Practical
Tourist information (VeneziaUnica, Piazzale Roma)
Official information and ticket point at the bus and People Mover hub, handy for vaporetto passes and maps. Check opening hours locally.
- Since August 2021 ships over 25,000 gross tonnes may not sail through St Mark's Basin or the Giudecca Canal. Only small ships still berth at Marittima or San Basilio in the old city; larger ships use Fusina or the Lombardia and Liguria quays at Porto Marghera, and a few use Chioggia.
- Your berth is not always confirmed until close to the date. Check with your cruise line which one you have, because travel time to St Mark's ranges from about 30 minutes to well over an hour.
- Venice is mainly a start and end port: in 2026 more than 95% of calls were embarkation and disembarkation days, and many ships stay overnight.
- Venice charges day visitors an access fee on set days. In 2026 it applied on 60 days between 3 April and 26 July, 8.30 to 16.00, at 5 to 10 euros. Check cda.ve.it for 2027 dates and ask your cruise line whether it pays this for you.
- The old city has hundreds of stepped bridges and no cars. High tides (acqua alta), most common from October to January, can flood St Mark's Square for a few hours.
Where ships dock
Marittima cruise terminals (old city, ships up to 25,000 GT)
Take the People Mover (about 3 minutes, runs roughly every 8 minutes from 7am to 11pm) from opposite the port entrance to Piazzale Roma, or walk there in about 15 minutes. From Piazzale Roma, vaporetto line 1 or 2 runs down the Grand Canal to St Mark's (roughly 30 to 45 minutes), or walk about 40 minutes through the lanes. Water taxis wait at the terminals.
San Basilio terminal (old city, small ships)On the Dorsoduro waterfront. Walk east along the Zattere promenade to St Mark's in about 30 to 35 minutes (crossing the Accademia bridge), or walk about 10 minutes to the Zattere stop for a vaporetto along the Giudecca Canal.
Porto Marghera, Lombardia and Liguria quays (larger ships)These quays are inside the working industrial port on the mainland, so you cannot walk out. Cruise lines run coaches to the Marittima / Piazzale Roma area (allow about 20 to 30 minutes), then continue by vaporetto or on foot as from Marittima. Allow 60 to 75 minutes each way between the ship and St Mark's. Check your cruise line's shuttle times and price.
Fusina cruise terminal (mainland, ships up to 250 m)Most passengers use their cruise line's transfer. Independently, the Fusina to Zattere ferry run by Terminal Fusina crosses the lagoon in about 25 to 30 minutes, every day of the year, from the Terminal Fusina dock about 1 km from the cruise terminal (ask staff whether you can walk it or take a taxi). From Zattere, walk about 20 to 25 minutes to St Mark's or take vaporetto line 2. Allow at least an hour each way.
Chioggia, Isola dei SaloniChioggia's own old town, a small lagoon fishing town, is a short walk away. Venice is a long way off (well over an hour by road or by bus and ferry via Pellestrina and the Lido), so use your cruise line's transfer if you want to see Venice.
Ready-made days
Add your ship's times above to see what fits in your time ashore.
Sights
Rialto Bridge
The stone bridge over the Grand Canal, lined with small shops. It sits roughly halfway between Piazzale Roma and St Mark's on foot.
Sights
Santa Maria della Salute
The domed church at the mouth of the Grand Canal, built as a thank-you for the end of a plague. Opening hours vary with services; check locally.
Sights
St Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco)
The city's great square, framed by arcades, the basilica and the bell tower. Come early to see it before the crowds build.
Sights
St Mark's Basilica
A church covered inside with golden mosaics, built to hold the relics of St Mark. Sunday and holiday mornings are kept for worship, so visits start in the early afternoon on those days; book a time slot to skip most of the queue.
Sights
St Mark's Bell Tower (Campanile)
A lift takes you to the top of the square's bell tower for views over the roofs and the lagoon. Queues can be long in summer.
Sights
Doge's Palace
The seat of the old Venetian republic, with vast painted council halls, prison cells and the Bridge of Sighs. Open every day.
Sights
Basilica dei Frari
A huge brick Gothic church holding major paintings by Titian and Bellini. It is on the way back towards Piazzale Roma; on Sundays it opens to visitors in the afternoon only.
Sights
Gallerie dell'Accademia
The main collection of Venetian painting, from gold-ground altarpieces to Titian and Tintoretto. Open every day.
SightsClosed Tuesdays
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Modern art in a low white palazzo on the Grand Canal, with a sculpture garden. Closed on Tuesdays.
Food & drinkClosed Sundays
Rialto Market
Fruit, vegetable and fish stalls beside the Grand Canal, with small bars nearby for a snack and a drink. It is a morning market, and the fish stalls do not open on Mondays; check locally.
Boat & day trips
Murano
The glassmaking island, with furnaces, glass shops and a quieter canal-side feel. Vaporetto lines 4.1 and 4.2 run from Piazzale Roma.
Boat & day trips
Burano
A fishing island of brightly painted houses, known for lace. It is far out in the northern lagoon, so it only suits a long day.
Map
Your ship's times
Type your ship's arrival and departure times at the top of this page and everything here is marked for your day. Your times are on your cruise documents or in the cruise line's app.
Sources we checked on 2026-10-21: vtp.it vtp.it vtp.it vtp.it vtp.it commissariocrociere.ve.it terminalfusina.it cda.ve.it