A day trip from Bologna to Venice works, but it is a long day: the direct regional train takes a little over two hours each way, so you leave Bologna early and get back late in the evening. In return you get close to nine hours in Venice, enough for a full walk from Piazza San Marco across the Grand Canal to the Rialto Bridge.

Is a day trip from Bologna to Venice worth it?

Getting there is simple. Direct regional trains run from Bologna Centrale all day without a change, and Venezia Santa Lucia sits on the island itself, so you step out of the station straight onto the Grand Canal. Venice gives you what no town in Emilia-Romagna can: a city built on water, without cars, where palaces line the canals and the walk between sights is half the experience.

The price is time. More than four hours on trains frame the day, and you see Venice during its busiest hours, without the quiet mornings and evenings that overnight visitors get. One day is an introduction, not the whole city. It pays off if you leave the stretch between San Marco and the Rialto: the walking tour takes you over the Grand Canal into Dorsoduro and San Polo, where the campi and lanes show a calmer Venice.

Who this day trip suits

  • First-time visitors to Italy who may not come back soon and want to see Venice at least once
  • Travellers on a budget who use Bologna as a base and skip Venice hotel prices
  • Art and history lovers who want St Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace and Ca' Rezzonico in a single day
  • Early risers who are fine with a late train home in exchange for a full day on the water
  • Walkers happy to leave the main sights behind and explore Dorsoduro and San Polo

Go if this is your first trip to Italy and an early start and a late train home do not bother you; if you can spare a night in Venice or have already seen it, pick a shorter ride such as Modena, Ferrara or Florence.

Other day trips from Bologna

How to get from Bologna to Venice by train

The direct Trenitalia regional train from Bologna Centrale to Venezia Santa Lucia carries this day: it runs from early morning without a change, and the first useful one gets you to Venice in time for the full tour. FlixBus also runs from Bologna's central bus station to Tronchetto and Mestre, but its departures fit a day trip poorly.

Train: Trenitalia Regionale

Direct regional trains leave Bologna Centrale for Venezia Santa Lucia throughout the day, around sixteen on a weekday and one fewer on Sundays, and take a little over two hours. Buy the ticket at the machines in the station, which have an English menu, or online, and validate a paper regional ticket before you board. The train calls at Venezia Mestre on the mainland first: stay on until Venezia Santa Lucia, the station on the island.

Operator
Trenitalia Regionale
Route
Bologna Centrale → Venezia Santa Lucia
Journey time
2 h 10 min
Morning departures
Monday and Sunday: 14 departures; Tuesday to Saturday: 15 departures
Travel fare
Outward €14.65; return €14.65 (€29.30 return total)

Tickets at Trenitalia ↗

Train: Italo

Italo's direct high-speed trains run from Bologna Centrale to Venezia Santa Lucia in about an hour and a half, with around ten departures a day. Seats are reserved, so book ahead; the cheapest fares go early. The first Italo of the morning leaves later than the early regional and the last direct one back leaves earlier in the evening, so the faster ride buys comfort but shortens your time in Venice.

Operator
Italo
Route
Bologna Centrale → Venezia Mestre
Journey time
1 h 21 min
Morning departures
Monday to Sunday: 6 departures

Tickets at Italo ↗

Venezia Santa Lucia faces the Grand Canal, and the Ferrovia waterbus stop is right outside. An ACTV waterbus down the Grand Canal brings you towards Piazza San Marco on a single ticket valid for 75 minutes; on foot through the lanes, plan about half an hour.

Into the centre: €9.50 per ride

Timetable

departures by weekday
RouteDaysDepartureArrivalDuration
Bologna Centrale → Venezia Santa LuciaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia07:1009:202 h 10 min
Show all departures (26)
departures by weekday
RouteDaysDepartureArrivalDuration
Bologna (central bus station) → Venice Mestre (Stazione FS)Monday to Thursday · FlixBus05:1007:502 h 40 min
Bologna Centrale → Venezia Santa LuciaTuesday to Sunday · Trenitalia05:2007:202 h
Bologna Centrale → Venezia Santa LuciaMonday to Saturday · Trenitalia06:1008:202 h 10 min
Bologna (central bus station) → Venice Mestre (Stazione FS)Monday to Thursday · FlixBus06:4009:102 h 30 min
Bologna Centrale → Venezia Santa LuciaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia07:1009:202 h 10 min
Bologna Centrale → Venezia Santa LuciaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia08:0109:341 h 33 min
Bologna Centrale → Venezia Santa LuciaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia08:1010:202 h 10 min
Bologna Centrale → Venezia MestreMonday to Sunday · Italo08:2109:421 h 21 min
Bologna (central bus station) → Venice Mestre (Stazione FS)Monday to Thursday · FlixBus08:3010:452 h 15 min
Bologna Centrale → Venezia Santa LuciaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia09:0110:341 h 33 min
Bologna Centrale → Venezia Santa LuciaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia09:1011:202 h 10 min
Bologna Centrale → Venezia MestreMonday to Sunday · Italo09:2110:421 h 21 min
Bologna Centrale → Venezia Santa LuciaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia10:0111:341 h 33 min
Bologna Centrale → Venezia Santa LuciaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia10:1012:202 h 10 min
Bologna Centrale → Venezia MestreMonday to Sunday · Italo10:2111:421 h 21 min
Bologna (central bus station) → Venice Mestre (Stazione FS)Monday to Tuesday · FlixBus11:0013:152 h 15 min
Bologna Centrale → Venezia Santa LuciaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia11:0312:341 h 31 min
Bologna Centrale → Venezia Santa LuciaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia11:1013:202 h 10 min
Bologna Centrale → Venezia MestreMonday to Sunday · Italo11:2112:421 h 21 min
Bologna Centrale → Venezia Santa LuciaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia12:0113:361 h 35 min
Bologna Centrale → Venezia Santa LuciaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia12:1014:202 h 10 min
Bologna Centrale → Venezia MestreMonday to Sunday · Italo12:2113:421 h 21 min
Bologna (central bus station) → Venice Mestre (Stazione FS)Monday · FlixBus12:4515:052 h 20 min
Bologna Centrale → Venezia Santa LuciaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia13:0114:361 h 35 min
Bologna Centrale → Venezia Santa LuciaMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia13:1015:202 h 10 min
Bologna Centrale → Venezia MestreMonday to Sunday · Italo13:2114:421 h 21 min

Timetable: Trenitalia, as of 22 October 2026

Timetable: FlixBus, as of 22 October 2026

Timetable: Italo, as of 22 October 2026

departures by weekday
RouteDaysDepartureArrivalDuration
Venezia Santa Lucia → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia19:4021:452 h 5 min
Show all departures (30)
departures by weekday
RouteDaysDepartureArrivalDuration
Venezia Mestre → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Italo12:1713:391 h 22 min
Venezia Santa Lucia → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia12:2613:591 h 33 min
Venice (Tronchetto) → Bologna (central bus station)Monday to Thursday · FlixBus12:3515:202 h 45 min
Venezia Santa Lucia → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia12:4014:452 h 5 min
Venezia Mestre → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Italo13:1714:391 h 22 min
Venezia Santa Lucia → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia13:2614:591 h 33 min
Venezia Santa Lucia → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia13:4015:452 h 5 min
Venice (Tronchetto) → Bologna (central bus station)Monday and Thursday · FlixBus14:0016:402 h 40 min
Venezia Mestre → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Italo14:1715:391 h 22 min
Venezia Santa Lucia → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia14:2615:591 h 33 min
Venezia Santa Lucia → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia14:4016:522 h 12 min
Venezia Santa Lucia → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia14:5216:371 h 45 min
Venezia Mestre → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Italo15:1716:391 h 22 min
Venezia Santa Lucia → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia15:2616:591 h 33 min
Venezia Mestre → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia15:3417:211 h 47 min
Venezia Santa Lucia → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia15:4017:452 h 5 min
Venezia Mestre → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Italo16:1717:391 h 22 min
Venezia Santa Lucia → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia16:2617:591 h 33 min
Venezia Santa Lucia → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia16:4018:452 h 5 min
Venice Mestre (Stazione FS) → Bologna (central bus station)Thursday · FlixBus16:4019:302 h 50 min
Venezia Mestre → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Italo17:1718:391 h 22 min
Venezia Santa Lucia → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia17:2618:591 h 33 min
Venice Mestre (Stazione FS) → Bologna (central bus station)Thursday · FlixBus17:3020:002 h 30 min
Venezia Santa Lucia → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia17:4019:502 h 10 min
Venezia Mestre → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Italo18:1719:391 h 22 min
Venezia Santa Lucia → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia18:2619:591 h 33 min
Venezia Santa Lucia → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia18:4020:452 h 5 min
Venice (Tronchetto) → Bologna (central bus station)Monday to Thursday · FlixBus18:5021:052 h 15 min
Venezia Santa Lucia → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia19:2620:591 h 33 min
Venezia Santa Lucia → Bologna CentraleMonday to Sunday · Trenitalia19:4021:452 h 5 min

Timetable: Trenitalia, as of 22 October 2026

Timetable: FlixBus, as of 22 October 2026

Timetable: Italo, as of 22 October 2026

A Bologna to Venice day trip itinerary from morning to evening

Day plan for: Mon, Wed–Sat

Leave on the early direct regional, open the tour at Piazza San Marco around 10 and let the walk carry you across the Grand Canal to the Rialto Bridge before the evening train.

  1. Morning07:10 – 09:20

    Take the direct regional train from Bologna Centrale shortly after seven, arrive at Venezia Santa Lucia a little after nine and take the waterbus or walk to Piazza San Marco.

    It is the train that puts you at San Marco around 10 without a change; a later one costs you the quiet first hour at the basilica and the palace.

  2. Tour10:00 – 13:00

    Open the tour in the browser on Piazza San Marco. The AI Tour Guide greets you, tells you the stories of the square and leads you into St Mark's Basilica around half past ten and the Doge's Palace around 11, then past the Bridge of Sighs and San Zaccaria to Santa Maria della Salute, which you see from outside.

    The basilica and the palace are the two paid entrances of the morning; book both ahead so queues do not eat into the tour.

    1. Piazza San Marco in Venice, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour1Piazza San Marco
    2. St Mark's Basilica in Venice, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour2St Mark's Basilica
    3. Doge's Palace in Venice, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour3Doge's Palace
    4. Bridge of Sighs in Venice, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour4Bridge of Sighs
    5. San Zaccaria in Venice, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour5San Zaccaria
    6. Santa Maria della Salute in Venice, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour6Santa Maria della Salute

    Start the Venice tour

  3. Lunch13:00 – 14:00

    Stop for lunch after Santa Maria della Salute and before the Gallerie dell'Accademia, in the lanes of Dorsoduro.

    You are away from the restaurants around San Marco, and a round of cicchetti in a bacaro fills you up for less.

  4. Afternoon14:00 – 19:00

    The guide picks up at the Gallerie dell'Accademia, where going inside is optional, continues over the Ponte dell'Accademia and through Dorsoduro to Ca' Rezzonico around half past three, then on to Campo Santa Margherita, Campo San Polo, the Mercato di Rialto and San Giacomo di Rialto, and ends at the Rialto Bridge around six. The spare hour after the last stop is yours for a final glass and cicchetti near the Rialto.

    Ca' Rezzonico is the one paid entrance of the afternoon, so give it its full three quarters of an hour; the stalls of the market have packed up by evening, so the Rialto area becomes a walk rather than a shopping stop.

    1. Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour7Gallerie dell'Accademia
    2. Ponte dell'Accademia in Venice, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour8Ponte dell'Accademia
    3. Dorsoduro in Venice, stop 9 on the self-guided walking tour9Dorsoduro
    4. Ca' Rezzonico in Venice, stop 10 on the self-guided walking tour10Ca' Rezzonico
    5. Campo Santa Margherita in Venice, stop 11 on the self-guided walking tour11Campo Santa Margherita
    6. Campo San Polo in Venice, stop 12 on the self-guided walking tour12Campo San Polo
    7. Mercato di Rialto in Venice, stop 13 on the self-guided walking tour13Mercato di Rialto
    8. San Giacomo di Rialto in Venice, stop 14 on the self-guided walking tour14San Giacomo di Rialto
    9. Rialto Bridge in Venice, stop 15 on the self-guided walking tour15Rialto Bridge
  5. Return19:00 – 21:45

    Leave the Rialto Bridge by seven, take the waterbus or walk back to Santa Lucia and board the direct regional shortly before eight, arriving at Bologna Centrale around a quarter to ten.

    The way back to the station plus a short buffer takes about forty minutes, and this is the last direct regional that fits the day.

Arrival to return departure: 10 h 20 min. Time for your visit: about 9 h.

Arrival 09:20, tour start 10:00: 30 min to walk to the start, 10 min spare.

That leaves you close to nine hours in Venice; if the morning train runs late, cut the end of the tour from Campo San Polo onwards rather than rushing the Doge's Palace or Ca' Rezzonico.

Best day to visit Venice from Bologna

  1. Monday: recommended
  2. Tuesday: better not
  3. Wednesday: recommended
  4. Thursday: recommended
  5. Friday: recommended
  6. Saturday: recommended
  7. Sunday: better not
  • Tuesday: The planned interior visits (Ca' Rezzonico) do not fit the opening hours on this day.
  • Sunday: The planned interior visits (St Mark's Basilica) do not fit the opening hours on this day.

A Venice walking tour in one day, from San Marco to the Rialto

The tour is how you see Venice on this day: it starts on Piazza San Marco, crosses into Dorsoduro and San Polo and ends at the Rialto Bridge, about 5.8 km and an hour and a half of pure walking, spread over roughly seven hours with the stops. The AI Tour Guide leads the walk as a conversation and the navigation in the browser takes you from stop to stop, which helps in a city where map routes like to end at the water.

The markers show the stops; the map does not trace the exact walking route.
  1. Piazza San Marco
  2. St Mark's Basilica
  3. Doge's Palace
  4. Bridge of Sighs
  5. San Zaccaria
  6. Santa Maria della Salute
  7. Gallerie dell'Accademia
  8. Ponte dell'Accademia
  9. Dorsoduro
  10. Ca' Rezzonico
  11. Campo Santa Margherita
  12. Campo San Polo
  13. Mercato di Rialto
  14. San Giacomo di Rialto
  15. Rialto Bridge

Start the Venice tour

Opening hours as of 22 October 2026.

  1. Piazza San Marco in Venice, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour
    1Stop 1

    Piazza San Marco

    The main public square of Venice, so central that Venetians simply call it la Piazza.

    Price
    Free
  2. St Mark's Basilica in Venice, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour
    2Stop 2

    St Mark's Basilica

    The cathedral of Venice and seat of its patriarch, right on the square.

    Hours
    Mon–Sat: 09:30–17:00 (last admission 16:45)
    Sun: closed
    Price
    €10
  3. Doge's Palace in Venice, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour
    3Stop 3

    Doge's Palace

    A masterpiece of Venetian Gothic between the Piazzetta and the waterfront, and one of the symbols of the city.

    Hours
    Daily: 09:00–18:00 (last admission 17:00)
    Price
    Combined ticket: €35
  4. Bridge of Sighs in Venice, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour
    4Stop 4

    Bridge of Sighs

    The covered bridge over the Rio di Palazzo that linked the Doge's Palace with the New Prison.

    Included
    Doge’s Palace (including the Bridge of Sighs)
  5. San Zaccaria in Venice, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour
    5Stop 5

    San Zaccaria

    A 15th-century former monastic church on its own campo, just off the waterfront southeast of St Mark's.

    Hours (optional interior visit)
    Mon–Sat: 10:00–12:00, 16:00–18:00
    Sun: 16:00–18:30
    Price
    Optional interior visit.
  6. Santa Maria della Salute in Venice, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour
    6Stop 6

    Santa Maria della Salute

    La Salute, Saint Mary of Health, the domed basilica that marks the tip of Dorsoduro at the mouth of the Grand Canal.

    Hours (optional interior visit)
    Daily: 09:30–12:30, 15:00–17:30
    Price
    Optional interior visit.
  7. Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour
    7Stop 7

    Gallerie dell'Accademia

    The museum of pre-19th-century Venetian art that also owns Leonardo's Vitruvian Man, shown only for a few weeks every six years.

    Hours
    Mon: closed
    Tue–Sun: 09:00–19:00
    Price
    Optional entry · Gallerie dell'Accademia: €20
  8. Ponte dell'Accademia in Venice, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour
    8Stop 8

    Ponte dell'Accademia

    The southernmost of the four bridges over the Grand Canal, linking San Vidal with the former church of Santa Maria della Carità.

    Price
    Free
  9. Dorsoduro in Venice, stop 9 on the self-guided walking tour
    9Stop 9

    Dorsoduro

    The southern sestiere of the old town, which also takes in the island of Giudecca.

    Price
    Free (museums in the area charge their own admission, e.g. Gallerie dell'Accademia and Ca' Rezzonico above)
  10. Ca' Rezzonico in Venice, stop 10 on the self-guided walking tour
    10Stop 10

    Ca' Rezzonico

    A palazzo on the Grand Canal that now holds an art museum, a rare chance to see a Venetian palace from the inside.

    Hours
    Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun: 10:00–17:00 (last admission 16:00)
    Tue: closed
    Price
    €15
  11. Campo Santa Margherita in Venice, stop 11 on the self-guided walking tour
    11Stop 11

    Campo Santa Margherita

    One of the few centres of student life in Venice and, after Campo San Polo, the largest square on this side of the Grand Canal.

    Price
    Free
  12. Campo San Polo in Venice, stop 12 on the self-guided walking tour
    12Stop 12

    Campo San Polo

    The largest campo in Venice after Piazza San Marco, named after the church whose apse faces it.

    Price
    Free
  13. Mercato di Rialto in Venice, stop 13 on the self-guided walking tour
    13Stop 13

    Mercato di Rialto

    For centuries the most important trading place of Venice, named after the rivo alto, the high bank.

    Hours (optional interior visit)
    Mon–Sat: 07:30–13:30
    Sun: closed
    Price
    Free
  14. San Giacomo di Rialto in Venice, stop 14 on the self-guided walking tour
    14Stop 14

    San Giacomo di Rialto

    San Giacometto, a small church among the market stalls, probably built in the late 11th or early 12th century.

    Hours (optional interior visit)
    Mon: 09:00–17:00
    Tue: closed
    Wed–Sun: 09:00–17:00
    Price
    Free
  15. Rialto Bridge in Venice, stop 15 on the self-guided walking tour
    15Stop 15

    Rialto Bridge

    The oldest of the four bridges over the Grand Canal and the natural end of the walk.

    Price
    Free
AI Tour Guide in Venice

Your guide for the Venice tour

The AI Tour Guide leads this walk from Piazza San Marco to the Rialto Bridge as a conversation: it tells you the stories of the doges, the Bridge of Sighs and the Rialto merchants, asks what you want to hear more about and remembers what catches your interest. You start it in the browser on Piazza San Marco and can interrupt it whenever a side canal pulls you in.

stops
15
route
5.8 km
walking only
1 h 24 min
with visits
6 h 59 min
  • 100 free credits to start
  • €19.99 once for the whole group
  • Travel and admission tickets are not included

What a Bologna to Venice day trip costs

Three things drive the cost of this day: the train both ways, the entrances to St Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace and Ca' Rezzonico, which the cost tool selects as the paid stops worth going into, and food, with the waterbus from the station on top. The Doge's Palace ticket also takes you across the Bridge of Sighs from the inside; walking from Santa Lucia to San Marco instead of taking the waterbus is the easiest saving, and the Gallerie dell'Accademia is an optional extra you can leave out.

Adults
Children

One device is enough for the whole group: two people listen on two connected headphones, larger groups use the phone speaker.

Cost breakdown

Costs for 2 adults · planned visits

Travel there and backTrenitalia Regionale2 adults × €29.30€58.60
SightsSt Mark's Basilica, Ca' Rezzonico and Doge’s Palace (including the Bridge of Sighs)2 adults × €60€120
AI Tour Guide touronce for the whole group€19.99
Food (estimate)€15 to €25 per person€30 to €50
Total€228.59 to €248.59
Split between peopleabout €114.30 to €124.30 per person
Sights
  • €10
  • €20
  • €15
  • €35
Buffer and private guide

Eat cicchetti standing at a bacaro in Dorsoduro or near the Rialto instead of sitting down at a restaurant around San Marco, and lunch costs a fraction.

Prices as of October 2026.

Getting back from Venice to Bologna

From the Rialto Bridge you either walk back to Santa Lucia through the lanes or ride the waterbus up the Grand Canal to Ferrovia. Plan about forty minutes from the last stop to the platform, including a quarter of an hour of buffer at the station, because the lanes often turn a short route into a detour. Board at Venezia Santa Lucia, not Mestre, and the direct regional takes you all the way to Bologna Centrale.

If you run late, drop the end of the tour after Campo San Polo and head for the station; if you miss the train shortly before eight, later trains only get you to Bologna close to midnight, and FlixBus also runs from Tronchetto to Bologna's central bus station in the evening.

Recommended returnTrenitalia: departs 19:40, arrives 21:45Leave the last stop of the tour by 19:00

Latest return that fits the day: 19:40

  • Trenitalia from Venezia Santa Lucia, Monday to Sunday: departs 19:40, arrives 21:45

Questions about the day trip from Bologna to Venice

Do I need to pay the Venice access fee on a day trip?

Not on the autumn dates of this plan. The fee applied only on set days of a trial that has ended, and on days without it you need no payment or QR code. For travel in another year, look out for new measures from the city.

What happens if there is high water (acqua alta)?

Venice floods from time to time, and Piazza San Marco is the first place to go under. Look at the forecast the evening before; on a high-water morning, waterproof shoes make the start of the tour far easier.

Can I drive from Bologna to Venice instead?

Cars end at Piazzale Roma, where you leave the car in a paid garage and continue on foot or by waterbus. With tolls, parking and the boat on top, the direct train is the simpler choice for a day trip.

Can I add Murano or Burano to the day?

Murano is a short waterbus ride from Fondamente Nove, Burano lies further out. On a single day either one takes the time of the second half of the tour, so they suit a second visit or a night in Venice better.

Sources

Timetables, fares and opening hours come from these operators:

Image credits

Regione del Veneto – L.R. n. 28/76 – Formazione della Carta Tecnica Regionale

AI Tour Guide
Researched and curated by the AI Tour Guide team
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