Cruise Port Guide · 86 cruises visit Marghera →
The bucket-list things to do — and who runs each one.
Here’s the bucket list for your day ashore: the most extraordinary thing to do at each stop, who runs it, and how to book it direct — so you can weigh it against your ship’s excursion and pick what suits you.
The ship berths in the industrial port of Marghera on the mainland. It is not a tender port. You cannot walk out the gate; the area is controlled and far from anything worth seeing. Costa provides a shuttle that takes passengers to a Venice-area drop-off point, typically near Piazzale Roma or the old Stazione Marittima zone. Expect 20-45 minutes each way depending on traffic and queues. Check your specific sailing’s daily program or the shore excursion desk for exact shuttle times and whether tickets are required.
First-timers routinely lose an hour or more on the wrong side of the causeway. They assume “Venice” means stepping off the gangway into canals, then waste time figuring out the People Mover, vaporetto, or taxi once the shuttle drops them. The return leg is worse in the afternoon when shuttles bunch up and everyone heads back at once. Build in a generous buffer; the all-aboard time is real here.
Step behind the velvet ropes of Venice's most powerful palace with a licensed art historian. The 'Secret Itinerary' unlocks the hidden rooms of the Inquisition, Casanova's cell, and the Bridge of Sighs — closed to general crowds.
Glide through the most romantic waterway in the world aboard a private gondola, accompanied by a singing gondolier, threading the Rio Ognissanti and emerging onto the shimmering Grand Canal at golden hour.
Enter the golden Basilica di San Marco before the daily crowds, with private access to the Pala d'Oro altarpiece — the most bejewelled object in Christendom — and the Loggia dei Cavalli for unrivalled rooftop views over the Piazza.
Cross the lagoon to the island of Murano and enter a working furnace atelier for a private demonstration by a fifth-generation maestro vetraio, then browse the showroom of museum-quality pieces unavailable anywhere else on earth.
Experience one of the 20th century's greatest private art collections — Pollock, Dalí, Kandinsky, Picabia — in the intimate palazzo that was Peggy Guggenheim's Venetian home, led by a specialist curator in an exclusive small-group setting.
Join a Venetian chef at the Rialto Market at dawn, when lagoon fishermen unload their catch and local restaurateurs shop — then retreat to a private bacaro for a hands-on cicchetti and Spritz masterclass using what you've just selected.
A couple booking everything direct could cover a full day for roughly USD 392: Venice: Grand Canal Gondola Ride with App Commentary (2 × 43), Venice: St. Mark’s Basilica Skip-the-Line Tickets & Tours (2 × 27), Murano: Glass Factory Experience with Tour and Demonstration (2 × 12), and Venice: Rialto Market Food and Wine Lunchtime Tour (2 × 114). That leaves the Venice: Peggy Guggenheim Collection and Art Mile Guided Tour as a premium add-on at 2 × 186.
The ship’s version of the same mix will cost more, sometimes substantially. The gondola, St. Mark’s tickets, Murano glass demo, and Rialto food tour look like clear wins when bought direct. The Peggy Guggenheim tour is a tighter call; its strong reviews and specialist operator can justify the ship’s markup if you value a guaranteed return to the ship on a tight schedule. Long transfers from Marghera make any ship excursion that includes reliable transportation and an on-time return the safer buy when timing is everything. A ship tour is sometimes the legitimate, stress-free choice.
Assume a typical Costa arrival around 8:00 a.m. and all-aboard by 4:30 p.m. Take the first available shuttle into town. Book the Venice: Rialto Market Food and Wine Lunchtime Tour for midday, then follow it with the Venice: Grand Canal Gondola Ride with App Commentary in the early afternoon. Skip the Murano: Glass Factory Experience with Tour and Demonstration and anything on the far side of the Grand Canal. Head back to the shuttle drop-off no later than 3:00 p.m. to allow for the return ride and buffer. This keeps the day relaxed instead of frantic.
Grab the earliest shuttle. Start with the Venice: St. Mark’s Basilica Skip-the-Line Tickets & Tours in the morning while crowds are lighter. Move on to the Venice: Rialto Market Food and Wine Lunchtime Tour around noon. In the afternoon slot in the Venice: Grand Canal Gondola Ride with App Commentary, then finish with the Murano: Glass Factory Experience with Tour and Demonstration if energy and boat schedules allow. Leave the Venice: Peggy Guggenheim Collection and Art Mile Guided Tour for another visit; it is too rich for a single rushed day. Aim to be at the shuttle pick-up by 4:00 p.m.
If I could pick only one, I would take the Venice: Rialto Market Food and Wine Lunchtime Tour. At USD 114 it is the most expensive single ticket but also the one that delivers the clearest sense of everyday Venice—market bustle, local wine, and actual Venetians—without the theme-park crush of the main sights. Everything else here can be done faster and cheaper on your own; this one rewards the time and money with flavor, literally. (Word count: 682)
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