Venice · onenicetrip

The reason we’re here

Sunday 5 September 2027

Regata Storica

Grand Canal, Venice

A parade of historic boats and costumed rowers goes along the Grand Canal from the Bacino di San Marco to the railway station and back to Ca’ Foscari. Rowing races follow, ending with the two-oar gondolini. The 2027 timetable is not published yet: in 2026 the parade started at 15:30.

Every year on the first Sunday of September. The date changes each year by a set rule: check it before you travel. Source ↗

The plan(flat shoes advised)

Five days: St Mark’s, the Grand Canal on regatta day and two islands.

Where we sleep

4 nights

Base in Cannaregio

Cannaregio, Venice

Day 1 · Fri 3 Sept
Arrive, get lost
Five minutes from the station, the map gives up. We find a room full of Tintorettos and a famous bridge by accident, and call it a plan.
- Scuola Grande di San Rocco1.5 h
  A confraternity hall whose walls and ceilings are covered with paintings by Tintoretto, made over more than twenty years in the sixteenth century.
  What to see
  - The ceiling paintings of the upper hall
  - Tintoretto’s Crucifixion
  - The grand staircase
  Time
  About an hour and a half.
  Tip
  It is open daily until 17:30, but the ticket office closes at 17:00, so arrive by mid-afternoon. Sit on the benches and look up instead of straining your neck.
  To eat
  Baccalà mantecato, whipped salt cod on bread, a Venetian classic.
- Rialto Bridge1 h
  The stone arch over the Grand Canal, finished in 1591, is lined with shops and has been the city’s trading heart for centuries.
  What to see
  - The view up and down the Grand Canal
  - The shops on the bridge
  - The market streets on the San Polo side
  Time
  An hour at dusk.
  Tip
  The market behind the bridge is a morning affair and shuts on Sundays and Mondays, so tonight is for the view. Stay to the side when you stop for photos.
  To eat
  Sarde in saor, sweet-and-sour sardines with onions.
Day 2 · Sat 4 Sept
Gold, doges and a vow
St Mark’s and the Doge’s Palace in the morning, when queues are shortest, then a boat across the Grand Canal to the church built after a plague.
- St Mark’s Basilica1.5 h
  The basilica was consecrated in 1094 and is covered inside with gold mosaics. By tradition it holds the body of St Mark, brought from Alexandria in the ninth century.
  What to see
  - The gold mosaics of the domes
  - The Pala d’Oro altarpiece
  - The copies of the four horses on the balcony
  Time
  An hour and a half.
  Tip
  Book your entry ahead on the basilica’s official site, cover your shoulders and knees, and leave large bags behind. We go on Saturday because Sunday is regatta day.
  To eat
  A cornetto and a coffee standing at a bar before the queue builds.
- Doge’s Palace2 h
  The seat of the doge and the government of the Venetian Republic, a Gothic palace on the lagoon whose prisons are reached by the Bridge of Sighs.
  What to see
  - The Hall of the Great Council
  - The Golden Staircase
  - The Bridge of Sighs
  Time
  About two hours.
  Tip
  Until 31 October it opens 9:00 to 19:00 with last entry at 18:00. The Secret Itineraries tour needs a separate booking, so reserve it as early as possible.
  To eat
  Cicchetti, small bites on bread, once you leave the square.
- Santa Maria della Salute1 h
  A domed church at the mouth of the Grand Canal, built in thanks for the end of the plague of 1630 and designed by Baldassare Longhena.
  What to see
  - The great dome and its scrolls
  - The view of St Mark’s across the water
  - The paintings in the sacristy
  Time
  An hour.
  Tip
  Churches in Venice often close for a break in the middle of the day, so check the hours before you cross. From the steps you get the best view back to the Doge’s Palace.
  To eat
  A tramezzino, the soft triangular sandwich Venetians eat at the bar.
Day 3 · Sun 5 Sept
Race day
A quiet morning in the Ghetto, then we claim a stretch of quay near Rialto for the parade and the races. Water buses stop for part of the afternoon, so we walk.
- The Jewish Ghetto2 h
  In 1516 Venice ordered its Jews to live in this quarter of Cannaregio, and the word ghetto comes from it. It still has synagogues, a museum and a quiet square.
  What to see
  - Campo del Ghetto Nuovo
  - The synagogues, visited on guided tours
  - The Jewish Museum
  Time
  Two hours, with a tour.
  Tip
  The Jewish Museum and its synagogue tours are closed on Saturdays, so Sunday morning works. Book the guided tour on the museum’s site, as places are limited.
  To eat
  Pastries and deli food from the kosher shops around the square.
- Riva del Carbon, Grand CanalAfternoon
  A stretch of quay on the San Marco side of the Grand Canal, beside Rialto, with a view of the historic parade and the races that follow.
  What to see
  - The parade of historic boats
  - The racing crews at full speed
  - The boats turning near San Marcuola
  Time
  The parade and races take the afternoon.
  Tip
  The Rialto Bridge fills up early, and this quay is a calmer alternative. In 2026 the water buses were altered or suspended from about 14:00 to 19:30, so cross the canal beforehand and plan to walk.
  To eat
  Cicchetti and a small glass of wine from a bar nearby while you wait for the parade.
Day 4 · Mon 6 Sept
Glass and colour
A boat to Murano for glass, then on to Burano, where the houses are painted in colours that look like a dare.
- Murano2.5 h
  The island where the glassmakers were ordered to move their furnaces in 1291, partly because of the fire risk in Venice.
  What to see
  - A glassblowing demonstration
  - The Glass Museum
  - The Basilica of Santi Maria e Donato and its mosaic floor
  Time
  About two and a half hours.
  Tip
  Look for the Vetro Artistico Murano trademark on pieces, which marks glass made on the island. Boats leave from Fondamente Nove.
  To eat
  A plate of fried seafood, a lagoon favourite.
- Burano2.5 h
  A fishing island with rows of houses painted in bright colours and a long lacemaking tradition, with a leaning bell tower on the main square.
  What to see
  - The painted houses along the canals
  - The leaning bell tower of San Martino
  - Lace in the shop windows
  Time
  Two to three hours.
  Tip
  Walk one or two streets away from the main canal for quiet corners and fewer people. The boat from Murano takes roughly forty minutes.
  To eat
  Bussolà, the buttery S-shaped biscuit of Burano.
Day 5 · Tue 7 Sept
One last painting
The Accademia, which is closed on Mondays and so waits for Tuesday, then a last walk and a gelato along the Zattere before the journey home.
- Gallerie dell’Accademia2 h
  The main museum of Venetian painting, in a former confraternity hall and convent beside the Grand Canal, from the Gothic to the eighteenth century.
  What to see
  - Bellini’s altarpieces
  - Titian and Veronese
  - The Accademia Bridge outside
  Time
  About two hours.
  Tip
  It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 to 19:00, with ticket sales ending at 18:00, and closed on Mondays. Go in the morning, when the rooms are quietest.
  To eat
  A tramezzino and a coffee at a bar by the bridge.
- The Zattere1.5 h
  A long sunny promenade on the southern shore of Dorsoduro facing the island of Giudecca, with plenty of room for a slow walk.
  What to see
  - The view across to the Giudecca
  - The gondola boatyard at San Trovaso
  - Ships passing in the channel
  Time
  An hour and a half.
  Tip
  The gondola boatyard at San Trovaso is best seen from across the little canal, as it is a working yard. The promenade is the sunniest part of Venice, so bring a hat.
  To eat
  A gelato from a shop on the promenade, eaten on the water’s edge.