Venice
A city built on water, where the streets are canals and the buses are boats.
Venice stands on more than a hundred small islands in a lagoon, joined by bridges and threaded by canals. No cars reach it; the Grand Canal is the main street, the vaporetto is the bus, and every wrong turn ends at water.
Why go
For the fabric of the place: palaces reflected in the canals, churches full of Titians and Tintorettos, squares that appear without warning, and the great set piece of St Mark's with its basilica, campanile and Doge's Palace.
And for what lies beyond the centre: the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello out in the lagoon, the Lido's beaches, and the quiet quarters of Cannaregio and Castello where Venetians still live.
Highlights
What people go for, in no particular order.
01St Mark's Square
The basilica's golden mosaics, the campanile's view over the roofs and lagoon, the Doge's Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. Early morning, before the day boats arrive, it belongs to the pigeons and the café waiters.
02The Grand Canal
Ride the vaporetto the whole length from the station to St Mark's: the palaces, the Rialto Bridge and the fish market pass on both sides.
03The Accademia and the Guggenheim
Venetian painting from Bellini to Tiepolo in the old academy, and modern art in the palazzo along the canal from it. Dorsoduro's cafés are between the two.
04The back canals
Away from the main routes the city empties. Cannaregio's long straight canals, Castello's shipyard quarter and the Jewish Ghetto reward a morning of getting lost.
05The islands
Murano for glass, Burano for painted houses and lace, Torcello for the earliest church in the lagoon. The vaporetto out is part of the day.
06San Giorgio and the Giudecca
Across the water from St Mark's, the church of San Giorgio Maggiore has a lift up its bell tower and the calmest view in the city. The Giudecca beyond is a long quiet quay.
Areas
Where to base yourself, and what each area is like.
San Marco
The centre of everything and the most crowded. Grand hotels, the great square and the dearest coffee in the city.
Dorsoduro
The university quarter with the galleries, the Zattere waterfront and a quieter evening. A favourite base.
Cannaregio
Long canals, the Ghetto and a local life away from the crowds, a short walk from the station.
Castello
Stretching from the Arsenale to the gardens where the Biennale is held. Residential and calm at its far end.
When to go: Venice
- SpringMarch – May
- Mild, bright and lively, with the Biennale opening (art and architecture in alternating years). Easter and the May holidays bring crowds.
- SummerJune – August
- Hot, humid and full. Early mornings and the lagoon islands are the escape; the Redentore fireworks in July are the spectacle.
- AutumnSeptember – November
- Warm light, thinning crowds and, from late autumn, the chance of high water flooding the lowest squares for a few hours.
- WinterDecember – February
- Cold, misty and quiet, until Carnival in February fills the squares with masks. The most atmospheric time to have the city to yourself.
Getting there
Airports
One airport in our search serves Venice. Distances are measured in a straight line.
- VCEMarco Polo
Distance from
- CDGParis840 km
- LHRLondon1,150 km
- DXBDubai4,430 km
- BOMMumbai6,230 km
- JFKNew York6,670 km
- JNBJohannesburg8,120 km
- SINSingapore10,030 km
- SYDSydney16,320 km
Getting around: Venice
Everything moves on foot or by water. The vaporetto network covers the Grand Canal, the outer islands and the Lido; a multi-day pass makes it simple. Water taxis are the quick, costly option.
From the airport the Alilaguna boats cross the lagoon directly; buses reach Piazzale Roma, the last point a wheel can go. After that, comfortable shoes and a paper map.
Practical facts
The country, its currency and languages, the time zone and the time there now.
- Country
- Italy
- Currency
- EUR · Euro
- Languages
- Italian
- Time zone
- Central European Time
- Local time now
- Calling code
- +39
The atlas
Venice in figures
The figures under this guide: the climate on modelled 2001–2020 averages, how far it is from the UAE, and the places around it.
Climate
The weather in Venice, month by month
- Jan7°
- Feb9°
- Mar12°
- Apr17°
- May21°
- Jun26°
- Jul29°
- Aug29°
- Sept24°
- Oct19°
- Nov13°
- Dec9°
- Mild to warm and dry
- Mild to warm, humid or showery
- Hot
- Cool
- Wet
- Cold
Good for going, on these averages: May to October.
Mean highs run from 7°C in January to 29°C in July, with about 943 mm of rain in a year.
These are modelled averages for 2001–2020; the seasons described above are our own reading of a typical year.
Month-by-month climate for VeniceModelled averages for an area about 50 km across, not a weather station's record: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020.
Airports
How far it is from the UAE
From DXBVenice
4,430 km
6 hrs · Estimate
From AUHVenice
4,440 km
6 hrs · Estimate
The great-circle distance, and a rough flying time: the distance at an average 850 km/h plus 45 minutes for take-off and landing. Real flights follow airways, meet headwinds and wait for traffic, so schedules differ.
On the map
Places near Venice
Plan this trip: Venice
Open the trip builder with Venice already filled in. Flights, stays and everything else are priced together in one quote, prepared by a person on our team.
