Venice is heart of Italy and a trip to Italy cannot be complete without going to Venice. Venice has so many things to charm you that there is zero probability that you will not fall for its charms. Venice is very different from other cities as the whole city is built on small islands connected by bridges. There are no cars, scooters and bikes there which itself is very soothing. Venice is a small city but to explore the city completely, you will need atleast 2 days. I felt like staying there forever if I could. So you might want to add 2 more days to your trip just to catch your breath.
If you are in Venice even for a short period of time below are the things I would strongly recommend you to do.
Wandering in the streets of Venice
Yes, this is my top recommendation for Venice. Wander aimlessly in the streets of Venice. Shops, restaurants, and Venetians make these narrrow streets so special that without strolling on them your trip to Venice is incomplete. Even if you are not in shopping at all, just look at the incredible beauty of stuff they sell and you will end up spending hours on these streets. So if you have a day in Venice don't even think about standing in the long queue for Churches/Museums. Just get a gelato in your hand and start walking. Streets near St. Mark's square are my favorite where I spent most of time shopping 
.
St. Mark's Square
Piazza San Marco which is also known as St. Mark Square is the main square of Venice. There are many famous restaurants and shops around St. Mark's square. It is always packed with tourists, pigeons and small stalls where Venetians sell stuff. You will see people feeding bread to Pigeons and taking pictures with them. You should find a hotel on San Marco island if you want to stay near to St. Mark's Square. St. Mark's square look very nice both in the morning and in evening. If you want to have some quiet time, try to visit this place at night. Spending couple of hours there after having dinner and when you are all tired is very relaxing.
Gondola Ride
Take Gondola ride in the night. Gondala rides are expensive in the night but it's worth the extra money you pay. Gondola riders sing song for you and take you to the internals of the city. If you don't want to spend money on Gondola then you can ride on Traghetti which are very old Gondolas and they are not expensive at all. Traghettis will stay on the main canal and won't take you inside the city.
Doge's Palace
Madonna Della Salute
This is a beautiful church, you can take Vaporetto to reach Salute island where this church is located.
Transportation in Venice
Vaporetto or walking are the only two options you have to commute between different islands of Venice. There is a Venice card which you can buy at train station for 24/36/48 hours at the train station. One way transportation from train station to St. Mark’s square will cost 7euros so it makes sense to buy this card and have unlimited travel. It takes about an hour to reach from train station to San Marco island. I will suggest to make a note of the island name where your hotel is. Venetians are very cooperative so once you reach the island they can help you with direction in case needed. For transportation between islands Vaporetto 1 and 2 can be used.
Shopping
Hand painted masks - Where ever you go in Venice you will see beautiful hand painted masks. You should totally get one as I don't think you will find such beautiful masks anywhere else in the world.
Murano Glass – Murano glass is very famous in Italy. While walking on the streets you will find many shops filled with beautiful things made by this glass. Again you should definitely buy this. You won't find such beautiful glass items anywhere else.
Leather – Venice is also famous for leather gloves, purse, shoes etc.
Gelato – Gelato is famous everywhere in Italy and but I found Gelato in Venice the best.
Have a safe trip to Venice.
Enjoy.
Neha
