Date of visit: August 14, 2026…read more Regularly noted as one of the most interesting and fascinating free things to do in Venice, we enjoyed our time at the Libreria Acqua Alta. Because it is so Instagrammable, it was definitely crowded and we didn't get to spend as much time there as we would have liked. Yes, they have the cats you've seen online. And no, you should not pet them. Would you want strange foreigners putting their grubby mitts on you all day? Okay, maybe you would, I'm not judging, but let's not do that here! They have a variety of souvenirs perfect for the bibliophile you left back home, along with actual books in both English and Italian, so this is a great place to find some things that are not just the same magnets, keychains, and other bric-a-brac you'll find along the Grand Canal. But again, it's often super crowded so it can be challenging to take the time to find what you need; wish they did better crowd control at the entrance so you can take a little more time. We ended up not buying anything for that very reason.

Super cute and viral bookstore in Venice known for their picturesque book steps and book wall in…read morethe back of the store. Funny enough, I totally forgot about the book steps/wall when we got there but still had a great time walking around and exploring the bookstore. Their totes are popular and they had a variety of colors but it felt a bit pricey (€15 as of May 2026) for what it was. Lots of different books, with some specialty Venice books. I got a "Cats of Venice" book for a cat lover in my life which I thought was a unique souvenir to bring back. They had the entire "Little Books of Fashion" collection so I picked up a Little Book of Bottega Veneta as my own souvenir but noticed the book was priced higher than what they sell in the States (€20 versus ~$12-17 in US) - just FYI. They also had Libreria Acqua Alta postcards and bookmarks. We came mid-day in May and there was no line to get in. The actual bookstore itself is not big with narrow aisles so it was a bit crowded once we got in but it was manageable. No line to check out. We had several days in Venice which is why we stopped by but if you're only here for a day, I don't think it's a must-do.

Cute bookstore with tons of comics. Everything Italian which is understandable. But super friendly,…read morehelpful, and overall great experience!