Gondolas in Venice 

My 3rd time visiting Venice - first time I went in flood season, arrived on a water bus and had to wade through St Marks square with water up to my waist and my suitcase on my head. I didn’t make that mistake again! 

Here are all my tips for a great visit to beautiful Venice:

🚤 Get a water taxi from the airport. It’s more expensive than the water bus (€140) but it's an amazing way to enter the city and will be a lasting memory of the trip. (You don’t need to book, I've never had to wait).

On one of the many bridges in Venice 

🛶 If you try a gondola, take it at night. The city will have emptied and it feels totally magical having the little water alleys all lit up and to yourselves, without the gondala's all bumping into one another.

The Celestial Star Micro Mosaic's design that was inspired by the ceiling in St Marks Basilica  

The Ceiling in St Marks Basilica that inspired the design of our Celestial Star Micro Mosaic 

🫶🏼 Visit @belmondhotelcipriani for a drink or to eat lunch outside, whilst appreciating the view of St Marks, from across the water. Get the hotels boat from St Marks Square… just wait to be picked up, you don’t need to be a hotel guest to use their boat, it’s free.

Getting the boat over to The Cipriani Hotel 

Sitting on the terrace at The Cipriani Hotel 

❤️ Visit the islands of Murano & Burano (with all the picturesque colourful houses) but don’t get the water bus from St Marks as it takes forever. Take a short and very pleasant walk to the F.Nove port on the other side of Venice and go from there for a much shorter journey.

On the island of Burano full of colourful houses

🤍 While visiting Burano you must have lunch at Da Romano, famed for its fish risotto 👌🏼 so good

Lady hand making traditional lace on the island of Burano

🍝 Other notable restaurants: my fave was Alla Madonna just off Rialto, the food was AMAZING. And Da Arturo, ran by the same people for the last 30 years, apparently nothing has ever changed, tiny with only 8 tables (you’ll have to book) no seafood here though, the pork is the house special but I would highly recommend the beef fillet which was out of this world.

🍦 Best ice cream is from Suso in my opinion.

Ice cream at Suso

🍹Goes without saying to enjoy an evening drink (tea in my case which comes in silk bags) whilst listening to the music as the sun goes down in St Marks Square and visit Harry’s bar for a Peach Bellini.

Enjoying an evening drink in St Marks Square

💚 Yes to St Marks church and Dodges Palace both stunning so don’t miss them.

Stunning Zodiac Clock in Dodges Palace

🇮🇹 For shopping I had two favourites... there was the cutest little shop- Rigattier just off St Marks on the way to Rialto full of ceramics, was like an Aladdin's cave. And on the island of Murano there was just one shop that specialised in micro mosaic with art being made in the store, as well the loose mosaics, heaven! It's on the middle of the island, not hard to find.

Shop full of ceramics in Venice

🐠 Fish Market very early in the morning next to Rialto too 

Fish Market by Rialto Bridge