Before you decide, the awe and awful of Venice are two sides of the same coin. For example, two travelers might sit down for a cappuccino at a historic café in St. Mark’s Square. One traveler might look out over the piazza and see tourists waving selfie sticks while seagulls and pigeons fight for table scraps, and the other traveler might see a breathtaking basilica – consecrated in 1094 – with treasures from Constantinople as a result of the Venetian participation in the Fourth Crusade. After breakfast, the same two travelers could take a gondola ride through the meandering canals of Venice. One traveler might think it’s an overpriced tourist trap, while the other might think about the gondolier’s technical achievement in navigating the long, narrowboat and the pride they take in carrying on this 900-year-old tradition. These experiential differences could go on and on.

Photo by C. McCain

Visiting Venice is all about accepting that there will be give and take, more so than many other previously well-heeled European cities. Sure, Venice museums can have long lines, and there are plenty of restaurants serving terrible food, but the city also has a one-of-kind atmosphere and architectural splendor that can make it seem so perfectly authentic, it doesn’t even feel real. Venice is uniquely mysterious, particularly in the evenings with its narrow passageways, dead-end paths and misty canals. Without cars, bicycles or trains, Venice exudes an eerie sort of quietness – highly unusual for a city its size.

Photo by C. McCain

There are locals around Venice, over a quarter of a million, but they’re easily missed if you don’t make a point to notice them. Find a side street café or street-side bar window serving Aperol Spritzes and cicchetti, and you’ll see Venetians chatting with friends and family while enjoying a quick lunch or pre-dinner aperitif. Even the grocery stores and pharmacies that locals surely frequent seem a bit hidden, but the beautifully specific shops that sell quality goods, such as handmade leather gloves or locally-blown glassware, can’t be missed.

So, is Venice worth visiting? The truth is there’s no guarantee that every traveler will fall in love with Venice, now or ever. It depends on your past experiences and perspectives on life. Is it a tourist trap or one of the most beautiful cities in the world? The answer is in the eye of the beholder.

Is Venice Worth Visiting? Yes!

Check out 5 Excellent Reasons to Visit Venice, Italy.

Get Out on the Water

Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen

Venice should be seen from the water. The city offers many options at various price points to best fit your budget. From water buses to water taxis, travelers can easily access a pick-up location from boat stands and piers throughout the city. If you’re looking for a classic Venetian experience, make a point to take a gondola ride. This traditional, flat-bottomed, single-row boat has been used in Venice for centuries. It’s an elegant way to explore the city while learning about its past from knowledgeable gondoliers.

Stay in a Grand Hotel

Courtesy of the Gritti Palace

There are more than a thousand hotels in Venice, so again, many options for many budgets. If you’re looking to splurge on your vacation, book a room at the Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel located on Campo Santa Maria del Giglio. This stunning property dates back to 1475 when the Pisani family transformed it into its current Gothic shape. In 1525 the building became the private residence of the Doge of Venice, Andrea Gritti, and in the centuries that followed, it was home to other noble families and illustrious visitors. Today, guests can enjoy the beautiful terrazzo floors and the remarkable selection of artworks and antiques that adorn all private and social spaces within the hotel. Book Now

Another excellent option for a classic hotel in Venice is the Hotel Bauer located just a short walk from the Gritti Palace. This luxury hotel has 54 suites and 137 rooms that feature authentic Italian marble details, delicate fabrics and inlaid furniture. Don’t miss the recently renovated Settimo Cielo Rooftop Restaurant from chef Cristiano Tomei. Book Now

Courtesy of Hotel Bauer

Enjoy the Fine Arts

If you don’t mind crowds, your first fine art stop should be Doge’s Palace located next to St. Mark’s Basilica. A masterpiece of Gothic architecture, this museum is set on its original foundation from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The wing towards the St. Mark’s Basin is the oldest, rebuilt from 1340 onwards. This cultural institution includes the Museo dell’Opera, Courtyard and the Loggias, Doge’s Apartments, Institutional Chambers, Prisons and Armoury. Don’t miss Il Paradiso by Tintoretto in the palace’s main hall. It’s one of the largest oil paintings on canvas in the world (22 x 7 meters).

Photo by Denys Barabanov

Other great places to see art in Venice include the Gallerie dell’Accademia and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. In the evenings, La Fenice Opera House provides seasonal performances by world-class opera singers and musicians. In the nineteenth century, La Fenice became the site of many famous operatic premieres including works by Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi. The building alone is worth a tour given its lavish Rococo-style interiors.

Courtesy of Teatro La Fenice

Eat Like a Local

Is Venice worth visiting? Yes, its food alone is worth a trip. Similar to Spanish tapas, cicchetti are small snacks, such as sandwiches, meats, cheeses and olives, served at lunch or before dinner at small bars located in every Venetian neighborhood. They are typically enjoyed while standing with an Aperol Spritz (garnished with an orange slice and a single fresh green olive) or a glass of Italian wine. Traditional cicchetti recipes include slices of bread topped with creamed codfish on polenta and boiled egg on marinated anchovies. For classic cicchetti bars in Venice, check out Bar All’Arco (lunch only) and Enoteca Schiavi.

Photos by C. McCain

Buy Quality Souvenirs

For quality souvenirs in Venice, take a short ferry ride to Murano, a collection of seven individual islands linked together by bridges in the Venetian Lagoon. There, you’ll find some of the finest glass shops and glass-making demonstrations in Italy. Murano glass is known throughout the world for its history, quality, colorfulness and craftsmanship. Don’t miss Museo del Vetro, which explores the art of glass-making through the centuries.

Photo By Dan Hadar

If you enjoyed Is Venice Worth Visiting | 5 Excellent Reasons…, check out other travel articles about Europe.

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How to Travel Around Kyoto

In addition to buses, taxis and bicycles, Kyoto has many train lines that will help you get from one place to another with minimal hassle. In addition to the Kyoto subway, the Japan Railway (JR) and other privately owned railways allow passengers to move between central Kyoto and its surrounding areas. Click here for a map of Kyoto’s train network.

72 Hours in Kyoto

Day 1 – Morning at Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine

Photo by Jeremy Goldberg

The Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine is dedicated to Inari, the Shinto kami of rice, sake and agriculture, among other things. The site is well-known for having thousands of brightly colored, orange torii gates. Its trail stretches over 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) up a mountain, which takes approximately 2 hours to walk depending on the pace. The Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine acts as a centerpiece for the other 30,000+ Inari shrines located throughout Japan.
How to Travel Around Kyoto – Fushimi Inari-taisha: Walk three minutes from the JR Inari Station on the JR Nara Line or walk five minutes from the Keihan Railway Fushimiinari Station

Afternoon – Kyoto National Museum

Courtesy of Kyoto Convention and Visitors Bureau

In the afternoon, head over to the Kyoto National Museum located between the Kamo River and the hills of the Higashiyama (Eastern Mountain) district. Visitors can explore the museum’s extensive collections, spanning over 12,000 years, featuring some of Japan’s most prized artworks, including one-of-a-kind treasures from temples, shrines and private collections. The artwork is divided into three sections: fine arts, artifacts and archaeology. The museum focuses on pre-modern Japanese works, and it has one of the largest collections of Heian Period (794-1185) artifacts currently on view. The Kyoto National Museum reflects the city’s rich history and many traditions – ideal for travelers looking to get familiar with the local culture.
How to Travel Around Kyoto – Kyoto National Museum: Walk seven minutes from Shichijo Station on the Keihan Railway or walk one minute from Hakubutsukan-Sanjusangendomae bus stop

Evening – Fushimi Sake District

Photo by Xtra, Inc.

Sake tasting is a great way to unwind after a long day of sightseeing. Kyoto is the second-largest producer of sake (by volume) in Japan making this fermented rice wine a celebrated drink among locals. Head over to the Fushimi Sake District, which is the center of Kyoto’s sake production, and stop by Fushimi Sakagura Kōji, a bar and restaurant that offers a wide selection of drinks from local breweries, as well as tasty Japanese food pairings.
How to Travel Around Kyoto – Fushimi Sake District: Walk four minutes from the Fushimi Momoyama Station on the Keihan Main Line

Day 2 – Morning at Ryōan-Ji Temple

Photo by Gor Badoyan

Get a Zen-inspired start to your second day with a visit to Kyoto’s Ryōan-ji Temple featuring one of Japan’s most well-known flat, or hira niwa, gardens. It’s a mysterious place with fifteen carefully placed rocks that sit in an enclosed garden of raked white gravel. Visitors can access a platform with unimpeded views directly above the garden; however, no matter which angle you view the garden, you can never see all fifteen stones. This UNESCO World Heritage Site also includes a large garden with trees and the Kyoyochi pond.
How to Travel Around Kyoto – Ryōan-ji Temple: Walk seven minutes from the Ritsumeikandaigaku-mae bus stop (from JR Kyoto Station/Hankyu Oomiya Station), walk one minute from the Ryoan-ji-Mae bus stop (from Keihan Sanjo Station) or walk seven minutes from the Railway Ryoan-ji Station on the Keifuku Kitano Line

Afternoon – Kinkaku-ji Temple

Photo by Ibolat Caesar

Kinkaku-ji Temple, or Golden Pavilion, is one of Japan’s most widely recognized sites given that it’s richly adorned with gold leaf. The structure was originally built as a residence for Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358-1408) and converted into a Zen temple shortly after his death. In 1950, a monk named Hayashi Yoken burned the temple down during a suicide attempt. The site was rebuilt in 1955 and continues to operate today. While visiting, take a moment to rest your feet at the temple’s teahouse.
How to Travel Around Kyoto – Kinkaku-ji Temple: Walk from the Kinkakuji-Michi (Kinkaku-ji Temple) bus stop

Evening – Gion Corner

Courtesy of Gion Corner

Gion Corner is a cultural theater located near Shijo Avenue between the Yasaka Shrine and the Kamo River. In just one hour, audiences can experience seven of Kyoto’s performing arts, including Kyogen classical comedy, Kyomai dance, Gagaku music of the imperial courts, koto harp and Bunraku puppet theater, as well as a tea ceremony and flower arrangement. The performances are explained in English making it accessible for visitors from all over the world.
How to Travel Around Kyoto – Gion Corner: Walk five minutes from the Gion Shijō Station on the Keihan Main Line

Day 3 – Morning at Arashiyama Bamboo Grove

Photo by Walter Mario Stein

To avoid the afternoon crowds, start your third day with a visit to the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove located near Kyoto’s Togetsukyo Bridge. Visitors can walk or bike through a network of paths that cut through soaring bamboo stalks. Additionally, this area includes the Nonomiya-jinja Shrine and the Tenryu-ji Temple.
How to Travel Around Kyoto – Arashiyama Bamboo Grove: Walk 10 minutes from the Saga Arashiyama Station on the JR Sagano Line or walk 15 minutes from the Arashiyama Station on the Henkyu Railway

Afternoon – Nishiki Market

Courtesy of Kyoto Convention and Visitors Bureau

Known as Kyoto’s Kitchen, Nishiki Market offers a wide variety of local foods making it an ideal place to stop for lunch. Over a hundred shopkeepers sell goods, such as vegetables, fish and desserts, from a 400-meter path located between Teramachi Street and Takakura Street. From noodles to sushi, Nishiki Market is a one-stop-shop for experiencing Kyoto’s lively street food scene.
How to Travel Around Kyoto – Nishiki Market: Walk five minutes from the Karasuma Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Railway Line, walk five minutes from Shijokawaramachi/Shijotakakura bus stop or walk seven minutes from the Shijo Station on the Karasuma Subway Line

Evening – Kiyomizu-dera Temple

Photo by Nuno Antunes

For some of the best views in Kyoto, head over to the Kiyomizu-dera Temple – one of the most popular places in the city given its mountainside veranda. The temple was founded in 778 and features the statue of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy, as well as the Jishu-jinja Shrine, a popular spot for those looking to pray for a good love match. The sunset views from the temple’s veranda should not be missed while visiting Kyoto.
How to Travel Around Kyoto – Kiyomizu-dera Temple: Walk ten minutes from the Gojozaka bus stop (from Keihan Gion Shichijo Station and JR Kyoto Station), walk ten minutes from the Kiyomizu-michi bus stop (from Keihan Gion Shijo Station/Hankyu Kawaramachi Station), walk 25 minutes from the Keihan Kiyomizu Gojo Station or walk ten minutes from the Higashiyama-Gojo bus stop

How to Travel to Kyoto from Tokyo

Photo by Fikri Rasyid

The quickest and most convenient way to get from Tokyo to Kyoto is taking the Shinkansen Nozomi bullet train, which travels from Tokyo Station directly to Kyoto Station in approximately 140 minutes. Reserved and non-reserved seats are not included with the JR Pass. This is one of the fastest trains in Japan with speeds of up to 185 mph (300 km/h).

If you enjoyed How to Travel Around Kyoto | 72 Hours in Kyoto, check out other travel articles about Asia.

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