Venetian Riviera holidays

With its golden sands and wealth of family attractions, the Venetian Riviera is Italian beach life at its best. Whether you want to laze away your days with a good book on the beach, or fancy braving the thrilling slides at Aqualandia Caribe Bay water park, you’ll have plenty to keep you occupied on holidays to the Venetian Riviera.

And if you want to experience the grand architecture, museums, and fabulous food of Venice itself, you’re only a short ferry ride away. With so much to see and do, families and couples have everything they need for a relaxing, fun-packed holiday.

Things to do

If you’re on holiday in the Venetian Riviera and you're looking to take a break from the beach for a while, then a good bet would be to take a ferry to Venice. To start with, you could explore the stunning Piazza San Marco square, which is overlooked by St Mark's Basilica, a huge Italo-Byzantine church dating back more than 1,000 years. Both inside and out, it's one of the city's most imposing landmarks, and a powerful symbol of the wealth of the Venetian Empire, which lasted 1,100 years. Head to the beautiful 16th-century Rialto Bridge above the Grand Canal, then see a concert or opera at the Teatro La Fenice theatre.

For something extra special for your Venetian Riviera holidays, hire a gondola for an hour or so, which will let you get the best views of the Renaissance buildings from areas that you can’t reach on foot. However, gondolas can be rather pricey, especially in the peak season, and they are by no means essential.

Sometimes, it's just as enjoyable, and arguably more exciting, to explore Venice spontaneously rather than following a strict schedule. If you're eager to get away from the touristy areas, head up to Cannaregio, where you can immerse yourself in traditional Venetian life, see the Jewish ghetto, and explore the lively cafés.

The Lido island is also home to many beautiful Italian Art Noveau buildings and the Chiesa di San Nicolò di Lido, a church dating back more than 900 years.

Golden beaches
Lido di Jesolo is one of the Venetian Riviera’s most popular resorts and if you enjoy nothing more than spending hours relaxing in the sunshine, you’ll love the golden beach here. It’s a 17 kilometre Blue Flag winner with plenty of sunloungers and parasols, perfect for finding your ideal tanning spot. This beach is popular with the kids too as the sea water is just right for them to splash about in and there’s lots going on to keep them entertained. They’ll spend the whole holiday trying to replicate the sand sculptures on the beachfront promenade.

A city of culture
Venice is a must-see during your Venetian Riviera holiday, this enchanting city has sights, shops, restaurants and so much more.  Make your way around the sights, admiring the centuries-old architecture, stop at a local café for some homemade gelato and head for the main canal for a tour of Venice by water.

Splendid shopping
Italy is known for its high fashion and the Venetian Riviera is no exception. Whilst exploring Venice be sure to pop into one of its many designer boutiques and have a browse of the collection of high-end goods.  In Lido di Jeselo, there’s a whole street dedicated to shopping, the Via Bafile. In high season, the shops open from early in the morning and stay open until late at night so no matter what time of the day it is, you can still get that shopping fix. Head to the islands in the Venetian Lagoon to pick up some hand-made Italian crafts.   

More Travel Guides

We also have travel guides available for destinations, including: Lido de Jesolo