I'm going to Venice, what do you recommend?

Food, places to see, activities?

Get a map but know ahead of time you will probably get lost in Venice - it's a maze, but an enjoyable maze. Enjoy wandering the city without any set plans.

Take a gondala ride, visit the Basilica of San Marco, the clocktower and ask your hotel to make reservations for the Secret Itineraries tour at the Doge's Palace - very cool tour!

Nose plugs, as the famous canals are actually the city sewer system.

a nose pegg!! its smellyy.. beautiful but smelly

get your camera and just have a lot of fun and enjoy your stay.

Disregard the nose plug comment. It is a lovely lovely city, and I recommend it all... it all depends on what sort of things you enjoy... I have been several times and always stumble on new things. No matter what, be sure to WANDER about... you will find all sorts of hidden treasures, including glass blowing. I recommend bring something home from there... each generation in my family has ended up with beautiful little vases from there... you'll probably recognize them as soon as you see them!

HAVE FUN!

I reccomend that you take me with you!

Get a good map, some comfortable shoes, and just wander the city. It's really fascinating. Stop at little cafes, enjoy a leisurely espresso.

And don't miss the Murano glass factory.

It's an island (or many islands) - you can't get too lost. It is very safe, so just wander. Nights there are better than days, since the cruise ships dump passengers for 6 hour tours every day - the nights are uncrowded and very pleasant.

It is a great place to eat if you are a seafood lover. Otherwise, the food is not as good as further south - though it can still be wonderful. Find a restaurant that does not have an English menu (or anything that says tourist menu) in the window. One of the best places I found to eat was around lunch time one day - I followed a group of construction workers who were breaking for lunch and ate where they ate.

One more different thing to try - visit a squero. A squero is a boatyard that makes and repairs gondolas. There is one there that is run by a guy from the US - Squero Canaletto, I think. He gives tours once a week - something not many of your friends have ever done for sure.

Food: Did you (everyone) know that liver & onions (Fegato alla Veneziana") is a typical Venetian dish? Well it is and it's usually served with a few slices of polenta. If you like liver then you'll have to try it in Venice. Another typical food are "pickled sardines" ("Sarde in Saor") - they are fried and then smothered in fried onions, vinegar and maybe pine nuts and raisins - this was a typical sea faring food which everyone gladly eats at home today in Venice. Fried fish 鈥?many places serve it but few do it well. The 鈥淰eccio Fritolin鈥?not too far from the Rialto fish market 99% of the tuimes gets it right.
Please to see: The classic place (of course) such as the Basilica of Saint Marc鈥檚, the plaza in front of it, the Ducal Palace and the buildings up and down the Grand Canal (this you can either do by taxi if you鈥檝e got the money to do so or by vaporetto 鈥?which is 6 euros a ride) . Any web site dedicated to Venice will tell you what will be going on when you arrive. You may want to take in an opera at the world class Fenice opera house (there are also concerts featuring contemporary music). There are two museums of contemporary art in Venice: The Peggy Guggenheim Collection and the Ca鈥?Pesaro. Both have great collections and both housed in lovely settings: The Guggenheim in a more modern structure and the C脿 Pesaro in a newly restored Venetian palazzo.
There are many itineraries and your best bet is either to contact your hotel or go on line to see if you will find anything that strikes your fancy.
Activities: You can rent a boat for the day 鈥?I mean one with out a driver for you to drive! Your hotel will help set that up for you. You can go to one of the rowing clubs and rent a kayak. Try to get lost in the city (you really never will unless you have an appointment to meet with someone!). Photographs 鈥?take many and maybe you鈥檒l want to shoot all of the cooked windows, doorways or unique door bells or door knockers throughout the city.

Have fun!

While the city does smell swampy, it's incredible. I'd pick up rick steve's italy and do his water taxi tour. day passes are inexpensive and he perfectly narrates what the sites are on either side of the canal.

You will get lost - often. but that's part of the fun - take the time to get lost and wander. Wear sensible shoes - even at night, Piazza San Marco floods when it rains and they have these elevated walkways set up to get you around to the buildings/stores - but don't try it in heels. The tour of the Doge's palace is my favorite of the main 'touristy' ones.

Prepare for bed bugs wherever you stay - I would suggest bringing a sleep sack.

the glass factory on Murano is great - but you can easily buy pieces of all sizes in venice.

since Venice is so atmospheric, i feel that anytime you go there you will have a great time - no matter the season or occasion. Venice is best seen by foot or water taxi and be sure to take full advatnage of the delightful food.

i went with my family last year - we stayed in a lovely apartment off the Gran Canal - booked thru http://www.holiday-velvet.com/venice

easy to use and staff was helpful. enjoy the city!

If you can get up really early, around 6 am, I think, when the water bus (vapourette ??), starts to run, and the sun just came out, get on the water bus, sit at the very front as the boat is quiet, not crowded, you can pick the best seat, sail down the Grand Cannel in the soft warm quiet morning sun. Then get off at the St. Marco, it's quiet with very few poeple in the great big square but lots of pigeons and the catherdral and the bell tower cast long long shadows on the square. Then just walk around in the quiet narrow streets with bridges crossing the cannels and side walk just next to the cannel, and just get yourself lost in the maze like streets. All these will turn into a zoo after 9-10am when the people started to get crowded and groups and groups of tours started to fill up the whole of Vanice!