From the latest Carnival dates to when hotel rooms are at their cheapest and priciest, we share the best time to visit Venice for every type of traveller.
12 June 2024
Few destinations around the world are as grand or unique as Venice. The City of Canals hides countless tales down its narrow streets and winding waterways, all of which have been navigated by historical figures, including Marco Polo and Casanova, over the centuries. However, modern travellers face challenges when planning the ultimate Venetian adventure. Climate change, tourist taxes, and restrictions on visitor numbers mean that choosing the best time to visit is more important than ever. Here, we answer some of the key questions about La Serenissima to decipher the best time to visit Venice.
When is the cheapest time to visit Venice?
Summer in Venice can be a sweaty, stressful experience for the uninitiated. The city glitters and thrives thanks to longer days, but the hoards of tourists disembarking from cruise ships drive up hotel prices. Therefore, the best bargains are in the low season between November and March. Winter brings occasional flooding but offers many cheaper hotel rooms and deals in local restaurants and bars.
When is the most expensive time to visit Venice?
Hotel rooms in the high season can be eye-wateringly expensive. It’s a small city with limited accommodations, so prices hike between spring and early autumn – spiking again for popular events such as Carnival and art festivals during the Christmas and New Year periods.
When is Venice busiest?
Venice sees the highest tourist numbers between April and June and also in September and October. Although July and August are still busy compared to the low-season winter months, the higher temperatures tempt Italophiles closer to the coasts and nearby lakes.
When are the best Venice festivals?
There’s something to celebrate almost every month in Venice. After a spectacular fireworks display illuminates the night sky on New Year’s Eve, the Piroea Paroea celebrations on the eve of the epiphany see squares turn auburn orange as bonfires are lit across the city. February’s Venice Carnival is undoubtedly the most iconic of the city’s festivals, but it’s soon followed in the calendar by others, including The Feast of San Marco in April, The festival of the Violet Artichoke in May, and several other religious feast days throughout the summer months.
When is Venice Carnival?
Venice Carnival is a bucket list occasion for intrigued Italophiles the world over. Each year, around a fortnight before Ash Wednesday, a thrilling programme of events draws around three million people to the city as they parade around in flamboyant costumes and masks. The original carnival dates back as early as the 12th century. As the dates depend on the ever-moving Easter calendar, it’s essential to plan a Carnival visit well in advance, as these dates see hotel prices rise, even when it falls in the middle of the low season.
When is the Venice Biennale?
The Venice Biennale is one of the world’s greatest contemporary art exhibitions and takes over the City of Canals for six months a year, typically between April and November. Venice’s historic venues host pop-up collections worldwide, and art lovers create jam-packed itineraries to ensure they experience all the major highlights.
