Where to stay in Venice when visiting for the first time?
Venice is one of the most visited destinations in the world, but also a place considered quite tricky for first-time travellers. We definitely understand how the set-up with infinite islands, canals, and alleys may seem a bit confusing at first. If you are also feeling puzzled, don’t worry – we are here to help. After visiting Venice over 8 times and staying in different parts of the city, I feel confident to give you the best recommendations of where to stay in Venice.
We have organized this guide based on each neighborhood of the island, called “sestieri” in Venice. Below you will find a list of recommended places to stay in each of the main areas, along with our personal take on what are the best neighbourhoods to stay in Venice for first-timers.
What are the best neighborhoods to stay in Venice?
Without dwelling on it too much – the two best neighborhoods for staying in Venice in my opinion are Cannagerio and San Polo.
Cannaregio is the largest sestieri in the city, located right next to the train station and extending to the busy area of San Marco. Aside from the main street that crosses this sestieri, which is always full of tourists, this neighbourhood is a very quiet and local place to stay in Venice. It also has some of the best-priced apartments in town.
San Polo is the sestieri where the famous market of Rialto is located. I strongly recommend staying in this neighbourhood on the first visit to Venice because you will be very central, within walking distance to every attraction, yet still in a quieter area than San Marco. As a bonus, the sestieri of San Polo has amazing choices of local restaurants and is located right next to Dorsoduro, where some of the best and youngest bars are located.
Neighborhoods we recommend avoiding for your first stay in Venice
As this will be your first visit, practicality is essential to ensure you will have the best time in the city. The best thing you can do is choose an accommodation that is located centrally, where you can reach most attractions without too much hassle. For this reason, there are two neighbourhoods we don’t recommend staying in if you will be visiting Venice for the first time:
Giudecca – This sestieri has a very different vibe from the other ones. It is much quieter and local, with amazing buildings and art galleries. You should definitely include a visit, but we don’t recommend staying in Giudecca for the first visit to Venice because you will be on the other side of the canal, which means you will rely on the Vaporetto for going to the main island at all times. See the map below and you will understand our point right away.
The Vaporetto ride is quite pricey for public transport, which is a cost you should add to the accommodation price (unless a transfer is included). The math is simple: each Vaporetto ride costs 7,50 €, so you should add at least 15 € per day to the hotel cost to get the true daily value. You can get better deals with the daily Vaporetto ticket package, but you get my point.
Castello – One of the most local neighborhoods, Castello is an amazing area for visiting but it is simply too far from the main attractions if this will be your first visit to Venice. If you look at the map, it is very easy to understand my point, as Castello is the last neighborhood, covering the tip of the island. However, if you will be visiting Venice for the second, third, or tenth time, then I do recommend staying in Castello and experiencing Venice like a local.
PS; this does not apply to the upper part of Castello, next to San Marco.
Where to stay in Venice – hotel recommendations per neighborhood
To make your job easier, we will list here a few handpicked hotel suggestions that you can stay on your first visit to Venice. Read through the full guide or click below on the neighborhood you are interested in:
Where to stay in Cannaregio, Venice
Here are our hotel picks of where to stay in Cannaregio for your first visit to Venice:
This hotel is very well-rated; guests particularly compliment the true Venetian style and the pool in the courtyard. The hotel also has an amazing location, very accessible yet not on top of a busy street. If you will be traveling to Venice during the summer months, having a pool at the hotel is definitely a plus, so this was an easy choice to start our list of places to stay in Venice.
Staying at Palazzo Abadessa is an experience in itself. This hotel is set up like a true palace and still holds a lot of history in the building. It is very well located, with a lovely garden at the entrance which is a very special touch, especially in Venice. If you have the chance, get a room with a view of the canal to have an even more magical experience.
3. Hotel Adua
Hotel Adua is a budget-friendly option located very close to the train station and Piazzale Roma, where all the buses stop. It is well evaluated amongst the guests, who particularly praise the friendly staff. This is a simple yet affordable hotel option if that is what you are looking for on your first stay in Venice.
Where to stay in San Polo, Venice
Our picks of places to stay in San Polo are these 3 properties:
1. Ca’ della Scimmia – The Welcomist in Venice
This hotel is superbly rated – it falls a bit on the expensive side, but it offers everything you might need for a perfect stay in Venice. The building is located only a 2-minute walk away from the Rialto Bridge and a 5-minute walk from San Marco square. Apartments are equipped with a flat-screen TV, a kitchenette, and a bathroom with a shower, hairdryer, and free toiletries, which all come quite in handy for a short or long stay.
2. Golden Suite
This property is going to be a bit easier on your wallet, but it still offers amazing guest reviews. It is located only 400 meters away from San Marco square and offers an equipped kitchen and a private bathroom. Guests often compliment the host for being very helpful and informative and are overall very happy with how comfortable the beds are.
Our budget-friendly recommendation of a place to stay in the San Polo neighborhood in Venice is an apartment building that offers 4 separate apartments. The accommodation offers 2 shared bathrooms, so it is perfect if you are traveling in a bigger group and can occupy 2 bedrooms. The guests really liked staying here mainly because of how helpful the host is.
Where to stay in Dorsoduro, Venice
Dorsoduro is a quiet but very young neighborhood. It is a very nice area to stay in if you would like to explore some local bars and restaurants at night. Here you will have plenty of options at the tip of your fingers without having to walk far away.
See below our top picks of places to stay in Dorsoduro, Venice:
If you are looking for a luxurious and modern place to stay in Venice, this may be the right solution for you. The Sina Palace is located at the end of Dorsoduro and offers a five-star hotel experience, right in front of the Gran Canale. The rooms are spacious and guests often compliment the food.
2. Palazzo Veneziano – Venice Collection
This option is better priced than the one before, but it does not lack comfort. Palazzo Veneziano is a beautiful property, located right on the edge of the canal, with a water boat stop right in front which may come in handy. Its location is very nice because it is in a quieter area, but you only have around a 15-minute walk to San Marco.
Casa Accademia is our budget-friendly suggestion of where to stay in the Dorsoduro neighborhood in Venice. As the name suggests, it is located very close to the Accademia Bridge and the museum. It is well-rated by the majority of guests, who complement the large rooms and nice atmosphere.
Where to stay in San Marco, the main neighborhood of Venice
San Marco is the sestieri that contains most of the main attractions in Venice, including San Marco Square, the Basilica, the Doge Museum, and much more. Since it is the most visited area, it is also the busiest and most touristy neighborhood. If you like staying as close as possible to the attractions, then this is your place to stay in Venice. Here are our hotel suggestions in San Marco:
This is one of the most famous hotels within the San Marco sestieri and it is highly recommended by its guests, so we had to include it in our list. The hotel is located right by a canal, in the heart of San Marco. You will have only a 5-minute walk to the square or to the Rialto bridge. It may be located in a busy area, but offers great comfort and installations.
Located right within the touristy streets, Gorizia a La Valigia is one of the hotels we stayed at during our last visit to Venice. We decided to include it on the list because it offers good value for money – we got an amazing price deal for a room that was decorated in true Venetian style. The rooms are a bit on the small side but still quite comfortable. The hotel was very flexible during check-in and check-out, offering to store our bags whenever needed. The reception had staff working 24/7, which was also very useful.
Located on the upper edge of the neighborhood, this hotel is very close to Rialto Bridge and is praised a lot by the guests. Its location makes it easily accessible either by foot or by water bus since one of the main stops of the Gran Canale is just a few meters away.
Where to stay in Santa Croce, Venice
Santa Croce is the first neighborhood you will see once you step out of the bus or car at Piazzale Roma. It is also very easily connected to the train station, so many people decide to stay in Santa Croce during their first visit to Venice to avoid carrying their bags around too much.
Here are our top picks of places to stay in Santa Croce:
1. Palazzo Venart Luxury Hotel
If you are looking for a luxury stay in Venice, then this hotel should definitely be your pick. Only a 10-minute walk away from the train station, the rooms include marble bathrooms and the property also hosts a 2 Michelin star restaurant on-site, which makes it definitely worth every penny – or should we say every hundred?
If you are looking for a Venetian-style hotel including Murano chandeliers for decoration, this is your pick. Cà Del Modena can offer very well-decorated rooms, authentic Italian breakfast (which is loved by their guests), and even some 18th-century Venetian frescos in public areas of the hotel.
3. Ca’ Riza
If you are looking for the best price/rating performance, Ca’ Riza is your pick. With amazing reviews from their guests and affordable price, it had to be included in our list of recommendations of places to stay in Venice. The great breakfast and kind staff are definitely the two things standing out the most amongst their guest’s reviews.
Where to stay in Castello, Venice
See below a few hotel suggestions of where to stay in the neighborhood of Castello, Venice.
1. Hotel Danieli
If you are looking for a historical site, Danieli is our top recommendation. This hotel consists of 3 separate buildings, with the initial one dating back to the 14th century. Danieli offers a high-end and luxurious stay just 200 meters away from San Marco square. If staying at Danieli is out of your budget but you would still like to visit this Venetian landmark, it is also possible to book a breakfast or drink at the rooftop overlooking the San Marco square.
With a perfect location to discover historical parts of Venice, this property will offer you great views, clean rooms, and a delicious breakfast. It is located right by the riviera, offering outstanding sunset views if you get a bedroom with a window facing the canal.
If you are looking for a budget option to stay in the Castello neighborhood in Venice, check out this property. Cà dell’arte Suite offers self-catering apartments in historical buildings just 200 meters away from San Marco square. Visitors are complimenting the spacious rooms, the cleanliness of the property, and its location.
Where to stay in Giudecca, Venice
If you decide to stay in Giudecca, here are some of our suggestions of places to stay:
1. Hilton Molino Stucky Venice
Staying at Hilton Molino Stucky is an experience in itself. The hotel is located in an old flour mill that was entirely refurbished and redesigned to host a luxurious hotel with state-of-the-art facilities that every hotel in the Hilton chain offers, including a rooftop pool.
Generator is a budget-friendly option as it is a hostel and hotel combined into one. They offer both shared and private rooms, all located within the same building with a very cool and chilled-out atmosphere. The downside is that you need to take the Vaporetto to go to the main islands and attractions of Venice, but it comes with a huge plus size too: you get amazing views right at your doorstep!
After this (fairly long) list of recommendations, we believe you are very well-equipped to start organizing your first trip to Venice and see this magical place with your own eyes. Check out some of the activities you can book upfront in the link below or read more about Venice.
If you are looking for some activities in Venice, check the options on Get Your Guide
Continue reading about how to organize your trip to Venice:
Best Day Trips from Venice by Train
Organizing your trip
To help you plan your trip to Italy, we have put together our favorite planning resources:
- Flights: Get affordable flights to Italy on Skyscanner.com.
- Travel insurance: Make sure you are protected during your trip. We use SafetyWing whenever we are traveling abroad.
- Renting a car: We always use Discover Cars to get the best car deals.
- Accommodation: Find the best hotels and apartments on Booking.com.
- Activities: Get fun ideas of what to do and buy unique activities with Get Your Guide.
- SIM Card: Stay connected during your trip with Airalo.
- Recommended hiking gear: Check our recommendations on Amazon if you will be hiking in Italy!
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