3 Days in Venice During Carnival: The Ultimate Itinerary

Quick Itinerary Breakdown

Day 1: Arrive in Venice late evening, go to bed

Day 2: Venice Carnival activities all day near Piazza San Marco, purchased masks and art. Sunset photos at Ponte dell'Accademia.

Day 3: Day to trip Burano

Day 4: Pasta making class in the morning, fly out in the afternoon

Venice sunset, photographed with the Sony A1 + 24-70mm f2.8 at 1/40 second to bring a little blur to the clouds, boats and bird. I also used a polarizer filter to reduce the glare on the water.

I've been to Venice three times now, and the city's charm never gets old. I can and do spend hours wandering the city, photographing hidden alleyways and canals, gondoliers, and, on this trip, particularly, Carnival attendees. Compared to what I experienced at Fasching in Germany, this was much tamer but with more intricate costumes. I could not get enough and plan to return next year.

How to Get From the Airport Into Venice:

1) The cheapest option is to take the local ACTV bus line #5 for €1.50 and ride to Piazzale Roma. It has several stops, and if you are traveling with larger luggage, you may have issues navigating the bus with it. You can tap your credit card when you get on the bus to pay for your ticket and again when you get off. Hop on the bus right outside of the terminal.

2) The easiest option is to pay €10 and take the airport shuttle bus directly from the airport to Piazzale Roma. You can pre-book your ticket online in advance and scan the bar code before hopping on the shuttle. The shuttle runs about every thirty minutes or so, and luggage can be stored under the bus. It's a twenty-minute ride to the plaza.

3) You can take the water bus through Alilaguna, and that's also €10. Follow the signs for Water Transport in the airport, you can purchase tickets on the dock, on the water bus or at the machines by baggage claim near carousels 3 or 5. The four drop-off options in Venice are San Marco, Rialto, Fondamenta Nove, and Guglie.

4) If you want to treat yourself and take a tour along the water, you can opt for a private water taxi to take you into your designated area of town. Depending on where you stay in the city, that will cost you €100-150.

Sunrise in Venice. Photographed with the Sony A1 + 24-70mm lens w/ a polarizer filter. ISO 400 | f2.8 | 1/125

Where to Stay

I really enjoyed staying closer to Academia or Camp San Barnaba; it's a little farther away from the bustle of San Marco (aka St Mark’s Square, a 15-minute walk) or the Rialto Bridge area (hop on vaporetto for a quick ride up a few stops), but with plenty to eat and see. Venice is a highly walkable city, so no matter where you decide to stay, you can't go wrong. I have also stayed at a hotel one train stop outside of Venice, and it was very easy to hop on the train and take it into Venice during the day. If you are on a budget, look into that option. Otherwise, I recommend staying in Venice proper to fully immerse yourself in the city, especially in the evenings when the day tourists leave, and you are left with a much quieter city.

Note, there is a €4/day per person (€2 for children) tourist tax for Venice whether you stay inside or outside of the city.

Where We Ate

Pastries: Majer Veneza and Pasticceria Tonolo (marvelous!)

Lunch/Dinner: Osteria San Barnaba, Al Vecio Marangon, and Casin dei Nobili. Make reservations for the last two in advance, as they fill up quickly when busy.

Photography Tips for Landscape Images

Since Venice is a city built on water, I kept a polarizing filter on my 24-70mm f2.8 the entire trip. It simply cuts down the glare from the water. For lenses, I recommend having a wide-angle lens (at least 24mm) for the narrow alleyways and canals. If you want to mix up the feel of your images, utilize a longer lens to isolate gondoliers or other things you want to stand out, but overall a zoom like the 24-70mm f2.8 will serve you well.

Get up early before the crowds and be rewarded with pastel pink skies at sunrise. Watch the sunrise at San Marco Square or the sunset at Ponte dell'Accademia. We watched the sunset another evening during our stay from the Rialto Bridge, but in my opinion, the best spot was at Ponte dell'Accademia.

Sunset at Ponte dell'Accademia (the best place in my opinion for sunset images)

Photography Tips for Carnival Images

We were in Venice primarily for Carnival, and I had no idea what to expect. It was similar to what I had conjured up in mind, maybe with just a few more people around, all vying for the perfect shot. Because of how many people are trying to get images, I recommend one longer lens on your camera to isolate the subject and help minimize the distractions of people in the background. I used 135mm f1.8 on one camera and 50mm f1.4 on the other to photograph full-length images when possible.

When I return next year, I think I will use a 35mm f1.4 lens or even my 24-70mm f2.8 instead of the 50mm f1.4. This is simply because when I had to step back a bit to try and include feet, someone with a cell phone would step in front of me and block my shot every time. If that weren't such an issue, I would probably keep the 50mm f1.4 on again. If your location and subjects allow, switch up your angles to include hints of Venice in the background. There was a lot of construction going on in San Marco Square during the festivities so I am hoping that is complete before next year.

For the dates that fall during Carnival, you will see people out dressed everyday in costumes, the majority of them can be found around San Marco Square. You are allowed to take their photos and they expect it. We visited on the last few days, and I was worried we weren’t going to see as much, but there were still so many people dressed up. If you want to rent a costume or dress up yourself, there are plenty of options through Get Your Guide, or you can rent through Ca Del Sol in Venice (book this early!).

Artisans in Venice

We purchased custom hand-painted masks from La Bottega dei Mascareri. The shop is run by brothers Sergio and Massimo Boldrin (there are two shop locations in Venice), fourth-generation Venetians, and their masks even appeared in the movie 'Eyes Wide Shut'. When you visit their shop, they request no photos or videos, adding to the exclusivity of the experience. After purchasing our masks and having a pleasant chat, Massimo graciously allowed me to take his photo.

Massimo Boldrin from La Bottega dei Mascareri

Our second purchase was from watercolor artist Guido Cannizzo. We were drawn to his work of all the artists set up near the square and returned later in the evening to purchase our prints. His work is stunning, and all of his paintings are unique. If you are lucky enough to find him set up near San Marco Square, check out his work. You can also email him at falcosud48@libero.it to find out where he will be.

Day Trip To Burano

On our second day in Venice, we decided to take a day trip to the colorful town of Burano. We navigated to the Fondamente Nuove (labeled F.to Nove at the station) vaporetto stop and hopped on line 12 for Burano. It’s the third stop on the route and takes about 45 minutes; you can purchase a round-trip ticket (€10 each way) at the dock or opt for unlimited rides for the day for €25. Ensure you always validate your ticket before getting on the vaporetto, or you could face a hefty fine. In Burano, you can walk around the colorful homes, tour the lace museum, or shop at one of the many lovely stores around town. We opted to casually stroll around, take images, and then soak up the afternoon sun enjoying a few Aperol spritzes over a pizza lunch.

Pizza Spot: Ristorante Pizzeria bar sport Burano

Gelato: Gelateria artigianale Da Geremia

Unique Experiences

On our last day, we opted to take a pasta making class with More in Venice before we flew out in the afternoon. We lucked out and had the class to ourselves. When we arrived at the beautiful apartment overlooking the canals, we were greeted with glasses of Prosecco to enjoy before the class got started. Having never made pasta from scratch before, we both learned so much and really enjoyed our time there. I cannot recommend this experience enough!

My repeated visits to Venice always leave me with a rejuvenated spirit. The people, the food, and the art in this city have a unique way of refreshing my soul. If you haven't been to Venice before, I highly recommend a trip, perhaps during the less crowded and more affordable months before and after summertime. It's a fantastic girls getaway (what we did!) or the perfect romantic getaway.

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