Best value sightseeing options for Venice

[Whatamieventhinking]

Me and my son are heading to Venice for a week, going next week. I’m finding trip advisor a bit overwhelming with what looks like a lot of high cost tours etc.

i think a tour would be good for orientation and bringing the history alive for my 11 year old.

I was wondering if anyone here has got any tips on where they went on a budget? Either for sightseeing, tours or food?

We loved the secret tour of the doge's palace. Our guide was fab and the stories she told were amazing!

Get on the local bus (water bus) it'll take you everywhere!

Agree local water buses, get a day pass, hop on and off. Can tour grand canal, head out to the islands Burano and Murano, lido, great way to see the sights!

You can get a 1, 2, 3 day - presumably also a week - pass for the waterbuses, and you can go absolutely anywhere. Get yourself a guide book and take yourself around. It's gorgeous just seeing everywhere. Murano, Burano, Lido, etc. etc...

I'm here at the moment. I wouldn't book any tours. The teenagers I've seen on them are bored witless. Just get yourselves here and see what you fancy. Venice in itself is crazy beautiful. Most places the queues are fairly short and moving quickly. No need to pre book.

Have you booked your hotel yet? If not, or if you can move, consider staying in Padova. It's a beautiful city in its own right, about €5 on the train to Venice, not overrun with tourists, and much cheaper. Plus a week in Venice is a long time.

We loved the secret tour of the doge's palace. Our guide was fab and the stories she told were amazing!

This. We loved this, and I think it would really appeal to an 11 year old too. We crept about in the attic rooms, going though secret doors and staircases, as well as over the Bridge of Sighs to the jail. The guide told stories of prisoners, escape attempts, the story of Casanova, and there was a bit of torture thrown in too. Plus some history of Venice and the administration of the palace. Best thing to do in Venice by far!

Other than that, just wander around the streets, getting lost, stopping for ice cream and cicchetti, ride the vaporretos, climb St Marks clock tower, perhaps go over to Burano for the glass blowing or the Lido for the beach.

I agree with the above

• secret tour of doge's palace
• vaporetto pass, which will take you to Burano, Murano and Torcello. Torcello has a lot of cats and a fab ancient basilica. The islands are a great, inexpensive day out

Plus, we went to a service in St Mark's, it was very atmospheric, we got a great view of the interior and we didn't have to queue.

We then wandered around St Mark's Square in the twilight, listening to the little orchestras playing in the cafes.

If you are going around Easter time, can you check what special events might be happening locally?

We would have spent more time wandering round the lovely local churches if we had more days, with a Venice guidebook. That shouldn't cost much.

We asked the some of the congregation at St Mark's where they would recommend for supper, and they directed us to a pizza place in the middle of a local market.

With more time, we would have done more travelling around in the vaporettos.

We didn't go in a gondola, but I think one day we will!