Venice, the Queen of the Adriatic, is easily one of the most beautiful and photogenic urban locations in the world. I have worked out a great tour to hit most of the major sights in one night. It is a staggeringly walkable central city area about the size of Lower Manhattan below Houston Street, so I do recommend some wandering on your own if you see something that catches your eye.
Getting around Venice has become less complicated with GPS but connections are often difficult due to the narrow streets, so I recommend downloading the local map to your phone before you go. I have tried to limit the amount of required turns but the streets sometimes look like dead ends until you get closer. The directions below seem intimidating so I hope the link to the map here clears things up.
You may be confused at first, as street signs are mounted about 20 feet (7 meters) up on the wall and building numbers don't go in any order. The city has instituted large yellow signs, pointing the direction to go for local destinations: Rialto (bridge), S. Marco (Saint Mark’s plaza), or Ferrovia (train station). There are also vaporetto that are water buses along the Grand Canal but at night it is often faster to walk.
This guide starts at the Rialto Bridge, a central location that is easy to find, but it is a loop so you can begin anywhere or in either direction. It is designed to bring you around to some of my favorite locations and set context for Piazza San Marco, but one can always head directly to the Piazza and shoot there happily for several hours.
The Walk
The Grand Canal is the central waterway through Venice, and the walk begins at the Rialto Bridge, the main span of the Grand Canal from 1591. From the top of the bridge, there are excellent vantage points both up and down the canal, great for longer exposures to highlight the trails of boat traffic. Exit to the south and continue downstream to the west along the line of docks. Opposite the Rialto C dock (and before going under the large arch) take a left on Calle Larga Mazzini and take a right at the square (Campo San Salvador), then stay left at the music school to proceed toward Ponte del Lovo bridge with a wonderful view of the San Marco campanile to your left, hopefully with gondolas coming down the canal.
Continuing onward, take the next left (Calle dei Fabbri), the next right (Campo S. Luca), and then the next left after that (Calle Goldoni) which you will take over Ponte Goldoni to the Bacino Orseolo, where gondoliers park their gondolas overnight.
At the southwest corner of the Bacino, near the Hard Rock Cafe, take the narrow alleyway of Ramo del Salvadego followed by a right on Calle Frezzaria. The third left is Piscina de Frezzaria which leads over the Ponte de Piscina bridge and to the front of the Teatro La Fenice. The area behind the theatre has some lovely arched bridges above still and reflective canals. By taking a right around the theatre you will pass the stage door and continue around the back of the theatre towards Ponte dei Callegheri bridge. Then take Calle Caotorta northwest to take a left over Ponte dei Frati and follow yellow signs towards the Accademia Bridge. You will pass through the Campo Santo Stefano square. Please take note of the large statue in the middle of Niccolò Tommaseo for later.
Ponte del Accademia is the last bridge along the Grand Canal and a very popular spot at sunrise when the curved domes of the Basilica Santa Maria della Salute are backlit and the city begins its day. But this is also a majestic location in either direction, with grand palaces on either side of the upstream side.
Early Out Option:
While I believe the views from the point near Punta della Dogana are some of the best, and the backlighting of the Campanile on San Giorgio Maggiore is wonderful to capture, skipping the next portion will save you about 20-25 minutes of walking, about eight-tenths of a mile (1.4 km). Skip the next paragraph if you are taking this Early Out.
If you choose to continue on, make your way over the Accademia bridge and to the left around the galleria to take the second left down Calle Nuova Sant'Agnese. Continuing over a bridge called the Ponte San Vio brings you to a small narrow square, Campo San Vio. Continue straight down Calle de la Chiesa, past a long calm canal. From there, the road curves left and then right over Ponte San Cristoforo. Take the next left and the road curves to the right across Ponte Barbaro. Another dogleg left and right brings you across Ponte de l’Abazia and directly in front of the majestic stairs of the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute. Walk around to your left and you will come to a point with a magnificent view of Campanile di San Giorgio Maggiore to your right and Campanile San Marco to your left. Returning along your path brings you back to the Accademia Bridge. Cross back over the bridge to continue on your journey.
From the Accademia Bridge, you will backtrack to Campo Santo Stefano and at the statue of Niccolò Tommaseo, take a right down the narrow alleyway of Calle dello Spezier, marked with a yellow Per S. Marco on the right. At this point you will be following any yellow signs for San Marco. This route will lead you through a small square, Campo San Maurizio, and then over two quick bridges in a row. The second bridge has a 90 degree turn in it to your right; at the end of the bridge, take a left towards Campello Santa Maria Zobenigo. This small square has a small street called Calle de le Ostreghe with a Per S. Marco sign on the left, and you will take this route towards S. Marco to cross over another, wider bridge.
Continuing down Calle de le Ostreghe will lead you to take a left, then a right, onto Calle Larga XXII Marzo, the elegant luxury retail center of Venice. This route leads directly over a bridge to the majestic facade of the Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Moisè church.
Go left around the church down Salzada San Moise and you will end up in front of an archway with an older Alitalia mosaic embedded in the ground. Passing through the archway brings you into the spacious Piazza San Marco. with the wonderfully detailed clock tower on your left, the campanile and basilica laid out in front of you, and the Doge’s Palace around the corner to your right. This is the religious, cultural, political, and emotional heart of Venice.
This is also the lowest point of the city and thus the first to flood. If there are any puddles nearby you can mount your camera low on your tripod and make small puddles into huge reflections. Go to your right after passing the campanile to find the Porta della Carta gate with elegant stone carvings. The plaza also opens up onto the Venetian basin with gondolas, excellent views of San Giorgio Maggiore, the plaza, and an excellent ancient lantern.
Once at the waterfront, you will turn left and start to cross the Ponte della Paglia bridge. On your left is the typical view of the famous Ponte dei Sospiri, or Bridge of Sighs, which was the last view of prisoners from the courts in the Doge’s palace to the windowless prison across the canal. I personally prefer the view from the other side, so continuing over the bridge, take your first left down Calle degli Albanesi and then another left on Rughetta San Apollonia. On the Ponte de Canonica bridge to your left is a wonderful view of the Ponte dei Sospiri with a church in the background.
Early Out Option:
It is about a ten minute walk back to the Rialto at this point if you’d like to return there quickly; otherwise it is about twenty minutes more of exploration among some of the quieter sections of the city. If you’d like to call it a night, continue along your walk around the corner to the left and keep the basilica on your left. This will loop back into Piazza San Marco near the clock tower side. From here pass under the clock tower and follow the yellow signs for the Rialto along your route north.
If you would like to finish out the guide, then continue on, leaving the Ponte de Canonica bridge and going straight. Take the next left on Calle de la Canonica and the next right on the street leading to Ponte de l'Anzolo. This bridge will turn to the right and require a left onto the street; the route then takes a right and then a left. At the corner of Calle de la Bande, take a right and continue across the Ponte de le Bande bridge, which brings you into Campo Santa Maria Formosa, a plaza with a distinctive Baroque church with a leaning steeple. Go straight across, towards Calle Longa S. Maria Formosa, with the clock on the wall and a yellow sign “Per Fondamente Nuove.” Follow this street to Calle Bragadin o del Pinelli. If you see the Acqua Alta Bookstore you have gone too far.
You will come upon the Ponte dei Conzafelzi bridge, splitting the canal. Crossing the bridge and stepping under the overhang, take the first right under an archway to Corte Veniera that leads to a large plaza, Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo; the courtyard has both a massive church (Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo) and a large statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni on horseback.
Directly across from the church doors take the Ponte Cavallo bridge. From there, you will cross over two more bridges and your path on Fondamenta del Piovan will curve slightly to follow the canal towards Campo Santa Maria Nova plaza. Following the yellow “Per S. Marco” sign with “Rialto” in smaller letters, you will go down Calle del Spezier until it opens onto another piazza, which you will exit diagonally down Salizada San Canzian until it ends at the Ponte dei Zogatoli bridge near a yellow “Per Rialto” sign on your left. Crossing over the bridge and continuing straight over the Ponte de l'Ogio bridge, you will take the next left to find yourself back at the Rialto, finishing off the loop.
Go make some art!
Late Night Bathrooms
Marked with signs around the city for “Publicco WC,” these are paid (typically 1.50 Euro) public restrooms that you will find open from 8 AM until 7 or 8 PM. Before or after that your best bet is a bar where you can order a coffee for about the same amount, just ask if they have a bathroom before you do, as some of the stand up coffee bars will not.
Late Night Eats
In addition to the two 24 hour places there are also some 24 hour vending machines scattered if absolutely necessary
Pako’s Pizza and Pasta (or Sansovino) is probably the closest option to San Marco that is typically open for 24 hours. They will customize for dietary restrictions: Spadaria, 687
Ceranavolta located in San Polo is closer to bus parking, typically open for 24 hours, and serves mostly small plate cicchetti: Calle Drio I’Archivo, 3077
Ai Do Leoni, open until 1:30 AM: Piazza San Marco 355
Jazz Club Novecento 900, a jazz club north of the Rialto that serves pizza, open until 2 AM: Campiello del Sansoni San Polo, 900 Last call is around 2 AM however, so time your evening accordingly.