When is the best time to visit Venice?

Quick answer by priority

• Best weather: May and September, with highs of about 22 to 24°C (72 to 75°F).

• Fewest crowds: November, early December and January outside Carnival, midweek.

• Cheapest hotels: January (before Carnival), late November and early December.

• Festivals: Carnival (23 January to 9 February 2027), Redentore in mid-July, the Regata Storica in early September, the Film Festival on the Lido in late August and early September.

• Avoid: Carnival weekends and Easter if you hate crowds, peak acqua alta weeks in November if mobility is a concern, and arriving as a day-tripper on a fee day without your QR code.

Venice month by month

Figures are typical averages for Venice (1991 to 2020 normals). Rain falls on 5 to 9 days in every month; there is no dry season, but there is a high-water season.

• January: about 8°C (46°F) highs, 0°C (32°F) lows. Fog, low prices, empty lanes until Carnival begins on 23 January 2027.

• February: about 9°C (48°F). Carnival runs to 9 February 2027; after that, one of the quietest stretches of the year.

• March: about 13°C (55°F). Shoulder prices; the 2027 access-fee season is planned to start on Good Friday, 26 March.

• April: about 17°C (63°F), rain on about 8 days. Easter (28 March 2027) and the 25 April holiday, which is also Venice's own feast of San Marco, bring crowds.

• May: about 22°C (72°F). Our pick: warm evenings for the Zattere and Fondamenta della Misericordia, and the islands of Burano and Torcello at their best.

• June: about 26°C (79°F), rain on about 9 days, often as thunderstorms. Hotel prices climb.

• July: about 29°C (84°F), humid, mosquitoes at dusk. Redentore weekend, expected on 17 and 18 July 2027, fills the Giudecca Canal with boats for the Saturday-night fireworks.

• August: about 28°C (82°F). Busiest month for day-trippers until Ferragosto on the 15th; the Venice Film Festival on the Lido starts at the end of the month.

• September: about 24°C (75°F). Our second pick. The Regata Storica is held on the first Sunday of the month.

• October: about 19°C (66°F). Crowds fall, and acqua alta becomes possible from late in the month.

• November and December: about 13°C (55°F) then 8°C (46°F). The heart of the high-water season, the lowest crowds outside Christmas and New Year.

Acqua alta: how bad is it really?

Acqua alta is a tide well above normal, pushed by a southerly sirocco wind and low pressure. It is a mainly October to March phenomenon, peaking in November and December. Piazza San Marco is the lowest point in the city and starts to flood at about 90 cm on the tide gauge; much of the rest of Venice stays dry until the tide is well above 110 cm.

Since 2020 the MOSE mobile barriers at the three lagoon inlets have been raised for forecast exceptional tides, and they have kept most of the city dry on days that once flooded badly. They are not raised for moderate tides, so San Marco and parts of the Rialto can still be under water for a few hours around high tide. A typical episode lasts two to three hours, then drains.

What to do: check the city's tide forecast service the evening before, plan museums and the Rialto market for the hours around the peak, and pack or buy shoe covers or wellies if your dates fall in November. Raised walkways are put out on the main routes. Ask your hotel how its entrance is affected.

The day-tripper access fee and 2027 dates

Day visitors aged 14 and over who enter the historic centre between 8:30 and 16:00 on fee days pay €5 (≈ $5.6) if booked at least four days ahead, €10 (≈ $11.1) after that, and carry a QR code. Overnight guests anywhere in the municipality are exempt but still register for a free code.

For 2027 the city council has approved 72 fee days starting on Good Friday, 26 March, running into mid-August and concentrated on weekends and holidays, pending final approval in Rome. The full day-by-day calendar was not published when we checked, so confirm your date on the official portal. Everything you need is in our Venice access fee guide.

The practical takeaway for timing: if you are coming for the day between late March and mid-August, either pick a non-fee day, arrive after 16:00, or stay overnight. An overnight stay is better anyway, because Venice before 9:00 and after 18:00 is a different city; see how many days in Venice and where to stay in Venice.

Festivals, crowds and prices

• Carnival 2027: 23 January to 9 February. Hotels on the weekends cost peak-summer prices; see our Carnival 2027 guide.

• Redentore: the third weekend of July, expected 17 and 18 July 2027, with fireworks over the Bacino di San Marco on the Saturday night.

• Regata Storica: the first Sunday of September, with a historic boat parade on the Grand Canal.

• Film Festival: late August to early September on the Lido.

Hotel prices run highest from May to September and on Carnival and Easter weekends. Saturday is the most crowded day all year, and the day-tripper rush peaks between about 10:00 and 16:00 around San Marco and the Rialto. For cheaper beds, compare Cannaregio and Castello with San Marco, or stay in Mestre and accept the bus or train in.

When not to go

Late July and August is the season we saw: about 29°C (84°F), humid, crowded from mid-morning and expensive. It still works if you are out by 7:00, spend midday in the Gallerie dell'Accademia or a church, and eat in Cannaregio at night. Combine it with the mainland: our day trips from Venice cover Padua, Verona and Treviso.

November is the month to avoid only if a flooded square would ruin your trip or you cannot manage stairs and walkways; otherwise it is the best value of the year. Carnival weekends are spectacular and packed. For food in any season, see what to eat in Venice and our Venice guide.

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