Where to Stay in Venice (Best Places, Hotels, & Areas in 2026)

11 Best Neighborhoods & Areas to Stay in Venice

The city of Venice is made up of 6 historic areas called sestieri; San Marco, San Polo, Cannaregio, Castello, Dorsoduro (& Giudecca), and Santa Croce. These districts are comprised of 118 man-made islands separated by a winding maze of canals, and are linked together by over 400 pedestrian bridges. The old city is famously car-free.

The Venice Marco Polo Airport is to the north of the city, and the nearest mainland town, Mestre, is about a 20-minute train ride to the northwest. There are additional islands within the municipality of Venice, but that lie outside of the historic 6 sestieri, including Murano, Burano, and Lido.

In my opinion, most travelers should stay within the historic core. But I’ll cover the pros and cons of each of the top 11 areas so you can decide which is right for you.

San Polo

👉 Best Area For First Timers | ✨ Best San Polo Hotels: H10 Palazzo Canova • Hotel L’Orologio Venezia • Hotel Palazzetto Madonna

San Polo isn’t home to most of the attractions in Venice (those are mostly in San Marco), but I think it’s the best place to stay for first-time visitors.

Why? Because it’s noticeably less crowded than San Marco but still just a 10-minute walk to all the main attractions. Honestly, if I had to choose just one neighborhood for a few days in Venice, sign me up for San Polo.

This picturesque neighborhood shares its name with Campo San Polo, the second-largest square in Venice after Piazza San Marco, and is home to attractions like Basilica S.Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Scuola Grande di San Rocco, and Mercato di Rialto.

And of course, there’s the famed Rialto Bridge. This bridge dates back to 1173 (although was reconstructed several times) and connects San Marco and San Polo. It’s the oldest of the 4 bridges to cross the Grand Canal and, though incredibly busy, is a fantastic photo spot if I do say so myself.

I loved my stay at H10 Palazzo Canova in San Polo, just a stone’s throw from the Rialto Bridge. La Terrazza Bar has one of the best views of the Grand Canal I experienced in Venice, and the design is elegantly decorated with Venetian colors (blue for the canals, gold for the mosaics at Saint Mark’s Basilica, and black for the gondolas). Check out my full hotel review for more.

Pros of Staying in San Polo:

• Close to main attractions but less busy than San Marco
• More local restaurants & bars
• Has a few underrated attractions

Cons of Staying in San Polo:

• Fewer hotels than San Marco

San Marco

👉 Best Area For Main Attractions | ✨ Best San Marco Hotels: Baglioni Hotel Luna • Splendid Venice – Starhotels Collezione • Hotel Rialto

San Marco is the beating heart of Venice, and where most of the main sites (and crowds, don’t say I didn’t warn you) are. It’s located in more or less the center of the 6 sestieri, and is where you’ll find St. Mark’s Basilica, the Bridge of Sighs, the Doge’s Palace, and Campanile di San Marco.

I recommend staying in this area if you really want to be in the center of the action, or have limited time to see Venice and want to be close to the main sites. However, because it has the top sites, it can get absolutely packed with people (I’m talking bumper to bumper human traffic jams).

If you’re looking for luxury in San Marco, you really can’t beat the Baglioni Hotel Luna. I loved my stay here. Stunning views, impeccable decor (with Murano glass chandeliers!), and top-of-the-line service all make the hotel worth the price tag.

Also really lovely is Splendid Venice (see my hotel review here), which has great canal views and I think is more fitting for families (I actually met a family with a 7 year old son staying here, and they really liked it!). Or, you can stay at Hotel Rialto, which is just a few steps from the Rialto Bridge. Read my detailed review of the hotel here.

Pros of Staying in San Marco:

• Home to the main attractions
• Plenty of restaurants, bars, and shops
• Lots of hotels to choose from

Cons of Staying in San Marco:

• The most “touristy” area of Venice
• Pricier than the surrounding districts
• Very crowded

Cannaregio

👉 Best Area For Local Life | ✨ Best Cannaregio Hotels: Carnival Palace • Hotel Principe • Hotel Villa Viridia • NH Collection Grand Hotel Palazzo Dei Dogi

Want to experience bustling local life in Venice? Then get yourself over to Cannaregio. If I had to pick just one favorite place in Venice (like if you were to really twist my arm about it), this would be it.

The most northern of Venice’s sestieri, Cannaregio extends all the way from the train station to the Rialto Bridge (well, close to it, anyway) and is largely removed from the main tourist bustle of the city. It’s also home to the highest density of real Venice locals of any district.

And look, I wouldn’t exactly say that Venice has any corner that’s entirely devoid of tourism. But if you want to stay within the old districts and get a real taste of local life in Venice, Cannaregio is the neighborhood for you. It’s somewhat removed from the main attractions, but it does have a ton of charm.

It has a really interesting history to learn about, too. For example, you’ll find the old Jewish Ghetto (Ghetto Ebraico) where you can learn all about Jewish people in the area throughout the centuries (I loved taking a self-guided audio walking tour, highly recommend). 

I stayed in two Cannaregio hotels; my favorite and most recommended being Carnival Palace. It’s a 4-star boutique hotel with a wonderful view of the Cannaregio Canal. The interiors are gorgeous and were inspired by a Venetian carnival party (I’m talking lush gold leaf, velvet, and dark features, swoon). Check out my full hotel review here.

I also enjoyed my stay at Hotel Principe which overlooks the Grand Canal and is close to the train station. I dined at the in-house restaurant, Mirai Japanese Sushi Bar which was so good (and I say this as an amateur sushi connoisseur with high standards). You can read my hotel review here.

Pros of Staying in Cannaregio:

• A more local side of Venice
• Best sunsets in Venice, in my opinion
• Not very crowded

Cons of Staying in Cannaregio:

• Few actual “attractions”
• Bit of a walk to the main sites

Castello

👉 Best Area For Families | ✨ Best Castello Hotels: Hotel Palazzo Priuli • Hotel Bucintoro • Ruzzini Palace Hotel • Hotel Ai Reali

Is it weird that a highlight of my time in Castello was a hotel? Because staying at the 4-star Hotel Palazzo Priuli had me sleeping in the 14th-century family home of a Venetian nobleman.

The hotel was originally built for Giovanni Priuli as a family home, but it also served as a headquarters for the nautical trade business dealings of the Priuli family. And I love how apparent this is in many furnishings and art pieces.

The hotel is located at the western end of Castello and a super short 6-minute walk from Piazza San Marco. I also saw a few families staying here and it looks like a great option if you have kids. See my complete hotel review.

But of course, there’s more to Castello than this hotel.

Castello is the largest and most eastern of Venice’s historic sestieri, and the only one that doesn’t touch the Grand Canal. To be honest, because it’s so large, it’s a little hard to fully pin down vibe-wise; you can find a little bit of everything in this neighborhood.

But I’d especially recommend Castello for families, and I’ll tell you why. First, it’s close to the main sites but away from the main tourist hustle and bustle. Second, there are parks in this area like Giardini Pubblici (green-space parks are hard to come across in Venice, so this is a huge plus). In essence, there’s more room to move around. 

You’ll find a much more local pace of life at Via Garibaldi, a street with restaurants, bakeries, and less-touristy shops.

Pros of Staying in Castello:

• Lots of great hotels
• Less touristy than San Marco
• Public gardens & green spaces

Cons of Staying in Castello:

• No major attractions

Santa Croce

👉 Best Area For Easy Transportation | ✨ Best Santa Croce Hotels: Hotel Olimpia • Ca’ Nigra Lagoon Resort • Hotel Antiche Figure • Papadopoli Hotel Venezia

If you take the bus or drive into Venice from Mestre, then the first sestiere you’ll see is Santa Croce. In my opinion, this makes Santa Croce the best place to stay for easy access in and out of the city.

The district itself is located in the north-west of Venice, and kind of stretches along the Grand Canal in an oblong shape. The western part of the district, as you can imagine, is largely industrial and catered to traffic in and out of Venice. However, traditional Venetian charm emerges as soon as you head east.

None of the main attractions are located in Santa Croce, but it is a good spot to be slightly away from the crowds yet within an easy walk.

The very first hotel I stayed at in Venice was the 3-star Hotel Olimpia (read my full hotel review here) in Santa Croce. I took this private water taxi from Marco Polo Airport and, after a 16 hour travel day, I absolutely loved how accessible the hotel was. But the hotel held its own even outside of the location.

The hotel is located in a gorgeous 16th-century building and has a private garden and airy, elegant rooms. Seriously, this garden space is gorgeous and I was bummed it was raining during my stay so I couldn’t fully utilize it. 

Pros of Staying in Santa Croce:

• Easy access in & out of Venice
• More local vibe
• Cheaper restaurants than in more central locations

Cons of Staying in Santa Croce:

• Farther away from main sites
• More of an industrial area
• Not many attractions

Dorsoduro

👉 Best Area For Art & Museum Lovers | ✨ Best Dorsoduro Hotels: Palazzo Veneziano – Venice Collection • Avani Rio Novo Venice Hotel • Hotel Moresco • Excess Venice Boutique Hotel & Private Spa

Filled with locals, students, and art, Dorsoduro is the perfect place to stay in Venice for art and museum lovers. It has the Galleria dell’Accademia, the Peggy Guggenheim collection, and the Carnival Museum (among others). 

For you Banksy fans out there, you’ll spot his 2019 art piece The Migrant Child close to Campo Santa Margherita.

Aside from art, though, Dorsoduro kind of has a weird vibe. It’s still part of the historic sestieri and is just south of central Venice, but it’s a little further afield from the more touristy areas. You’ll find just as many locals as tourists sipping a spritz and enjoying the piazzas.

This district also skews young and has a bit of a college atmosphere (and college prices, if you know what I mean), as it’s home to the Ca’ Foscari University.

But (and this is a big but) it also has San Basilio Cruise Terminal, which is where river cruise ships dock in Venice. So, you periodically get a ton of traffic as cruise shippers traipse from the dock and into San Marco.

In Dorsoduro, I stayed at the Palazzo Veneziano, a 4-star superior hotel with modern Venetian design that faces out over the Lagoon in the Zattere area. I loved my stay in their Panoramic Suite with Outdoor Jacuzzi and oh my gosh, it was luxurious to watch the stars at night in the jacuzzi.

Pros of Staying in Dorsoduro:

• Close to art galleries
• Economically-priced, as it’s a “college” neighborhood
• Lots of local life

Cons of Staying in Dorsoduro:

• Has a cruise ship dock
• Bit of a mixed vibe

Giudecca

👉 Best Area For Rest & Relaxation | ✨ Best Giudecca Hotels: Hilton Molino Stucky Venice • Hotel Giudecca Venezia • Hotel Cipriani

Okay so Giudecca is technically part of Dorsoduro, but I’m including it separately as it’s fully across the Giudecca Canal. Plus, it has its own distinct flavor compared to the rest of Dorsoduro. 

Giudecca is largely residential and sees few tourists compared to the other districts. Here, you can explore churches, alleyways, and local restaurants and feel like you’re just living daily life. Plus, it’s only one vaporetto stop away across the Giudecca canal (you could literally be at the Rialto Bridge in 10 minutes), so not exactly hard to get to.

And while I can’t say that there are no Venice attractions in Giudecca, there are certainly fewer “sites.” I recommend visiting the churches (I thought Chiesa del Redentore was particularly interesting), and Villa Hériot, which has great views of the lagoon.

Besides the local life, I loved that Giudecca feels more spacious than inner Venice. After spending 16 days in Venice, it can start to feel a little… cramped. I loved that Giudecca gives you a more breathing room to move around and recharge your batteries without always feeling in the way of other tourists and locals.

In Giudecca, I stayed at the Hilton Molino Stucky Venice, and highly recommend it. Before becoming a hotel, this building was a flour mill, and then later a pasta factory. No lie, the rooftop bar at the hotel has incredible views of San Marco (Skyline Rooftop Bar is the highest rooftop bar in all of Venice). For more, see my in-depth review here.

It also has a wonderful spa. So if you’re keen on a massage and a soak, this is the place for you.

Pros of Staying in Giudecca:

• Way less crowded than other parts of Venice
• Quiet and great for relaxation
• Awesome views of Venice

Cons of Staying in Giudecca:

• Very few hotel options
• Not much for sites or nightlife

Mestre

👉 Best Area For Budget Travelers | ✨ Best Mestre Hotels: Leonardo Royal Hotel Venice Mestre • Best Western Plus Hotel Bologna • Elite Hotel & Spa • Four Points by Sheraton Venice Mestre

Mestre is the mainland area of Venice, and is undoubtedly the best place to stay if you’re on a budget. I’m not kidding, Venice is an expensive city and prices are so much cheaper in Mestre than in the lagoon.

However, the trade off here is that you’re not staying in Venice proper and will have to take public transportation into the city every day. Not saying that’s hard though, as the train from Stazione treni di Venezia Mestre (Mestre) to Venezia Santa Lucia (Venice) takes about 10 minutes. For all of the main sites though, take the bus and get off at Piazzale Roma, the last stop.

And of course, there are sites in Mestre itself. I recommend a visit to the 12th-century Clock Tower (it used to be part of the castle fortifications), the M9 Museum for 20th-century exhibits, the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, and Forte Marghera, a military fort built in the 19th century.

At the same time, I have to be honest, Mestre totally lacks the vibe and charm of Venice. It’s very much a car-focused mainland city.

In Mestre, I stayed at Leonardo Royal Hotel Venice Mestre and very much recommend it for budget travelers. It was just a 5-minute walk to the Mestre train station, and of the 12 hotels I stayed in Venice, it felt the most chain and “North American.” And by this, I mean it’s a high-rise and the rooms are very cookie cutter. See my hotel review here.

Pros of Staying in Mestre:

• Budget-friendly accommodations & restaurants
• Just 10 minutes to get into Venice itself
• Has some cool sites of its own

Cons of Staying in Mestre:

• Very much industrial and totally lacks the “Venice” vibe
• Need to travel to get into Venice

Murano

👉 Best Area For Authentic Souvenirs | ✨ Best Murano Hotels: Hotel NH Collection Venezia Murano Villa • Hyatt Centric Murano Venice • Al Soffiador

Want to stay somewhere in Venice with a more authentic (although I hate to use that word for fear of sounding snobby) feel? Murano could be the place for you. Don’t get me wrong, Murano sees a lot of tourists, but most of them are day trippers and the place largely clears out in the evening.

Murano is about 1.5 km north of Venice by water bus, and is mostly known for its glassmaking. I highly recommend visiting a workshop (like Wave Murano Glass Factory) for an inside view into how handcrafted glass is made. Then, pick up a souvenir; it seems like every second store in Murano is selling locally-made glass, and it is b-e-a-utiful.

Sidenote: a local glassmaker told me that about 80% of the “Murano” glass sold in Venice itself is not real. I have no way to verify this, but if you want real Murano glass, go to a real Murano glassmaker.

In Murano, I stayed at Hotel NH Collection Venezia Murano Villa (see my review here) and loved it. This is the primary place I stayed in Venice that is accessible for someone with mobility restrictions (no stairs!), and it was so large that it has a terrace, private water taxi station, meeting rooms, and ample outdoor space.

I also recommend the restaurant right next door – Murano Trattoria Valmarana. I had one of the best meals on my entire trip to Venice here.

Pros of Staying in Murano:

• More “authentic” local life than other parts of Venice
• Learn about local glassmaking!
• A relaxing getaway

Cons of Staying in Murano:

• Only a couple hotels
• Takes about 15-20 minutes to get into Venice
• Not a lot of sites or things to do

Burano

👉 Best Area For Colorful Photography | ✨ Best Burano Hotels: Venissa Wine Resort • B&B Carmen Garden • Casa Burano

Burano is probably the most colorful place I’ve ever been in my life. Every building is a hue in contrast to the one next to it, and the photography opportunities here will blow your mind.

Burano is also known for its lacemaking, so if you want to pick up a lacy souvenir, this is the place to do it.

Burano is about 50 minutes by vaporetto from Venice itself, so to stay here means you either want early morning photography opportunities without anyone else in your photos, or you want to stay at Venissa Wine Resort.

I took a walk around Venissa and I have to say, if you’re craving nature and relaxation in Venice, it’s a solid choice. It has two on-site restaurants, vineyards to stroll, themed dinners, walking tours, and so much more.

Pros of Staying in Burano:

• Super colorful & great for photography
• Plenty of restaurants & shops
• A really beautiful vineyard resort

Cons of Staying in Burano:

• Far from Venice itself
• Very few hotels

Lido di Venezia

👉 Best Area For Beachy Getaways | ✨ Best Lido Hotels: Hotel Orient & Pacific • Hotel Delle Rose • J44 Lifestyle Hotel • Adriatic Palace Hotel

Lido is known for its long sandy beaches, and is generally worth staying in for one of two reasons.

The first reason is if it’s summertime and you’re craving a beachy escape in Venice, as it’s the only place in Venice to get this fix. The second reason is you’re in town for the Venice Film Festival and want to stay nearby.

I have to be honest though, I don’t think I would stay in Lido unless it’s summertime. There’s not a ton here if you’re not lounging on the beach or watching movies. And, given that there are cars on the island and more “suburban” areas, it doesn’t totally feel like the rest of Venice.

That said, there are some really great hotels in Lido. Hotel Orient & Pacific is a 4-star hotel in the Lido di Jesolo area. In addition to its own private beach, the property also features two swimming pools, free parking, and a panoramic terrace worth writing home about.

Pros of Staying in Lido:

• A beachy getaway
• Easy vaporetto access to St. Mark’s Square
• More spacious hotels & public areas than in Venice proper

Cons of Staying in Lido:

• Very different vibe than central Venice
• 20-minute commute into Venice

Tips for Staying in Venice

Book Hotels Way in Advance

I’m gonna give it to you straight: book your Venice hotel as soon as you know your dates. This is one of my top tips for Venice.

This is not hyperbole; this is not a drill. Hotels book out very quickly in Venice, as tons of other people are angling for the same accommodations as you. Even when I was booking my hotels in March of 2026, some hotels got sneakily booked out if I waited even a night to reserve a room.

If you’re worried about dates changing or some other unseen forces at play, then make sure to book hotels that you can cancel.

Book Your Gondola Ride on the Spot

On the flip side, one of my main concerns before going to Venice was “but what if the gondolas get booked out?”

My concern was silly. The gondolas will not get booked out. There are a ton of gondoliers in Venice waiting to take you for a spin, and you’ll see them everywhere. Plus, gondolas are at a fixed price set by the city, so there’s no price difference from one gondola to another. Save yourself the logistical headache and don’t book in advance.

Don’t Overpack

Any item that you bring to Venice, you’ll have to lug around Venice. And look, maybe you’re only staying at one hotel that’s right on the Grand Canal and you can hire someone to lug your stuff around for you. In that case, go to town.

However, if you’re going to be switching hotels or staying at a hotel even a little off the main canal routes, then pack light. There are no cars in Venice to haul your stuff, so you’re going to be dragging your bags over cobblestones, up staircases, and back down again. And then up and down again and again until you reach your destination. 

📚 Related Reading: Italy Packing List

Beware of the City Tax

This is something I actually did not know until I was checking out of my first hotel in Venice, but there is a city tax you have to pay for every night you’re in the city.

I actually can’t give you an exact price of this city tax. It changes based on many factors, including time of year, number of people in your hotel room, the area the hotel is located in, and how many stars the hotel has. 

But what I can tell you is that this is a tax you cannot pay ahead of time (just at hotel checkout), and that it’s not a large sum. For one night in Venice, this tax did not exceed 10 euros for two people at any hotel I stayed at.

Visit Murano & Burano

I listed Murano and Burano in this article as places that maybe you’d want to stay overnight at. But in case that’s not in the cards, I highly recommend adding them both as a day trip to your Venice itinerary.

This Murano & Burano small group guided tour is a really good option for seeing them both in one fell swoop. You can see real Murano glass made at a workshop (and maybe buy a souvenir), before photographing your heart out in the colorful streets of Burano.

This tour even takes you to both in a private boat, so you get to skip the scramble of the water taxis, yay!

Know the Difference Between a Vaporetto, Traghetto, and Private Water Taxi

Besides walking, there are three ways to get around Venice that you should know. 

A vaporetto (aka a water bus) is the main public transportation method. There are two separate companies that run these: ACTV and Alilaguna.

ACTV is the primary vaporetto service that you’ll use to get around the city and to the islands. There are water bus stations for ACTV pretty much everywhere. Alilaguna is more for getting to and from the Marco Polo airport, but they do have multiple lines around Venice as well. 

Just make sure you purchase the correct ticket for your route (you can look up schedules on your fave directions app).

A traghetto, on the other hand, looks like a gondola but is only for crossing the Grand Canal at certain points. You’ll see signs for traghetto stations. These trips are super economical.

Meanwhile, a water taxi is a private smaller boat that you can either book in advance (I booked this private water taxi from the airport to my first hotel), or negotiate on the spot. These are very expensive and I don’t recommend them to be your primary way of getting around.

Watch My Venice YouTube Series for More Venice Tips

If you liked this guide, you’ll love my Venice video series I did over on YouTube – including an entire video on where to stay in Venice. Check it out below, or add it to your watchlist for later.

For more videos on Venice, see my full Venice playlist on YouTube.

You can also watch my YouTube tours of these 12 Venice Hotels:

• Hotel Baglioni – Watch My Video Tour 
• Hotel Olimpia Venice – Watch My Video Tour 
• Carnival Palace – Watch My Video Tour 
• Splendid Venice – Watch My Video Tour 
• NH Collection Venezia Murano Villa – Watch My Video Tour 
• Hotel Palazzo Priuli – Watch My Video Tour 
• H10 Palazzo Canova – Watch My Video Tour 
• Hotel Principe – Watch My Video Tour 
• Leonardo Royal Hotel – Watch My Video Tour 
• Hilton Molino Stucky Venice – Watch My Video Tour 
• Palazzo Veneziano Venice – Watch My Video Tour 
• Hotel Rialto – Watch My Video Tour 

FAQs about Venice

How many days is enough for Venice?

Three days is a good amount of time for seeing Venice. This gives you one day seeing the main sites, one day taking a day trip to Murano & Burano, and one day exploring Venice’s other neighborhoods & secondary sites.

What areas of Venice should I avoid staying in? 

There are no main areas of Venice to avoid, but staying in San Marco is by far the busiest area of Venice. For a more relaxing stay, choose another district.

What are the best parts of Venice to stay with kids? 

The best part of Venice to stay in with kids is Castello. This district is very close to the main sites in San Marco, but noticeably less busy. Plus, there are parks and more space for kids to play in.

What are the best parts of Venice to stay on a budget? 

The best place to stay in Venice on a budget is Mestre, on the mainland. This is about 10 minutes away from the old part of Venice by train or bus, but is noticeably more economical.

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Thanks for reading my guide to where to stay in Venice! I hope this helped you plan your trip, and be sure to drop any questions for me in the comments. Have a great time in Venice!

Next up, see our guides to where to stay in Milan, Florence, and Rome.