Join us on Day 2 of our Venice travel blog as we explore iconic landmarks like St. Mark’s Basilica, navigate the energetic Piazza San Marco, take a classic gondola ride in Venice, and indulge in the best gelato spots the city has to offer. From hidden gems and historic tours to food finds and fearless birds, this guide is perfect for anyone planning a Venice itinerary that blends culture, chaos, and carbs.
Gelato Count for Today:
Sylvia – 3 | Steven – 2
Bird Incidents:
Near Collisions – 2 | Actual Collision – 1 (Steven)
Early Start & St. Mark’s Basilica Tour
The day started early—6 AM for Steven, 4 AM for Sylvia (thanks, jet lag). First order of business was dropping off our luggage at a smoke shop that doubles as a storage service—we found it using the Bounce app (a fantastic travel hack when you’ve checked out of your accommodation but still have hours to kill before departure). With our hands and backs free, we went on the hunt for breakfast. Our pick? Rosa Salva by San Marco, a Polarsteps recommendation. Sylvia had an espresso with a pistachio croissant, while Steven went for an apricot one.
Fueled up, we kicked off our Venice Full-Day Sightseeing Tour with Gondola Ride, booked via GetYourGuide. It’s easily one of the best tours in Venice for first-timers, blending must-see landmarks with fascinating stories. kicking off with St. Mark’s Basilica. It was stunning. They claim to have St. Mark’s actual bones buried there—smuggled out of Ottoman lands under a pile of pork to keep Muslim inspectors from checking. Our tour guide was phenomenal, seamlessly weaving together Venice’s history of politics, engineering, scandals, religion, and straight-up audacity, now months on – we still recommend the tour, it was still the high light of our time in Venice and was a big revelation that while we enjoy just aimlessly walking around a new place exploring – we also love a tour guide, an audio ear set, and an explanation on the importance of what we’re looking at and why everyone made a big fuss on things, especially Steven our resident history buff who came to absolutely life out of the fog of jet lag and was filled with joy the whole day.
Walking Through Venice – Campos, Croatia, and Colleoni’s Power Move
Next on the tour, we wandered through Venice’s campos (squares) while learning about the city’s mishmash of influences—Byzantine, Ottoman, and more. Our guide pointed out which stones were imported from Croatia and Albania, which, considering Venice’s proximity, makes sense and he went into how the Venetian trade routes shaped the city. Apparently, Venetian traders could sail to Croatia and back in a single day—home in time for dinner after a morning of commerce.
We also saw the famous statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni, a legendary military leader whose statue technically shouldn’t exist. Venice had strict rules: statues could only be of Jesus or St. Mark. But Colleoni, being the power player he was, basically blackmailed the city, saying: “Give me a statue, or I cut off your Silk Road access.” Venice agreed—but got the last laugh. Colleoni wanted it in St. Mark’s… he meant St. Mark’s Square. They put it at St. Mark’s Hospital instead. Petty level: Venetian.
Side note: The hospital was so gorgeous that Sylvia was contemplating learning Italian just to work there.
The Rialto Bridge & Steven vs. The Birds
We made our way to the Rialto Bridge, which, at this point, Steven has had to drag luggage over multiple times. It was here that we overheard a tourist passionately complaining about gypsies—which felt very 1800s. If you’ve ever been on Travel TikTok, you’ve likely seen the infamous “ATTENTIONE PICKPOCKET!” videos. Hearing it screamed live in the background as tourists whirled around in confusion? A weird blend of funny, uncomfortable, and completely surreal.
Also, the birds in Venice? Fearless. Unlike the rest of the world, humans dodge birds here, not the other way around. Steven found this out first-hand when one decided to smack him in the arm with its wing mid-flight. Absolutely no fear.
Gondola Ride – A Dream for One, A Boat Ride for Another
Part of our tour also included a gondola tour in Venice. Our gondola ride was shared with an older couple from Northern England, and we spent the whole time chatting. Sylvia loved every second. She’s been to Venice as a backpacker in her early 20s before but never did a gondola ride which she kicked herself for, so it was worth every euro to finally tick it off the list for her. It felt so cooling and refreshing to travel through the beautiful city and see the architecture from a different vantage point, and to be able to look into all the different private boat driveways, little docks that lead straight into homes, and even learned that during high tide, some bridges become too low to pass under—something gondoliers have to constantly navigate.
Steven? Less enchanted. Having rowed boats and kayaked before, the gondola ride didn’t feel like anything groundbreaking. It was cool, just not his highlight of the day.
Food, Shopping, and Takeaway Wine
After the gondola ride we finished at Bacino Orseolo – a central basin located behind St Marks Square, that has numerous gondolas ready for service. had some free time on the tour to get ourselves fed. We stumbled upon a jewelry store, and Steven bought Sylvia a beautiful pair of pearl earrings she fell in love with, which then also became her wedding day earrings by the way -CapricciVenezia. Shopping continued as we checked out a nearby pizza place but passed on it… at this point – we would return.
Instead, we stopped at a tiny, packed bar filled with Italians drinking white wine at noon: Il Calice—Sylvia’s kind of place. She found a takeaway glass of Laguna white wine, which was both unexpected and delightful. Steven got a pizza here, but it was underwhelming. So, back to a small pizzeria we’d spotted earlier near the gondolas—Gelato di Natura—where Steven had a spicy salami pizza so spicy it gave him hiccups. Now that’s a proper pizza.
Next stop? St. Mark’s Square. Sylvia wanted an American coffee, Steven grabbed another gelato (cookies and cream), and Sylvia went for caramel-flavored gelato. Finding somewhere to sit was another challenge—every time we did, an official would immediately tell us to move. Apparently, you’re not allowed to sit in St. Mark’s Square, even if your feet are crying. Fun!
Doge’s Palace: Intimidation by Architecture
Now back on the tour! The Doge’s Palace tour started with some fun history: the palace didn’t originally exist—only St. Mark’s Basilica did. Venice started as a tiny settlement before growing into a city-state, necessitating a Doge’s residence.
Fun fact: two specific columns in the palace courtyard are a different color because that’s where the Doge gave speeches. The architecture is all about psychological warfare—foreign envoys were forced to wait in rooms dripping with gold and massive frescoes. This wasn’t just for aesthetics—it was meant to intimidate and mentally exhaust visitors before they even spoke to the Doge.
We also saw hidden archive doors behind paintings, the battle loot from the Ottoman ships (including a lamp stolen from an Ottoman ship), and artwork that spanned centuries of political propaganda. The guide explained how the high ceilings in the palace were meant to elevate the mind, while the low ceilings in the dungeons were designed to crush the spirit.
The dungeons themselves? Grim. Small. Dark. Some prisoners carved graffiti using candle smoke, and one inscription was from a pickpocket from the 1920s.
Final Hours in Venice: Blisters, Booze & Broken Luggage
By the end of the tour we were going through our mental checklist of what we needed to get/see/do before leaving for our train to Rome. Before leaving, Sylvia insisted on more gelato (Muscat flavor, two scoops). We also bought a painting Steven had been eyeing, but by this point, Sylvia was hobbling from multiple blisters as the shoes she brought travelling in those first few days were discount slippers from Kmart. While she toughed it out on the tour, easy enough as it was so immersive, once the tour ended the pain was so bad she was literally shaking, so we made an emergency stop at Bata, where she got a pair of Clarks sandals—instant relief.
Then, jewellery shopping happened again. We found Rosa Dolce, where we bought 3 pairs of handmade earrings from an artisan in Tuscany. Fun fact: there aren’t any jewellery houses left in Venice due to high costs, so most artisans are now based in Florence and Naples. Steven also discovered from the shop owner that taxes in his industry were 60%+ and tobacco shops were getting taxed 70%!
We wrapped up our time in Venice with two very different Ferini bars. The first one had loud music and terrible Aperol Spritzes, the second had better vibes, a Moscow Mule, and solid pizza. Sylvia, now buzzed and pain-free, was living her best life.
The grand finale? A water taxi ride to the train station—giving our sore feet a break and letting us soak in Venice one last time, cramped on the boat next to tourists and true Venetians sweating, tired and soaking up what little bits of architecture and glamour we could from the stunning city.
Would we do it all again? Absolutely.
Venetian Recommendations and Hidden Gems:
Food & Drink
Gelato di Natura (Bacino Orseolo) – Spicy salami pizza of dreams. Even after a year and more travel across Italy, this remains our favorite pizza of all time. A must-try in Venice for any foodie.
Il Calice – A tiny locals-only bar tucked away near the gondolas. Grab a takeaway glass of Laguna white wine and blend in with the locals.
Suso Gelatoteca – Sylvia swears by the Muscat flavor, but don’t leave without picking up a jar of their pistachio sauce—it made it into our suitcase home.
Osteria da Carla – Featured in our Day 1 recap. Foie gras and rabbit risotto that will live rent-free in our taste buds forever. Quiet, elevated, and absolutely worth bookmarking for your Venice itinerary.
Rosa Salva by San Marco – a beloved spot near St. Mark’s Square, known for its flaky pistachio croissants and strong Italian espresso—perfect for a classic Venetian breakfast. Filled with italians standing drinking their espressos at the counter. A Polarsteps favorite, and now one of ours too.
Jewellery & Artisan Shopping
Rosa Dolce – Authentic, artisan-made earrings from Tuscany. Elegant and rare—one of the last true handcrafted jewelry shops near St. Mark’s Square.
CapricciVenezia (Fondamenta Orseolo) – The boutique where Steven bought Sylvia her pearl earrings—later worn on our wedding day. Known for its exquisite handmade Italian jewelry, this shop is a hidden gem for keepsake-worthy finds.
Tours & Experiences
Venice Full-Day Sightseeing Tour with Gondola Ride (via GetYourGuide) – The ultimate Venice experience. Includes skip-the-line access to St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, a walking tour of Venice’s hidden gems, and a classic gondola ride. If you only do one tour—make it this one.
Bacino Orseolo – Don’t want a full guided tour? Head to this picturesque gondola basin just behind St. Mark’s Square. It’s the most convenient and popular spot to hop on a traditional Venice gondola ride without a reservation.
Still On Our Bucket List for Next Time:
Murano & Burano Islands – Glass-blowing, colorful houses, and more gelato adventures await.
Osteria Enoteca San Marco – Highly rated Venetian comfort food (sadly booked out this time).