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Italy · Veneto

Venice travel guide

Canals, palaces and islands of glass and lace

The Grand Canal. Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

2hflight from London
VCEnearest main airport
25° in Julwarmest month
5° in Jancoolest month

Venice is built on more than 100 islands in a lagoon, with no cars and no roads, just canals, bridges and alleys. St Mark's Square and the Grand Canal are as beautiful as you've heard.

Day-trippers crowd the centre from late morning to late afternoon, so stay at least one night. Venice is at its best early in the morning and after dark, when the lanes go quiet.

Good forRomanceArtHistoryCity breaks

What Venice is known for

  • Canals and gondolas

    A city with no roads, where boats are the buses and taxis.

  • St Mark's Square

    The basilica, the Doge's Palace and the bell tower in one square.

  • Carnival

    Two weeks of masks and costumes before Lent.

  • Murano and Burano

    Glassblowing on one island, bright painted houses on the other.

Top things to do in Venice

  1. 1

    St Mark's Basilica

    Golden mosaics cover the domes. Entry is timed, and a small fee skips the queue.

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  2. 2

    The Doge's Palace

    The seat of the Venetian Republic, with the Bridge of Sighs to the prisons.

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  3. 3

    A gondola ride

    Expensive but memorable, with set prices. A traghetto crossing of the Grand Canal costs a couple of euros.

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  4. 4

    Rialto Bridge and market

    The oldest bridge over the Grand Canal, with the fish market behind it.

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  5. 5

    Murano and Burano

    A vaporetto trip to the glass furnaces of Murano and the colourful houses of Burano.

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  6. 6

    The Grand Canal by vaporetto

    Line 1 runs the whole canal past the palaces: the cheapest tour in the city.

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See all tours and tickets in Venice

Where to stay in Venice

Find a hotel in Venice

Best time to visit Venice

Best value: Feb–May, Sep–Oct. March to May, and September to November: cooler and calmer than summer, though autumn can bring high tides.

  • Best valueGood weather, smaller crowds
  • PeakBusiest, highest prices
  • QuietCheapest, cooler or wetter
5.2 C5°J6.1 C6°F9.4 C9°M13.6 C14°A18.2 C18°M22.8 C23°J25.4 C25°J25.2 C25°A20.8 C21°S16.1 C16°O11.1 C11°N6.6 C7°D
Bar height is the average temperature in Venice, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Getting there and around

About 2h from London to VCE, and flights from most UK airports.

Walk or take the vaporetto water buses. Day and multi-day passes save money. The Alilaguna boat or a bus links the airport to the city.

Find flights to Venice (VCE)

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Good to know

  • Day-trippers on certain peak dates must pay an entry fee. Overnight guests are exempt but still register.
  • Don't sit on bridges or steps to eat, and never swim in the canals: fines are steep.
  • Get lost on purpose, but download an offline map for getting back.
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Venice FAQ

How many days do you need in Venice?

Two nights lets you see the sights and enjoy the quiet evenings. Add a day for the islands.

Does Venice flood?

High tides, the acqua alta, happen mostly from October to January. The MOSE barrier now protects the city from the worst.

More places in Italy

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