5-Day In Venice Italy - Top 10 Photo Spots
Venice of Italy is a city like no other. With its intricate network of canals, historic architecture, and unique atmosphere, it's a dream destination for photographers. From gondola rides on the Grand Canal to hidden alleys with charming bridges, Venice is a visual paradise waiting to be explored.
The entire city of Venice, including its lagoon, has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987. Venice is recognized for its exceptional architecture, historic significance, and the delicate balance it maintains with its natural environment.
Photo Statistics:
I have taken a total of 1677 photos in Venice, Italy, after our one-week Amalfi Coast charter sail, among which:
1511 was taken by Canon R5
166 was taken by Sony A7IV
Among the 1511 photos taken by Canon R5:
1178 was taken by Canon RF24-70mm f2.8
333 were taken by Canon RF70-200mm f2.8
All the 166 photos taken by Sony A7IV was taken with 24mm f1.4 wide angle lens.
Note: I intended to bring the 35mm prime lens for the Sony camera, but mistakenly brought the 24mm (as the two lenses look exactly the same). That probably explained why I haven’t used my Sony camera that much in this trip.
If you’d like to know which mirrorless camera is right for you, please watch my free video guide Mirrorless Camera Ultimate Buying Guide.
If you’d like to know which lens is worth your investment, check out my lens portfolio.
In this blog, I’ll guide you through some of the top photo spots in Venice that will help you capture the city's timeless beauty.
First and foremost, if you could avoid the peak summer season, you probably will have a different photo experience as mine. Nevertheless, here is my list:
1️⃣ Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square)
Start your photography journey in the heart of Venice, Piazza San Marco. The square is surrounded by architectural wonders like St. Mark's Basilica and the Campanile. At sunrise or sunset, it offers stunning lighting for beautiful shots.
Unfortunately, during our visit this summer, St. Mark's Basilica was covered by scaffolds. Surprisingly and unsurprisingly, this was similar to many other castles, cathedrals we planned to visit in other parts of Europe earlier.
Also, due to the popularity of Venice, and the popularity of St. Mark's Square in Venice, it’s inevitable to see big crowd here. A few solutions to increase your chance of taking better photos:
👉 Try to beat the crowd early in the morning.
👉 Use telephoto lens, which could be hard to use in crowded places. But if you are patient and fast enough when opportunities arise, you can zoom in and focus on unique moments instead of busy scenes.
👉 Turn away from the square, and do long exposure of the Grand Canal in the evening. I didn’t bring tripod, and had to set my camera on the ground. There might be risks of splashing water. But the reality is: life’s not perfect, nothing can be guaranteed. So is photography. This is just a potential solution of avoiding crowd in your frame.
ISO100, 24mm, f/8, 150sec, 10 stop filter used
2️⃣ Rialto Bridge and Grand Canal
Head to the Rialto Bridge for an iconic view of the Grand Canal. Capture the bustling activity of vaporettos, water taxis, and gondolas against the backdrop of colorful buildings.
Rialto Bridge & Grand Canal
We went on this bridge three times on different days. Boy! It was crowded. If I say I enjoyed the walk over the bridge I must be lying. There was no walk, but rather, squeezing yourself among the crowd.
I took the above photo in a water taxi ride. It turned out to be the best memory I had about the bridge.
Sometimes, a location can be a vantage point, or a subject, or both. In this example, I’d suggest photographing Rialto Bridge if you travel in the peak season. And try photographing from it if you visit Venice in low season.
On the other hand, I really enjoyed taking photos in the nook and cranny around the bridge. There were still tourists, but at least you have some space around you.
3️⃣ Burano Island
A short boat ride away from Venice lies the island of Burano. Famous for its colorful houses, each corner of this charming village is a photo opportunity waiting to happen.
Stroll through the vibrant streets and watch as your camera lens comes alive.
Not sure if we were in Venice in the busiest season, we had to wait for over an hour for the ferry from Murano to Burano in the scorching sun. But the vibrant colors we eventually saw sort of compensated for the effort.
The good news is: although mid-day sun was never your best friend to photograph people or landscape, it could be your friend to capture vibrant colors. For Burano, pick a sunny day to visit, and you sure won’t disappoint.
4️⃣ Murano Island
Murano, a picturesque island in the Venetian Lagoon, is renowned for its centuries-old tradition of glassmaking and its charming canal side streets.
Murano in sunset
Hyatt Centric Murano Venice was our base for 5 days in Venice. The hotel room is spacious, double floored and in loft style, perfect for families. A photo wall in the hotel lobby actually inspired me to take the long exposure photo at St. Mark’s Square as shown earlier.
The sunset photo above was also taken within a couple of minutes walk from the hotel.
Murano island is much quieter than the main island in Venice. This means extra commute to the main tourist sites but quiet evenings to relax.
You could also easily spend a day or two touring around many souvenir stores featuring glass artworks or jewelleries.
Restaurant choices after 8pm might be limited as most tourists stay on the main island.
We dined at Osteria Al Duomo 3 nights in a roll, and really enjoyed the food and family friendly backyard (see below).
5️⃣ Secret Canals and Gondola Rides
Explore the quieter, less touristy canals for intimate shots of Venice's timeless charm. Consider taking a gondola ride through the smaller waterways, especially in the early morning or late evening when the lighting is magical.
There were many gondola routes. We tried to take the one that went on to the Grand Canal with no avail.
gondola on Grand Canal, Venice
As tide came in the afternoon, those gondolas typically going onto the Grand Canal had to retrieve to small water lanes. Depending on your luck, you could be overwhelmed or underwhelmed with the view.
Not sure if gondola was ever in my bucket list, or if it was worth the 80 euro price, at least we tried it for the unique experience. My kids were totally thrilled with the 30-minute ride.
If I were in Venice again, I’d definitely be more interested in photographing the gondolas from a small bridge than photographing from the gondola.
6️⃣ Basilica Di Santa Maria della Salute
This baroque masterpiece provides a unique angle of the city when photographed from across the Grand Canal. It was probably the most iconic and beautiful landscape photos of Venice among the ones I’ve seen.
I did a 90-second long exposure using my 10-stop filter. The water surface was smooth, but it looked a bit empty or lack of character without the gondolas.
I waited for a while on the Ponte dell'Accademia, where I photographed this scene. There were many tourists trying to snap a shot with their smartphones over or next to you. It wasn’t a great photo experience, so I didn’t stay long.
Even I could create a composite in photoshop by combining several images and including a gondola in the final image, I would rather keep the photo as is. To me, documenting a real journey is far more important than creating a “perfect” image. Plus, there’s no better “perfect” moment than the one we’ve actually lived through and experienced.
As I’ve shared in my favorite quote, photography is an art of observation. We don’t have to photograph the same subject in the same place.
The church's elegant domes make for a breathtaking subject against the Venetian skyline.
When we visited St. Mark’s Square the next day, I saw the dome in the far distance, and captured the following with a telephoto lens.
7️⃣ Ponte dell'Accademia (The Academy Bridge)
For a panoramic view of Venice, cross the Ponte dell'Accademia. This bridge offers a fantastic vantage point for capturing the city's classic beauty, including the basilica dome mentioned above.
This is the bridge where I photographed Basilica Di Santa Maria della Salute, over several days in different light conditions.
Similar to Rialto Bridge, Ponte dell'Accademia was crowded. The bridge itself however lacks the character that Rialto Bridge boasts, so it’s more a vantage point than a subject.
8️⃣ Basilica S.Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
Commonly known as the Frari, Basilica S.Maria Gloriosa dei Frari is a majestic Gothic church in Venice, Italy, renowned for its vast interior, exceptional artwork, including Titian's Assumption of the Virgin, and its importance as a historical and artistic treasure of the city. It stands as a significant religious and artistic landmark of Venice.
9️⃣ Hidden Courtyards
Venice is filled with charming courtyards tucked away from the crowds. These quiet, serene spaces make for unique and intimate photos.
For me, Venice courtyards were sure to be remembered.
On our first day in Venice, Orion, our then 5 year old, walked off disappeared from a courtyard, and was nowhere to be found. After talking to a number of tourists from all different directions with no avail, we had to call the police.
He was found in the train station 20 minutes away from where we were. It took three policemen to send him back and validate I was actually his mother. Fortunately Venice wasn't huge. Fortunately he didn't get on a train. What a huge relief!
In fact, he had a new dinosaur toy in hand when he was carried back by one of the three policemen. Perhaps it was an incentive for him to walk back with three strangers speaking a different language. We weren’t able to find out all the details. But never mind, he was back in my arms. That’s all that mattered.
🔟 Venetian Masks
While exploring the markets and shops, don't forget to photograph the intricate Venetian masks. They're not only beautiful but also an essential part of Venice's history and culture.
island of San Pietro
Honorable mention is another great vantage point for landscape photographers: the Bell Tower of San Pietro di Castello. The tower is a Romanesque-style tower standing on the island of San Pietro, offering sweeping views of the Venice lagoon.
Unfortunately, when we got to the Bell Tower, it was already closed. So I never took the shot from the top of the tower.
Nevertheless we enjoyed the 30-minute walk from St. Mark’s Square to the Bell Tower.
What’s unique about this walk was Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, a wide street we walked past that was lined with cafes and restaurants. I wouldn’t imagine such a wide street exists in Venice. It sure offers a different perspective for photographers.
Along this street, there’s a park with Giuseppe Garibaldi Monument near the entrance. The statue is dedicated to the Italian general and patriot, situated in the scenic Giardini della Biennale, serving as a symbol of Italian unification.
Between Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge) and Ponte dell'Accademia (The Academy Bridge), we walked a number of times, and explored different streets. We also took various water taxis on different routes, enjoying Venice from different angles.
In fact, you may have better photo experience taking photos of Venice from the water taxi than from the narrow and busy lanes. At least, you don’t have strangers standing immediately in front of your lens all the time.
Logistic Tip
Know your airport!
On our last day, we had another incident. We wrapped up our near 2-week trip in Italy and was ready to head to our next destination: Brussels. As a global traveler for decades, I didn’t feel the need to arrive at the airport too early, so I booked a water taxi that took us to the airport 1.5 hr before takeoff.
If I didn’t have trouble buying extra tickets for my carryon luggage the day before, I would’ve directly walked through security with my kids. At the check-in counter, I was told we were in the wrong airport! The airline staff looked at my 9am tickets, and suggested booking new flight as there was no way we could make it.
But there was still 80 minutes! I immediately called my hotel and asked for a different water taxi to another airport. I was told just to take land taxi this time and the ride would take 30 minutes. Long story short, my two boys and I ran with all our luggage and had to cut the line once at security check, and made it to the gate just in time!
Up to now, I still didn’t remember the name of the two different airports in Venice. I talked to the hotel staff at least 4 times about airport transfer and nobody asked me which airport to go.
The taxi driver told me: whenever they saw someone running to them that early, they knew most likely the passenger made the same mistake and had to go to the other airport. So this happened often!
Anyway, after two major incidents in Italy this time, plus another one when all my cash was stolen in Rome almost 20 years ago, I still love this country and will possibly come back again. (In fact, we visited Rome and Milan in two separate trips 2 to 3 months later).
Venice's unique charm, with its meandering canals and timeless architecture, offers endless opportunities for stunning photography. Each corner of this city has a story to tell. So, pack your camera, get lost in the labyrinthine streets, and let the magic of Venice inspire your photography. Happy shooting!
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2023 was our family’s biggest travel year ever. We spent 161 days, or 5.5 months, traveling in Europe with a small detour in Africa and Asia, setting our footprint to 18 countries outside of the US.