Excellence Luxury Villas · Dorsoduro
Luxury Villa Rentals in Dorsoduro
Apartments in palazzi along the Zattere, San Trovaso and Giudecca, in the Venetian quarter built on art
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The gallery quarter of Venice, facing the light
Dorsoduro takes its name from its 'hard back', the firmer ground the early Venetians found here, and it has stayed the most grounded of the city's six sestieri. It holds the Accademia, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and the great white dome of the Salute. It also has a university, a floating greengrocer and the long, sunny promenade of the Zattere, where Venetians go for their evening walk.
Our Dorsoduro collection runs to 50+ apartments, from rooms in old palazzi above the canals of San Trovaso and San Barnaba to penthouses and rooftop terraces looking across the Giudecca Canal. There is also a townhouse with its own courtyard, and on Giudecca itself the largest homes have up to 6 bedrooms.
Here is a guide to the neighbourhood, its corners and the best time to come.
Dorsoduro at a glance
- Apartments
- 50+ in Dorsoduro and Giudecca, with up to 6 bedrooms
- Guide prices
- Typically £2,400 to £6,100 a week, from around £2,200
- Best areas
- The Zattere, San Trovaso, the Accademia and Giudecca across the water
- Highlights
- The Accademia, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Punta della Dogana and the Salute
- Getting there
- Marco Polo airport, around half an hour by water taxi
Browse all 50+ properties in Dorsoduro
Villa numbers and guide prices are updated daily from our live collection.
Villa Ambrato Giudecca Dorsoduro: Spacious 6-Bedroom Luxury Apartment with Sea Views – Venice6 bedrooms
Palazzo Dogaressa Dorsoduro: Elegant 3-Bedroom Apartment with Canal Views – Dorsoduro Venice3 bedrooms
Palazzo Ca’ Dario Dorsoduro: Elegant 4-Bedroom Apartment with Sea Views – Dorsoduro Venice4 bedrooms
Palazzo Dorsoduro Venezia: 4-Bedroom Luxury Apartment with Seaview – Venice Dorsoduro4 bedroomsWhere to stay in Dorsoduro
The Zattere and San Trovaso for lagoon views and evening walks, the Accademia end for the galleries and the Grand Canal, Campo Santa Margherita for student life, and Giudecca for quiet and the best views back across to the city.
Bellini, Pollock and a Japanese architect
Few square kilometres anywhere hold this much art. The Gallerie dell'Accademia tell the story of Venetian painting, from Bellini and Giorgione's Tempest to Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese's huge Feast in the House of Levi.
A short walk east, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection fills her unfinished palazzo on the Grand Canal with Picasso, Pollock and Magritte, and you can sit in the garden where she is buried. At the very tip of the quarter, Punta della Dogana, the old customs house restored by Tadao Ando, shows contemporary art from the Pinault collection. Then there is the Salute, Longhena's votive church for the plague of 1630, which you will see from almost every apartment window on this side of the city.
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Gondola yards and the evening passeggiata
The Zattere runs along the southern edge of Dorsoduro, a broad quay facing Giudecca that catches the sun all day. Cafés set their tables over the water, and the Gesuati church has a Tiepolo ceiling.
Just behind it, the Squero di San Trovaso is one of the last working gondola boatyards in Venice, with its wooden sheds still looking like an Alpine farmhouse. Further west, Veronese painted almost every surface of San Sebastiano and is buried there. Apartments around here are a few minutes from both the Accademia and the vaporetto stops on the quay.
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Students, a fruit barge and the island opposite
Campo Santa Margherita is the sociable heart of the quarter, busy with students from Ca' Foscari and full of people with a spritz from early evening. Nearby, the Scuola Grande dei Carmini has more Tiepolo, Ca' Rezzonico recreates eighteenth-century Venice, and a greengrocer still sells from a barge moored by the Ponte dei Pugni, the bridge where rival factions once settled things with their fists.
Giudecca, across the water, belongs to Dorsoduro too. It is quieter and more residential, home to Palladio's Redentore church, and it has the finest view back over the city at sunset.
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Cicchetti, fireworks and November candles
Dorsoduro is good bacaro country. Order an ombra of wine and some cicchetti, the small Venetian bar snacks, with sarde in saor, the sweet and sour sardines, and baccalà mantecato on grilled polenta.
Two festivals belong to this quarter. On the Saturday night before the third Sunday in July, the Redentore brings a bridge of boats across to Giudecca and fireworks over the basin. On 21 November, a temporary bridge crosses the Grand Canal for the Festa della Salute, when Venetians walk to light candles. Spring and autumn are the loveliest times to come. Summer is hot and busy, and high tides are most likely from October to January. Our concierge can arrange water taxis, gallery tours and restaurant tables.
Ask our conciergeFeatured properties in Dorsoduro
Casa Girasole Dorsoduro: Luxury 3-Bedroom Villa with Seaview & Beachfront – Venice Dorsoduro3 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £6,601 a week
Palazzo San Trovaso Dorsoduro: Spacious 4-Bedroom Apartment with Seaview in Dorsoduro – Venice4 bedrooms · sleeps 8From £6,475 a week
Palazzo San Trovaso: Luxury 3-Bedroom Apartment with Seaview – Dorsoduro Venice3 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £6,419 a week
Palazzo Guggenheim Dorsoduro: Luxury 4-Bedroom Apartment with Canal Views – Venice Dorsoduro4 bedrooms · sleeps 8From £6,048 a week
Palazzo Salute Dorsoduro: Luxury 3-Bedroom Apartment with Seaview – Dorsoduro Venice3 bedrooms · sleeps 5From £6,034 a week
Villa Levante San Basilio Dorsoduro: Exquisite 4-Bedroom Apartment with Seaview – Dorsoduro Venice4 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £6,006 a week
Palazzo Zattere Dorsoduro: Elegant 2-Bedroom Apartment with Canal Views – Dorsoduro Venice2 bedrooms · sleeps 4From £5,082 a week
Palazzo Canaletto Dorsoduro: Luxury 3-Bedroom Apartment with Rooftop Terrace – Venice3 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £5,047 a weekWhy book your apartment in Dorsoduro with Excellence Luxury Villas
The right house, not the nearest one
Dorsoduro's apartments look over very different water, from quiet side canals to the open Giudecca Canal, and we know which are closest to a vaporetto stop and which have the stairs, light and views you are hoping for. With 50+ properties in Dorsoduro, we can usually find the house that suits you rather than the one that happens to be free. Search by size, pool, location and price, or tell us what you have in mind and we will put together a shortlist.
Book direct
You book with us directly, with no booking fees. Questions about access, parking, pool heating or how far it really is to the nearest beach go to people who can find out the answer.
A concierge who knows the territory
Water taxi transfers from Marco Polo, private tours of the Accademia and the Guggenheim, gondola rides, tables for the Redentore fireworks, cicchetti walks and restaurant reservations. Our concierge team arranges all of it, leaving you free to decide which terrace to sit on.
A house for every kind of party
Couples, families with small children, three generations together or a crowd of friends celebrating a birthday: we match the house to the group, down to the number of bathrooms and whether the pool is fenced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the best place to stay in Dorsoduro?
The Zattere and San Trovaso suit those who want lagoon views and the evening walk along the water. The Accademia end puts the galleries and the Grand Canal on your doorstep, and Giudecca is the choice for peace and the best views back to the city.
When is the best time to visit Dorsoduro?
April to June and September to October bring mild weather and fewer crowds. July is hot but has the Redentore fireworks, and November has the Festa della Salute. High tides are most likely from October to January.
Is Giudecca part of Dorsoduro?
Yes. Giudecca is administratively part of the Dorsoduro sestiere, though it sits across the Giudecca Canal. It is a short vaporetto hop from the Zattere and is noticeably quieter than the rest of Venice.
Can you arrange a private chef at a apartment in Dorsoduro?
Yes. Our concierge can arrange a private chef for a single dinner or your whole stay, along with cookery lessons, guided visits, transfers and restaurant reservations.
How much does a luxury propertie in Dorsoduro cost?
Across our 50+ properties in Dorsoduro, weekly rates typically range from £2,400 to £6,100, with the most affordable from around £2,200 a week and the largest estates well above. Prices depend on the size of the property, its location and the season, with July and August the most expensive. These are guide prices based on current listings; each property page shows its own rates for your dates.
How do I get to Dorsoduro from the airport?
Venice Marco Polo airport is around half an hour from Dorsoduro by private water taxi, and the Alilaguna water bus also serves the Zattere. Santa Lucia station and Piazzale Roma are a short walk or vaporetto ride from the western side of the quarter. Our concierge can book transfers.
Are there apartments in Dorsoduro for large groups?
Yes. Our Dorsoduro collection includes properties with up to 6 bedrooms. Tell us the size of your party and the occasion, and we will send a shortlist that suits it.
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50+ apartments in Dorsoduro, booked direct with our concierge on hand