Grado is well placed for half-day or full-day excursions to nearby coastal and Friulian sites.
- Aquileia — 10 km north, the ancient Roman city and the seat of the patriarchate from which Grado later inherited; UNESCO-listed for its basilica with one of the largest early Christian mosaic floors in the world
- Palmanova — about 30 km north, a Venetian-built star-shaped fortress town from 1593, perfectly preserved
- Trieste — 50 km east, Italy's most idiosyncratic city
- Lignano Sabbiadoro — across the lagoon to the west, the Adriatic's largest and most developed beach resort, for contrast