the Venetian Lagoons from a comfortable boat with a guide that will let you in on the history of the lagoons and point out interesting facts along the way.

Grand Canal Gondola Rides

As the main attraction, and with Venice known for their amazing gondolas, one of the classic experiences of this city is getting to ride on one of these longboats through the Grand Canal. This tour will take you along the waters and under some of the many bridges for a unique ride through the city for a chance to see hidden passageways through Venice. The tour is a 30-minute ride for any number of riders and will feature a private guide that will tell of all Venice has to offer.

Private Couple’s Gondola Rides

If having a large group together isn’t the kind of vacation excursion you are looking for, then you can choose to book a private gondola ride for yourself and your significant other for a tour of the waterways with just the two of you and your guide. As this is great for special occasions like honeymoons and anniversaries, guides will not give you information about Venice, and will instead let you have your private moments in peace. This tour lasts for thirty minutes in total and allows for as many pictures as you can take.

Doge’s Palace Tours

Venice is home to Doge’s Palace, which is one of the most famous palaces in the city. With decadent apartments and meeting rooms, this palace offers insight into the lives of the elite. You can walk the halls of the great palace with a guide that will show you all the best spots to see and will offer up tidbits about the people who have stayed there and what interesting facts have been learned about the palace throughout history. The tour is about three hours long and consists of travel time as well as the walking time through the palace.

Venice Ghost Stories Tours

Once the night falls onto the city of Venice, you can take an unusual look into the dark side of the city with a Ghost Stories Tour. These tours offer a chance to walk through Venice at night and see the vacant streets while listening to some tragic tales of unfortunate characters fateful ends and the paranormal belief that some of these people’s spirits may still be present in the city today. A private guide will take you through the city to show you the hidden corners and haunted places of Venice while hearing of the ghastly tales of Biasio, the infamous serial killer. This tour lasts about an hour and a half and is a walking tour that can accommodate guests will refreshments if specified with the booking.

St. Mark’s Basilica Tour

This was the building that contains many famous mosaics and also houses the crypt where the famous St. Mark is still believed to be. With a walking tour of the building, you will be able to see this historical attraction and learn all about the history of it while you are there. A guided tour will allow you to walk through the halls with a small group and see all the amazing sights inside the building. The tour will last about an hour and a half in total.

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Categories: Ports

Tags: Europe , Italy , Mediterranean , Venice