visit venice app

11 Essential Apps for Travellers Visiting Venice in 2023

With its shimmering canals and historic allure, is a city that beckons travellers from every corner of the globe. But navigating this labyrinthine city can be as challenging as it is enchanting. As the founder of Urbs, I've always believed in the power of technology to enhance our travel experiences. Over the years, I've relied on a suite of apps to uncover Venice's hidden gems and navigate its winding pathways. In this piece, I'll share my top 11 apps for visiting Venice that transformed my Venetian adventures, starting with our very own Urbs Travel App. Dive in and discover the digital companions that will make your next trip to La Serenissima truly unforgettable.

Our 11 Best Apps for Venice in 2023

1. urbs travel app, 2. google maps, 3. city mapper, 4. chebateo, 5. avm venezia official app, 6. hitide venice, 8. the michelin guide, 9. duolingo, 10. google lens, 11. medinaction.

Ah, Venice! As the founder of Urbs, every visit to this enchanting city is both a personal journey and an opportunity to experience the magic our app brings to travelers. One of the features I'm particularly proud of is how Urbs allows users to plot routes that encompass all the attractions they wish to see. On my recent trip, I used our app to craft a route that took me through Venice's iconic landmarks, from the majestic Doge's Palace to the serene canals of Cannaregio. And it's not just about plotting a route; it's about immersing oneself in the rich tapestry of Venetian history and culture .

As I meandered through the city, I was accompanied by our audio guides, meticulously written by local experts who truly understand the heart and soul of Venice. These guides, brought to life by professional voice artists, added layers of depth to my exploration, making each attraction more than just a visual treat. It felt as if I had a local Venetian whispering tales and secrets into my ear, making the city's history come alive around me.

Download Urbs' Venice audio tours .

Who hasn't heard of Google Maps? But let me tell you, using it in Venice was an entirely different experience. On my second day, I decided to challenge myself to find the most picturesque bridge in Venice. Using Google Maps, I started my journey. However, Venice's winding alleys had other plans for me. At one point, I found myself at a dead-end with a canal in front of me and no bridge in sight. But thanks to Google Maps, I quickly rerouted and found my way to the Ponte dell'Accademia. As I stood there, taking in the breathtaking view, I chuckled thinking about my little misadventure. And while there were a few hiccups along the way (like that time the app thought I was on a boat when I was clearly on foot), it added to the charm of my Venetian adventure. Remember, in Venice, it's not about the destination; it's about the journey... and getting a little lost along the way.

Download from Google Play or Apple App Store .

Navigating Venice's maze-like streets and waterways can be a tad overwhelming, but City Mapper came to my rescue. On a sunny afternoon, I decided to visit the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Instead of taking the usual route, City Mapper suggested a scenic path that had me walking alongside canals and crossing charming bridges. However, here's the quirky part: halfway through, I got distracted by a street musician and ended up at the Rialto Bridge instead! I chuckled, pulled out City Mapper, and was back on track in no time. While the app occasionally sends you on unexpected detours, it's all part of the Venetian adventure. A word of advice: always double-check your route, especially if you're on a tight schedule. But if you like me and enjoy spontaneous adventures, let City Mapper guide you.

When in Venice, traveling by vaporetto (water bus) is a must. But with so many lines and stops, it can get a tad confusing. Enter CheBateo? - my trusty sidekick during my Venetian escapades. One evening, I decided to catch the sunset at San Giorgio Maggiore. I pulled out CheBateo? to check the vaporetto timings. The app showed a boat leaving in 10 minutes. Perfect! I hurriedly made my way to the jetty, only to realize I was at the wrong one. Panicking, I quickly searched for the nearest stop on CheBateo? and sprinted there. I made it just in time and was rewarded with a mesmerizing Venetian sunset. A word of caution: always double-check your stops. And while the app occasionally has its quirks (like that time it missed a stop at Treporti), it's all part of the adventure. After all, what's a trip to Venice without a little drama?

Venice is not just about gondolas and canals; it's also about efficient public transport. The AVM Venezia Official App became my go-to for all things related to public transport in Venice. On one of the days, I had planned a tight itinerary, hopping from the Doge's Palace to the Murano Glass Museum. I needed precise timings for the vaporettos to ensure I didn't waste a minute. The app not only provided me with accurate schedules but also allowed me to purchase and validate tickets on the go. But here's the quirky bit: I once ended up validating a ticket for the wrong route! Thankfully, with the app's "Calculate route" function, I quickly adjusted my plans and was back on track. And for those who drive into Venice, the app even lets you pay for parking spots. It's like having a mini transport concierge right in your pocket!

If there's one thing that's as synonymous with Venice as its gondolas, it's the city's infamous high tides. On my third day in Venice, I woke up to the sound of sirens, signaling an incoming 'acqua alta' or high tide. I quickly grabbed my phone and checked the Hi!tide Venice app. The app predicted a significant tide, enough to flood St. Mark's Square. Armed with this knowledge, I swapped my walking shoes for waterproof boots and set out. As I waded through the flooded streets, I couldn't help but chuckle at tourists caught off-guard, trying to navigate the waters in their sneakers. The app not only provides precise tidal predictions but also covers different parts of the city. It's easy to use, looks great, and is a must-have for any visitor to Venice. Because let's face it, in Venice, it's not just about navigating the streets, but also the tides!

Dining in Venice is an experience in itself, and TheFork became my trusty companion in discovering the city's culinary delights. On one evening, I decided to surprise my partner with a romantic dinner. I had heard about this quaint little restaurant overlooking the Grand Canal but couldn't remember its name. A quick search on TheFork, and voila! I found it, checked its availability, and made a reservation—all within minutes. But here's the quirky twist: when we arrived, the restaurant had our reservation down for a party of 20! After a good laugh with the restaurant staff, they managed to find us a cozy spot by the window. While the app has its occasional hiccups, it's a fantastic tool for discovering and booking some of Venice's best eateries. Just a tip: always confirm your reservation details, especially if you're planning a surprise!

For those with a refined palate and a penchant for gourmet experiences, The MICHELIN Guide is the ultimate culinary compass. During my stay in Venice, this app became an indispensable tool in my quest for the city's finest dining establishments. With just a few taps, I was able to discover a plethora of Michelin-recognized restaurants, each promising a unique gastronomic journey. One evening, guided by the app, I found myself at a quaint eatery overlooking a serene canal, indulging in dishes that were as much a work of art as they were a treat for the taste buds. The MICHELIN Guide not only offers insights into the culinary caliber of restaurants but also provides detailed reviews and ambiance descriptions, ensuring every dining choice is informed and exceptional. For anyone looking to elevate their dining experience in Venice, this app is a must-have in your digital toolkit.

Ah, the beauty of Venice is not just in its canals and architecture but also in its rich language. On my quest to immerse myself fully in the Venetian experience, I turned to Duolingo to pick up some Italian phrases. The app, with its engaging mini-games, made learning genuinely fun. I remember practicing my newly acquired skills at a local café. I confidently ordered a "caffè e cornetto," expecting a coffee and croissant. To my amusement, I was handed a coffee and an ice cream cone! Turns out, "cornetto" can mean both in Italian! It was a hilarious mix-up, but the locals appreciated my effort. Duolingo's approach to language learning is friendly and interactive, making it easy even for someone like me, who's always struggled with languages. By the end of my trip, I was stringing together basic sentences and earning smiles from the locals. If you're visiting Venice or any other foreign city, Duolingo is a must-have to enhance your travel experience.

Venice is a city steeped in history, art, and culture. On my visit, I often found myself intrigued by ancient inscriptions, artworks, and unfamiliar Italian signs. Enter Google Lens, my trusty visual companion. I remember standing in front of an old Venetian building with a plaque that was in Italian. Curiosity piqued, I used Google Lens to scan the text, and within seconds, I had a translated version in English. But the quirkiest use was at a local market. I spotted a peculiar fruit I'd never seen before. A quick scan with Google Lens identified it as a 'fragolina di bosco' or wild strawberry. I bought a handful and enjoyed a delightful new taste experience. While the app is incredibly versatile, from translating texts to identifying objects, it occasionally requires a steady hand for accurate results. But for a traveler in Venice, it's like having a knowledgeable local in your pocket.

Traveling is an exhilarating experience, but falling ill in a foreign city can be daunting. On my trip to Venice, I had a minor health scare. Unsure of where to go and whom to consult, I turned to MedinAction. This app was a lifesaver! It allowed me to arrange a same-day, English-speaking doctor appointment. The best part? The doctor came right to my hotel room, ensuring I didn't have to navigate unfamiliar streets while feeling under the weather. The service was professional, and the doctor was incredibly reassuring. I remember jokingly asking if they could prescribe some gelato for my recovery, and to my surprise, the doctor recommended a local gelateria known for its therapeutic flavors! MedinAction not only provides medical consultations but also offers invaluable peace of mind, especially for travelers who might be apprehensive about seeking medical care abroad. It's a must-have app for anyone visiting Venice or any other city where the service is available.

Download from Apple App Store .

Final thoughts

Technology becomes an invaluable companion in Venice's labyrinthine alleys and serene canals . From plotting routes to gourmet dining, the digital age has truly transformed the way we experience La Serenissima. The apps highlighted in this guide are more than just tools; they're gateways to the city's heart, each offering a unique perspective and utility. As you embark on your Venetian journey, armed with the best travel apps for Venice, you're not just a tourist but an informed explorer, ready to uncover the city's secrets and treasures. Here's to unforgettable adventures in the City of Canals!

Related Posts

A Brief History of the Grand Canal in Venice

A Brief History of St Mark’s Square in Venice

A Short History of Venice (& 59 Top Venice Cultural Attractions)

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4 best venice apps that tourists need.

Looking for map apps to navigate around Venice Italy? We looked at the apps on the Android and Apple App Store to get these best travel apps to help you plan your trip and see Venice. Most of the apps are free too!

• Google Maps (Available on Android and Apple)
• Venice Travel Guide (Available on Android and Apple)
• High Tide Venice - Hi!Tide (Available on Android and Apple)
• Chebateo (Available on Android and Apple)
• Open Google Maps
• Search "Venice" first
• Choose "Offline Maps"
• Check the map covers your travel area, if not you can zoom out more
• Click "Download"
• Note that it will last only for a month before Google will remind you to update it again

Ulmon Venice Travel Guide should be your first and best app to get for getting around. Their map is offline and will help you navigate Venice Italy even if you don't have an Internet connection. It also saves you the money from having to book tours to see Venice Italy. Of course, you still need to pay for the tickets to visit the city. A few tips because travel map apps do not work similarly in Venice

• Expect to be still lost - Your phone location service / GPS might be very inaccurate due to the tall houses and narrow streets. One street can be just a few meters away from the other and it is hard for your phone to guide you.
• Look for landmarks - Instead of relying on the streets, navigate and familiarise yourself with landmarks to travel around

Some reviews:- Mark P, July 26, 2018 (It)really helped to find my way around Venice. Philip Diep, May 18, 2018 Great app. Saved me a lot of trouble finding where I was in Venice Christine Marie Domingo, March 25, 2018 Very useful to have with you if you want to explore Venice without necessarily having to book tours.

High Tide Venice - Hi! Tide is a free special official app developed for both tourists and Venetians to help you know the water level of various regions of Venice City such as the ACTV ferry points. As you know, Venice is a city built on water and in recent times, it was "flooded". Therefore, if you happened to be around during rainy seasons, you must get this to know the actual and predicted water levels to prevent having a "wet" trip. Some reviews:- Aditya Veer, May 9, 2019 Easy to identify tide timings in various regions of Venice. Tina Modrusan, February 3, 2014 Utilissimo! (Italian for very useful)

Chebateo App guides you in planning your vaporetto routes to travel around Venice. This relatively unknown app works even better than the official app because it is how a user would expect it. You can either search for what route to take or tell you which route will come at a stop. The free app allows you to favorite routes so you don’t have to retype the search each time. This allows you to quickly see how much time you still have to get to the vaporetto stop so you don’t miss it. Reviews Terry Mallory-Robinson, October 1, 2018 Invaluable for working out the best routes around the Actv vaporetto network. Highly recommended. Abdulrahman Jaber, November 17, 2018 A PERFECT APP FOR VENICE TRANSPORTATION OF WATERBUS Conclusion We hope you tried out these "best" apps and found them useful to guide you around the city on your day trip. If you found the best app that can help tourists travel around better, do share your tips.

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The Venice Pass ®

From doge palace to guggenheim museums: discover the most exciting attractions in venice with venice pass. -->.

Why choose Venice Pass ?

Pick a 2, 3 or 5 days pass and enjoy all these included benefits.

Top attractions and activities included

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What is included with Venice Pass

Venice Pass is available in different versions. Choose your pass according to the days you will stay and to the area you plan to visit.

• Entrance to the Doge's Palace
• Campanile di San Marco: Skip the Line
• Peggy Guggenheim Collection: Fast Track
• Entrance to the Museo Correr
• Entrance to the Archaeological Museum
• Entrance to the Monumental Rooms of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana
• Entrance to the Cà Rezzonico
• Entrance to the Palazzo Mocenigo
• Entrance to the Carlo Goldoni's House
• Entrance to the Ca Pesaro
• Entrance to the Glass Museum
• Entrance to the Lace Museum
• Entrance to the Natural History Museum
• Entrance to the Fortuny Museum
• Church of Sant'Alvise
• Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli
• Entrance to the Church of San Polo
• Entrance to the Basilica San Pietro di Castello
• Discounts in the agreed activities
• Entrance to La Fenice Opera House: Skip The Line + Audio Guide

Some attractions you can explore with Venice Pass

Art, culture and events.

Easy access to the main museums and events in Venice

Exclusive benefits

Discounts at the most important and historical activities of Venice and Veneto

Digital guide

Visit Venice in a simple and safe way thanks to the complete guide of the city

Guided tours

Enjoy at a special price the best guided tours in Venice

How does it work?

With the practical guide of the Venice Pass , you will know how to reach every sight , its opening hours and where to find it on the map, so you will not waste time, planning your day. Whether you would like to eat in the best restaurant in Venice , lose yourself in the artistic richness and monuments of the city or simply want to wander the streets and alleys of the dense historic center of Venice, Venice Pass will be able to offer a unique experience . Here are the main advantages for tourists and for the local citizens:

✅ Download our app now on your smart phone ✅ Choose the version of the pass more suitable for your needs. ✅ Scan your pass to enter any of the attractions available.

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"Bought the two-day venice pass including transportation. Easily used and allowed me to visit Venice without having to book attractions. Recommended."

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"Perfect, we visited the whole city and, thanks to the pass, apparently less interesting places turned out to be exceptional!"

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iPhone Apps for Venice Travel

Venice Travel iPhone Apps

Venice Travel Guide $5.99 This is a Venice city guide in the mTrip series of city guides (the other Italy city they offer is Rome ), and it functions on a couple of levels. It can work like a travel guidebook – it has all the listings of the things you’d need information about (attractions, hotels, restaurants, etc.) – but it’ll also plan your itinerary for you if you like. You can use the “mTrip Genius” when you first open the app – put in your trip dates, customize your trip preferences on the slider bars for things like museums, monuments, and parks, and tell the app what kind of trip “intensity” you’d like to have. The app will then produce a daily itinerary for you, complete with the amount of time it takes to get from sight to sight and a route to follow. You can edit the itinerary when it’s complete, to remove or add things. Other features of the app include a “favorites” button (you can save places to your list to find them more easily later), a currency converter (under the “more” button), and general information about the city (including tips for visiting with kids). Note: I was given a code to try this app for free, but my opinions are my own. Occhio Go Venezia $3.99 Written entirely by one Venice enthusiast after 10 years of visiting the city, this Venice guide includes not only the usual sorts of listings for attractions, restaurants, bars, and shopping, it also has information on travel necessities (WiFi hotspots, laundromats, grocery stores). It’s available completely offline and there are detailed walking directions from place to place, not just maps you need to navigate. Venice 2Go $0.99 This Venice guide has a city map that’s available completely offline and is searchable, and it also includes more than 170 articles (each one with photos) on various points of interest around the city (history, attractions, etc.). Venice City Travel Guide $4.99 There are a couple things about this app that make it appealing. First, it has maps of not just Venice but also a few of the lagoon islands and other cities in the Veneto, making it more useful if you’re planning some excursions in the region. Second, it offers itinerary suggestions for trips of different durations in Venice (1 day, 2 days, 3 days, and 5 days) to help you plan your trip. This app also has a few useful phrases with audio tracks. Venice Street Map $0.99 If you’re just looking for a more stripped-down map of Venice without much “guide” stuff along with it, then this app might be a good option. It’s available completely offline, and does have markers for things like major attractions. Venice Restaurants Official Mobile Guide $1.99 Since Venice is notorious for bad food, this might be the most useful app on this list. It says it’s the “most complete” listing of restaurants, bars, cafes, and other eateries in Venice and the Veneto region, and even has information on the different kinds of cuisine you’ll find throughout the region. The app has maps with restaurant locations and prices listed. Tap Venice Eating $2.99 This app comes from the recommendation of a reader, Jill, who was kind enough to leave a comment on this post when it first went up to say that she’s used the Tap Venice Eating app “extensively.” Jill says it’s the mobile app equivalent for Michela Scibilia’s restaurant guide, and “contains all of the information in her very useful Venice Osterie guide.” It’s available completely offline, and features listings for more than 130 places in and around Venice as well as the ability to pick a restaurant based on a variety of factors (restaurants with a seafood specialty, places that are good to take kids, eateries that are open late). Thanks for the tip, Jill! Lonely Planet City Guide: Venice $15.99 (on sale right now for $5.99) If you like Lonely Planet guidebooks, you’ll like the iPhone app versions. They’re crammed with all the same kind of information you find in the books, which makes them a little cumbersome to navigate, but if you get familiar with how to find what you’re looking for before you arrive in Venice you’ll be fine. iVenice $1.99 This specialized app is solely to assist with getting around in Venice – it’s got all the vaporetto lines listed, along with their routes and their landings. Venice Giracittà $5.99 Of the three audio guide apps listed here, this one has the most total audio track time – more than 4 hours, spread over 18 different audio guides. There’s an interactive map function (uses GPS) so you know if you’re getting off-track, and more than 200 photos to accompany the audio guides. Venice Touristic Audio Guide $4.99 This audio guide app includes tours of, as it says, the “50 most interesting places” in Venice. There’s more than 2.5 hours worth of audio, and the app includes a map that’s available completely offline. Venice: The Floating City $4.99 This audio guide app has only one audio guide, but it’s essentially a walking tour of the biggest attractions in the city. It’s a 1.5-hour tour.

VeneziaUnica.it è il portale ufficiale della Città di Venezia dove trovare tutte le informazioni sull’offerta di mobilità, culturale e turistica del territorio. Su questo sito è inoltre possibile acquistare direttamente in modo semplice e sicuro tutti i servizi offerti.

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The Official City Pass of the City of Venice   BOOK IN ADVANCE AND SAVE!

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You can save by booking at least 30 days before arrival

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CREA LA TUA VENEZIA UNICA

Scegli i servizi, ritira la tessera, you are here, venice access fee, venice access fee: useful information.

Starting in spring 2024, Venice will introduce a booking system and an access fee for day trippers : visitors not staying in accommodation in Venice overnight (and residing outside the Veneto region) will have to book online and pay a fee of €5 during the peak tourism periods of the year  (those sleeping in accommodation in Venice already pay a tourist tax).

The fee will apply on 29 days , starting from April 25 to May 5 and also during weekends in May and June -  excluding the Festa della Repubblica weekend (1-2 June) - as well as the first two weekends of July. The day-tripper fee will only apply during peak hours from 8:30am to 4pm .

This fee, a first-of-its-kind experiment, aims at managing visitor influx more effectively and preserving the city's unique heritage, discouraging 'hit-and-run' tourism .

On the website of the City of Venice there are FAQs on the Access Fee that explain everything you need to know before arriving in Venice.

ph. @murnudinvenice via Instagram

VENICE ACCESS FEE

For the year 2024 the amount is  5.00 € a day , not subject to reductions.

The entry fee will NOT be applied to the smaller islands , including Venice Lido (including Alberoni and Malamocco), Pellestrina, Murano, Burano, Torcello, Sant'Erasmo, Mazzorbo, Mazzorbetto, Vignole, Sant'Andrea, La Certosa, San Servolo, San Clemente, Poveglia.

It is NOT due by those transiting Piazzale Roma, Tronchetto or the Maritime Station, without accessing the Old City.

ph. Matthias Süeßen CC BY-SA 4.0 Wikimedia Commons

WHO HAS TO PAY TO ENTER VENICE?

All  visitors over the age of 14,  who do not stay overnight  on the dates on which the fee will be applicable, and do not reside in the Veneto region,  will have to book their visit and pay the  €5 fee  in advance. 

To manage the entry process, visitors   will need to register on the online platform  http://cda.ve.it  that will be launched  on January 16 .

Upon booking, visitors will receive a QR code that  certifies the payment of the fee (or the exclusion/exemption condition). I n order to prove that you have booked and paid for entry - as well as that you are exempt from payment - simply show the  QR-code  to officials at Venice's main access points.

ph. @frankpicc via Instagram

EXCLUSIONS AND EXEMPTIONS

Persons born in the Municipality of Venice, residents of the Municipality of Venice, minors under the age of 14 years are not required to pay the Access Fee. In case of a check, it will only be necessary to show an ID.   Holders of the European Disability Card (Disability Card) and their companion are not required to pay the Access Fee. In case of check, it will only be necessary to show the Disability Card.

Personnel belonging to the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Forces (including Fire Brigade personnel) are not required to pay the Access Fee. In case of check they can show the relevant service card.

They are not required to pay the Access Fee but must apply for exemption on the portal https://cda.ve.it, workers (employees or self-employed), even commuters, students of any grade and order of schools and universities that are based in the Ancient City or the Minor Islands, subjects and members of the families of those who have paid the IMU in the Municipality of Venice; residents in the Veneto Region, those in need of care, who participate in sports competitions, the spouse, the partner, relatives or relatives related up to the 3rd degree of residents in the areas where the Access Contribution is valid, and an additional set of exemptions provided for in the Regulation .

ph. Vladimir Korolkov CC BY-SA 4.0 Wikimedia Commons

The Municipal Administration may carry out checks, inspections and site visits through authorized personnel, in the main points of access to the City .

Fine from 50 euros to 300 euros (+10 euros of the entry fee), with the possibility of reporting under the Italian Criminal Code and special laws on the subject to anyone who makes false declarations, and falsification of documents in the cases provided for by the Regulation.

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MOGOL MUSICA E POESIA

IL GRANDE AUTORE PRESENTA LE CANZONI DI MOGOL BATTISTI IN VERSIONE ROCK, con la la partecipazione del Maestro GIONI BARBERA, saranno in Fenice il prossimo 11 luglio 2015.

Regatta of the Ancient Maritime Republics buy online you seat

The " Regatta (Palio) of the Ancient Maritime Republics " is a competition on eight-oared galleons among the crews of the cities of  Amalfi, Genoa, Pisa and Venice . The event was born in the postwar period and is organized every year at the beginning of the summer by turns in the four cities ( June 6th-7 th  2015  is the turn of  Venice), combining a fascinating historical-cultural message with a spectacular competition. The regatta is always preceded by the solemn  historical parade , famous for the precious costumes, that introduces the atmosphere of the competition.

>> buy online your seat buy to attend regatta

Ice skating rink in Venice

ATTENTION : Today, Tueasday 17th February 2015 , the Ice Skating Rink closes at 9,00 pm

Temptation Dinner Show February 7th-8th and 12th-17th

The exclusive and official gala dinner at the Arsenal during the 2015 Venice Carnival During Carnival time in Venice, the Arsenal becomes a place full of TEMPTATION. With a small key you can open the door to your desires, and help your fantasies come to life within the magical “Torre di Porta Nuova” framework, where you will be enthralled by a dining experience.

Today (february 5th) tha skating rink at San Polo is closed beacuse of the bad weather

We recommend…

Venice Boat Show

Buy the official merchandising of the Venice Boat Show online

Visit the online shop

VENICE ACCESS FEE

from April to July 2024, on some specific days ONLY

ACTV - PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN VENICE

Public Transport Services (vaporetto and buses in the City of Venice)

SCUOLA GRANDE DEI CARMINI

It houses numerous works of art including the ceiling with paintings by G.Tiepolo

Virtual Venice: How To Tour Venice From Home

Here’s my armchair travel guide to Venice Italy. Via 15 virtual tours, you can visit Venice’s famous landmarks, must see attractions, and world class museums from your couch or computer. You can feel like you’re in Venice even if you’re not.

La Serrenissima is one of the world’s most beautiful and captivating cities. No other place looks anything like it. It’s a magical floating city of grand palazzos, golden domes, picturesque canals, and labyrinthian lanes.

Venice has suffered lately — from overtourism, flooding, and now the world wide lockdown. If, like me, you had a trip to Italy planned and canceled, you may be feeling disappointed.

But thanks to the wonders of armchair travel, you can now take a virtual cyber vacation to Venice. To be sure, it’s not nearly as fascinating as the real thing. But you can see the iconic place in a quiet and peaceful state, without crowd or queues. Perhaps the Venetians prefer it this way.

REA D: 2 day itinerary for Venice

How to Enjoy A Virtual Venice Vacation Online

1. google earth | google maps | youtube.

Google Earth and Google Maps are perfect for an overview of Venice. These sites enable you to see different digital views of Venice – aerial views, street views, and panoramic views. You can navigate your way around online using your keyboard or mouse. In addition, you can explore Venice here or take this 360 tour .

There’s also a brilliant live webcam on YouTube here . It shows Venice shut down, eerily quiet and empty. YouTube’s “I Love You Venice” channel plays live footage to classical music. It claims to have the “most beautiful live cam” of Venice.

National Geographic also has a lovely 4 minute video about Venice.

2. Google Arts & Culture: Virtual Tours

Google Arts & Culture is a brilliant initiative for the travel starved. Google has partnered with museums and institutions around the world to bring masterpieces to you in high resolution or present thematic tours of important art and architecture.

If you’re a culture vulture, it’s one of the best online best resources. In addition to the specific Venice sites, Google Arts & Culture also has an online exhibition from the National Gallery in London of Impressionist Claude Monet’s paintings of Venice.

3. Doge’s Palace

The Doge’s Palace or Palazzo Ducale is Venice’s most iconic landmark. Set in St. Mark’s Square, the palace is the very symbol of Venice. This pink and white marble Gothic-Renaissance building was the official residence of the doges, rulers of Venice for more than 1,000 years.

Now, from your armchair, you can explore the architecture of the building, the grand interior, and some of the fabulous Renaissance and Venetian art. The must see masterpieces are Veronese’s Rape of Europe and The Triumph of Venice, paintings and ceilings by Tintoretto, and Tiepolo’s Neptune Bestowing Gifts upon Venice .

You can tour the Doge’s Palace virtually on Google Arts & Culture and take a 360 tour of the exterior and tour the interior here .

READ : Must see sites along the Grand Canal

4. Saint Mark’s Basilica

St. Mark’s is one of the world’s most ornate churches, designed in an Italo-Byzantine style when Venice was a wealthy military power. It’s right on the Piazza San Marco and connected to the Doge’s Palace. The basilica used to be a smaller chapel for the doge.

It’s called St. Mark because it holds the body, a relic, of St. Mark. St. Mark was hugely important as one of the authors of the New Testament. Venetian merchants actually stole the relic from Alexandria in 828.

St. Mark’s is constructed in a Greek cross design, with each arm equal. The interior is like a golden jewel box. The walls are covered with mosaics, 40,000 square feet in total.

You can take a virtual tour of St. Mark’s here and listen to a Smarthistory lecture here .

5. Peggy Guggenheim Collection

Ah, this is my favorite museum in Venice. And it’s one of the finest modern art museums in the world. It was founded by Peggy Guggenheim, an eccentric American heiress with a nose for spotting talent.

The museum is housed in the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, an 18th century palace on the Grand Canal. Peggy purchased it from another eccentric European personality, Maria Louisa Casati.

Peggy’s collection includes works from the major movements of Cubism, Surrealism, Futurism, and Abstract Expressionism. There’s an entire room dedicated to her beloved Pollack. You can see works by Picasso , de Chirico, Kandinsky, Miro, Klee, Ernst, Magritte, de Kooning, Dali, and Calder.

The Schulhof Collection, also on site, is also impressive. It’s housed in a wing of the museum called the Barchessa. The collection features post-war American and European art, from the period following Guggneheim’s works.

The focus is on minimalism, pop art, and post-painterly abstraction. It includes works by Frank Stella, Cy Twombley, Ellsworth Kelly, Jasper Johns, and Eduardo Chillada.

You can tour the Peggy Guggenheim Collection online here . Here’s my complete guide to Peggy Guggenheim Collection .

6. Palazzo Rezzonico

Also located on the Grand Canal in the Doursoduro area, Palazzo Rezzonico is a shrine to 18th century Venetian artists. This period is sometimes called the “Age of Decadence.” You’ll find paintings and frescoed ceilings by Tiepolo, Longhi, Canaletto, Guardi, Molinari, and Lazzarini.

You can take a virtual tour of Ca’ Rezzonico here . You can also take a Google Street View tour of the lovely palace and admire the beautiful furnishings, the paintings, the Throne Room, and the Grand Ballroom.

The palazzo also has an online exhibition on Canaletto, a painter renowned for his oil paintings of Venetian canals.

7. Ca’ Pesaro International Gallery of Modern Art

Ca’ Pesaro is a spectacular 18th century Venetian palace in Venice’s Santa Croce area. While not as renowned as the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the Ca’ Pesaro is real a hotspot for modern art lovers.

It has a fabulous collection, spanning several movements from the 19th and 20th centuries with an especially rich collection of expressionists and surrealists.

The collection includes art works by works by Kandinsky, Chagall, de Chirico, Ernst, Matisse, Miro and Gustav Klimt . A highlight is Klimt’s Judith II .

You can take a virtual tour here .

8. Palazzo Fortuny

Palazzo Fortuny is an intimate personal museum to check out. It was founded by the Fortuny family, who manned a successful company producing silk and velvet fabrics.

The visually stunning museum is filled with eclectic art — printed fabrics, drawings, and sculptures, paintings, and photography. They’re all works created by Mariano Fortuny in the early 1900’s.

You can take a virtual tour here . Touring virtually will quell the desire to reach out and touch the goods on display.

9. Museum of Natural History | Museo di Storia Naturale di

This little museum is housed in the Fontego dei Turchi Palace on the Grand Canal. Its collection focuses on the natural history of the lagoon that surrounds the city. The museums conducts and coordinates scientific research.

Inside, you’ll find dinosaur skeletons, big game taxidermy, fossils, insects, shrunken heads, etc. It’s a perfect place for a history or science buff. You can tour the museum online at Google Arts & Culture here . You can take a Google Street View tour here and here .

10. Gallerie dell’Accademia

Located on the south bank of the Grand Canal, the must visit Gallerie dell’Accademia is housed in the former Santa Maria della Carità church and convent complex. It was built, in part, by famed Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio.

The Accademia was founded as an art school in 1750. In 1807, a conquering Napoleon opened the collection to the public.

The 24 galleries of the Academia are home to astounding artworks by pre-19th century Venetian artists. The Accademia boasts masterpieces by the likes of Canaletto, da Vinci, Veronese, Bellini, and Titian. This is where you can find Leonardo’s famous Vitruvian Man .

You can tour the Accademia virtually here or on YouTube here .

11. Correr Museum | Museo Correr

This little museum is dedicated to the history of Venice. The sumptuously decorated rooms include an opulent ballroom, a Napoleonic loggia, a throne room, and a dining room. All have beautiful frescoed ceilings.

Amid the ornate rooms, you’ll find beautiful Neo-Classical sculptures by one of my favorites, Antonio Canova. His themes were love and beauty. The museum also has an outstanding art collection, spanning the earliest days of Venetian painting up to the 16th century.

You can take a virtual tour of the Correr Museum on Google Arts & Culture.

12. Ride A Gondola Online

You can even take a gondola ride from home. Geneeo, a tech company, filmed a 20 minute virtual gondola ride through Venice’s canals with 360 views. Sip a limoncello and enjoy the beautiful views here .

If you’re ever in Venice, you can also learn how to row a gondola yourself. I did that the last time I was in Venice and it was fabulous.

13. Island of Murano Tour

Murano is a colorful island located in the Venice lagoon. It’s a wonderful day trip from Venice proper. Murano is renowned for its exquisite glass products and glass blowing techniques.

Google Arts & Culture has a page devoted to Murano. You can learn about the ancient art of glass blowing  here . You can also visit the Museo del Vetro online . The museum is devoted entirely to glass, from Roman to contemporary times.

You can even purchase authentic Murano glass souvenirs online from your couch or computer.

14. Thirsting In Place: the Aperol Spritz

A more unique and fun virtual tour is to make an Aperol Spritz, or Spritz Veneziano, online with Venice local Valerio. Venice lays claim to have invented the spicy European cocktail, which is a mixture of prosecco, Aperol, and soda water. The cocktail became wildly popular in the US starting in 2018.

If you want to learn how to make the aperitif and see lovely views of Murano at the same time, you can book an online course with Valerio here .

15. Films Set in Venice

Venice is an incredibly cinematic place, with its ancient crumbling palazzos and winding gondola-studded canals. Cue up these films for an armchair glimpse of Venice:

Death in Venice (thriller based on Thomas Mann’s famous book)

Dangerous Beauty (period piece about courtesans in Renaissance Venice)

The Italian Job (thieves team together to steal gold)

The Tourist (Johnny Depp in a romantic thriller)

Moonraker (James Bond film with a gondola chase scene)

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (third installment of the series)

You may enjoy these other Italy travel guides and resources:

• 3 day itinerary for Rome

• 3 day itinerary for Florence

• 1 day itinerary for Milan

• 10 day itinerary for Tuscany

• 10 day itinerary for Italy’s classic cites

• 10 day itinerary from Milan to Rome

• 1 week itinerary from Venice to Milan

• 30 beautiful towns in Italy

• Historic landmarks in Italy

If you’d like to visit Venice virtually from home, pin it for later.

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Last Updated on November 20, 2021 by Aamir Faiz

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Venice entry fee in 2024: all you need to know

In spring 2024 , the City of Venice takes a step forward to combat overtourism and move towards a more sustainable and responsible tourism . From 25 April , in fact, there will be a fee for tourist to enter Venice for a trial period that will last until July, in order to support local tourism and preserve the authenticity of the city and its inhabitants by limiting entry on the "black sticker" days of the year.

Here is all the information you need to organise your trip in the best possible way.

How much does the ticket cost and how to pay

Admission to Venice from 25 April will cost €5 per person per day. The fee is the same for everyone and there are currently no reductions. Each ticket is nominal and valid for the entire day , so if you leave the city centre to re-enter during the day you will not need a new ticket, but you will not need to buy one if you enter the city between 4pm and 8.30am.

To purchase the ticket simply go to the official website of the Municipality of Venice and follow the instructions. Once you have made the payment you will be issued with a voucher with a QR-code to take with you and show in case of controls at one of the eight access points.

Venice oentry fee: who has to pay

The dates on which you will have to purchase your ticket

For this trial period, Venice entry fee is limited only to "black-sticker" days , when the overcrowding is greatest.

Here are the days on which you need to purchase an entrance ticket:

- From April 25th to May 5th .

- The remaining weekends of May , namely 11/12, 18/19, 25/26 May.

- All the weekends in June, except the first one , and therefore: 8/9, 15/16, 22/23, 29/30 June.

- The first two weekends of July , i.e. 6/7, 13/14.

This solution implemented by the municipality of Venice is aimed at preserving the heritage and uniqueness of this city , containing daily tourism and making it more sustainable. Moreover, this measure is also intended to give residents some breathing space, allowing them to enjoy their city.

In these "black-sticker" days, the entrance ticket will make the streets and monuments more enjoyable for everyone, but the smartest way to visit Venice remains the Venice Pass , which allows you to skip the queue at the most important attractions and take advantage of discounts and concessions.

Let us all commit to safeguarding Venice's heritage!

Discover the Venice Pass ❯

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Venice launches its experimental entry fee today. Here's what visitors need to know

Apr 25, 2024 • 5 min read

A tourist shows a card with the days the Venice Access Fee is implemented highlighted in red © Christoph Sator/picture alliance/Getty Images

Today marks a big change for Venice as it officially rolls out an entry fee for day trippers. This long-anticipated measure aims to ease the heavy toll of overtourism that the UNESCO-listed city has struggled with for years.

Alongside cities like Barcelona and Amsterdam, Venice has become synonymous with the challenges of overtourism. With a staggering 30 million visitors in 2019,  many of whom stayed for just one day , Venice is desperate to protect its fragile infrastructure and historic charm with the new so-called Venice Access Fee. 

Local officials, including Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, have championed the fee as a "first-of-its-kind" experiment intended to make Venice more livable. However, not everyone's on board. The policy has sparked controversy, with protests from local committees and activists throughout the city on Thursday. Matteo Secchi from the residents group Venessia.com  argues that this fee might turn Venice into a "theme park," stripping away its authenticity and offering little real benefit to the locals.

Speaking to the Guardian today, Secchi said: “You can’t impose an entrance fee to a city; all they’re doing is transforming it into a theme park. This is a bad image for Venice." 

UNESCO has previously expressed serious concerns about irreversible damage and ongoing deterioration in Venice due to human activities, climate change, and mass tourism. The organization has criticized Italy for not making significant progress in addressing these complex issues.

The entry fee is part of Venice's broader strategy to manage tourist numbers and protect its heritage more effectively. Here’s what you need to know about this new tourist fee and other initiatives the city is implementing to control its visitor numbers.

What is the Venice Access Fee in 2024?

It costs €5 and must be paid by day trippers over 14 years old. 

The fee is known as the Venice Access Fee, and according to Simone Venturini , the local councilor responsible for tourism, around 10,000 tickets had been sold by the time the scheme began at 8:30 am on Thursday.

On what days do I have to pay the Venice Access Fee?

Day trippers will need to pay an entry fee on 29 peak days in 2024. This is during the first peak tourism period of 2024 (April 25 to May 5), each weekend in May and June, plus the first two weekends of July.

The Venice Access Fee will only apply during peak hours from 8:30am to 4pm. Those arriving later for dinner or a concert won't have to pay.

One of Venice's most iconic landmarks opens to visitors for the first time in 500 years

Who has to pay to enter Venice?

All day-trippers over the age of 14 must pay the fee. Those staying overnight in Venice accommodation will not have to pay but will still need to register to visit Venice via a new online booking platform .

Residents of Venice and the wider Veneto region (and their relatives) will not have to pay an entry fee. People with disabilities, students enrolled to study in the city, and those visiting the city for the day for health reasons or a sporting event or concert are also exempt.

How do I pay the Venice Access Fee?

Day trippers can pay the fee through the  online booking platform . Upon booking, visitors will receive a QR code that they can then scan at electric turnstiles located at Venice's main access points, including the main train station, to gain access to the city. Officials say they will also check people's QR codes at random.

Authorities say this new system will allow them to understand better how many people will be coming and going and prepare accordingly. They hope to apply more resources in areas like waste management and traffic control on busy days.

Venice's other measures to manage overtourism

The entrance fee is another cog in an ambitious and heavily monitored system that tracks the comings and goings of people in Venice. In 2022, the council installed a network of cameras, sensors, and mobile phone data in the city to keep track of visitor numbers and information.

This tracking system aims to identify areas where crowds gather and temporarily restrict access until the congestion eases, diverting people elsewhere to avoid blocking pedestrian traffic. Officials say the tracking system gives them a clearer picture of the number of people passing through and allows them to predict when specific areas will get busy. They insist it's done with “absolute respect for privacy.”

Furthermore, in response to UNESCO's warnings about the damage caused by cruise ships, Venice officially banned such ships from the historic city center last April. Instead, large ships are now redirected to alternative ports like Fusina and Lombardia, alleviating the pressure on Venice's infrastructure.   

Is Venice restricting tourists?

No, the Venice City Council has previously said that they won't limit the number of visitors. Instead, they plan to raise the entry fee on days when visitor numbers reach a certain threshold. However, they have never revealed any details of what that threshold number is.

Are there any rules in Venice?

Yes. Venice has implemented various rules designed to maintain its cleanliness and heritage. These are enforced by the Venice City Council Municipal Police. Violators face penalties ranging from a €25 to €500 fine or, in some cases, a ban from the city. These rules include the following:

- Do not consume food or drink on St Mark's Square, unless at a bar or restaurant.

- Always walk on the right.

- Do not stop on any bridges.

- Bicycles are banned (even if pushed by hand).

- Only book tours with qualified tourist guides .

- Never buy goods from illegal vendors.

- Picnics are only allowed in public gardens on this map .

- Do not walk around in swimwear.

- Swimming and divining are both banned.

- Do not litter or do graffiti.

- Love locks (and all other types of padlocks) are prohibited.

- Do not feed the pigeons.

This article was first published Jul 24, 2020 and updated Apr 25, 2024.

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Italy's Floating City Is One of the Most Memorable Vacation Destinations on Earth — Here's How to Plan a Trip

Visit Venice for an unforgettable adventure. Discover the best hotels, restaurants, and things to do with this highly curated Venice travel guide.

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Things to know, how to get around, best hotels, best restaurants, things to do, best shopping, neighborhoods to know, apps to download.

Canals, gondolas, and the Rialto Bridge. You think you know what to expect from Venice, but it turns out that no photo, however digitally enhanced, can hold a candle to the real city. To get to know it, though, requires more than an afternoon. While the day-trippers are stampeding from the Rialto to St Mark's Square, you should be a block or two away, watching artisans craft items with Renaissance techniques, seeing shimmering reflections dancing on bridge arches, and gawking at marble-clad buildings each more fantastical than the next. The joy of Venice is getting lost, they say – although however far you amble, you're never more than a couple of churches away from a Titian or Tintoretto.

Don't stick to the city, though – that getting lost should also be done in the lagoon, taking the vaporetto (ferry) to the beach-filled Lido, island of glass Murano, and, further out, Torcello and Burano, where Venice began 1600 years ago. You could spend a lifetime here and never do Venice justice. But with just a few days, it can touch your soul.

Central European Standard Time

If you're wanting to escape the crowds, there's no better time than winter, when visitor numbers are at their lowest. But while there's a romance to it, Venice in winter with its biting cold, swirling fog, and frequent wind and rain certainly isn't the Venice of people's dreams. In summer, the city is crowded and hot – but it's also the perfect time to head to the beach on the Lido, or into the lagoon. Spring and fall tend to have the best of both worlds – go late March to mid April, Easter aside, and you should enjoy decent weather but not too many crowds. Christmas tends to be quiet but New Year is busy, and Carnival (roughly mid January to mid February) is packed.

Currency: Euro (Check the current exchange rate )

Language: Italian

I don't speak Italian: Non parlo Italiano

I'm lost: Mi sono perso/a

I would like…: Vorrei…

How much is…: Quanto costa…:

How do you get to…: Per andare a…:

Learn more Italian phrases

Calling Code: +39

Capital City: Rome

Trains: Venice has two main train stations, Venezia Santa Lucia and Venezia Mestre, but only long distance trains stop at the former while local trains go to the later.

Buses: The vaporetto is the public transit system in the city and operates on 20 different lines all through town. The water buses run the length of the Grand Canal and cost €7.50 per ride, and are good for 75 minutes. Travelers can also get a Venezia Unica City Pass (€10) to use one both mainland buses and some water water buses. Buses from the mainland and local airports terminate at Piazzale Roma in Santa Croce.

Taxis: Water taxis can be found at the airport, train and bus station, and Piazza San Marco. Otherwise they must be booked in advance. Note that they're expensive, with a minimum charge of €60 ($72). Ground taxis (a car) can take you from the airport to Piazzale Roma for considerably less.

Car service: Hotels can arrange transfers, usually with water taxis.

Gondola: While more of a scenic mode of transportation rather than a pragmatic one, Gondola rides are synonymous with Venice and shouldn't be missed. Daytime rates are usually around €80 ($95) or €100 ($120) at night, excluding tip.

Hotel Flora

Address: S. Marco, 2283/A, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 520 5844 Website

Set at the bottom of a small alleyway on the designer drag off Piazza San Marco is this time capsule of a hotel, owned by the local Romanelli family. While the rooms are stuffed with antiques and the floors are typical Venetian terrazzo, it packs a luxury punch with Simmons mattresses, Rivolta Carmignani linens, and Ortigia amenities. Breakfast is served in the tiny courtyard out back, while the retro-style bar is the place to be after dark.

Giò & Giò Bed and Breakfast

Address: Calle delle Ostreghe, 2439, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 296 0491 Book Now

You'll feel like you're stepping into your swanky Venetian friend's home as you enter this boutique B&B near the Santa Maria del Giglio church that's just a quick stroll from St Mark's Square. Antiques sit alongside contemporary white-clad sofas, chandeliers hang from pebble-colored ceilings, and the three rooms continue that mix of old-meets-new.

Istituto Canossiano San Trovaso

Address: Fondamenta Eremite, 1323, 30123 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 240 9711 Website

Many of the city's monasteries and convents run B&Bs on the side, and staying in one is a unique way of seeing Venice. The Istituto Canossiano San Trovaso, run by nuns in arty Dorsoduro, is as close as they get to hotels: large, comfy rooms in a 17th-century building, at a fraction of the price of similar-standard hotels. You don't get breakfast, but there's a communal kitchen; and you don't need to be religious, but must be ok with a Madonna and Child over the bed.

Address: Calle Avogaria, 1629, 30100 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 296 0491 Book Now

You'll feel like a real Venetian in this five-room B&B at the quieter end of Dorsoduro. Rooms are sleek but fun, with out-there patterned walls, heavy drapes, and swanky mosaic-tiled bathrooms. Choose a junior suite and you'll get a private, walled garden.

Centurion Palace

Address: Dorsoduro, 173, 30123 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 34281 Book Now

Had enough of the heavy brocade and stucco found all around town? You'll want this ultra-modern grande dame of claret and brown walls, contemporary art, and blingy bathrooms papered with real gold leaf. Ask the friendly staff to set up breakfast or dinner on the terraces cantilevered over the Grand Canal.

Palazzo Stern

Address: Dorsoduro, 2792/A, 30123 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 277 0869 Book Now

Ride the number 1 vaporetto along the Grand Canal and you'll notice this pretty, locally-run hotel with its lovely little garden right beside the Ca' Rezzonico stop. Owned by an early 20th-century art collector, the 15th-century building is packed with antiques and ancient sculptures. Above the traditional rooms is a rooftop hot tub.

Ca' di Dio

Address: Riva Ca' di Dio, 2181, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 06 398 061 Book Now

New hotels in the city center are now banned by the Venice authorities, so this property, opening in summer 2021, is one of the last debuts. And it's a goodie: a grand palazzo with a rare modern interior and two private courtyards to escape the crowds. Even better? Its front-facing rooms (and roof terrace) have the same lagoon views as those around St Mark's but its location, a 10-minute walk up the famous Riva degli Schiavoni, by the Arsenale vaporetto stop, means it's beautifully peaceful.

Address: Riva degli Schiavoni, 4196, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 522 6480 Book Now

This, the former home of a 14th-century doge (plus two more modern annexes), is the Venetian grande dame par excellence. Sit back in the bar – the original doge 's atrium, with Corinthian columns and a grand coffered ceiling. Eat on the rooftop overlooking the lagoon at Terrazza Danieli. Or climb the breathtaking Escher-like staircase to the rooms – some designed by Jacques Garcia, others pointed right at the lagoon, and a special few with original painted ceilings.

Hotel Santa Chiara

Address: Santa Croce, 548, 30135 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 520 6955 Book Now

If you're not here for long, it's simpler to get the bus from the airport and leave your stuff at the terminus, instead of braving packed ferries and lugging your bags across countless bridges. This lovely, locally-owned hotel – part old convent, part ultra-modern block – has great, modern rooms, some of which overlook the Grand Canal. Pretty Santa Croce is on the doorstep, and San Polo and Dorsoduro are each a 10-minute walk.

Address: Calle Dandolo o Civran, 1958, 30135 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 863 3022 Website

Five rooms, three of them overlooking the Grand Canal, and a peaceful courtyard to kick back in – if those aren't reasons enough to book this lovely B&B, how about the decor? Instead of traditional Venetian grandeur, rooms sport the colors of the lagoon – eau de nils, greys, and barely blues. Breakfast is served in the living room, where canal reflections dance on the ceiling.

Address: Fondamenta di Santa Caterina, 3, 30142 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 527 2281 Book Now

You want to stay far from the crowds but you still want luxury? This modern Michelin-starred restaurant-with-rooms is the place for you. Sitting canalside on the quiet island of Mazzorbo, with a sprawling vineyard round the back, this gets you back to nature – and Burano's multi-colored houses sit just across the bridge at the end of the garden.

Address: P.za San Marco, 12130124 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 522 2105 Website

By day, Quadri is known for its outdoor tables and inhouse orchestra serenading guests as they sit in St Mark's Square. By night, though, this Venice institution – everyone from Lord Byron to Brad Pitt has stopped here – opens a Michelin-starred restaurant upstairs. Forget the food, straight from the Rialto market and the Philippe Starck-designed room, focus on the unparalleled view of that famous square from a secret angle. Reservations recommended.

Trattoria Al Gatto Nero

Address: Via Giudecca, 88, 30142 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 730 120 Website

A stop at Trattoria Al Gatto Nero is worth the 40-minute vaporetto ride to Burano. This wonderful institution is known lagoon-wide for serving the freshest fish netted by the island's boats each morning. Trust maitre d' Massimiliano to point you in the direction of the day's best catch; and trust his parents, Ruggero and Lucia, to cook it to perfection. Reservations recommended.

Address: S. Croce, 1762, 30135 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 524 1570 Website

If you don't love seafood, Venice can be a struggle. Not at La Zucca ("The Pumpkin"), which has a delightful veggie-heavy menu, whatever your dietary preferences. Load up on the inventive sides – like prosecco-stewed onions, or zucca in saor, sweet-and-sour pumpkin marinated with currants, onions and pine nuts. Reservations recommended – book an outdoor table beside the canal.

Antica Sacrestia

Address: Calle de la Corona, 4463, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 523 0749 Website

Genial owner Pino is a multi-generational Venetian who brings the best of the lagoon to the table, despite the handy location in the touristy alleys behind St Mark's Square. Don't be afraid to venture away from pasta and pick gratin scallops and mussels – or whatever came in that day.

Address: C. Giazzo, 1580, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: No phone Website

A classic modern joint for cicchetti (Venetian bar snacks), the restaurant pairs great local wines with the best Italian ingredients, stuffing sandwiches and tiny bread rolls with everything from zucchini and cavolo nero frittata to grilled eggplant and capocollo. Popular with locals, it's a brilliant lunch stop.

Address: Fondamenta di Santa Caterina, 3, 30142 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 527 2281 Website

Mazzorbo, a lagoon island next to Burano, has long been known for its agriculture. Local prosecco magnates the Bisol family have taken things up a notch by replanting an ancient vineyard, adding a vegetable garden and opening a Michelin-starred restaurant and trattoria (same kitchen, lower prices). The menu is inventive lagoon food, and if you want to make a night out of it, there's a tiny hotel upstairs. Reservations recommended.

Address: Fondamenta dei Ormesini, 2684, 30121 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: No phone Website

Venetian tramezzini – sandwiches stuffed to the gills – are legendary, and this tiny bar on Cannaregio's popular drinking strip, run by siblings Federica, Stefania, and Davide Michielan, is the best place to try them. Bag a canalside table and try the porchetta – herb-roasted beef, produced by a friend of the family.

Locanda Cipriani

Address: Piazza Santa Fosca, 29, 30142 Torcello VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 730 150 Website

This legendary restaurant-with-rooms on quiet Torcello island has captured the hearts of everyone from Nancy Mitford to Ernest Hemingway, who stayed a month. The food, sourced from around the lagoon, is Michelin-rated, but you're here for the out-of-this-world atmosphere. Book a table in the pergola-shaded garden, Torcello's two Byzantine churches soaring up behind the rose bushes. Reservations recommended.

Osteria Ae Botti

Address: Giudecca, 609, 30133 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 724 1086 Website

You'll get the best sunsets in Venice here on Giudecca island, where the sun ploughs into the lagoon like a giant gobstopper as shadows cast over the city, across the water. This lovely, laidback restaurant is the place to take it in, with tables stretched out along the waterfront as the Giudecca Canal slaps at guests' feet. It's divided into a pizzeria and a restaurant – pick whichever appeals, as you're here for the view. Reservations recommended.

Ristorante Riviera

Address: Fondamenta Zattere Al Ponte Lungo, 1473, 30123 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 522 7621 Website

Bag an outdoor table at this Michelin-rated restaurant on the ever-sunny Zattere waterfront, overlooking the Giudecca Canal. The food is fervently local, but forward-looking – go all out with the 12-course "Big Market" tasting menu to get the best sense of what the region has to offer, from lagoon-grown mackerel to beef carpaccio and Asiago cheeses. Reservations recommended.

Frary's

Address: Fondamenta Frari, 2558, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 720 050 Website

Pick a canalside table at this lovely laidback restaurant for a super-quick canalside lunch, overlooking the Frari church. If you're sick of Italian food, this is your respite – the Mediterranean cuisine rounds up dishes from Greece to Iran. The fesenjoon – a Persian mix of chicken, walnuts, and pomegranate on rice – is outstanding.

Address: Campo Santa Marina, 5908, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 523 0017 Website: no website

No time for lunch? Pop into here, one of Venice's historic pasticcerie , or cake shops. As well as pastries, they do everything from sandwiches to local dishes, like radicchio lasagne – a restaurant-style experience served in minutes.

Osteria Da Moro

Address: Fondamenta Sant'Eufemia, 658, 30133 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 099 5884 Website: No website

Fill up on the cicchetti here and you won't need dinner. From fish-laced crostini to mini meatballs, you can construct your own feast as you take in the show-stopper Giudecca sunsets with a glass of wine on the outdoor tables. The prices are excellent, too.

Address: o dei Garzoti, Fondamenta Rio Marin, 890, 30135 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 716 636 Website

Pizza is relatively new to Venice, but you wouldn't know it from the perfectly crisp pies on offer at Ai Garzoti. Try an unorthodox topping like 'nduja and peppers, or if you'd prefer something lighter, they do inventive salads. There's a full restaurant menu, too.

Harry's Dolci

Address: Fondamenta S. Biagio, 773, 30133 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 522 4844 Website

You can't come to Venice and not drink a Bellini cocktail – that peach and prosecco mix that sweetens every trip here. But instead of heading to Harry's Bar, where it was invented, hop on the vaporetto to Giudecca, where you'll find sister restaurant Harry's Dolci. You'll get the same Bellinis and fish-filled Cipriani menu; only with spectacular waterside views from the outdoor tables.

Grand Canal

The vaporetto (waterbus) lines plying the zigzagging Grand Canal double as spectacular cruises. Hop on the number 1 at Piazzale Roma or the station, and wiggle your way down past marble-clad palaces, each more ornate than the other, before sailing under the Rialto Bridge, past St Mark's Square and the Doge's Palace, and alighting at San Zaccaria.

Piazza San Marco

Most visitors to Venice come for one thing only: the breathtaking, waterside St Mark's Square. Have coffee in one of the chi-chi cafes outside (we recommend Quadri), visit the Basilica di San Marco, the church covered head-to-toe in glittering gold mosaics, and stroll along the Riva degli Schiavoni waterfront, for those classic lagoon views.

Palazzo Ducale

Address: P.za San Marco, 1, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 271 5911 Website

Overlooking the waterfront, this stunning palace – which was the seat of power for the ancient Venetian Republic — showcases an astonishing mix of artistic masterpieces and grand architecture, including the famous Bridge of Sighs. Take the Secret Itineraries Tour to get guided around the prisons and other rooms not otherwise open to the public – you're then free to continue the rest of your visit alone.

San Giorgio Maggiore

Address: Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore

Admire the Tintorettos in the vast church below, then take the elevator to the top of the belltower on this island monastery. From here, you'll have spectacular views of Venice – go at sunset to see the lagoon flush pink beneath you.

Querini Stampalia Museum

Address: Campo Santa Maria Formosa, 5252, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 271 1411 Website

Only time for one museum in Venice? Make it this one, a former noble's house, stuffed with works by the likes of Bellini, Tiepolo, and Pietro Longhi upstairs, and a ground-floor wing and garden designed by 20th-century architect Carlo Scarpa where the canal is encouraged in to lap against specially constructed channels.

Burano and Torcello

Get a vaporetto (ferry) to these two islands 40 minutes outside Venice. Fishing town Burano's multicolored houses make it an Instagram paradise (go early or late to discover the real town), while semi-deserted Torcello, where Venice began, is known for the Byzantine mosaics in the basilica of Santa Maria Assunta.

Northern Lagoon of Venice

Phone: +39 333 904 3172 Website

Spend the afternoon with Andrea Rossi, one of Burano's best fishermen, who'll show you the hidden corners of the lagoon in his boat. You choose the itinerary, from fishing to floating through inches-deep channels, or birdwatching on Torcello.

Teatro La Fenice

Address: Campo S. Fantin, 1965, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 786 654 Website

Most visitors tour Venice's famous opera house, which burned to the ground in 1996 before being rebuilt. But for a more intimate experience, book a ticket for a show to hear the legendary acoustics and see the gold-drizzled stucco up close from your own box, instead.

Scuola Grande di San Rocco

Lara D'Agostino/Travel + Leisure

Address: San Polo, 3052, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 523 4864 Website

Tintoretto is one of Venice's 16th-century celebrity artists, and this is where you'll find his best works. The top floor of this building is covered entirely – yes, even the ceiling – in his paintings, making it an artwork in itself.

Buy a Chorus Pass

Venice's churches are living museums, with masterpieces usually in situ. Fifteen of the best make up the Chorus group – buy an open-access ticket (valid for 12 months) so you can pop in to see Tintoretto in San Polo, and Canova's tomb in the Frari church, as you walk around.

Arts & Crafts tour

Phone: +39 349 084 8303 Website

Venice's artisans have a proud history, with many crafts dating back to medieval times and earlier. These days, they're endangered – so take a tour with guide Luisella Romeo, who'll take you to meet glass-blowers, mask-makers and gold-beaters.

Walk the Giudecca

The 20-minute walk along the waterfront of Giudecca, the island squaring off against the city center, nets you some of the city's most iconic views, with St Mark's and the round Salute church always in the background. This is also one of the least touristy areas, so follow the locals into bars for a spritz along the way.

If it's sunny, blow off steam from all that culture with a trip to the Lido, the long sandbar off Venice city center. The deep-sanded beach is incredible, here – head west for the free section, away from the sunbeds.

Gondola ride

Yes, it's expensive. Yes, it's worth it – Venice was built to be seen from the water. But don't rent one on the Grand Canal; instead, you want to be going along the small waterways where you can't get by public transport and the only sound is the slosh of water on the boat. Start from the train station for an off-the-beaten-track itinerary.

T Fondaco dei Tedeschi rooftop

Address: San Marco, 5541, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 314 2000 Website

Work your way through this department store in a 16th-century building by the Rialto Bridge, up to the rooftop. From up here you'll get astonishing views of the Rialto and the Grand Canal, snaking from top to bottom. Reserve ahead online.

Rialto Market

Address: Campiello de la Pescaria, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: No phone Website: No website

The waterfront market beside the Rialto Bridge has been going strong for centuries. Don't just take photos, though; buying is part of the fun, whether it's lagoon-netted fish or veg from Sant'Erasmo island.

Il Pavone Legatoria Artigianale

Address: Calle Perdon, 1469-1477, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 522 4296 Website

From pencils to notebooks, scarves and even earrings, Paolo Pelosin does them all in marbled paper. Ask to see his workshop out back, where he uses combs to create swirls and blobs with this ancient art.

Process Collettivo

Address: A, Fondamenta Frari, 2559, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 524 3125 Website

From the recycled bags, passport holders and washbags to essential oil-infused soaps and amenities, everything on sale here has been made by inmates in Venice's jails. The shop is a collaboration with artist Mark Bradford and two local non-profits, which staff are always delighted to tell you about.

Stefano Morasso

Address: Campo San Cosmo Giudecca 621/A, 30133 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 564 7224 Website

Why brave the crowds and souvenir shops on Murano when you can buy hand-blown glass by a Murano maestro on Giudecca – for a better price? Stefano makes incredibly modern, delicate glasses, beakers and vases, while wife Nicoletta turns his offcuts into stunning glass jewelry.

Address: 3253/A, 30123 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 523 7655 Website

Byzantine and Venetian motifs take center stage at Paolo's store. The octogenarian bookbinder makes notepads, albums, folders and bookmarks with his hand-printed designs, while he's also branched out into leather- and fabric-clad objects.

Marina de Grandis

Address: Calle Larga Giacinto Gallina, 6376, 30121 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 521 0019 Website

Ignore those cheap "Made in Italy" leather shops for hand-sewn pieces by leather worker and bookbinder Marina. Choose from her rainbow-colored handbag collection, or try a leather-clad notebook with cult Fabriano paper.

Ca' Macana

Address: Dorsoduro, 3215, 30123 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 277 6142 Website

You'll need a mask to remind you of Venice, of course; but make sure it's a handmade one. Carlos Brassesco handcrafts papier maché masks – both traditional Venetian designs and modern style – and runs mask-making workshops if you want a go yourself.

Legatoria Barbieri

Address: Via Giudecca, 283, 30133 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 528 8493 Website

Venice has for centuries been famous for its textiles. Here, Adriano Barbieri uses pricey fabrics by the likes of Fortuny and Rubelli to create exquisite notebooks, picture frames, and more.

Codex Venezia

Address: Fondamenta dei Ormesini, 2778, 30121 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 348 546 0257 Website

Artist and graphic designer Nelson Kishi makes gorgeous, one-of-a-kind line drawings of Venice in his studio, which he shares with his painter wife. Usually in monochrome pen with a single flash of color, they somehow cut to the heart of the real Venice. He makes prints of all his work, if the originals are beyond your budget.

Banco Lotto n10

Address: Salizada S. Antonin, 3478/A, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 522 1439 Website

Pure woollen coats, silk jackets, and summer dresses, all with a vintage feel – they're all handmade by inmates of the women's jail on Giudecca. This non-profit teaches prisoners skills to equip them for life on the outside – and their clothes, often in expensive fabrics by Venetian companies like Rubelli and Fortuny, are divine.

Dila Venezia

Address: San Polo, Campiello dei Meloni, 1477, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy

Don't mistake this for a typical souvenir shop. Artist Laura Bollato and her nephew Sebastiano make beautiful prints of Venetian cats, and turn them into bags, t-shirts, calendars and even pencil cases.

Collection Muranero

Address: Salizada del Pignater, 3545, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 338 450 3099 Website

Moulaye Niang fuses the glass-blowing techniques he studied on Murano with motifs from his Senegalese roots to create unique handmade works, from beads and jewelry to glass sculptures. Got something in mind? He takes commissions.

Teresa Ballarin Antichità

Address: Sestiere Dorsoduro, 2400, 30123 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 347 822 3536

Channel Peggy Guggenheim with the in-your face costume jewelry at this antique store's all-jewelry annexe. Outré Bakelite patterns abound – choose from vintage (going back to the early 1900s) or new takes on retro patterns.

Acqua Marea

Address: Calle S. Pantalon, 3750, 30123 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 351 922 1895 Website

Caught out by acqua alta flooding? You'll need super-chic gumboots, curated by Martina Ranaldo, who gave up life as an academic to kit out Venetians. She also has eco-friendly shoes.

Libreria Toletta

Address: Dorsoduro, 1214, 30123 Venezia VE, Italy Phone: +39 041 523 2034 Website

Looking for a book to remind you of your trip? You'll find it here at the city's best-loved bookstore since 1933. It has a huge English-language section of guides, Venice-set novels and cicchetti cookbooks.

Michela Buttignol/Travel+Leisure

San Marco : Once the political heart of Venice, San Marco is now the most visited of Venice's six sestieri , or districts. Piazza San Marco, or St Mark's Square, is the center; radiating out around it is a rabbit warren of narrow calli (streets), taking you to the Rialto Bridge. There are gems here, but this is definitely the tourist trail.

San Polo : On the other side of the Rialto from San Marco, this is Venice at its most medieval, with squeezebelly alleyways, sottoporteghi (cut-out passageways underneath first-floor houses) and timber-framed palazzos. Although heavily trodden, there are still artisans around, and it has a young feel, thanks to its proximity to university Ca' Foscari.

Dorsoduro : Traditionally the artists' area, Dorsoduro — the "hard back" of Venice, forming the lower border of the city center — is less boho than it was, but you'll still find high-end galleries and bijou shops around the Guggenheim Museum. It's a popular area with students around the vast, bar-lined square, Campo Santa Margherita, and the always-sunny Zattere waterfront is where locals love to stroll.

Castello : The biggest sestiere is also the hardest to pin down. Alleyways behind San Marco stuffed with restaurants and bars unfold into big, café-lined squares where local kids play football. Some of the loveliest churches are in Castello – like the marble-clad Santa Maria dei Miracoli – but this is a place for walking, along the Riva degli Schiavoni waterfront and around the Arsenale, where the Republic of Venice could knock out a warship in mere days.

Santa Croce : For the vast majority of visitors, Santa Croce is their first sight. But step away from the Piazzale Roma bus stops or the cruise terminal and one of the city's most laid back areas is on the doorstep. This is one of the most residential areas still, and the quiet canals are worth a wander. This top end of the Grand Canal is less prestigious, but, because of that, more real.

Cannaregio : What was once an industrial area is now perhaps the loveliest sestiere, with wider canals, bigger pavements to lay seating on, and magnificent palazzos. Cannaregio has long been known for its artisans; today, the Fondamenta della Misericordia is the locals' favorite bar strip, while the Fondamente Nove waterfront, on the north of the lagoon, offers spectacular views of the Dolomites, as well as ferry boats to the islands. Giudecca and the islands: Life goes on as it always has on the islands, which give a different glimpse of lagoon life. Giudecca, the croissant–shaped island opposite Dorsoduro, has some of the best views in the city, while the Lido is one great, miles-long beach. In the north, past the cemetery island of San Michele, is Murano, known worldwide for its master glassblowers. Half an hour beyond it, into the north lagoon is the fishing island Burano, known for its multicolored houses, and Torcello, where two ancient basilicas mark where Venice began.

Spring is the classic time to visit Venice, before the summer crowds (and heat) hit. Temperatures can hit 55°F in March and 70°F in May, but when the sun is out, it feels much hotter. Summer can be sweltering – although average temperatures are in the low-to-mid 80s, the humidity, which pushes 80 percent, makes everything much stickier. Fall tends to remain warm – average temperatures are 74°F for September and 64°F in October, again feeling warmer when the sun is out. Winter temperatures rarely hit freezing, though the high humidity, fog, and strong winds can make the city feel colder than other snowier cities.

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Explore Venice's hidden island treasures with this travel guide

Venice , celebrated for its iconic canals and historic monuments, is also the guardian of many lesser-known islands. Each one offers a unique experience, far removed from the bustling crowds of St. Mark's Square. Discovering these hidden treasures allows for a glimpse into the tranquil and pastoral life that endures amidst the serene waters of the Venetian lagoon.

Torcello: Cradle of Venetian Culture

Torcello, a historic gem, is revered as the cradle of Venetian culture. This less-traveled island invites visitors to wander through time with its ancient churches, such as the venerable Santa Maria Assunta. Its tranquil ambiance is a stark contrast to Venice's bustling streets. The island's abundant greenery provides a serene backdrop, ideal for picnics and those seeking a peaceful retreat from city life.

Mazzorbo: A wine lover's retreat

Mazzorbo, accessible via a wooden bridge from Burano, is a haven for wine lovers. The island features lush vineyards where visitors can taste distinctive local wines. Surrounded by vibrant houses and silent canals, it's a perfect spot for those desiring to unwind. Enjoy the serene setting with a fine glass of Veneto wine, embracing the island's untouched charm.

Sant'Erasmo: The garden isle

Sant'Erasmo, known as Venice's vegetable garden, is a verdant oasis. With farms and vineyards spread across the landscape, it's an ideal spot for lovers of the outdoors. Visitors can rent bicycles to meander along paths flanked by artichoke fields and fruit orchards. It's a delightful destination for those who appreciate engaging in active pursuits while savoring the taste of fresh, farm-to-table produce.

San Francesco del Deserto: A spiritual escape

Nestled among cypress trees, San Francesco del Deserto is a haven of tranquility, its silence punctuated only by the occasional birdsong. This island hosts a Franciscan monastery where monks offer guided tours, sharing insights into their contemplative way of life. It's a sanctuary for those seeking solace and a moment of reflection, far removed from the energetic buzz of Venice's heart.

Venice Travel Guide and Map 12+

Trip planner, offline city map, kulemba gmbh, designed for ipad.

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Offline Maps and much more! Discover new places and insider tips. Collect, save and organize them as you like. And have the best trip ever! With us, traveling got easier and even more fun. Here’s what you get – the shortest possible version: • Free offline maps – no roaming, no hustle • Insider tips and places to discover • Multifunctional lists to plan and organize your trip We let you discover new places, beautiful spots and insider tips at the touch of a button. Collect your personal best-of and save it for later. You will experience your best journeys yet with detailed offline maps and in-depth travel content on your mobile travel companion. And here’s why 5+ million travelers love our apps: CLEAR AND CONCISE MAPS Never get lost again. See your location on the map via GPS, no internet connection is required. Find streets, addresses or attractions and get pointed in the walking direction. IN-DEPTH TRAVEL CONTENT You’ll never have to buy another guide book. Our Guides features pictures as well as comprehensive and up-to-date information is available for thousands of places and attractions. SAVE ROAMING FEES Maps and guide content are stored on directly your device so you can access them at any time even without an internet connection. An internet connection is of course required for initial downloading of data or booking hotels. SEARCH AND DISCOVER Search a specific place by name or browse by categories like restaurants, architecture, hotels, shops, bars, etc. PLAN TRIPS AND CUSTOMIZE MAPS Book the hotel for your next city tour right within the app. Remember and save all the places you would like to visit. Create new or individual ones. Mark them with different colors or add notes to them. SHARE WITH FRIENDS Create your own reviews and ratings of your favorite places. Share these tips and recommendations with friends and other travelers.

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Brilliant- really useful.

I’d happily recommend this app: it proved invaluable in Venice. Just download the offline map before you go and it’s all ready to work. We set where our hotel was as a fixed point, and boy, did we need it in the maze of alleys and bridges! Only once did the map not come up - I don’t know why but we were in an almost claustrophobic area of lanes and alleys at the time if that had anything to do with it and we only had the cursor blinking in the middle of a blank page for a while. But otherwise it worked perfectly. Next time we go away, I’ll definitely be checking if there is a map for there. Well done.

Loved this app!!

So I got this when planning a weekend to Venice. Anything that anyone recommended or that I thought I might like to visit (restaurant, sightseeing, bar etc) I saved in my list and on the map. When in Venice, the map worked offline, was quick and easy to use, and guided me to many off the beaten track places on my list - not to mention that it helped us find our way back to our hotel!!! Would definitely use their other city guides and recommend this one!

A must have.

I have used this app now on two visits. Always comes in handy and being able to download the map before you get there helps a lot.

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Venice entry fees: How much does it cost and how does it work?

V enice has become the first city in the world to charge admission for daytrippers – it is now a city of culture, cuisine and charges.

Starting on Thursday 25 April 2024, visitors to the historic heart of Venice have had to pay €5 (£4.30) to access the city between 8.30am and 4pm on key days in spring and summer. It is effectively a congestion charge for tourists.

A leading city transport and tourism official, Arianna Fracasso, told The Independent the scheme is aiming “to safeguard the city from overtourism ”.

Around 30 million tourists visit Venice in a typical year – with about seven out of 10 (or 21 million) staying only for the day. Just before the Covid pandemic, Unesco warned the city’s “status as a World Heritage property is in jeopardy”.

While tourists who stay overnight in Venice hotels are exempt from the fee, they must still register online and obtain a code that allows them to pass checkpoints and spot-checks by officials.

Ms Fracasso said: “It’s like a museum in the open air, so we want to safeguard it.”

During 2024, charges apply for 29 days. The first is Italy ’s Liberation Day, commemorating the struggle of the Italian resistance movement against fascism during the Second World War.

The charge applies for the following 10 days, up to and including Sunday 5 May.

Visits on the seven subsequent weekends, up to and including Sunday 14 July, will also be subject to the fee. But from mid-July onwards, the charge will be lifted.

“It’s an experimental thing just for this year,” Ms Fracasso said. “Next year, maybe it will be changed.”

Unesco warns that “Venice’s ‘Outstanding Universal Value’, the hallmark of every World Heritage property” is in peril.

Cruise ships were banned from docking in the historic centre of Venice in 2021 in response to a request from the UN body that seeks to protect cultural heritage.

But Unesco remains concerned about “overtourism, the potential negative effects of new developments [and] the lack of an integrated management system”.

How does the system work?

Any visitor who wishes to be in the historic heart of Venice – anywhere in the city apart from the Piazzale Roma transport access area and the offshore islands – between 8.30am and 4pm on the prescribed dates must register online, in advance, at cda.ve.it/en.

You will need a QR code on your smartphone or printed out to be allowed inside the ancient city.

If you simply want to pay the fee, clicking on “Pay the access fee” will take you through a fairly straightforward process. One tricky aspect is that you have to pretend you have read the privacy policy (all in Italian) by clicking on it before you can enable a checkbox.

Can’t I just pay with contactless or even a €5 note on the day?

Yes. The hope is that most tourists will apply online. But visitors who arrive at the main access point, Santa Lucia station, can pay with cash at a kiosk. Those who are caught without a permit risk a fine of up to €500 (£430).

No actual barriers are installed, but outside Santa Lucia station there are separate channels for locals and workers, tourists and people leaving the city.

How can I dodge the fee?

• Be under 14 (with proof if you look as though you might be older).
• If you live in, or were born in, the Municipality of Venice you can gain exemption simply by presenting a document certifying it.
• Be a holder of the European Disability Card or their accompanying caregiver.
• Stay overnight. Guests in hotels anywhere in the Municipality of Venice – which includes the islands and the mainland hinterland around Mestre – are entitled to exemption including the day you check in and the day you check out. This requires you to click on “I am a guest in an accommodation facility located in the Municipality of Venice”. You fill in the usual personal details. Then you have less than a minute to make a call from the registered smartphone to an Italian number. It is said that this does not go through nor results in any charge.

Note that guests in Venice hotels must pay an accommodation tax, usually included in the final bill.

What happens to the cash collected?

The pilot scheme as currently designed is not intended to make money, but to cover costs and to discern whether or not there is a deterrent effect on tourism.

The maximum fee allowed under the law is €10 (£8.60).

Is an access fee going to catch on elsewhere?

The unique geography of Venice, comprising an archipelago accessible only by bridge or water, makes it one of the few cities where levying a charge is feasible. But other cities with concerns about overtourism, including Amsterdam, Barcelona and Dubrovnik, will be watching developments closely.

The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking news brand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded. We have grown a huge, global readership of independently minded individuals, who value our trusted voice and commitment to positive change. Our mission, making change happen, has never been as important as it is today.

Pay to enter: Venice becomes the first city to implement a tourist ticket system

Venice became the first city in the world on Thursday to introduce a payment system for visitors in an experiment aimed at dissuading tourists from arriving during peak periods.

However, it isn't the only place in Italy that has recently introduced new measures aimed at slowing tourist flows.

Here are some of the initiatives currently in force.

Venice tourist tax

The lagoon city has introduced 5 euros (about $5.35) tickets for day trippers, valid from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The experiment came into force on April 25, a national holiday in Italy. Tickets will be needed for the following 10 days and thereafter for most weekends until mid-July.

Venice residents, students, workers, and homeowners are exempt from paying or booking a slot. Visitors aged under 14 and tourists with hotel reservations will need to register, but access for them will be free of charge.

Other cities, such as Como, have said they are considering introducing a similar measure but are waiting to see how the Venice initiative works before deciding.

In addition, Venice has said that from June, it will limit the size of tourist groups to 25 people and ban the use of loudspeakers by tour guides.

Florence tourist measure

Florence announced in October that it was banning new short-term residential lets on platforms such as Airbnb in its historic center. It also offered three years of tax breaks to landlords of short-term holiday lets who start offering ordinary leases for residents.

The city's famous museum, the Uffizi, offers discounts to people who arrive before 8.55 a.m. and lower prices off-season. To spread out crowds, it also closes at 10 p.m. once a week.

Cinque Terrer overtourism

The five villages that make up the Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera regularly get swamped with visitors.

To try to reduce the overcrowding at peak periods, the authority which oversees the area said this week it would charge visitors 15 euros (about $16) to walk the most celebrated coastal path. In addition, the path can only be walked in one direction.

Capri tourism measure

The picturesque small island that lies across the bay from the southern city of Naples has doubled its entry fee, which is automatically added to ferry tickets, to 5 euros. The fee will be charged from April 1 to October 1.

Capri, Ischia, Procida, Lampedusa and Linosa changes

These islands have introduced limits, or outright bans, on cars for non-residents during the main tourist season.

Venice's plan to charge tourists descended into chaos, showing how much of a headache overtourism has become

• Last week, Venice introduced a 5 euro, or $5.40, fee for day-trippers to mitigate overtourism.
• The fee is part of a trial that's running until July 14 and will apply on 29 "peak" days.
• The move sparked protests, highlighting the problems city officials face when tackling overtourism.

Venice is one of many cities grappling with the effects of overtourism as its number of visitors has bounced back from pandemic-era lows.

When cities become overrun with tourists, officials are often tasked with finding ways to make them more livable for residents.

Officials in the Italian city took action last week by implementing a trial fee of 5 euros — about $5.40 — for day-trippers on certain days. But the residents it aims to help aren't all happy about it.

While the hoards of tourists that descend on Venice's narrow streets can be a headache for people who live there year-round, many locals don't believe that charging people is the answer.

About 500 people protested the fee after it came into effect on Thursday. Some of them clashed with riot police; others held up signs and banners saying, "No to ticket, yes to houses and services for all," The Guardian reported.

Opponents claim that the fee, which kicks in on 29 "peak" days from April 25 to July 14, is against the principle of freedom of movement and is too low to deter tourists.

The fee's introduction immediately caused frustration — and not just among locals.

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The Guardian reported that some visitors were confused about how to prove they'd registered. Though overnight visitors were not required to pay the day fee, some didn't realize they still had to register their exemption.

The office of Simone Venturini, the city's tourism councilor, did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Venturini previously said the plan wasn't designed for the purpose of raising cash, and that the money raised would only cover operating costs.

Tourists visiting Venice on peak days need to buy a ticket online or at booths to enter the city. Those who fail to register risk being stopped by a ticket inspector and charged between 50 and 300 euros. On Thursday, the city's municipal council said that 113,000 people registered, of which 15,700 were paying guests.

Locals don't need to pay the fee to enter the ticketed area, but they do still need to book online, which has become a point of contention.

One opponent to the measure said on Thursday that Venice was "becoming a museum, a theme park," Reuters reported. Photos show some protesters holding up signs saying, "Welcome to Veniceland."

Other examples of overtourism crackdowns include Amsterdam's city council voting to ban cruise ships from docking in the city center. The move aims to reduce big crowds and limit environmental damage from the ships.

Amsterdam also launched a campaign to reduce the number of "messy" young, male British tourists traveling to the city to party and take illicit drugs.

In other cases, officials in Fujikawaguchiko, Japan, opted to erect an 8-foot-tall mesh fence to discourage tourists from flocking to take photographs of Mount Fuji . The officials said it was a last resort after tourists crowded the area, left trash, and ignored traffic laws.

Elsewhere, a town in Austria that inspired the film " Frozen " also installed a fence to deter tourists from taking selfies. The temporary wooden fence was one of several tourist-curbing measures trialed in the 800-person town of Hallstatt, where the number of visitors can reach up to 10,000 a day , the BBC reported.

Other tourist hot spots have implemented caps on the number of daily visitors. In September, Greek officials introduced a 20,000-person daily cap on visitors to the Acropolis in Athens. Several US national parks also have daily caps.

Watch: Was Italy's $1 home scheme worth it?

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Visiting Venice might cost more than you think

Venice, italy, has started charging a daily fee for day-trippers.

By Caroline McDonald

According to Reader’s Digest , May and June are two of the most popular months to visit Italy.

Venice has found a new method for managing the anticipated spring and summer crowds: a fee for day-trippers.

Here’s what to know about the new fee and how it will affect your travel plans.

What to know about the Venice tourist tax

Per Lonely Planet , Venice received a whopping 30 million visitors in 2019. Many of those visitors were day-trippers, or tourists who spend time in the city for just one day.

In an effort to discourage day-tripping and to control crowds, the city implemented a tourist tax of 5 euros ($5.37) as a requirement to enjoy Venice’s beauty for a day.

Venice is the first city in the world to impose a charge on entering one-day visitors, according to CBS News .

For now, “the roughly $5.37 fee only applies on 29 days that are deemed to be the busiest between April 25, a holiday in Italy, and July 14, in a trial phase of the reservation-and-fee system,” CBS News reported.

Here’s how it works: When visitors pay the fee, they will receive a ticket showing their initials, a booking code, and a QR code, per CNN . The link to purchase a day pass, which is also known as an “access fee,” can be found here . If visitors cannot pay the fee online, they can do so at two entrance points before entering Venice.

Additional information, including exemptions from the fee, can also be found on the website.

Why is there a tourist tax?

Venice leaders gave a number of reasons for imposing the tax.

Per UNESCO , the high number of tourists has resulted in “functional transformations” of the city, replacing residential homes with tourist activities and accommodations. According to UNESCO, these changes “endanger the identity and the cultural and social integrity of the property.”

Additionally, tourism has contributed to problems for the fragile infrastructure of Venice. Per the BBC , crowds have increased the number of boats on the canals, which has resulted in waves that are eroding centuries-old buildings.

The population of Venice has shrunk significantly, too. According to The Guardian , Venice had about 175,000 residents in the years after World War II. Today, there are fewer than 50,000 residents.

Per Euronews , Simone Venturini, Venice’s top tourism official, proposed the need for balance. He said, “We need to safeguard the spaces of the residents, of course, and we need to discourage the arrival of day-trippers on some particular days.”

Reactions to Venice’s new fee for tourists

The new fee has not been implemented without consequences. The program launched on April 25, the same day as Italy’s Liberation Day, according to CNBC . That day, around a thousand protesters gathered in Piazzale Roma in opposition to the fee.

“I can tell you that almost the entire city is against it,” Matteo Secchi, leader of a residents’ activist group, told The Guardian . “You can’t impose an entrance fee to a city; all they’re doing is transforming it into a theme park.”

Anna Scovracricchi, a bookbinding artisan who relocated her family to nearby Padua due to the high cost of rent, told the BBC , “People will surely pay €5 to come to Venice. The real problem is the lack of housing and the fact that the city has turned into a huge bed and breakfast.”

According to Forbes , critics argue that the fee will hurt — rather than help — the issues of overcrowding. While the fee is intended to balance tourism revenue and residential maintenance, “whether it does so effectively remains to be seen.”