One day in Venice at the Biennale: the route curators walk, not tourists
Do not try to see everything. A ready scenario for the day: a little of the Biennale, the chief exhibitions nearby, and Venice instead of queues.
The chief mistake at the Biennale is to try to see everything. A hundred-odd artists, nearly a hundred pavilions, two venues — in a day this is not 'to walk through', and the attempt turns art into a forced march. Curators do not do this. Below is an honest one-day route: a little of the Biennale, the chief parallel exhibitions nearby, and Venice, not a queue. Take all tickets online ahead, and remember: on Mondays the Biennale is closed (except 11 May and 16 November).
9:00 — the Giardini, while it is empty
Begin with the Giardini, at opening. In the morning it breathes here: the main exhibition, In Minor Keys, and the national pavilions without the daytime crush. Do not chase them all — choose 6–8 pavilions that catch you, and go slowly. That is the exhibition's own instruction: quiet frequencies, not haste.
11:30 — the Arsenale and the Qatar pavilion
Ten minutes on foot and you are at the Arsenale, the second venue, in the old Venetian shipyards. Here is the second half of the main exhibition and, as a separate point, the new permanent Qatar pavilion — the first new building in the historic gardens in almost 30 years.
13:30 — cicchetti, not a restaurant with a menu in three languages
Lunch, in the Venetian way. Slip into Castello, into any bacaro (wine bar), and take cicchetti — the local tapas — with a glass of wine (an ombra). It is quicker, cheaper and more honest than a tourist restaurant by the water.
15:00 — the Punta della Dogana
Take the vaporetto and cross to Dorsoduro, to the Punta della Dogana (the Pinault Collection): Lorna Simpson and Paulo Nazareth, whose line of salt across the halls slowly draws out the silhouette of a slave ship. After the Biennale's noise — a draught of depth.
16:30 — Abramović at the Accademia
Five minutes on foot — the Gallerie dell'Accademia and the exhibition of Marina Abramović, Transforming Energy. Lie on the crystal beds, pass through the performances, stand before the Pietà face to face with Titian. It is the emotional peak of the day — best not rushed.
18:30 — sunset on the Zattere
Step out onto the Zattere quay or to the Punta della Dogana, take a spritz, and simply watch the light settle on the lagoon. The chief view of Venice is not where everyone stands.
20:30 — dinner (booked ahead)
Venice dines by booking — chance here often costs dearly. Reserve a table in Dorsoduro or Cannaregio in the morning (better still the day before), and end the day where the locals eat, not the tourists.
Notes in the margin
- Tickets ahead, all online. The Biennale, the Punta della Dogana and the Accademia are overloaded on season days — at the desk you will lose an hour.
- A day vaporetto pass pays off if you plan three or more crossings by water.
- Comfortable shoes and water. Venice is kilometres over stone and bridges; by evening your legs will thank you.
- On Mondays much is closed — build the day on Tuesday to Sunday.
One day, put together with sense, will give you more than three days in queues. You will see the Biennale — but you will remember the city.
