My Ultimate Solo Female Travel Guide to Venice, Italy
Upbeat your solo travel experience by visiting the mellifluous town of Venice in Italy. Venice, as its name implies, is obviously nice and one of the alluring cities of Italy to solo travel. I very much loved my solo travel to Venice, riding through their luring waters with tuneful song echoing in my ears.
Don’t you want to make this terrific feeling yours? What are you waiting for? Pack your stuff and start your solo travel journey to Venice.
1. Landing into Venice
So, the first step to begin your solo travel in Venice is booking a flight ticket to Marco Polo International Airport, Venice. Once you reach the airport located on the mainland facing the Venetian island, you have to look for transport to take you to the island. Yes, Venetian island is the destiny of our solo travel fantasies in Venice.
So if you have not read my blog post on ‘Getting Around in Italy as a Solo Female Traveller on Public Transport,’ I suggest you read to know why you need to take public transport and the transport available for a solo traveller in Italy.
2. From airport to the Venetian island
From the airport, you have water and ground mode of transport available to take you to Venice lagoon. You need to walk 5-10 minutes from the left side of the airport terminus to reach the transport hub. From there, if you take Vaporetto, it costs around 8 dollars, and if you take a taxi, it costs from 100 to 150 dollars. Now you know why public transport is the best!
I took the Vaporetto because it is budget-friendly and drops you in one of the main zones of Venice, which makes your solo travel easily manageable. From there, you can move to hotels/hostels in the city. For example, La Locanda di Orsario hotel is located 2 mins away from the train station.
If you are wondering where to stay in Venice, please refer to my post on Best Areas to Stay in Venice.
3. Ground vehicle parking spot – Piazzale Roma
Just in case if you are not flying to Venice but rather riding your car on your solo travel, no worries! You can park your car at Venice Piazzale Roma, situated at the entrance of floating city and also close by the Tronchetto Island. Piazzale Roma is the parking junction of ground vehicles in Venice. After parking, take the ride to Venetian Island through the available mode of transport.
4. The gothic wonder of Venice
The extravagant church Basilica di Santa Maria Salute is an eye-catching gothic beauty of Venice, much loved by solo travellers for its highly monumental dome. The dome is like the highest peak of Venice from where you can see the landscape view of Venice.
Basilica di Santa Maria Della Salute
The majestic church built in the gothic style possesses rare paintings of the Renaissance. Despite the main church, eight other small churches are located in the eight corners of the architecture.
The church is open to everyone with no entry fee. However, if you want to enter the chapel room of Santa Maria Della Salute, you have to pay a fee. The entry fee for the public is 4.50 dollars, and for students, it is 2.20 dollars.
Visiting hours of Santa Maria Della Salute
Though the church is open to all, it has scheduled hours for visiting. You can visit the church from 9:30 in the morning till noon. It closes from 12:00 to 3:00 pm. After which it opens and closes for the day at 5:00 pm.
Interesting facts about Santa Maria Della Salute
Gripping facts, you must know as you travel Venice as a solo traveller.
- It took 56 years to construct this historic church of Venice.
- The sacristy of the church holds the timeless painting, ‘Marriage at Cana’ by Tintoretto.
- November 21, celebrated as the Feast of Virgin Mary, is a rejoicing festival of the Venetians.
5. The world’s most beautiful drawing room
San Marco Piazza is described by Napoleon as “the world’s most beautiful drawing room.” It is well known as Mark’s square. Mark’s square is the heart of Venice as it is occupied by political and social buildings.
This large arena of public space is home to two major solo travellers’ attractions in Venice. They are the Doge’s Palace and the two columns in the Piazzetta.
Two Pillars of Piazzetta
Right in front of the St. Mark’s square arena is the two columns known as the San Marco column and San Todaro column. If you picture the area with your eyes zoomed out, you will notice that the pillars of San Marco and San Todaro stand erected horizontally opposite sides greeting you into the main entrance of St. Mark square.
The top of the San Marco column has the sculpture of a lion with wings. Likewise, the top of the San Todaro column is the statue of Todaro.
The Doge Palace
This Byzantium beauty is my favourite spot in Venice. Want to know the history of this doozy place? Wait.
Before that, get ready, soften your skin, chin up and brighten your lips to take pictures.
Pictures first!!
Okay, the palace is huge with so many floors, apartments, ballroom, parliament room, armour room. I like to share two of my favourite spots in the palace—the Porta Della Carta and the Bridge of Sighs.
The Porta Della Carta
The Porta Della Carta is the main entrance of the palace. It undoubtedly reflects the grandiose gothic style embedded with sculptures, engravings, and paintings. The locals said that the wall engravings have an allegorical meaning.
I wish I were able to grab the mysterious symbolism so that it could be of some help here. My bad! Anyways, if you visit the palace, ask a local about its significances and don’t forget to put them in the comment section.
Palace or prison?
Ponte Dei Sospiri is an iconic hotspot of the Doge Palace. It is popularly known as ‘The Bridge of Sighs.’ The Bridge of Sighs is mounted above the great canal routes to the first floor of the prison.
The prison of Doge palace described as a horrific channel leads you into unbreathable compartments. Some creepy people like me are curious to see the prison cells than the attractive palace!
On seeing the prison, you can feel the chills of all horrendous incidents that would have happened there. I am still wondering how the great Casanova escaped this prison?
By the way, entry to the prison cells is restricted to the public. Only private tours can take you to the prison tour. You are left with no other option here other than signing up for a guided tour and joining a group.
If you want to explore Venice like an Italian, check out my blog on Exploring Venice like an Italian.
6. Rare gems of Venice
Apart from day trips and local tours, Venice has plenty of options, notably offbeat ones, to do on your solo travel.
Jewish Ghetto
Jewish Quarter or one may call it the Jewish Ghetto. I was stunned to know that the Jewish Ghetto was a prison during the conquer of Napoleon.
As you wave bye-bye to the urban enriching view of Venice, an old arch bridge welcomes you into the Jewish Ghetto. You will have no trouble identifying the location after looking at the narrow alleys, broken buildings, and dirty streets.
Not an attractive place to see on your travel to Venice unless you are an out-of-the-ordinary solo traveller.
Casa del Tintoretto
The house of the famous Italian renaissance painter situated at Fondamenta Dei Mori, Cannaregio, is the rarest beauty of Venice you need to dwell on your solo travel. The house may fail to please your eyes as it is not repainted at all to portray the authentic 16th-century gothic style.
Now the first floor of the house is open for rentals. Visitors around the world can relish this historic building. Although, I don’t recommend it for a solo traveller travelling on a budget in Venice.
Caffè Florian
To me, Caffè Florian is an explicit place that gives goosebumps. Situated in the hottest spot of Venice called Procuratie Nuove—Caffè Florian is a three-block building. If you walk from the centre of Mark’s square towards its perimeter in the north, you will reach Caffè Florian.
You might be wondering what is so admirable about this café?
- Caffè Florian was founded in 1720. It is the oldest café still breathing in Venice.
- Lord Byron, Marcel Proust, and Charles Dickens frequently visited this café.
If there is one reason to slide off this café on your solo travel to Venice, that would be its high price. The delight of taste and history comes with a price.
You can also check out my blog post on the cute cafes you must visit on your solo trip to Venice.
7. Art exhibits in Venice
Grassi Palace
The Grassi Palace is the last palace built in the grand canal of Venice. Originally owned by the most powerful and rich family, the Grassi family of Venice. It has now become an art museum. You can arrange a private and collective tour there.
To be more specific, Grassi palace focuses on contemporary art collections. You can find Pinault’s art collections here. The palace’s architecture, stairways, setting, spotlights in themselves are magnificent artistic beauty.
La Fenice theatre
Venice is incomplete without La Fenice. Yes, La Fenice theatre is the largest alluring opera house in Italy. Even if you are not a classic loving person, you must visit this opera room. It may come as a bit of an exaggeration, but this colossal archaic wonder surpasses everything!
The countless tiers building up the opera room need stretching of your neck to look at them. I felt like I was in a treasure land—more like a room built in shining jewels with gold compartments, excellent ballrooms, and so on. Terrific place. Incredible feeling!
Peggy Guggenheim
Peggy Guggenheim is a well-known American bohemian art collector. Venice is one of the five art galleries of Peggy Guggenheim located across the world. Peggy Guggenheim art gallery is equipped with pacifying atmosphere and organised staff members. The gallery is open for visitors from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, but Tuesday is a holiday. However, it will be open on the weekends.
Fortuny Palace
Our next art destination is Fortuny Palace, built by Mariano Fortuny. The Fortuny palace is an art icon of Venice composed with the ancient, modern, and contemporary arts in one place, which you should not miss on your solo travel. The four floors of the palace now turned museum is accessible to the public.
On display, you will see timeless pieces of art, sculptures, paintings, instruments safeguarded through years. This remarkable art gallery has survived the test of time!
You can walk into the museum paying 13 dollars. A reduced price of 11 dollars applies if you are an international traveller and a customer of Trenitalia (train transport company) holding a ticket to Venice. And, it also applies to the travellers belonging to an Italian tourist club.
The best deal Fortuny museum gives you is their museum pass. Yes, the museum pass package cost around 39 dollars for an individual, and its benefit is massive! If you possess this pass, you are eligible to enter
- St Mark’s Square Museums
- Doge’s Palace, Museo Correr
- Museo Archeologico Nazionale
- Monumental Rooms of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana
- Ca’ Rezzonico
- Museum of Palazzo Mocenigo
- Carlo Goldoni’s House, Ca’ Pesaro
- International Gallery of Modern Art
- Oriental Art Museum
- Glass Museum in Murano
- Lace Museum in Burano
- Natural History Museum in Palazzo
- Fortuny MUVE exhibitions in Mestre
Wow! A great list to troll with the pass. Besides the art galleries and museums, I love this package as it includes the Doge’s Palace.
8. Participate in the Venetian heritage
Are you tired of dealing with the artistic kinds of stuff?
Is it boring?
Here are two fun-filled heritage exercises of Venice that will make your solo travel on cloud nine.
Glassblowing
Get ready to put your hands on glassblowing. Glassmaking is the hallmark of Murano, one of the seven floating islands of Venice. Of course, you would have noticed pretty glass accessories like wine glasses, bowls, ashtray glaring at you in pride in Venetian shops. Although, remember Murano is the manufacturing unit of glass in Venice.
So, while you are in Murano, you really need to check into their glass factories. You can pre-book your visit or casually drop in unannounced and see for yourself the glass varieties, shapes, and the beauty of making them. Trust me, they may sound boring, but in reality, a curious and amusing thing to do in Venice.
Carnival mask workshop
No one leaves Venice without buying a carnival mask. Chances are less that you aren’t aware of the Venetian carnival mask. Same way, chances are less, you are aware of the significances behind the mask. In action since the Middle Ages, the carnival of Venice is about hiding the class differences of the people and celebrating together without discrimination.
Damn. Who is not affected by the Demogorgon of class and status! Thanks to Carnival of Venice.
However, don’t stop by buying a mask. Instead, take part in a workshop and learn to make one. The handmade mask you make solo will be a cultural memory that travels from Venice back to your home. It will definitely be a fun-filled artistic activity to engage in for a solo female traveller.
9. Cheap, tasty, and filling
The floating city of Italy is home to distinguishing seafood and some rare tasting wine. I will tell you three secretive dishes of Venice you cannot possibly miss out on your solo travel.
Cicchetti and Ombre
Cicchetti is one of the cheapest traditional foods in Venice. It is a snack bar served in many base forms—it could be a teeny tiny sandwich, flatbread, or polenta.
The stuffing is either vegetables, fish, eggs, or olives. Cicchetti’s worthy suitor is Ombre. Ombre, a glass of white wine, is a stress reliever to the locals.
Baccalà Mantecato
I pledge you will finish this dish in no time! Baccalà Mantecato’s main ingredient is stockfish. It is mixed with flavourings and fried to simmer, giving it a creamy finish.
The recipe is simple but rich in its flavour. The finger-licking flavour is the mixture of salt, pepper, garlic, and lemon. Coupling Baccalà Mantecato with Corvina red wine spurs up the flavour’s taste.
Sarde in Saor
Yet another cheap and tasty traditional dish of Venice is Sarde in Saor. Saor means ‘flavour’ in Italy. Sarde denotes the dish chief ingredient sardine. Before deeply frying, sardine is marinated with vinegar, sweet and sour onions. At this stage, it gives a bitter combined sour taste. Adding pine nuts and raisins calms down the bitter taste to a delicious one.
Buon appetito!
Click here to learn a few basic Italian Phrases like Buon appetito.
10. Romantic Gondola Ride
Perhaps you will be taking many Gondola rides (book your gondola ride) on your solo travel to Venice. But, a gondola ride at nightfall in the grand channel of Rialto. O god! It is so romantic!
Also, it is one of my memorable events in Venice. The feeling of undergoing the sophisticated emotion of romance as a solo traveller is super romantic!
What on Venice impressed you the most?
Is it their artistic museums? Gothic buildings? Their craving seafood or their festivities?
I am a simple person. I am content with the simplest rides in life. So, my favourite is always the gondola ride. Have an extraordinary safe trip in Italy.
If you need help in touring Italy, read my blog post on ‘25 Tips for Your First Solo Trip to Italy‘.