If you’re visiting Venice, it’s likely you’ll want to find a nice photo spot or two for your Venice holiday Instagram feed. Discover the best photo spots in Venice below, including some well known and lesser known (aka. Venice hidden gems!) to snap a pic for the ‘gram. Plus, I’ve included the Google Maps location of each Venice photo spot to make finding these Instagrammable locations a breeze.
Suggested read: How to find the waterfall bridge in Lake Como
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1. The Venice Instagram famous pier
Just saying this isn’t my description for this pier, it is name given to this beautiful spot on Google Maps (see here if you don’t believe me!). I’m starting off this list strong as this little pier was easily my favourite Instagram photo spot in Venice. Situated at the end of a quiet(er) street in Venice, you’ll find a pier that juts out along the side of the buildings next to one of the canals. Many gondolas will pass by while you’re here and you can find the exact spot of Venice’s Instagram famous pier on Google Maps here.
2. The many balconies overlooking the Venice canals
As you wander through Venice looking for the best photo spot, you’ll discover a few things: There are a lot of canals, a lot of bridges and a lot of Instagrammable balconies near the bridges overlooking the canals. You can find this spot the ‘Ponte della Madoneta’ on Google Maps here.
3. Rialto Bridge – or to me the most dangerous Venice photo spot of them all!
Okay, so once you read why I think the Rialto Bridge is the most dangerous Venice photo spot you may roll your eyes. Rialto Bridge is situated on the Grand Canal in Venice, and at the oldest of the four bridges that cross this famous canal, it is, in itself, quite famous. You can capture a picture at this Venice photo spot from any side of the canal, but the photo below was captured from this spot here. However, it is very slippery. I initially stood slightly to the left of where I am in the photo below and boy did I almost just slide right on in. I had to do a mini jump off that area to stop myself ending up in the canal. So, the Rialto Bridge may be a great photo spot in Venice but please be conscious of the slide factor!
4. The Busy Grand Canal
If you don’t mind a bit of hustle and bustle, the side of the Grand Canal by the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute is another great Venice photo spot. As you can see, I had pretty awful weather for most of my time in Venice so that did have an impact on how charming the photo here looked – but imagine those blue sunny skies and you’ve got yourself a Venice Instagrammable location. You can find this exact location on Google Maps here.
5. Burano, the ultimate Venice photo spot island
I highly doubt this is the first time you’ve heard of Burano, the colourful island not too far away from Venice. This island is a must do Venice location (and, as it’s an absolute hit with the tourists, it can be quite busy). When I visited the rainy, colder weather kept a lot of tourists away and I was able to wander along the canals snapping photos with the beautiful colourful houses. You can find Burano on Google Maps here.
6. The narrowest street in Venice – the Calle Varisco
While this may not be your typical Venice photo spot, the Calle Varisco is a cool spot to tick off on your Venice holiday. The narrowest pathway in Venice is only 53cm wide. I personally chose not to walk down it but snapped a quick pic and continued on with my day. You can find the Calle Varisco, Venice’s narrowest street, on Google Maps here.
7. Venice foodie photo spot: Gelato by the canal
Combine a love of photography with a love of food by snapping a pic of your Italian gelato while wandering the canals of Venice. If you head towards this bridge, you’ll find a great gelato shop (that’s close to the views for your picture!)
8. Quaint Venice bridges
With many canals, comes many bridges and many photo opportunities. You’ll find a number of brilliant photo spots in Venice along the bridges. My top tip is an obvious one, but it will make your life easier, choose a bridge that is in a quieter area of Venice – or you’ll be waiting a long time for a clear shot! You can find the exact location of this Venice photo spot on Google Maps here.
9. The Most Instagrammable location in Venice – the Libreria Acqua Alta
Arguably the best photo spot in Venice, the Libreria Acqua Alta is an Instagram famous bookstore located within the alleyways of Venice. Known for its back courtyard with a gorgeous book made staircase that you can perch on or climb for a beautiful (and well known) Venice photo opportunity. I’ve heard complaints of this place being very busy (and when I arrived they made me put my backpack on my front not keep it on my back, so I assume this is a crowd control procedure) but there was only me and one other person when I visited on opening (9am). As I mentioned earlier, I explored Venice on a rainy day so that may have kept some tourists away but otherwise visit in the morning! What I also especially liked was that there was no obligation to pay to take a photo here (its a pet peeve of mine when businesses don’t recognise the marketing value in viral photo spots and try and charge for photos there) there was a bowl to donate if you wish and I chose to purchase something from the shop to support. You can find the Libreria Acqua Alta, one of my favourite Venice photo spots) on Google Maps here.
10. Banksy in Venice
You can find one of the artworks of the world’s most famous street artist along the canals of Venice. The Migrant Child depicts artwork of a child holding a pink flare and is just visible above the waterline. You can find it on this Google Maps location here and the best way to see it is to stand on this bridge and look west.
11. The Bridge of Sighs – the most famous Venice photo spot
There’s no denying that Venice is home to some famous architecture. The Bridge of Sighs, a white limestone bridge, at over 420 years old, is a popular Venice photo spot and a must do for everyone visiting this city. Expect a lot of crowds when you visit (you can see from the picture below!) so if you want a shot without any tourists in it, get here early. You can find this Venice photo spot on Google Maps here.
12. A Venice gondola, of course!
Okay, while I may have claimed that the Libreria Acqua Alta is the best photo spot in Venice, there’s no denying a beautiful photo on a Venice gondola, of course! The gondolas are expensive but an iconic part of your Venice experience, so it’s worth splashing out for an excursion (especially if you’re going with a group of friends and can split the cost!). You can find companies selling gondola tours all over Venice as you walk through the area.
Where to stay in Venice
There is a variety of accommodation available in Venice that suits all holidays and travel styles. If you’re looking for budget accommodation in Venice, then you may need to look off the main Venice island. Anda Venice Hostel is a fantastic option, close to the main Venezia Mestre train station (connecting you to other areas of Italy). It is very clean and a good atmosphere (but is a party hostel so request a room in the higher floors for peace and quiet). From my experience, I would only stay here if travelling solo as you can get better value for money on Venice island if you can split the accommodation cost with another (or multiple other) people!
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