Day one: Friday (arrive in the afternoon)
There are three ways to get into town - by bus, train or water. Pick up the Alilaguna (alilaguna.it), a public waterbus service that travels from the airport to various stops in Venice. The Alilaguna return ticket is included in the 48-hour Venice Card, which buys you unlimited travel on public transport and free access to ten museums and 16 churches. It costs €77.90 (£53) per person (venicecard.com).
Check in to La Calcina (+39 041 520 6466; lacalcina.com). Lying at the end of Calcina bridge, this 29-room guesthouse has great views over the lagoon. Doubles cost from €99 (£67).
Head straight out to Ca' Rezzonico Museum (+39 041 241 0100), a lesser-known museum, it is one of the most interesting, offering an insight into 19th-century Venetian life. It's free with Venice Card.
Stop by Imagina (+39 041 241 0625) for 'spritz' hour (6-9pm) and sip the Venetian drink of dry white wine or prosecco, a dash of Campari and a good squirt of seltzer. Two drinks: €5.80 (£4).
Just off Strada Nuova in Cannaregio, La Colombina (+39 041 522 2616) is an intimate, romantic restaurant for dinner run by up-and-coming chef Domenico Lacuzio. Dinner for two will cost €86 (£58.50).
Day two: Saturday
After breakfast at the hotel (which will be included in the price), head to St Mark's Square, the heart of tourist Venice. Dominated by the Basilica di San Marco and the Doge's Palace, it's also home to Caffè Florian (+39 41 520 5641), the most famous café in Venice dating back to 1720. Two coffees will set you back €10 (£6.80). The Doge's Palace (free entry with Venice Card) is a must. Sign up for the 'secret itineraries' tour of the palace (€12.50/£8.50 per person) taking you into rooms not included with general admission. Nip into the Museo Correr (free with Venice Card) before checking out the views from the top of the 98m-high Campanile di San Marco. It costs €12 (£8) for two.
Enjoy lunch like a Venetian by leaning up against the bar at Rosticceria San Bartolomeo on Calle della Bissa 5425 and eating tramezzini (small, triangular sandwiches), €6 (£4) for two.
Take a traghetto from Santa Maria del Giglio across the Grand Canal to Dorsoduro. Traghetti are cut-price gondolas that shuttle across the Grand Canal at four crossing points for 50c (33p) per person. Afterwards, walk past Harry's Dolci and jump on the vaporetto from Zitelle to San Marco going past Isola di San Giorgio. Jump off at San Zaccaria for Harry's Bar (+39 041 528 5777), where head barman Claudio Ponzio has been making world-famous bellinis for 25 years. Two cost €30 (£20). Then head to Il Nuovo Galeon (+39 41 520 4656), which is run by the charming Donatello. The restaurant specialises in Venetian cuisine and three courses for two costs €70 (£47.60).
Day three: Sunday
Spare an hour to visit the Accademia (+39 041 522 2247; gallerieaccademia.org), home to the biggest collection of Venetian art in the world. Entrance for two is €6.50 (£4.40). Then, stroll down to Peggy Guggenheim's palazzo Venier dei Leoni (+39 41 240 54 11; guggenheim-venice.it), where you'll find the most complete collection of modern art in Venice. Admission is €20 (£13.61) for two. Stop at the Accademia Foscarini, a small café at the foot of the bridge, for lunch before heading to the airport: €15 (£10) for two.
Total: €646.16 (£438.99)
British Airways flies to Venice from London Gatwick. Visit ba.com
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