I’ve been here for 9 years now, so I like to think I’m a fairly good authority on all things Venetian. Over the past 9 years I’ve come to know the city like the back of my hand, and there are a fair few spots in the city I just adore! Scratch beyond the surface and Venice is chock-full of hidden gems, unmissable attractions and unique sights – some of my favourites, whilst I also love some of the more well-known attractions. So, here goes – my 10 favorite spots to pass the time in Venice:

1. The Royal Gardens

The royal gardens (Giardini Reali) also known as the Napoleon Gardens or Sissi Gardens, are one of the most stunning places in Venice when they’re in full bloom. They’re hidden in plain sight – right in front of Piazza San Marco, and yet they see hardly any tourists. It is a truly special place to sit and eat in spring and summer, but also enjoyable for its serenity in winter.

The gardens date back to 1807, when Napoleon decided to change things up a bit and desired a green space in front of the Procuratie Nuove, which he wanted to use as the seat of the Crown. Over the following 2 centuries, the gardens were developed and added to until they came to be the gardens that exist today. There are 2 tree-lined avenues, 3 greenhouses—one of which is used as a coffee house, 70 meters of cast iron pergola, and a bridge connecting the gardens to the Procuratie. The gardens became public in 1920 and have remained open to the public since.

Much-needed restoration was completed in 2019, after years of neglect and decay had left the gardens in a pretty dismal state. Some of the structures and doubled features that had been incongruously added over the years were removed, streamlining the gardens. The greenhouses, designed by Lorenzo Santi, were given a new lease of life and designated new functions. Some 10,700 shrubs, bulbs, flowers, grasses, and trees have been planted to bring the gardens back to life.

The gardens are found just behind Piazza San Marco, infront of vaporetto stop “San Marco Giardinetti”. The gardens are completely free to visit and there are plenty of benches to sit down and enjoy a picnic. In summer the gardens are open from 08:30 to 19.30 and in winter from 09:00 to 17:00. The gardens are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

2. Libreria Acqua Alta

This has long since stopped being a hidden gem. Social media has made this one of the most visited places in Venice, but it’s on my list regardless. It’s kitsch, it’s cute, it’s incredibly photogenic and it’s one of my favourite places to take my friends when they come visit.

3. San Giorgio Maggiore

The best panoramic view in all of Venice. No exaggeration, it really is the most stunning view over San Marco that you can get. Climb the Campanile San Giorgio and see for yourself. I almost don’t want to add a picture because everyone should see it for the first time and be wowed, but this is what you cand expect:

Per the official San Giorgio website, the basilica is open from 9am to 6pm every day during winter and from 8:30am to 7pm during the summer. Entrance to the campanile closes half an hour before the basilica, so be sure to leave yourself enough time, especially if you’re planning to take sunset pictures. The only way to get up to the top of the bell tower is to go through to the back of the abbey and take the lift up to the observation deck. It costs €8 for adults, €6 for over 65s and students, and is free for under 5s.

If you’re already on the island and you’re not pushed for time, a guided tour of the Cini foundation is a must! Take the gold package and tour the foundation – with its two stunning cloisters and one of the most beautiful grand staircases you’ve ever seen, the photography room, the Borges labyrinth, the Vatican chapels in the woods, and the green theatre. On the weekends, you can also see the Longhena library. It’s roughly 3 hours long but worth every second and the sore feet. The gold tour costs €28 for adults, €23 for over 65s, students & under 26, €9 for under 14s, and under 5s go free.

4. Scala Contarini del Bovolo

Another not so secret gem is the staircase of the Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo. When I first visited Venice 11 years ago, hardly anyone knew about this spot – I stayed at a hotel in the corner of the courtyard of the Palazzo Bovolo and saw hardly a soul. My partner and I went up the tower last minute with no need to pre-book tickets. These days it’s just not possible as everyone wants to go up and take ‘that’ shot – the one with the wistful look into the distance over San Marco.

The staircase was added to the building in 1499. There are a total of 80 steps to reach the belvedere at the top. But the spectacular view is worth it. To me, it is the second-best view in all of Venice. Ticket entrance also includes all of the exhibitions over the four floors of the palazzo. If you’re not pressed for time, it’s definitely worth a little exploration of these wonderful displays.

It is a maze to get there, even with Google Maps, so when searching for this gem, you’ll need a little patience. Last entrance is allowed 30 minutes before closing. In summer (February 24th to October 26th), the scala is open from 10 am to 6 pm; in winter, it is open from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. There are extraordinary closures throughout the year—usually for the changing of an exhibition; you can keep abreast of those on the official website. Tickets are €9 for adults, €7 for the under 26 and over 65, and free under 12s.

5. Serra dei giardini

At the end of the busy Viale Garibaldi, adjacent to the Biennale Gardens, you’ll find a glasshouse café. It is an oasis of calm as it is still relatively unknown to those outside of Venice or the regulars to the Biennale. Originally known as Serra Margherita, it was constructed in 1894 to house the first Biennale d’Arte di Venezia. It’s a beautiful iron and glass building and a true example of industrial architecture in the floaty city.

Today, after loving restoration, it is a cafè and plant shop. The cafè serves wonderful coffee along with smoothies, homemade savoury pastries and cakes, and local organic snacks and products. It is the perfect pit stop for a refreshing break somewhere a little different or a spritz off the beaten path.

6. Secret sunset spot

The view speaks for itself. Grab a spritz from Bar Al Molo and head just around the corner to Baia del Re. It’s a gorgeous photo spot with the walls perfectly framing the view, and at blue hour, it is just stupendous. For sunset, it’s the perfect place to just sit and chill, watching the boats pass by and sipping on a cocktail.

7. San Lazzaro degli Armeni

This island sees around 40,000 visitors a year and yet still manages to give off the feel that it is barely discovered. The island is occupied completely by the monastery of the Mekhitarist Order, home to 20 monks and 15 students who take care of the precious library it houses. There are some 170,000 books, 4,500 manuscripts, various works of art, and an Egyptian mummy in a sarcophagus under the care of the monks, kept in temperature-controlled glass cabinets.

The Armenian monks have lived on the island for over 300 years, founded by Mkhitar Sebastatsi with the aid of nobleman Sebastiano Mocenigo and a small group of Armenian monks. Those industrious souls transformed an abandoned island into the peaceful jewel it is today. It is a truly remarkable place that once reignited the passion for writing of the great British poet Lord Byron.

Visits to the island and the monastery are by guided tour only. The fee to visit is €8 per person. Ideally, book in advance by calling +39 0415260104 or emailing visite@mechitar.org or shoghik55.bagh@gmail.com. You can also head there directly and buy tickets from the ticket office located at the entrance to the monastery, but you will need to wait for the tour to begin, and generally, there is only one a day at 3pm.

You can reach the island by taking line 20 from vaporetto stop San Zaccaria. Whilst you’re there, grab some of the delicious rose petal jam the monks make from the roses they grow in the cloister gardens, called vartanush, prepared to a typical Armenian recipe. It is actually heavenly and sells out pretty fast, as the monks make it in limited batches.

8. Ca’ Roman, Pellestrina

Ca’ Roman is a nature reserve that used to be its own independent island but became connected to the island of Pellestrina by the seawalls built to protect the lagoon. The reserve is on one of the major migratory routes through Italy, so it is a haven for bird watchers, but it’s my favourite place because it is wild, untouched, and perfectly peaceful. During wintertime, you can occasionally be the only soul on the beach.

If you do decide to visit Ca’ Roman, please be very careful! Especially in hatching season (March to the end of July), as any disturbance to the more nervous birds can result in nests being abandoned and the potential death of the chicks. The mosses here are also delicate and are only found here and in very few other places in the world. I beg you to stick to the well-defined paths and to take care on the beaches to avoid the nests protected by netting.

To get to Ca’ Roman, you either need to walk the 1.8 km of murazzi that link Pellestrina with the reserve – you can’t cycle along this path, or you need to take the vaporetto line 11 to Chioggia and request the stop Ca’ Roman – but this does need to be done 20 minutes in advance.

9. San Francesco della Vigna

I used to live around the corner from this fantastic church with its stunning cloisters and beautiful vineyard. Visits to the vineyard cloister can only be done via guided tour for €55 per person, including a tasting- book here. I think it’s a wonderful one-off and something I think everyone should do once whilst in Venice.

The cloisters in the convent that forms part of the church complex are so beautifully photographable and must be seen! They are some of the oldest still standing in the whole of the lagoon. The church has 5 chapels, each containing works of art by famous Italian painters – 3 works by Paolo Veronese, a Giovanni Bellini, the lone work of Fra Antonio da Negroponte, and the remains of a Tintoretto stolen and whisked off to Scotland in 1648.

The library has an impressive 45,000 ancient texts alongside its numerous modern books. Brother Rino Sgarbossa, the librarian, has set up the displays in a way you can see the development from manuscript to printed edition and from hand-painted miniatures to copperplate and woodcut illustration. The chorals (illustrated choir music) are also worth seeing, with their stunning colors and gorgeous calligraphy. They belie their weight, with some coming in at 15 kg! If you fancy a guided tour to understand more, you can book here. The guided tours happen Friday afternoons, and on Saturdays and Sundays while the library is closed to the public.

Visits to the library, the rest of the cloisters, and the church itself are free, but each of the buildings is open at different times. The church is open from 10 am to 12:30 pm and 3 pm to 5:30 pm, Monday to Sunday. The library is open from 9 am to 5 pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, while on Tuesdays and Thursdays, it’s only open until 1 pm. The convent with the beautiful cloisters has differing hours and is open from 8 am to 12:30 pm and again from 3 pm to 6 pm, Monday to Sunday.

10. Torcello

Possibly my #1 of the ten favourite places and unbelievably overlooked by tourists who just go to see the Insta-famous colourful houses of Burano and the world-renowned glass factories of Murano. Torcello is worth a visit in its own right. For a fairly sizeable island, there isn’t all that much to do, but what is there is pretty damn awesome.

Take a few selfies on the ‘Throne of Attila’ – no, it’s not named for Attila the Hun; the Huns fell short of arriving in Venice and only made it as far as Aquileia (a gorgeous city absolutely worth a visit). It actually dates back to the 5th century and was used by the governor during council meetings or to administer justice back when Torcello was home to around 20,000 inhabitants.

Stand on the Devil’s Bridge, one of just two bridges without parapets in the entire lagoon – the other is Ponte Chiodo. Some say the name comes from the bridge having been built in one night by the devil as a bet, with the lack of balustrades being due to the rising of the sun and the devil running out of time. Others say it was simply that a family nicknamed Diavoli lived by the bridge. There is a further legend still; you can read about here.

My favorite view in all of the lagoon, besides that of San Giorgio Maggiore, is found here on Torcello Island, from the bell tower of the Basilica. You can see for miles over the lagoon, and it’s just one of the most spectacular, peaceful views I’ve seen in the Venetian lagoon. The Basilica di Santa Maria dell’Assunta di Santa Fosca is unmissable. The cathedral is one of the oldest in Venice, having been built in 639 and contains some sensational Byzantine mosaics.

The museum attached to the Church of Santa Fosca contains historical finds from the island dating to the Late Latin, Byzantine, and medieval periods. Winter hours from November 1st to February 28th: the museum is open from 10:30 AM to 4 PM, and summer hours from March 1st to October 31st: the open hours are from 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM.

Entry to the museum is €3 or €1.50 reduced price*; entry to the museum and the basilica is €8 or €6 reduced price*; entry to the museum, basilica, and the bell tower is €12 or €10 reduced price*; entry to just the bell tower is €4 or €3 reduced price*. *Reduced price is for kids aged 6-12 and groups of more than 10 persons. Children 5 and under, and over 65s go free.

I hope you enjoy visiting these wonderful spots just as much as I do. If you need any further inspiration for things to see and do in Venice, have a nosey around the site or drop an email, or catch up with me on Instagram.