If you’re thinking of visiting La Serenissima aka Venice and would like to experience the city like a local, discover its traditions and get closer to authentic Venetian culture, the low season is the perfect time to do so. Monica, our local ambassador for Venice, shares some insider recommendations for things to do during the off-season.

Photo credit: Jessica Braz

There are many benefits to visiting Venice in the off-season. Firstly, you’ll be able to stay in a nice hotel for a fair price, enjoy the narrow streets without the mass of tourists, actually enter the beautiful museums and easily find seats in the best restaurants instead of having to dine at the first place with a free table.

Just remember to pack rubber boots as you’ll probably experience acqua alta (“high water” in Italian). Don’t worry though – the streets aren’t flooded all day long and there are temporary elevated platforms to walk on. Acqua alta is related to the alternation of high and low tides, and typically only lasts a few hours. Venice locals usually check the municipality website or use the free hi!tide app for tide forecasts.

Photo credit: Chris Chabot

Even in winter, I recommend taking a trip to the beautiful islands in the Venetian Lagoon. Most people only go to Murano, but there are several other small islands where you can have a great time: Sant’Erasmo is known as the vegetable garden of Venice, San Francesco del Deserto can be described as a peaceful heaven and is where Saint Francis preached his famous Sermon to the Birds, and San Lazzaro degli Armeni is home to one of the oldest communities of Armenian monks and is a real hidden gem worth discovering. The artworks and artefacts preserved on this island are amazing – there’s even an Egyptian mummy!

Souvenir shopping should also be on your to-do list. I recommend picking up a handmade item to remind you of the Venetian gondolas and local artisans. In the small Il Forcolaio Matto workshop in the Cannaregio district you’ll find Piero patiently carving rowlocks out of single pieces of walnut or cherry wood. He also makes earrings and necklaces out of wood scraps. He’s a nice young guy who keeps a tradition that dates back to the 14th century alive.

Photo credit: venetianlife.com

Having a bite to eat and a glass of wine at a traditional cantina is another must when visiting Venice. Do Mori is a bar that was serving wine even before Christopher Columbus went to America. Opened in 1462, it’s the ultimate place to taste typical Venetian appetisers, cichetti, and wine from the Veneto region. This place is frequented by lots of locals. When sitting at the counter, I suggest you close your eyes and take in your surroundings. You’ll hear people talking in the local dialect and enjoying delicious food and wine in the company of friends. Right in this moment you’ll realise how great it is to be holidaying in Venice.

Walking around a city with no cars is lovely, so why not get lost? As you wander along, completely disorientated, you’ll probably end up in a small square called San Giacomo dell’Orio. Here, you’ll have the chance to observe local life. You’ll see kids running about, elderly ladies sitting on benches, dogs playing freely and shops not selling souvenirs. In the middle of the campo (“square” in Venetian), there’s a flowerbed full of vegetables planted by locals in the area. My tip is to buy some gelato from the nearby Gelato Di Natura shop and relax on a bench by the square.

Photo credit: Monica Zorzetto

Crossing the Grand Canal is a nice experience if you travel by Vaporetto (water bus), but it can also be a fun one if you use the gondola ferries. While the ride lasts only a few minutes, it costs just €2 per person and you’ll get to enjoy the feeling of being on a real gondola with a real gondoliere. Venetians use this means of transport when they want to move quickly from one side of the canal to the other without having to cross one of its four bridges. The service is available at Santa Sofia, San Tomà, Santa Maria del Giglio, San Samuele and Dogana.

For more local recommendations read:

What locals like to do in Venice
Where locals like to eat in Venice
Where locals like to party in Venice

Special tip:
For a more authentic Venice experience, get the Like A Local mobile app

Opening photo credit: Jessica Braz