While no amount of time in Italy is enough, anything less than a week in Venice will just leave you wanting more. There is more to Venice than pasta, gelato, and gondola rides down the famous Grand Canal. You could spend a whole week just wandering through the narrow streets of Venice, going in and out of the mask and gelato shops, exploring the many old churches, basilicas, and palaces, and traveling by gondola and water taxi and you’ll still find a new nook or cranny on day eight. Why? Because after all that you’ll still need a day to island hop through the surrounding islands and roadtrip up to the Dolomites. When in Venice, right?

The Dolomites

If you’re going to fly all the way to Venice, it would be a waste to not make it out to the Dolomites. Located only two or so hours north of the Floating City, the towering limestone peaks of Italy’s Dolomite mountains are enchanting.

On a semi-private tour, we drove north out of Venice, stopping in a couple of small towns and even drove through one of the sites of the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics—Cortina d’Ampezzo. At our final destination, Lago di Misurina, or Lake of Misurina, we enjoyed a lakeside lunch before hiking around the lake to take in the 360-view.

The Culture

From Doges Palace to the Leonardo di Vinci museum, we made sure to visit at least one cultural center per day (if only to escape the heat in the middle of the day). There are a number of deals online that bundle these options but it really just depends on what you’re interested in but if I am being honest we just winged it and went with what we were feeling in the moment.

Curious about the many inventions of the great Leonardo di Vinci? If so, the small but captivating Da Vinci Interactive Museum in Venice is a must-visit—you can even touch and play with his inventions to see how they work. Interested in art? The latest on-trend art gallery is the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Pro-tip: get there early, it fills up quickly and as we were walking out at 11 am there was a line to purchase tickets to get in.

My personal favorite was visiting the grand Doge’s Palace located in the bustling St. Mark’s Square. Doge’s Palace is frequently visited in tandem with Saint Mark’s Basilica—one of the most impressive cathedrals in Italy.

Pro-tip: cover your shoulders and knees if planning on going inside the Basilica. In addition to the Saint Mark’s Basilica there are a number of smaller basilicas and churches scattered throughout the city. We visited quite a few (again to catch a break from the sun) while roaming the streets and each one was worth the pitstop.

Island Hopping

The tiny islands of Murano, Burano, and Torcello are each known for something different: Murano for it’s glassblowing factory where apprentices work for years under a master. Burano for its handcrafted lace and colorful buildings. And last but not least, Torcello for its ancient Byzantine church—the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta.

While half a day is enough to explore these islands, we took our time and really enjoyed the individuality of each island. Another unique island destination is Lido di Venezia, the beach of Venice. This island is one of the few with cars roaming around, which was a wild sight after a few days seeing no cars, bikes, or even scooters (because with all the bridges holding together the islands that make up Venice, there is not much one can do comfortably besides walk).

The Four Must-Dos

Now if you still only just want to pass through Venice, here are my four must-dos:

1. Take a gondala ride down the Grand Canal at sunset (don’t forget the prosecco).
2. Walk through St. Marks Square or Piazza di San Marco.
3. Take a water taxi to Lido di Venezia and enjoy an Aperol Spritz at the beach.
4. Eat as much pasta and gelato as you can!

Pro-tip: Hire a local photographer to not only capture you exploring but also to get you inside tips that only a local would be able to provide. Jake surprised me by setting up a shoot with local photographer, Olga, using Flytographer—a company that connects you to amazing local photographers anywhere in the world. We will definitely be setting up more photoshoots in our travels abroad after our wonderful experience with them!

This shoot is what we envisioned our elopement would be like—a mild June evening somewhere by the water. So we took advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime adventure by exchanging vows we didn’t get to say to each other at our wedding. Today, October 27, is our first wedding anniversary and I am overjoyed to share this blog post celebrating one of the best trips of my life with the love of my life. Happy anniversary, Jake! To many more adventures together. Apricots forever.

Until next time,

Leah Ost