Last updated September 5, 2026
Wolfgang Moroder / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Venice
Dorsoduro sits on the southern side of Venice, across the Grand Canal from San Marco, and takes its name from the firmer, higher ground it was built on. It's home to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the Gallerie dell'Accademia, and the domed Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute at the mouth of the Grand Canal, along with the Zattere, a long sunny waterfront promenade facing the Giudecca Canal.
Art-focused and a little more low-key than San Marco, with a student energy from Ca' Foscari University mixed in alongside the museums — locals and visitors share the same cafes and campi, especially around Campo Santa Margherita.
Best for visitors interested in art and museums, anyone who wants a neighborhood with some everyday local life alongside the sights, and travelers who'd rather walk along an open waterfront than through the densest tourist streets.
Consider another neighborhood if you want to be right next to St. Mark's Square or the Rialto without crossing a bridge or taking a vaporetto — Dorsoduro is separated from them by the Grand Canal, and only one bridge (the Accademia) crosses on foot in this part of the city.
Our take A traditionally-styled hotel in a calm corner of Dorsoduro, with canal views from many rooms and its own water-taxi mooring.
Our take A genuinely atmospheric 17th-century villa with its own garden, something unusual to find this close to the Accademia and its bridge.
Our take A modest, family-run hotel right next to the Accademia, on a quiet residential stretch of Dorsoduro, at a fair price.
Our take A solid, larger-scale option between the Zattere promenade and the Grand Canal, directly opposite the Gallerie dell'Accademia, with more availability than Dorsoduro's smaller hotels during busy periods.
The Accademia Bridge connects Dorsoduro to San Marco on foot, and vaporetto stops along the Grand Canal and Giudecca Canal (including Zattere and Salute) connect it to the rest of the city by water.
There are no roads for cars in Venice's historic center — it's physically impossible to drive there. If you're arriving by car, you'll park at Piazzale Roma or on the mainland and continue by foot, vaporetto, or water taxi.
