25+ Beautiful Photo Spots in Venice (+ Tips)

It’s hard to imagine a city with more #instagrammable corners than Venice–which makes finding the best photo spots in Venice surprisingly difficult, as there are just so many to choose from!

Venice is a city that oozes beauty and history from every canal, every church, every piazza.

In the days of the Venetian Empire, Venice was incredibly wealthy, and it was not the least bit afraid to show off that wealth (and subsequently, the beauty that wealth created).

If you’re headed to Venice and want to make sure to snap some incredible shots while you’re there, these photo spots in Venice should be on your list!

The Best Photo Spots in Venice, Italy

Piazza San Marco

Venice’s largest and most famous piazza is certainly among the most instagrammable places in Venice–here are a few corners of it that you shouldn’t miss.

Doge’s Palace

While the exterior of Venice’s Doge’s Palace in Piazza San Marco is incredibly photogenic, the interior is magnificent as well, especially the gilded Great Council Chamber.

Also–don’t forget to look out the windows! The views of the Venetian Lagoon are stunning.

St. Mark’s Basilica

Once the church of Venice’s doges, and built mostly in a Byzantine style with Venetian twists, St. Mark’s Basilica is ridiculously beautiful–and perhaps one of the most unique churches in Italy.

Keep in mind that you can’t generally take photos of the interior of the church (though a friend of mine who took this after-hours tour was lucky enough to have her group received permission to do so.

The exterior of the basilica, though, and the views from the second-floor balcony, are both absolutely gorgeous.

St. Mark’s Campanile

The lovely tower standing tall in Piazza San Marco is St. Mark’s Campanile, and while the tower itself is certainly worth a few photos, it’s the view from the top that truly deserves to be considered one of the most beautiful photography locations in Venice.

From the top, you have excellent views over both central Venice and the lagoon.

And, you don’t even have to work hard for the view: an elevator will deliver you right to the top.

Cafe Florian (+ Other Instagrammable Cafes)

Piazza San Marco is full of glamorous and gorgeous (and expensive) cafes–and none of these is more beautiful or photogenic than the stunning Cafe Florian.

While you’ll pay an eye-watering 10+ Euro for a coffee here (not a typo!), the views themselves are free to enjoy.

Grand Canal

Venice’s Grand Canal is visible from many of these Venice photo spots, but it deserves to be honored in its own right!

The Grand Canal is an icon of Venice, and it is incredibly photogenic from virtually all angles.

Want to snap photos of it from the water without paying for a gondola ride?

Take a vaporetto, aka Venetian water bus, or seek out a traghetto for a quick 2 Euro gondola ride.

Tiny Canals + Footbridges

With over 400 footbridges and nearly limitless angles to photograph small canals, there truly is no end to the photography locations that you can find in Venice if your goal is to take beautiful shots of a picturesque canal.

To have better odds of enjoying views without the crowds, we recommend wandering into the less-crowded sestieri of Cannaregio, Dorsoduro, and Castello, where you’ll quickly find beautiful spots where you can be alone in Venice.

Ponte dell’Accademia

The Ponte dell’Accademia is home to one of the most iconic views in all of Venice.

Don’t forget to snap an Instagram photo or two here!

Basilica Santa Maria della Salute Viewpoint

That beautiful church with the gigantic dome you see in the distance in the above photo?

That’s Basilica Santa Maria della Salute, located deep in Dorsoduro and far from Venice’s crowds.

Head all the way there, stop and sightsee if you like (it’s beautiful inside), and then keep going–all the way to the tip of the peninsula.

You can use “Punta della Dogana” in your GPS if you like (this is an informal viewpoint, as far as I know it doesn’t have a real name), but the path is fairly obvious past the church… and you’ll find one of the best Venice photography locations at the end of it!

From here, you’ll have wide-open views over the lagoon, as well as views of a tiny slice of Piazza San Marco across the way.

And, as a bonus, the Dogana traghetto launch is around here too!

Bridge of Sighs

The Bridge of Sighs may technically be famous for the view of Venice and the Venetian Lagoon when looking out–but when listing photo spots in Venice, there’s no doubt that it is the lovely exterior, not the rather small interior, that belongs on the list.

Here are a few of the best angles to photograph the Bridge of Sighs from!

From the Ponte della Paglia

Located along the Riva degli Schiavoni, this bridge offers one of the best views of the Bridge of Sighs.

The Platform Beneath the Ponte della Paglia

If you look down and to the right from the Ponte della Paglia, you’ll see a small platform wrapped around the corner of the building that boasts a great view of the Bridge of Sighs.

If you have a model down there and a photographer on the bridge, you have all the makings of a fabulous, instagrammable photo in Venice.

From the Bridge Near Osteria Calle 21

I can’t find the name of this bridge, but it’s pretty easy to find and offers another lovely view of the Bridge of Sighs, this time looking out toward the Venetian Lagoon.

From Inside the Doge’s Palace

While the view of the Bridge of Sighs from the outside is beautiful, the view looking out from inside the Bridge of Sighs is the “original”, and arguably its history alone makes it one of the best photography locations in Venice.

During the Venetian Empire, the Bridge of Sighs connected the city’s prison to the courtroom.

Prisoners who left their cells to walk across the bridge to be tried (and frequently sentenced, often to death), were said to sigh at the beauty of their home when taking in what could be their last glimpse of the Venetian lagoon–hence the name “Bridge of Sighs”.

You can access the interior view of the Bridge of Sighs by touring the Doge’s Palace, and while I wouldn’t necessarily say the view alone is worth the ticket price, the palace itself is definitely worth a visit!

Book your visit to St. Mark’s Basilica + the Doge’s Palace today!

Prefer something a bit more exclusive (read: uncrowded)? This after-hours tour might be right for you!

Libreria Acqua Alta

This gorgeous bookshop is well-known for being one of the most instagrammable spots in Venice.

While you’re there, be sure to check out both back porches (especially the one boasting a staircase of books!), and the porch leading to the secondary entrance to the shop.

You can read more about visiting Libreria Acqua Alta here!

Rialto Bridge

As the oldest and most ornate of the four bridges crossing the Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge deserves to be on everyone’s list of places to photograph in Venice–here are a few of its best angles.

From the Docks

The wooden docks near the Rialto Bridge offer a fabulous angle to photograph it from–just be sure to stay out of the way of any boats that may park there!

From the Bridge

Whether you’re shooting the view of the Grand Canal, the bridge itself, or both, be sure to climb the Rialto Bridge when hunting down the most instagrammable places in Venice.

From the Corner Next to Al Buso

Next door to the Al Buso restaurant is a small corner of land jutting out toward the canal, and someone standing there can have a beautiful photo taken with the Rialto Bridge rising up behind them.

(The restaurant itself gets middling reviews at best, as you might expect from a restaurant located right at an iconic landmark like this).

From the Sidewalk Near the Market

If you walk to the Rialto Market, down to the Grand Canal, and then turn to start walking back toward the Rialto Bridge along the canal, you’ll come across some excellent angles to take photos of the bridge–like the docks mentioned before.

Just be sure to stay respectful–this area is used for more than just Instagram photos!

Vegetable Barge of Dorsoduro

Quirky and adorable, the floating vegetable shop of Dorsoduro absolutely deserves a place on any list of the most instagrammable places in Venice!

One of only 2 remaining floating produce stands in Venice, the Dorsoduro vegetable barge is not only incredibly photogenic but a fun place to shop.

We love picking up seasonal fruits and vegetables here as we pass by, and we’ve always found the prices very reasonable, too!

Scala Contarini del Bovolo

Of all the instagrammable spots in Venice, this may be the most photogenic of them all.

(Though it is worth noting that the view is a bit unconventional for Venice, as it doesn’t prominently feature any water).

If you’d like to photograph Scala Contarini del Bovolo, be sure to use your GPS to find it–you need to take a few turns down very quiet streets to get there.

Burano

The colorful fishing village of Burano is easily among the most instagrammable places in Venice!

While certain bridges and angles do tend to get most of the love, the entire village is bursting with color and worthy of being photographed.

To visit, you’ll need to either take a roughly 45-minute vaporetto ride or sign up for a Venetian islands tour.

Gondolas

Gondolas parked. Gondolas in motion. Gondolas on the Grand Canal. Gondolas in tiny canals. You in a gondola.

There is no limit to the ways to photograph gondolas in Venice–but rest assured that if you are planning on taking lots of photos in Venice, you’ll run into near-limitless opportunities to photograph gorgeous gondolas.

Rialto Market

Once considered the souk of the world and an enormous international trading hotspot, the Rialto Market dates to the 11th century and–like most food markets around the world–is incredibly photogenic.

Riva degli Schiavoni

This promenade along the Venetian Lagoon boasts incredible views of the outlying islands (including a great perspective on San Giorgio Maggiore), lovely shots of gondolas, and plenty of opportunities to photograph the promenade itself.

San Giorgio Maggiore

Situated directly across the lagoon from Piazza San Marco and the Doge’s Palace, the small island of San Giorgio Maggiore is home to one of the most unique places to take pictures of Venice (and particularly Piazza San Marco) without the crowds.

From here, you can admire the crowds of Piazza San Marco and the traffic of the waterways from a blissfully peaceful distance.

Heading to the top of the bell tower (once again via elevator) is absolutely worth the experience and the main reason to hop on a vaporetto and ride over from central Venice–but the views from the ground level are pretty spectacular too!

Literally Anywhere in a Venetian Mask

Cheesy and touristy? Absolutely.

Lots of fun? Also yes.

Taking photos in Venetian masks is an incredibly fun way to add another layer to your photos in Venice!

Whether you opt for a modest 3 Euro mask or an enormous, custom beauty, there’s a Venetian mask out there for you.

A Note on the Hands Supporting Venice

The “Support” statue by Lorenzo Quinn, featuring two hands positioned to act as if they were holding up a Venetian building along the Grand Canal, made many lists of instagrammable places in Venice.

The statue was designed to call attention to climate change, particularly as it impacts Venice, and we were lucky enough to see it in person way back in 2017.

However, the statue has now been taken down.

It’s worth noting that Lorenzo Quinn has designed another magnificent statue in Venice, but it’s a bit out of the way for a typical visitor.

If you’d like to see “Building Bridges”, it’s located at the Arsenal in Castello, and the walk there will take you past many quiet corners of Venice!

Tips for Visiting Instagrammable Places in Venice

Be respectful.

Always keep in mind respect for the city, its citizens, and its other visitors when photographing Instagrammable places in Venice.

Don’t climb on or touch anything (buildings, boats, you name it) that should not be climbed on or touched.

Don’t trespass.

Don’t get in the way of functional delivery boats trying to unload their wares (saw this one firsthand near the Rialto Bridge).

Show respect for your fellow visitors and photographers, too–be polite, and don’t hog spots if you see other people waiting.

In other words, just be a reasonable person. It’s not that hard, and we’ll all be better off for it.

Photographing Venice lends itself to using props.

Venetian masks, scoops of gelato, souvenir gondolier hats… Venice is one of those places where props just work! 

Consider buying some of your souvenirs early in your trip and using them in your epic Venice photos.

The earlier you get up, the better.

It’s no secret that Venice deals with enormous crowds (especially during the summer).

The earlier you get up to explore Venice, the better your photos will be, and the fewer crowds you’ll have to contend with to get them.

On our first trip to Venice, we woke up at 6am to take some photos–and some of the shots we got that day are still among our favorites.

Read More About Visiting Venice (and Italy)

Planning a trip to Venice soon and want to keep reading?

You can browse our 100+ Italy blog posts here, or check out these guides:

• 7 Beautiful, Outlying Islands in Venice (+Map)
• What to Buy in Italy: 35+ Best Italy Souvenirs
• 7 Days in Italy: 7 Ways to Spend a Week in Italy
• 25 Fun + Interesting Facts About Venice, Italy
• How to Take a Fun Florence to Venice Day Trip (No Tour Necessary!)