18 Incredible Venice Instagram Spots You Can’t Miss

Although every corner of Venice is super picturesque, if you want to find the most famous Venice Instagram spots it’s better to research the exact locations in advance, otherwise, you will have a pretty hard time finding them.

Venice is like a real maze and while getting lost in the narrow streets is definitely one of the best things to do in Venice, it doesn’t make it easy to find the best photography spots.

Of course, you can just go with the flow without any proper research and you will still be able to take some great pictures but if you’re looking for the absolute best photo spots in Venice, I’m here to help you out!

In this article, I collected all the best Instagram spots in Venice with their exact locations and useful tips about how to get there and what is the best time to go.

If you’re planning to visit Venice for the first time, make sure to check out my 2 day Venice itinerary as well. Although I’ve already visited Venice 3 times, all the pictures you will see in this post were taken in just 2 days in Venice on our last visit, so it’s totally doable!

*Disclosure: This post contains a few affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through my link.*

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Best Photography Tours in Venice

Do you want to get the best shots possible but you’re traveling solo or with someone who doesn’t know anything about photography? In this case, the below tours could be the solution for you!

• 2.5-Hour Private Photo-Walk with a Photographer – If you’re a newbie photographer and you want to improve your photography while discovering the famous landmarks as well as some hidden gems in Venice, this is the tour for you.

• Venice Personal Photographer Services – If you would rather have a professional photographer take your photos, you can’t go wrong with this tour. You can pick and choose the locations you’re interested in and you can opt for a session between 30 minutes or 3 hours.

• Private Gondola Ride with Photo Shoot – Getting the perfect photo on a gondola ride is a real struggle so if you would rather just sit back and enjoy the experience while still getting awesome pictures, make sure to book a private gondola ride that includes a photoshoot as well!

Most Famous Venice Instagram Spots

1. St. Mark’s Square

When talking about the most famous Venice Instagram spots, St. Mark’s Square definitely needs to be on the top of the list.

Located in the heart of Venice, St. Mark’s Square – otherwise known as Piazza San Marco – is the biggest square in Venice and it is home to some of the most famous buildings in the city, such as St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace.

There are countless photo opportunities in St. Mark’s Square so you will definitely not get bored! You can take a picture in front of the St. Mark’s Basilica or the Doge’s Palace or you can use the corner where the two buildings meet.

One of the most popular angles is to shoot at the corner of Doge’s Palace from where you can see the iconic tower across the canal.

In case you didn’t know, there are two similar towers in Venice – Campanile di San Marco standing in St. Mark’s Square and Campanile di San Giorgio on the other side of the canal.

Location on Google Maps: St. Mark’s Square

How to get there:

You can find many water bus stops and water taxis around the square but it’s pretty easy to get there on foot as well.

The narrow canals of Venice are usually hard to navigate but lucky for your there are signs everywhere pointing you in the right direction. All you need to do is to follow the signs and you will easily find St. Mark’s Square.

Best time to go:

Although the square is really picturesque and it’s undoubtedly one of the most instagrammable places in Venice, it’s also one of the hardest places to take photos due to its popularity.

The square is usually swarming with tourists even in the morning so your only chance of getting some decent photos is going there super early, preferably around 7 am (or when the sun rises).

2. Gondolas at St. Mark’s Square

If you’re already at St. Mark’s Square, don’t forget to walk all the way down to the water. This is definitely one of the most popular Instagram spots in Venice as you can take a truly iconic picture with two symbols of the city at the same time – the gondolas and the tower on the other side.

Location on Google Maps: Gondolas at St. Mark’s Square

How to get there:

You can already see the tower on the other side from the middle of St. Mark’s Square so all you need to do is to walk in the direction of the tower and you will soon find yourself at the shore.

Best time to go:

It’s best to go in the morning to avoid crowds but since you only need a small space between you and your photographer, with a bit of luck and patience you can also take pictures here during the day.

3. Small corner below the Bridge of Sighs

The beautiful enclosed limestone bridge called Ponte dei Sospiri is one of the most famous landmarks in Venice. The name translates to Bridge of Sighs in English and it has a very interesting backstory.

The bridge connects the old prison in the Doge’s Palace with the new prison that was built across the river. Those who crossed the bridge were facing very long prison time so according to the stories prisoners crossing the bridge all sighed as they looked out and saw their last sight of freedom. Hence the name – Bridge of Sighs.

Location on Google Maps: Small corner below the Bridge of Sighs

How to get there:

Most people stop on the footbridge in front of the Bridge of Sighs, right next to the Grand Canal. Although the view is amazing from the bridge, if you want to take a photo with you in it, go below the bridge to this small corner you can see in the below photos.

Best time to go:

While this little corner is undoubtedly one of the most famous Venice Instagram spots (seriously, I can’t even tell how many times I’ve seen it on Instagram), people don’t seem to notice it on their own.

Therefore chances are high that this corner will be empty so you can easily shoot here during the way as well. Even if it’s taken, you only need to wait a little bit and then take your own photo – no one can really photobomb it.

4. Stone bridge in front of the Bridge of Sighs

The stone bridge on the other side of the Bridge of Sighs is also one of the most instagrammable places in Venice. Although you’re still photographing the Bridge of Sighs, this spot looks entirely different than the previous one so it’s worth checking out both!

Location on Google Maps: Stone bridge in front of the Bridge of Sighs

How to get there:

You need to walk back all the way to the St. Mark’s Basilica then turn right and start walking along the small street until you find yourself on the stone bridge pictured below.

Your photographer will need to walk to the other bridge to be able to take a photo like the ones you can see below. The first photo was taken with a normal zoom lens on 50mm and the other one was taken with a telephoto lens on 170mm.

Best time to go:

It’s best to go in the morning as during the day people are coming and going on the bridge which makes it super hard to take a picture without any other people in it.

5. Santa Maria della Salute Viewpoint (Gondola Dogana Vallaresso)

Located in Dorsoduro along the Grand Canal, the basilica of Santa Maria della Salute is one of the most famous religious buildings in Venice.

If you want to take an up-close look at the basilica you can either walk (it takes around 20 minutes to get there from St. Mark’s Square) or you can take a Vaporetto or a water taxi to the other side.

But if you only want to take a photo with the basilica you don’t even need to cross the Grand Canal! The viewpoint you can see below is located along the Grand Canal, close to St. Mark’s Square.

There is a gondola station called Gondola Dogana Vallaresso and if you sit on the edge of the pier you can easily take a photo with the basilica in the background.

Location on Google Maps: Gondola Dogana Vallaresso

How to get there:

Start walking away from St. Mark’s Square in the direction of Museo Correr and after you pass by the museum, turn left on the second street. You will find the gondola station at the end of the street!

Best time to go:

Although this is definitely one of the best photo spots in Venice, there is no need to go there early in the morning as you can easily shoot during the day as well.

6. The Insta-famous pier

This tiny little pier has no proper name but since it’s all over Instagram, I decided to call it the Insta-famous pier. It’s really just a random pier – I’ll be honest with you, if it weren’t for Instagram I probably would have missed it altogether.

But I’m so glad that I didn’t as it is a super picturesque spot! And even though it’s one of the most famous Venice Instagram spots, it’s a surprisingly calm and quiet place.

Location on Google Maps: Insta-famous pier

How to get there:

Start walking away from St. Mark’s Square in the direction of Museo Correr (same direction as for the previous spot). Once you pass by the museum, keep walking straight until you reach Campo San Moisé.

Cross the bridge on the canal, then turn right on the first street. Turn right again at the end of the street and the pier will be there!

Best time to go:

This small pier is kinda tucked away and it’s not easy to find so you don’t need to fight with other tourists for your photo, therefore you can go practically anytime. Gondolas are also passing by quite frequently so you just need to wait a little bit to get the perfect Instagram picture.

7. Small corner near Rialto Bridge

Being one of the most famous landmarks in Venice, Ponte di Rialto definitely needs to be on the list of the most instagrammable places in Venice. Rialto Bridge is the oldest bridge across the Grand Canal and now it’s home to many shops and vendors on both sides.

Even if you have only one day in Venice, you can’t miss strolling across the bridge at least one time! Although the bridge is usually very crowded during the day, you can easily take pictures on the small corner behind the bridge.

Location on Google Maps: Small corner near Rialto Bridge

How to get there:

In order to find the small corner near Rialto Bridge, you need to stand on the San Polo side (not the San Marco side).

You will find a huge white building right by the bridge (it’s some kind of a corporate office) – you need to pass by the bridge and then go all the way around the corporate office to find this small corner along the Grand Canal.

Best time to go:

If you don’t want any people on the bridge in the background go early in the morning, otherwise you can go any time of the day. It’s a small spot with water in the background so no one can really photobomb your pictures but it’s possible that you will need to wait in line if you want to take your photo in the middle of the day.

8. Bridge near Gelatoteca Suso

Ice cream is one of the best desserts you can ever have in Italy and no trip to Venice is ever complete without trying at least a few flavors! You can find many ice cream shops around Venice but if you want to find the most instagrammable one, you need to go to Gelatoteca Suso.

Location on Google Maps: Bridge near Gelatoteca Suso

How to get there:

Gelatoteca Suso is really close to the Rialto Bridge, it takes only 2 minutes to get there. Basically, you just need to walk down from the bridge on the San Marco side, go straight on the street, turn left and take the first street on the right.

There is a small bridge called Ponte Sant’ Antonio nearby where you can take some amazing pictures with the ice cream and the canals.

Best time to go:

The ice cream shop opens at 10.30 am so if you want to avoid standing in line for the ice cream and want to find the bridge mostly empty, go there around the opening time.

9. Scala Contarini del Bovolo

If you want to find the best views in Venice, you need to check out Scala Contarini del Bovolo! The small palace contains a spiral staircase made of red cotto bricks and white Istria stone which grants access to six different floors.

Scala Contarini del Bovolo is open every day between 10 am and 6 pm and an adult ticket costs 7 EUR (8.5 USD). Due to the new regulations you can’t purchase a ticket on site anymore, you need to reserve your spot in advance and they limited the maximum number of people to 10 for every half hour.

Unfortunately, we didn’t know about these new rules so we were not able to get inside but you can look it up on Instagram and you will surely understand why it deserves to be on the list of the best Venice Instagram spots!

Location on Google Maps: Scala Contarini del Bovolo

How to get there:

It takes around 5 minutes to get to Scala Contarini del Bovolo from both Rialto Bridge and St. Mark’s Square. Use the above link for the exact location!

Best time to go:

With the new regulations you have to reserve a spot for a specific time and since the number of people is limited, you can go whenever you want (or whenever you find a free time slot).

10. Burano Island

Located in the Northern Venetian Lagoon, the colorful island of Burano definitely needs to be on your list if you’re looking for the most instagrammable places in Venice.

Burano makes a great day trip from Venice but since it’s a really small island you don’t need a full day to explore it, having a few hours is enough as well.

Burano is often referred to as one of the most colorful places in the world and it’s not a coincidence. The whole island has a really happy vibe due to the vibrant colors and not only the main street is colorful but the entire island. Apart from the colorful houses, Burano is also famous for lace making.

Location on Google Maps: Burano Island

How to get there:

Using the water bus (Vaporetto) is the easiest way to get to Burano from Venice. You need to catch line 12 which departs from F.te Nova “A” (it’s a 12-minute walk from Rialto Bridge or a 20-minute walk from St. Mark’s Square).

It takes around 45 minutes to get to Burano and a one-way ticket costs 7.5 EUR (9.2 USD).

Best time to go:

As Burano is one of the most popular day trips from Venice, it’s best to go early in the morning to avoid the tourist crowds.

Hidden and Lesser-Known Venice Photo Spots

Now that you’re familiar with all the famous Venice Instagram spots, let’s move to the lesser-known, hidden photo spots in Venice! As I’ve mentioned before, every corner of Venice is super photogenic so you can find many amazing photo spots just by walking around and taking photos wherever you like.

I will share 8 of my favorite lesser-known Instagram spots in Venice below. I love these as each of them captures the true essence of Venice and they are from spots you don’t often see on Instagram.

Of course, you can find many other amazing spots so don’t limit yourself to my recommendations only! Keep your eyes open and I’m sure that you’re going to find a bunch of other great photo spots as well.

11. Gondola Traghetto di Riva del Vin

The Grand Canal is one of the prettiest parts of Venice and this gondola station along the Grand Canal was one of my favorite lesser-known Venice Instagram spots.

It’s called Gondola Traghetto di Riva del Vin and while it’s actually only a 2-minute walk from the Rialto bridge, I haven’t seen many photos of it on Instagram.

Location on Google Maps: Gondola Traghetto di Riva del Vin

How to get there:

Just start walking down along the Grand Canal from Rialto Bridge on the San Polo side and you will arrive at this gondola station within a few minutes.

Best time to go:

Since it’s not a popular Instagram spot in Venice and people can’t really photobomb your picture, you can go any time of the day.

12. Libreria Acqua Alta

Libreria Acqua Alta is a pretty little bookshop that is often advertised as the most beautiful bookstore in the world (even their welcome sign says so). I don’t know if that’s really true but the bookstore does look really picturesque inside.

Since Venice was built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon, flooding is a constant problem in the city and it’s definitely not good for books.

To protect the books from flooding, the owners placed them into bathtubs and waterproof bins and they even installed a full-sized gondola in the middle of the shop. How creative is that?

If you’re looking for the most instagrammable places in Venice, don’t forget to check out the courtyard of the shop where you can find a staircase made of old books. It’s not only picturesque but you can get an amazing view over the canals from the top of the books as well.

Location on Google Maps: Libreria Acqua Alta

How to get there: Libreria Acqua Alta can be reached with a 7-minute walk from both Rialto bridge and St. Mark’s Square. Use the above link for the exact location!

Best time to go:

The bookshop is open from 9 am to 7.45 pm. If you want to avoid the crowds go there around opening time, otherwise, you can go any time of the day.

People usually stand in line to get the photo with the book staircase so even if it’s a bit crowded, you just have to wait for a little to take your own picture.

13. Bridge near the Insta-famous pier

I already mentioned the Insta-famous pier as one of the most famous Venice Instagram spots and while I’ve seen hundreds of photos from the pier itself, I’ve actually never seen a photo from the bridge in the background.

I don’t really understand why as the surrounding is really picturesque so if you’re already at the pier it’s worth taking a photo with the bridge as well!

All you need to do is to walk over to the little bridge in the background while your photographer stays on the pier. Easy peasy, right? You can take a picture with a normal zoom lens like the first picture below or if you have a telephoto lens, you can create something similar to the second photo below.

Location on Google Maps: Bridge near the Insta-famous pier

How to get there:

Same as I described above at the Insta-famous pier. Start walking away from St. Mark’s Square in the direction of Museo Correr and once you pass by the museum, keep walking straight until you reach Campo San Moisé.

Cross the bridge on the canal, then turn right on the first street. Turn right again at the end of the street and the pier will be there!

Best time to go:

As this spot is not that popular and it’s kinda hidden, you can go any time of the day. If you want to avoid having traffic on the bridge, go in the morning.

14. Canals at Ponte de La Verona

Ponte de La Verona is one of the many pretty canal bridges in Venice. I loved the old houses in the background and the pretty reflection on the canal so if you’re in the area, it’s definitely worth checking it out! You photographer have to stay on the bridge while you can stand or sit by the canal.

Location on Google Maps: Canals at Ponte de La Verona

How to get there:

It’s only a 5-minute walk from St. Mark’s Square or a 3-minute walk from Scala Contarini del Bovolo. Use the above link for the exact location!

Best time to go:

It’s not one of the most popular Instagram spots in Venice so you can go basically anytime.

15. Ponte Maria Callas

As I mentioned before, there are many beautiful bridges in Venice but what makes Ponte Maria Callas special is that you can see the leaning bell tower of Campanile di Santo Stefano from the bridge which grants a beautiful backdrop to every photo.

Location on Google Maps: Ponte Maria Callas

How to get there:

It’s a 7-minute walk from St. Mark’s Square but getting there is a bit tricky as you can only access the bridge from one side. Use the above link for the exact location!

Best time to go:

You can go any time of the day.

16. Ponte degli Scalzi

Ponte degli Scalzi is a stone bridge spanning across the Grand Canal between Santa Croce and Cannaregio. If you’re planning to arrive in Venice by train you will definitely come across the bridge as it’s located right next to the train station.

The bridge is often overlooked by visitors because of its location, but it grants an incredible view over the Grand Canal so it’s definitely worth stopping by.

Location on Google Maps: Ponte degli Scalzi

How to get there:

The bridge is literally one minute away from the train station so you will easily find it.

Best time to go:

Usually, the bridge is quite busy during the day so if you want to have it all to yourself, go early in the morning. The sunsets are also beautiful from the bridge so if you don’t mind the crowds you can also visit in the evening.

17. Ponte Del Parucheta

I absolutely fell in love with the old buildings around Ponte Del Parucheta, especially with the brick one! If you’re wandering in the area make sure to take a quick stop at this bridge and snap some cool Instagram photos.

Location on Google Maps: Ponte Del Parucheta

How to get there:

The bridge is located on the border of Santa Croce and San Polo, roughly 10 minutes from the train station. Use the above link for the exact location!

Best time to go:

You can go any time of the day.

18. Bridge in front of Campo San Boldo

If you’re already visiting Ponte Del Parucheta, you can find a beautiful stone bridge on the other side, located in front of Campo San Boldo. The orange house with the brick buildings grants a beautiful backdrop to every photo!

Location on Google Maps: Bridge in front of Campi San Boldo

How to get there:

Same as for Ponte Del Parucheta, this stone bridge is right next to it.

Best time to go:

You can go any time of the day.

Map of the Most Instagrammable Places in Venice

I created a custom map for you that contains all the best Venice Instagram spots with their exact location. You can even open it up on your phone if you click on the bracket in the upper right corner!

This way you can easily check it during the day to ensure you’re not missing out on anything. Don’t forget to switch your map to satellite view as it helps a lot with getting around Venice.

Where to Stay in Venice

While Venice is separated into six districts or sestieri, there isn’t a bad area to stay in during your Venice trip. The most popular spot to stay when visiting Venice is Cannaregio, located between the train station and many of Venice’s top-rated sights.

San Marco is another trendy spot to stay among tourists because it’s home to Venice’s top attractions. If you’d rather stay closer to the Grand Canal, look for a place near Santa Croce.

If you want to learn more about the different neighborhoods of Venice, make sure to check out my in-depth article about the best areas to stay in Venice.

Do you prefer booking Airbnbs on your travels? Then these amazing apartment rentals and Airbnbs in Venice are just for you! And if you want to take your vacation to the next level, check out these incredible hotels in Venice with canal views.

If you’re in a hurry, here are my top picks for different budgets.

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Planning a trip to Venice?

Then you might want to take a look at all our other travel guides about Venice. I promise, they are just as awesome as this article was!

• The Perfect 2 Day Venice Itinerary: How to Spend 2 Days in Venice
• 18 Incredible Venice Instagram Spots You Can’t Miss
• Top 8 Best Areas to Stay in Venice, Italy
• 24 Incredible Hotels in Venice with Canal View
• Top 15 Best Apartment Rentals and Airbnbs in Venice, Italy

Other Amazing Destinations in Italy: Cinque Terre | Dolomites | Florence | Lake Como | Lake Garda | Rome

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