Free Things to do in Venice

Ciao and welcome to my popular post on free things to do in Venice.

Venice is certainly not the cheapest city in Italy, but considering that ‘the best things in life are free’, even in Venice you can see wonderful things without spending money!

What makes Venice a unique city are its canals bustling with gondolas and water buses (also known as the vaporetto), bridges such as Rialto, St. Mark’s Square and narrow streets where you get lost marvelling at sumptuous palaces and churches.

It is true that all those are all free things to do in Venice! But, there are more and lesser known activities and sightseeing you can visit completely for free.

Free Things to do in Venice

I’m always on the lookout for new things to do here myself and I have been in Venice more times than I can count on both hands. Below I’ll share some of my favourites.

I’m sure that we can agree that most attractions and activities cost money. If you’re travelling on a budget or just curious to know exactly what to do in Venice without breaking the bank, then you’re definitely in the right place (keep reading below).

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How to stay on a tight budget in Venice?

For those looking to travel and part with minimal cash, the good news is that there are numerous ways to save money and stay on a budget while visiting this incredible city.

Here’s a list of my tips to experience Venice cheaply:

Of course there are many more ways to stay on a budget in Venice. I suggest you read my guide on travel expenses for Venice where you can find more information on how your travel costs can be allocated and practical tips on how to keep costs down.

Is it possible to eat cheaply in Venice?

You can eat cheaply in Venice and the good news is that the best places to eat out in Venice are also the most affordable ones.

The osterie and trattorie are the restaurants where locals eat. You will find that the most traditional ones serve authentic Venetian dishes and all for an affordable price, see this pricing table to get to learn the most popular food prices in Venice.

The best cheap eats in Venice include:

• Cicchetti
• Mozzarella in carrozza
• Meatballs
• Scartosse de pesse frito
• Tramezzini or panini

I generally suggest to have one meal with these street foods so you can eat in Venice for less than 10 euros and then try an osteria or trattoria for dinner where you can expect to spend between 25 and 30 euros per person for 2 courses and a drink.

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Free Things to do in Venice

Let’s find out more about this list of 18 free things to do in Venice! Included in this list you also have some of the best free museums to visit so you have plenty to do here.

1. Libreria Acqua Alta

The Acqua Alta bookshop is located in calle Lunga Santa Maria Formosa.

Here you can find a huge range of new and second hand books, arranged in the most extravagant ways.

In addition to the classic shelves, in fact, they’ve been places inside gondolas, canoes, tubs and in all the other places where it was possible to put them.

The library overlooks a canal, where a gondola is parked.

You can also get on it and take a picture. Don’t forget to take one on top of the book ladder, the most photographed part of the bookshop by visitors!

2. Panoramic view from Fondaco dei Tedeschi

The Fondaco dei Tedeschi is 5 minutes walk away from Rialto Bridge. The ‘fondaco’ is a building where merchants could deposit their products, back in the Serenissima Republic days of Venice.

For this reason, these places can be considered the symbol of the thriving commercial period of the ancient republic, when Venice was one of the most important cities in the Mediterranean basin.

There are different ‘fondachi’ in Venice. Inside Fondaco dei Tedeschi there’s a multi-level luxury shopping centre. You can access for free a panoramic terrace and admire Venice from above. The view is incredible!

You can see the domes of the St. Mark’s Basilica, the s-shape of the Grand Canal that flows through the city and the bell towers rising up. Remember to book your spot here as you can only spend 15 minutes on the terrace.

3. Watch gondolas being repaired at Squero San Trovaso

The squero San Trovaso is a gondola boatyard and one of the few left in Venice. It’ located in the Zattere area, one of the best places to watch a breathtaking sunset on the lagoon (another free thing to do in Venice!).

The squeri are traditional workshops where gondolas are built and undergo maintenance. You can watch the masters craftsmen working on gondolas, from the other side of the canal, where the Osteria Al Squero is based.

This is a typical Venetian osteria where to sample some ‘cicchetti’ (the Venetian-style version of tapas) and a glass of wine.

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4. Free walking tour

Another free thing to do in Venice is joining one of the free walking tours.

Walking tours are organized by independent professional tour leaders and guides with the purpose to show visitors the most authentic side of Venice.

They really care about sustainable tourism, supporting local businesses as well as local traditions and culture.

By sharing their passion for Venice, you can get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the real Venice through the eyes of expert local guides.

You must pre-book your tour, and you can choose various thematic walking tours. Check the website Venice Free Walking Tour to find your favourite!

5. Free entry to museums the first Sunday of the month

The Ministerial Decree of 9 January 2019 established the #IoVadoAlMuseo (I go to the museum) initiative that allow free access to all state museums and archaeological sites in Italy.

There are some of museums in Venice that adhere to the initiative too. The free admission is for the first Sundays of the month, from October to March.

This is the list of Venetian state museums that you can visit for free:

6. Biennale Gardens

The Biennale or also known as Napoleonic Gardens are public gardens situated in the Castello district of Venice. This is the biggest green space of the historical city centre of the city.

As the name suggests, the area is one of the venues of the International Art Exhibition, better known as the Biennale.

They were built at the behest of Napoleon, at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The garden is divided into two parts, one open to the public, the other one dedicated to the Biennale, with its Palazzo delle Esposizioni and 29 exhibition halls.

You can cross the Rio dei Giardini canal to reach the Sant’Elena island and keep walking around the pine trees of the Remembrance Park.

7. Visit the Jewish Ghetto

The Jewish Ghetto is located in the Cannaregio neighbourhood, strolling around its narrow streets is one of the best free things you can do in Venice.

First, this is one of the less visited districts of the city, and you never find overcrowded streets and queues to visit the attractions. It’s the perfect place to have a peek into the Venetian way of living and, at the same time, discover more about one of the oldest ghettos in Europe.

In this ghetto, thousands of Jews were forced to live from the Venetian Republic days. You can visit the Jewish Museum and synagogues, the Jewish-owned small shops and stop by the lovely bakery Panificio Volpe Giovanni, in Calle del Ghetto Vecchio to sample traditional pastries.

Here you can also find some of the best kosher restaurants of the city and have a traditional lunch at the restaurants Kosher Haus Giardino dei Melograni, in the Campo del Ghetto Nuovo (which also has 14 rooms) or Gam Gam at the entrance to the calle of the Ghetto Vecchio.

8. Musical History Museum

The Musical History Museum is a museum dedicated to the lutherie with a collection of stringed instruments by Artemio Versari.

The exhibition is free and is all about the eighteenth century which represents the golden age of violin making.

The exhibition ‘Antonio Vivaldi and his time‘, takes place in the Church of San Maurizio and aims to revive the sound of some musical instruments of well-renowned instrument makers such as the Amati, the Guadagnini and the Goffrillers.

The exhibition inside the church is free to visit, but you can get an audio guide to learn more the museum, for 5 euros.

9. Visit Santa Maria della Salute

On the Trinità island, in the Dorsoduro district, you can spot easily the big white dome of the Santa Maria della Salute basilica.

During your stay here, one of the free things to do in Venice is visiting this basilica, second only for importance to St. Mark’s Basilica.

This church was commissioned to the architect Baldassarre Longhena to celebrate the end of the plague epidemic in 1631.

The religious building is one of the most splendid examples of Baroque architecture in Venice, with an interior flooded with natural sunlight during the day.

On the first altar on the left you can admire ‘The Descent of the Holy Spirit’ painted by Titian. The artist painted the three masterpieces that decorate the ceiling of the entrance to the sacristy (which can be visited for 4 euros).

It’s worth visiting the sacristy for the painting ‘The Wedding at Cana’ by Tintoretto.

10. See authentic Venetian masks at Ca’ Macana

One of the best free things you can do in Venice is sneak into masks shops and artisanal laboratories.

You can find many around the city, but not all of them have collections of authentic Venetian masks, for this reason I recommend the workshop Ca’ Macan in the Dorsoduro district.

This is the oldest and finest mask making workshop in the city, and its intent is to ensure that the ancient Venetian mask making tradition endures over the years.

In Ca’ Macana you can either walk around and look at traditional and unique masks for free or join a mask making class by booking it on their website.

There are different classes to choose from, during which you’ll get the chance to learn more about the history of the masks, materials and techniques used to create them.

11. Ca’ Foscari free tour

The Ca’ Foscari guided tours is an initiative of the university Ca’ Foscari. These tours are free and open to anyone to join to learn more about the history of the university accompanied by students and collaborators.

They take place on Saturday morning with different time slots from 10am to midday and start from the university headquarters: Ca’ Foscari in the Dorsoduro neighbourhood.

You can either turn up without booking any tour and join the classic tour of Ca’ Foscari and the Aula Baratto. This room was renovated by the talented architect Carlo Scarpa.

Alternatively you can visit Ca’ Dolfin and the beautifully frescoed Aula Magna Silvio Trentin (this is where I presented my final university assignment back in 2016!).

You’ll also have the chance to visit the Niobe Courtyard and other university spaces. There are other tours available but you have to book in advance.

• Tour of the San Giobbe campus, a former slaughterhouse (this is where I used to have my university classes!)
• Ca’ Dolfin tour

And on request, other places that belong to Ca’ Foscari university like Ca’ Bottacin, Palazzina Briati and San Sebastiano. You can find more information here.

12. The Peggy and Art Talks at Peggy Guggenheim Collection

Planning to visit the contemporary house museum of the famous art collectionist Peggy Guggenheim?

Then it’s worth knowing that there are 2 types of free 10 or 15 minute long presentations running daily that take place at the museum after purchasing the admission ticket.

• The Peggy Talk, available in Italian and English, it’s a free presentation on Peggy Guggenheim’s life and collection.
• The Art Talk, also available in Italian and English, it’s a free presentation on the temporary or permanent exhibition.

Also, there are always interns working at the museum that can answer any questions you might have about the artworks.

Finally, if you’re travelling to Venice with children aged 4 to 10, they can join on Sundays at 3pm the free art workshops. It’s a way to introduce the little ones to art in a fun way and experiment with various art techniques and spend a different type of afternoon during your family Venetian stay.

13. Despar Teatro Italia

Can you believe me when I tell you that one of the most incredible attractions of Venice is a…supermarket? It’s called Despar Teatro Italia, on Strada Nova, in the Cannaregio neighbourhood.

It’s considered the most beautiful supermarket in Italy (watch my reel to see what I’m talking about!) and based in the former cinema Teatro Italia, built in 1915. The ex-cinema is a real neo-Gothic gem internally decorated in Art Nouveau style of the early 20th century, which had been in disuse for decades.

Apart from doing your grocery shopping, you can admire stunning paintings on the side walls, especially the round one on the ceiling with an allegory entitled ‘The Glory of Italy’.

Free museums Venice

There are not many free museums in Venice, the Museo Wagner at Ca’ Vendramin Calergi and the Planetario di Venezia are free all year round.

The first Sundays of the month statal museums in Venice are free too, which are:

If you get chance to do the Venice free museums on Sunday, visit Gallerie dell’Accademia as it has a huge art collection spanning over many centuries.

Also, most of the galleries have lockers so be sure to carry a 1 euro coin so you can leave bags and coats in the locker (the coin is returned on collection).

Free things to do around the Venetian Lagoon

If you’re wondering if there are free things to do in other islands of the Venetian lagoon, the answer is yes!

Travelling around it is not expensive if you get the water bus as most Venetians do. Visiting the Lido, Giudecca island and the popular three islands of Murano, Torcello and Burano is really simple to plan.

1. Watch glass-blowing masters in Murano

We all know that Venice is famous for it’s canals but Murano is known as the glass island for its glass production that has had ups and downs over the centuries and has reached peaks of excellence especially from the 1960s onwards.

Don’t miss the chance to explore the streets of Murano while on the island, but more than anything remember to watch the glass-blowing masters for free.

How? You can book your guided tour to visit the three islands of Murano, Torcello and Burano, leaving from the boat stop between Santa Lucia railway station and Piazzale Roma for 20 euros or join this Murano, Burano and Torcello islands day trip.

Once disembarked in Murano, you’ll be guided to visit a glass furnace, where you can watch for free Murano glass-blowing masters at work during a 20 minutes processing demonstration.

2. Visit San Giorgio Maggiore basilica + Glass Rooms (Stanze del Vetro)

You can spot this small island from Riva degli Schiavoni, so if you want to visit other places in the lagoon close to Venice, then San Giorgio Maggiore is definetely worth a couple of hours of your time.

You can reach it by water bus or a private taxi. The abbey is one of the most popular churches to visit when in Venice.

It’s a project of Andrea Palladio, who also worked on the nearby Church of the Redentore. Its construction was completed in 1576.

Inside there are stunning art masterpieces of Tintoretto such as ‘The Last Supper’, ‘The Gathering of Manna’ and ‘The Deposition’ and paintings of Venetian artists like Carpaccio and Sebastiano Ricci.

To admire fantastic views of Venice, we recommend to get the lift to go up to the San Giorgio Maggiore’s bell tower (admission fee 6 euros).

When in San Giorgio Maggiore island, you can also visit the ‘Stanze del Vetro‘ located in the west wing of the island’s ex-convitto.

The exhibition space hosts permanent piece of glass works and temporary glass workshops. Visiting both the church and the glass rooms are two more free things to do in Venice.

Free Things to do in Venice

Unfortunately, there are not many attractions and landmarks in Venice for free, but with this article you should have a better idea of most of the free things to do in Venice.

Rememeber that just walking around its ‘campi’ and narrow streets is still the best way to visit the city, and one that will allow you to enjoy some of the best views of the most popular tourist attractions in Venice for free.

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