Venice, the city of canals, bridges and unique architectural wonders, is a never-ending list of things to do and see.
It’s okay to spend your whole stay in the city, but it’s worth knowing that there’s much more to see in the Veneto region, and just a short train or car ride away from the lagoon city.
So, if you’re in Venice and feel in an adventurous mood, there are six incredible day trips from Venice that are simply not to be missed!
Best day trips from Venice
The time has come to expand your horizons and history, culture and gastronomic treats are the watchwords of your trip out of town!
Doing a day trip from Venice will give you the opportunity to see much more than you usually would but within a much shorter time frame.
Depending on how many days in Venice you have to explore, maybe you were wondering where to go from Venice by train? You have so many options, but first…
Let’s look at some more reasons why day trips make a good choice:
Is it worth doing a day trip from Venice?
- Planning a day trip from Venice is easy and hassle-free. The Santa Lucia railway station is one of the most important and well-connected Italian railway stations. From here, there are daily trains leaving for many cities around Italy such as Florence, Rome and Naples. Exploring the surrounding cities and villages in Veneto. It’s just a case of booking a ticket and hopping on the next train leaving from Venice.
- Venice is famous for being a charming destination, and you might find yourself exploring and walking around its narrow streets for days. But there’s definitely much more than the lagoon and Veneto region has to offer! The nearby cities such as Padua, Treviso and Verona are real gems, with their own history, sightseeing marvels and a food scene waiting to be uncovered.
- You can plan your day trip from Venice by yourself. In case, you don’t really want to spend time planning it, you can always join a guided tour. The tours are organised by a local expert guides (who speak your language) that can provide insightful information of each destination and share with you local advice.There are some great overnight trips from Venice you can do to.
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Day trips from Venice
So now you have more reasons to plan a day trip and reap all the rewards let’s look closer at each place you can visit from Venice as part of a day trip.
Before we do, if you have more than just a day you may also want to look at some of the best day trips from Venice by train which allow you to spend even more time.
Murano, Burano and Torcello
You don’t really need to leave the Venetian lagoon for a day trip from Venice. Murano, Burano and Torcello are three popular islands you should visit if spending a couple of days in Venice.
Each one has its own unique features and history: Murano is famous for the glass-blowing, Torcello was the first inhabited island and Burano is the rainbow-coloured one!
Murano, Burano and Torcello can be visited in one day by taking a ferry from Venice. You can either plan independently your trip, or join a boat tour.
Check out this Murano, Burano and Torcello islands day trip for a full day trip that includes a visit to them all, from the comfort of a motorboat.
You’ll have the chance to visit a glass factory in Murano, go for a relaxing walk in Torcello and stroll around the colourful houses of Burano.
During the transfers between the islands, a multilingual assistant, will share with you interesting facts about all of them.
Treviso
Treviso is a little known medium-sized city based in north-east Italy. It’s only 30 minutes away from Venice by train or car and makes the perfect day trip from Venice. You can find a train leaving the station every 15 minutes.
Treviso similarly to Venice is crossed by picturesque canals as well as from the Sile river, there’s no need to say that it’s a real a suggestive and romantic escape to consider when in Venice.
Among the unmissable sightseeing of Treviso, there is: Piazza dei Signori, the most important public square of the city and Palazzo dei Trecento, that during the Middle Ages was the seat of the municipal council.
Don’t forget to visit the Pescheria: a small island in the middle of the Sile river, where a traditional fish market takes place as well as the Cathedral of Treviso, to admire ‘The Annunciation’ painting masterpiece by Titian.
To make the most of your time in Treviso, I recommend joining this 3-hour guided walking tour to not miss any of these landmarks as well as many others, and learn more about its old history.
Padua
Padua is located in the heart of the Veneto region, between Venice and Verona. Padua is another great day trip from Venice, only 20 minutes away by train.
This is a prestigious university city welcoming every year, Italian and international students. The university of Padua is over three thousand years old and it’s the second oldest one in the world, after Bologna.
Amongst your list of things to do in Padua, there is: the Basilica of Sant’Antonio, the Palazzo del Bo, where Galileo Galilei was teaching, and the beautiful Prato della Valle, one of the biggest and stunning Italian public squares where a weekly market is held and a meeting point for locals.
It’s worth mentioning that in Padua, there are two UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Scrovegni Chapel, painted by Giotto and the Botanical Garden.
To learn how Padua was connected to Venice by water, you can join the Padua to Venice boat cruise of the Brenta River.
On this is mini cruise along the Brenta Riviera, you’ll get the chance to pass by 50 fascinating Venetian villas, and get from Padua to Venice by boat!
Verona
Verona is one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in Italy, and famous for being the city of the Shakespearean characters Romeo and Juliet.
The medieval historical city centre of Verona has been declared UNESCO World Heritage Site.
When visiting the city of love, you can certainly not miss a visit to the Juliet’s House, a building dating back to the sixteenth century. The famous balcony overlooking a courtyard attracts thousands of visitors every day.
Read my post on how to get from Venice to Verona for transport tips. Also, while here, don’t forget about the beautiful Arena di Verona, the oldest Roman amphitheatre, where special events and concerts take place all year round.
The you have Piazza delle Erbe, the oldest square in Verona, located where the original Roman’s forum was, at the time of the Roman Empire.
To enjoy a bird eye view of the city, walk to the top of Torre dei Lamberti. The city tower is 84 meters high and dominates the historical centre of Verona.
There’s no better way to get to know Verona, than immersing yourself in its food scene! To do that, I suggest joining this food tour (with wine tasting) to sample food and wine from Verona during a 3.5 hours walking tour.
Prosecco Hills
The Prosecco Hills are one of the most recent site that entered the UNESCO World Heritage of the Veneto region.
This generous land with its rolling hills is located between Valdobbiadene and Conegliano, with an extension of almost 100 square kilometres.
Part of the province of Treviso, here is where the Prosecco DOCG wine comes from, the finest Prosecco you can find, popular all over the world. The Prosecco Hills can be explored in many ways.
Are you looking for an active type day trip from Venice?
Then the best choice is to take one of the tens of hiking trails in the hills or rent a bike to explore the charming villages and vineyards of the Strada del Prosecco and Vini dei Colli Conegliano Valdobbiadene.
If you want to learn all the secrets of this wine paradise, then you should definitely aim join this Prosecco wine tasting tour from Venice.
You’ll leave from Piazzale Roma in Venice with an guide and make your way to the Prosecco Hills from the comfort of a private van. During your day trip from Venice, you’ll visit 2 wineries and enjoy a light lunch up in the hills.
Bassano del Grappa
The frequent direct trains to Bassano del Grappa, make of this village a great day trip from Venice. The small town is known for its Ponte degli Alpini, built by Andrea Palladio and the popular distillate called ‘grappa’.
From the wooden bridge you can admire lovely views over the Brenta river, making its way towards the Alps, as well as of the historical city centre.
Stroll around the medieval streets and public squares of Bassano and take your time to find picturesque and hidden corners during your walk.
To add a different twist to your day out, you can enjoy a private dining experience at a local’s home with this dining experience set beautifully at a local’s home.
During your time at a local’s house, you’ll taste authentic dishes whose recipes have been passed down through generations of local families.
This is a fantastic opportunity to experience the warmth of Italian hospitality as you connect with local people.
Veneto Dolomites
Thanks to the easy connections between Venice and the Dolomites, you can combine your stay in a city of art, suspended between land and sea within the majestic Dolomites mountains, in Veneto’s Alps.
By joining one of these day trips from Venice to the Dolomites, you can leave from Piazzale Roma in Venice and get in a couple of hours to the mountains.
During your excursion you’ll visit famous places like Cortina d’Ampezzo, called the ‘pearl of the Dolomites’, the Tre Cime di Lavaredo peaks, Lake Misurina and go hiking or climbing in some of the best beautiful woods and parks of the Italian Alps.
If you travel during winter, it’s great to visit the Dolomites and go skiing, snowboarding or snowshoeing.
You can also get to the Dolomites from Venice on your own:
- By car take the A27 motorway and exit near Belluno and then continue to your preferred destination.
- By bus either with ATVO, Flixbus or the Cortina Express lines. You can get to Longarone, Val Zoldana and Cadore area.
- By train from Venice Santa Lucia to Calalzo-Pieve di Cadore-Cortina. This option involves changing once or twice trains.
Day trips from Venice FAQ Guide
Here are some questions people ask when it comes to Venice day trips:
Best day trips from Venice
At this point, you should have a better idea of what else there’s beyond the Venetian lagoon, with a list of unmissable day trips from Venice.
Any of these destinations is a good option whenever you feel the urgency of get away for a little while from Venice.
Travelling to other villages and towns in Veneto is your chance to learn more about this region and discover the most authentic, but little-known, gems.
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