Best Time to Visit Venice

December to January and again in May or October are the best times to have an authentic experience in Venice. Without the crowds of tourists, Venice becomes an atmospheric paradise filled with grand piazzas, ornate palaces, and locals reclaiming their fascinating city. Shows fill the Venice opera house, and patisseries serve fresh traditional pastries. The museums and art galleries are quiet, giving you space to enjoy masterful representations of history with the coastal city demonstrating an uplifting spirit year-round with remarkable charisma.

Best Months: April | May | June | September | October

The best time to visit Venice for good weather is from late spring to early summer, most notably between April to June. The city awakens and emerges from the dust of winter frost absent of larger crowds. The mild weather and open city lends itself to an authentic charm often absent during the more popular seasons with customary cicchetti bars brimming with locals and the shimmer of St. Mark’s mosaics practically going unnoticed. By early summer, the canals once again fill with gondolas and the museums with crowds.

Best Months: March | April | September | October

The best time of year to enjoy a gondola ride in Venice is between March and April or from September to October. The smaller crowds and cooler weather of the late spring and early autumn provide the best ambiance for a gondola ride with gondolas more readily available and the canals much easier to navigate. The city has a tranquil quality at sunset or just after dark, but when concentrating on capturing idyllic photographs, the early afternoon or late mornings offer the best light at any time of year.

Best Months: February | May | June | August

The best festivals and events in Venice take place in winter and summer. The most notable festival in Venice is Carnivale, which is known for bringing a jovial ambiance to the streets alongside the canal with masks, opulent costumes, and lavish banquets. The Vogalonga consists of thousands of Venetians rowing along an 18-mile course in the lagoon with some teams dressed in funny costumes. The Historical Regatta race consists of an exciting gondola rowing competition taking place after a colorful procession of boats floating down the Grand Canal.

Best Months: March | April | May

Wine tasting in Venice uncovers the beauty of the city in spring, with the best experiences taking place from April to June. The city of impressive Doges and enticing Casanova, alluring Carnevale, and charming gondolas offers a charismatic setting for sampling some of the most celebrated wines of the greater Veneto region. With grapes thriving in the hinterlands outside of the city, as the weather warms in spring, you can explore Venice’s hidden corners by tracing the delightful layers of flavor in the wine.

Best Months: April | May | September | October

The best time to visit Venice with children is during the shoulder months of April to May and again between October and November. The spring and autumn months have fewer crowds around the city, making it easier to explore, discover, and enjoy Venice without worrying about losing a wandering child or feeling crowded amidst the melee of crisscrossing tourists. Rain or shine, Venice has abundant family activities, including museums, art galleries, and historic palaces that can capture your imagination.

Best Months: December | January | May | June

Winter is the best time for couples to visit Venice. The crowds have ebbed away from the city on the lagoon leaving a more romantic ambiance along the maze-like streets with misty mornings spreading along the canals. Venice is an iconic symbol of romance known for spirited gondola rides, elaborate banquets, and radiant palazzos. In winter, cold weather outside accounts for the cozy atmosphere found inside restaurants, hotels, bars, and museums across the city accentuated by the aromas of traditional hearty dishes and luscious hot chocolate.

Best Months: April | May | June

Venice is immortalized as the center of a former empire steeped in lavish architecture, cuisine, and art with plenty to explore in spring and summer, especially from April to June. Discovering the city and its surroundings in spring and summer offers an array of activities in which you can take part to enjoy a unique excursion, a surprising adventure, or an authentic experience. No matter the kind of excursion you prefer, you can have an unforgettable experience in Venice with a variety of distinctive activities.

Gondola ride | Cooking Class | Walking tour | Shopping | Glass blowing | Food market

Best Months: October | November | December

Fall and winter offer a unique view of Venice. With the cooler weather and longer evenings bringing an entirely different ambiance to the lagoon, you can find snow in the mountains, a chill in the air, and fewer crowds around the main corners of the city that instill the piazzas with an artistic stillness. From October to November, you can find the seasons changing, the colors of the city shifting, and the arrival of the vibrant Christmas markets. Each season will represent a different personality of the city during which you can enjoy more of Venice’s authentic allure.

Christmas markets | Gondola Rides | Shopping | Artisan Crafts | Opera performance

Venice is a collection of audacious palaces and quiet neighborhoods, where culture radiates from hidden corners filled with cobblestones and narrow canals offering incredible beauty. By knowing the unique experiences you wish to experience, you can find the best time to visit for your trip, whether you want an after-hours tour of St. Mark’s Basilica or a demonstration on how to blow glass. Zicasso’s Italy Travel Guide has plenty of helpful tips and information and you can also speak with an Italy travel specialist by filling out a Trip Request or by calling our team at 1-888-265-9707.