How to Visit Venice Responsibly, According to Locals

There’s perhaps no other city in Italy that can leave you as disillusioned. But, in spite of the crowds, the chaos, and the ever-creeping tides, Venice is still a place that’s full of wonder.

The key to avoiding disappointment, says hotelier Gioele Romanelli, is seeking out more low-key moments in the less-trammeled quarters. “Visitors must realize they are in a real city with real people who are involved in keeping this place alive,” he says.

At his properties, Hotel Flora and Novecento Boutique Hotel, the staff makes a point of recommending long-standing, Venetian-owned businesses and cultural sites away from the well-worn Rialto Bridge–Piazza San Marco route. Doing so, Romanelli explains, creates “a virtuous circle” of sustainable tourism that preserves the city, and rewards curious visitors.

Here’s the advice that Romanelli and other longtime residents shared with me about how to reap the rewards of being a better visitor.

Keep walking.

For Melissa Conn, of the preservation nonprofit Save Venice, the antidote to the crush around Piazza San Marco is a short stroll away in the Castello district, where butchers, bakers, and small restaurants abound. “Wander into the churches, come see the artworks,” she says, naming San Giovanni in Bragora as a standout, along with the historic Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni. “Entrance fees are low, and your money helps preserve these spaces.”

Shop smart.

Skip the glass trinkets and instead visit Archivio CameraPhoto Epoche, a gallery and boutique overseen by photographer Vittorio Pavan. It holds more than 300,000 black-and-white images taken in Venice, from the postwar years to the 1980s. “It’s a private collection, but it belongs to all of us,” Romanelli says.

Sail away.

Take a vaporetto, or water bus, to the northern islands of Burano, Mazzorbo, and Torcello. “People there are still attuned to the rhythms of nature and season,” says author and photographer Valeria Necchio, who works with Inside Venice, a tour company. Many visitors stop by for a few hours to see Burano’s famously colorful houses, but Necchio recommends spending a few nights at Casa Burano, an albergo diffuso with a variety of contemporary-chic rooms and suites set across five buildings. 

Think small.

Fondazione Querini Stampalia is “one of the museums most loved by Venetians,” says tour guide Luisella Romeo. “The mix of Neoclassical and Rococo is beautifully presented, and there’s an incredible art collection,” Romeo notes. “It also has the most beautiful garden
in Venice.” 

Meal plan.

“Your chances of eating better improve the farther away from Piazza San Marco you stray,” says Jill Weinreich Luppi, a 30-year resident of Venice who works in the arts. One of her favorites is Nevodi, in Castello. But don’t count on getting a same-day table at any of the best spots. “Venice requires that you do your homework — and that means reserving in advance, even in the so-called ‘off-season.’ ” 

Get real.

“During the week, Venice is a city that works, that builds,” says Guido Jaccarino, director of UnisVe, a union of Venetian artisans and restorers. “But those workers disappear on weekends and are replaced by tourists.” That’s why he recommends avoiding weekend trips. Midweek, it’s easier to fall into the rhythms of a neighborhood by stopping by the same café or bar every day for an espresso or aperitivo.

A version of this story first appeared in the October 2024 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline “Do Venice the Right Way.”