Souvenir shopping in Venice can be overwhelming. There are hundreds of shops and stalls selling an array of cheap gifts and trinkets, but if you are looking for authentic Venice souvenirs then you have to be a little more careful when deciding what to buy in Venice. Avoid the fake knockoffs and seek out these beautiful traditional souvenirs which will bring back memories of your time in Venice long after your holiday is over!
Know Before You Go to Venice
Before travelling to Venice, check if you have to pay the Venice Access Fee, which applies to day trippers to Venice on certain dates starting in spring 2024. This official page has more information.
Overnight guests do not have to pay the fee, as they already have Tourist Tax included in their accommodation. If you need accommodation in Venice make sure you book in advance as hotels can sell out.
🛌 MY FAVOURITE CHEAP HOTELS IN VENICE:
$$ Hotel Antiche Figure – opposite the station, friendly staff and great service.
$ Albergo Marin – great value for its location next to Grand Canal close to the railway station.
$ Ostello S. Fosca in the centre of Venice or Anda Venice a fantastic hostel in Mestre
⭐ TOP 3 VENICE ACTIVITIES TO BOOK IN ADVANCE:
1. Doge’s Palace Reserved Entry Ticket – the most popular activity in Venice
2. Grand Canal Gondola Ride with App Commentary – great for solo travellers
3. Burano, Torcello & Murano Boat Tour w/Glassblowing – the top day trip from Venice
🚌 Pre-book your transfer from Marco Polo Airport to Venice by bus or water taxi
Shopping in Venice
Venice is known for shopping, and like many Italian cities, you can shop in designer stores and independent boutiques all over the city. Even Rialto Bridge is lined with souvenir shops and jewellery stores, so you won’t be short of places to shop in Venice!
During my visits to Venice, I took the time to seek out traditional products and artisan producers to find the most authentic souvenirs I could, and I’m sharing these with you now so you can buy a beautiful gift or souvenir to take home and remind you of your wonderful trip.
Some of the more expensive shops in Venice are found around Rialto and St Marks Square, but there are workshops dotted all around the city, some hidden down side streets.
What to Buy in Venice: Authentic Venetian Souvenirs
Handmade Venetian Masks
Authentic Venetian masks are some of the most iconic and beautiful souvenirs from Venice that you can buy. Cheap imported masks from China are for sale in almost every shop, but handmade papier mâché Venetian masks are harder to find.
The real Venetian masks are of course more expensive, but they will last a lifetime and serve as an ongoing reminder of your time in Venice, as well as supporting local craftspeople. Check out Schegge Art & Craft for beautifully painted masks, and Mistero Buffo and Ca’Macana for high-quality handmade masks.
If you are feeling creative and want some time away from the crowds, try a mask-painting workshop where you can decorate your own handmade mask to take home!
Murano Glass
Murano glass has been made in Venice for hundreds of years, and some Murano glass jewellery is a wonderful and good value Venice souvenir. You can pick up a Murano glass pendant or earrings for less than €20, or splash out on glass tableware, statues and other artwork.
The best place to buy Murano glass in Venice is of course in Murano, where you can also see a glass-blowing demonstration at one of the Murano glass factories. Take a vaporetto across the island of Murano, or join a tour to visit Murano and Burano, which usually includes a demonstration.
However, if you would like to buy a more personal gift, you can take a one-on-one Murano Glass workshop to make your own Murano glass jewellery. Massimiliano Calderone has a tiny workshop less than 10 minutes’ walk from Rialto Bridge where he works his magic creating beautiful glass designs.
I booked a private jewellery-making class with him and loved it. Seeing him skillfully mould the glass into intricate figures and shapes was incredible, and I came away with my very own Murano glass necklace that I made myself!
Read about my experience here, or book his glass jewellery making workshop online here.
Authentic Venice Souvenirs: Burano Lace
Handmade lace from the island of Burano is a beautiful gift, and a visit to Burano is a fabulous day trip from Venice to find some beautiful Venetian souvenirs. You can take a Vaporetto to Burano, or join a tour which is usually combined with a visit to Murano as well.
To see demonstrations of how the lace is made you can go to the Burano Lace Museum in the morning, where ladies will be making some handmade lace, or visit one of the lace shops in Burano where there are often live demonstrations.
There are various shops in Burano selling handmade lace products, just make sure you are buying the handmade Burano lace and not cheaper imports. Merletti dalla Olga is a lovely little lace shop close to the Lace Museum that has some beautiful lace products – apparently Elton John shopped there, so if its good enough for him, it’s good enough for me!
Authentic Gondolier Hats
You can’t get much more typically Venetian than gondolas, and a gondolier’s hat is a unique Venice souvenir you won’t find anywhere else – and it can be very useful to protect your head from the strong Italian sun!
Everywhere you look in Venice there are cheap hats imported from China which do a similar job, but if you want the real thing, head to Emilio Ceccato, which is the official supplier and sponsor of the Venice Gondolier Association – the Associazione Gondolieri di Venezia.
Quality of course comes at a higher price, with an authentic gondolier hat costing €150. If you don’t want to splash out that much, the shop also stocks smaller gifts like notepads, and you can even buy a striped gondolier’s t-shirt to remember your visit to Venice.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: How Much is a Gondola Ride in Venice
Marble Printed Paper
Traditionally from the Far East, the art of paper marbling is creating beautiful patterns of colours in a liquid, then blotting a piece of paper on top to transfer the colour. The art is known as Ebru in Turkey, where paper-marbling maestro Alberto Valese learned his craft.
His shop in the San Marco district is filled with his exquisite creations, which you can buy in the form of wrapping paper, cards, notebooks and more. Smaller items cost just a few euros so you don’t need to worry about splashing out on these gorgeous Venice souvenirs!
What to Buy in Venice: Door Knockers
I hadn’t considered door knockers as particularly Venetian until I spotted some of the unique designs. There are lions, cherubs and a variety of African designs as well as some fantastical animals – door knocker spotting could be a fun distraction from the crowds as you disappear down a quiet street and see what you can find.
To buy your own Venetian brass door knocker head to Fonderia Artistica Valese, or you can find cheaper or second-hand ones at various shops and stalls around the city.
Authentic Venice Souvenirs: Leather Handbags
Italian leather is renowned for being high quality. If you are looking for a genuine Italian leather handbag, make sure you visit Francis Model’s shop close to Rialto Bridge. They have a beautiful selection of bags and purses, and you can be sure that your money is being spent on a real artisan product. The shop is small but worth seeking out.
Second-Hand Books
Book lovers will never want to leave the gorgeous Acqua Alta Bookshop, which is full to bursting with second-hand books. There are several different rooms, and books are stacked everywhere, including in a gondola and even outside!
Even if you don’t find a book you want to take home with you, the bookshop itself is well worth a visit for the books and endless Instagram opportunities! It’s also one of the only places in Venice you can take a picture in a gondola for free. If you don’t buy anything remember to leave a donation for the resident cat’s food.
Wooden Accessories from an Oar-Maker
If you’ve taken a gondola ride in Venice, or just admired them from afar, you can take home a lasting souvenir made by a Venetian oar maker. Il Forcolaio Matto is a workshop owned by Piero Dri, who is a skilled craftsman making oars and forcole, which are the oar-holders on gondolas and other traditional rowing boats.
Forcole are made specifically for each gondolier to perfectly suit their height and weight. Forcole are also considered as a work of art in themselves, so you could buy a full-size one, or request a miniature version to take home. Piero also makes smaller wooden gifts and accessories like jewellery, cutting boards, ladles and more.
I popped into the workshop to take a look around and to admire some of the forcole on display – if you do want to buy something from here I’d suggest going early on in your visit or even pre-order it to allow for time to make your souvenir.
Venetian Fabric
Venice has a rich history and tradition in textile production so buying some fabric in Venice would make a lovely souvenir. Venice has been a centre for luxury textiles since silk arrived in the city from China and Persia, and the Venetian craftsmen began to weave silk with gold or silver threads.
Venetian fabrics were highly sought after by nobility and wealthy merchants across Europe thanks to the quality, craftsmanship, and unique designs which reflect the artistic heritage of the city. They are still highly prized today so if you are looking for fabrics to create clothing, upholstery, or decorative pieces you will find some beautiful material in Venice to choose from.
When it comes to buying fabric in Venice, there are several excellent places to explore, one of the most famous being Tessitura Luigi Bevilacqua. This historic textile workshop has been producing exquisite fabrics since 1875, and is known for its hand-woven velvets, brocades, and damasks. You can visit their store and arrange a visit to the weaving workshop if you reach out to them in advance.
Modern Venice Souvenirs
I came across this cool little shop called Feelin’ Venice selling T-shirts, prints and other gifts which really stood out from the usual tourist tat. Everything is designed by local artists and the shop was a welcome change from the traditional gifts and imported souvenirs.
Food & Drink to Buy in Venice
Buranelli or Baicoli Biscuits
If you’re looking to buy a foodie treat to take make, Buranelli or Baicoli traditional Venetian biscuits. Buranelli are from the island of Burano, where fishermen took these biscuits with them on sea expeditions. They are sweet, buttery and crumbly and you can find them in an s-shape or a traditional circular shape.
Baicoli are similar, but harder and more crunchy and go very well with mascarpone cream or accompanied with a sweet wine.
Shopping in Venice for Grappa
There are plenty of food and drink souvenirs you could buy in Venice, but most of them you can get at home. Grappa, however, is not as common abroad as prosecco, pasta or olive oil.
Grappa is a spirit made from the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems of grapes after the winemaking process, and the distilled liquid from all this ‘waste’ makes delicious grappa. The Poli family have been making grappa in the Veneto region since 1898, and their shop in the heart of Venice offers grappa tastings and sells a wide variety of their grappas and grappa-based liqueurs.
I had a tasting of 3 different liqueurs of my choice, which cost €3, but then as I bought a bottle of the rather delicious lemon liqueur the price of the tasting was included in the cost.
READ MORE: Traditional Food in Venice You Have to Try
What Not to Buy in Venice
Although it is tempting to buy a cheap knock-off, if you want to be a responsible tourist in Venice then skip the fake imports and cheap tat. There is plenty of it all over Venice unfortunately, and while I won’t judge you for buying a magnet or keyring, if you can afford to buy some authentic items from Venice I’m sure you won’t regret it!
Where to Stay in Venice
Hotels in Venice
Although staying somewhere close to the train station isn’t as convenient for St Mark’s Square, you won’t have to worry about moving heavy cases around the streets of Venice.
Hotel Antiche Figure, for example, is just opposite the station and gets great reviews for the friendly staff, good location and great service.
Albergo Marin is a good choice to get a mix of value and location, next to Grand Canal and 10 minutes walk from the railway station.
B&B Ca’ Bonvicini is a lovely bed and breakfast hotel just 7 minutes walk from Rialto Bridge if you would rather be more ‘in the middle’ of the action. It gets great reviews for the traditional Venetian decor and friendly staff.
Apartments in Venice
There are lots of options for Airbnb in Venice, but given how many locals have had to leave their homes, I would advise against getting a whole apartment for yourself. A private room in a local’s apartment will help them to pay the rent, and help you to really feel like a local in Venice, as well as saving you money.
This room in Venice with a terrace, for example, is a short walk from the train station and walking distance from the main sights in Venice. Alternatively, try Homestay.com which has some options for private rooms in apartments in Venice, Mestre and surrounding areas.
If you do want a whole apartment, you can rent full homes on Vrbo like this lovely historic apartment that is close to the centre of Venice, or this apartment which has its own garden! Booking.com also has a large selection of vacation rentals available too, browse available apartments here.
Hostels in Venice
I stayed at the fabulous Wombat’s City Hostel Venice Mestre, which is now sadly closed due to the pandemic. It may reopen in future, but it’s not looking good at the moment. However, there are other hostels in Venice if you are visiting Venice on a budget, take a look at these options:
- Anda Venice: a trendy hostel a short train ride from Venice in Mestre with excellent reviews
- Ostello S. Fosca in the centre of Venice
- Combo Venezia, set in the grounds of a 12th Century convent.
You can also take a look at all of the hostels in Venice on Hostelworld.
Want More Venice Posts?
Check out these blog posts to learn more about the best things to do in Venice and more Venice travel tips, or click here to read all of my Italy posts.Do you know what to buy in Venice after reading this? Which Venice souvenirs would you spend your money on? I’d love to hear what you think, please leave your comments below.
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