San Marco to Cannaregio, Venice: free self-guided audio walk
Quick answer. A free self-guided audio walk from San Marco to Cannaregio in Venice: 3 stops, about 2.0 km, about 25 minutes of walking plus about 20 minutes of listening. Start at the Doge’s Palace, for more than 1,000 years the heart of the Venetian Republic, and step next door to St Mark’s Basilica, once the Doge’s private chapel. Then leave the crowds behind on the longest leg, north to Cannaregio, the most lived-in of Venice’s six historic districts, home to the world’s first ghetto and the parish church of Tintoretto.
- Stops:
- 3
- Distance:
- about 2.0 km
- Walking:
- about 25 min
- Listening:
- about 20 min
San Marco to Cannaregio, Venice: how long does the walk take?
About 45 minutes in all: about 25 minutes on foot over about 2.0 km, plus about 20 minutes of audio at the 3 stops. Time inside the sites is extra.
San Marco to Cannaregio, Venice: in what order should you visit the stops?
Follow the stops in this order: Doge’s Palace, St Mark’s Basilica, and Cannaregio. The longest stretch between two stops is about 1.9 km, about 25 min on foot.
Route and map
Opens Google Maps with walking directions through every stop.
Stop 1
The seat of government since 810, where the Doge lived and the Great Council met; most of what you see dates from the 14th and 15th centuries.
about 7 min of audio
Next stop: St Mark’s Basilica · about 0.1 km, about 1 min on foot
Stop 2
For nearly 1,000 years not the city’s cathedral but the Doge’s private chapel, at the eastern end of St Mark’s Square.
about 7 min of audio
Next stop: Cannaregio · about 1.9 km, about 25 min on foot
Stop 3
Venice’s northernmost and most lived-in district, whose long parallel canals probably owe their name to the reeds that once grew here.
about 7 min of audio
How does this self-guided walk work?
The audio guides on this page stay free: open any stop to listen in your browser.
Live Walk Mode uses your location to narrate places as you walk. It opens in the Mappu app at the first stop, Doge’s Palace.
Live Walk Mode: 2 hours for 50 credits (€4.99 Starter pack)
Before you go
- Check opening hours, tickets and access on each site’s official page before you go.
- Distances and times are estimates: straight-line distance between stops plus 30%, at 4.5 km/h. Your route on the street may differ.
Route checked by Mappu on October 11, 2026. Stop descriptions come from each place’s published Mappu audio guide. Mappu is a Fenutech product.