How to avoid crowds in Venice
The famous Rialto Bridge is a crowded spot at sunset. Photos by John O’Boyle
Venice is crowded, there is no doubt about that.
So crowded that the government is planning to impose an entry tax on visitors. The details of the Venice visitor entry tax keeps changing but currently, it looks like it will begin in 2025 and mostly be for people visiting just for the day. The exact details will be announced as the 2025 date gets closer.
All the talk of the Venice visitor fee puts a focus on just how many people visit the city. So we decided to share a few tips about how to avoid crowds a bit.
Remember most visitors are coming mid-morning to mid-afternoon with the goal of seeing a few of the most famous attractions and then leaving. Keeping that in mind can help you avoid some of the worst crowding.
A gondola moves along a canal in Venice
Stay overnight in Venice
You probably came a long way to see Venice. It’s one of the most unique places on Earth and absolutely earns at least an overnight stay. A very large percentage of visitors to Venice are day trippers, which means that the early mornings and the evenings are much quieter.
Wake up an hour earlier than you might typically want to and you can walk many of the streets alone, it’s wonderful.
If you saw Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning with Tom Cruise then I’m sure you will want to see Venice at night.
Book your Venice hotel carefully
Be sure to book a hotel that is actually in Venice itself. Technically Venice also includes areas on the mainland. Hotels in Mestre or other mainland areas advertise themselves as Venice but you’ll have to travel over the bridge to get to the “real Venice”.
On a recent trip, we decided to stay at a hotel in a quiet neighborhood that was further from the main tourist attractions. This approach had numerous benefits.
We stayed near the train station (read about traveling by high-speed train in Italy here) so carrying bags to the hotel was relatively simple. Remember the streets and bridges of Venice are notoriously difficult to navigate with even the smallest of bags.
Walking the streets of Venice with luggage.
In both the mornings and the evenings the surrounding streets were much quieter. Many of the people were locals so staying there felt much more like a neighborhood than a tourist attraction.
On a recent visit, we stayed at the Carnival Palace Hotel in Venice. You can see more info about the hotel here.
Plan on wandering and getting lost
On most trips getting lost isn’t really a goal, it should absolutely be a goal in Venice. Plus it’s an island so how lost can you really get?
Visiting Venice is as much about the “feel” of the place as it is about checking off the list of major attractions.
The historical section of Venice consists of six districts. The worst crowding is confined to two districts: San Marco, home to the basilica, and San Polo, home of the Rialto Bridge.
As soon as you wander away from those areas the crowds begin to diminish.
Wandering the back streets of Venice.
The wonderful Castello district is located just east of Saint Mark’s Square. Most visitors turn back towards the train station or bridge after visiting the attractions in Saint Mark’s and don’t venture into the wonderful Castello district.
If you are walking back towards the train station or bridge from Saint Mark’s then the Dorsoduro district is a worthy diversion. The district is home to Basilica Santa Maria della Salute, the Gallerie dell’Accademia, and many wonderful restaurants.
Purchase fast-track tickets
Doge’s Palace and Saint Mark’s Basilica are spots that every visitor heads to. So “fast track” or early admission tickets are essential.
We purchased this kind of ticket at major attractions in Florence and Rome and they absolutely made it a better experience.
Here are some highly-rated ticket and tour options:
Doge’s Palace tickets and tours
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Saint Marks Square
Order some cicchetti and relax
Spain has tapas, China has dim sum and Venice has cicchetti. These small plates come in a variety of foods and often feature seafood.
Like Spain’s tapas bars, the bacaro (or wine bar) is where you’ll find these tasty treats.
Venetians eat cicchetti for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and as a late-night snack so there are lots of opportunities to enjoy.
Many local bacari (plural of bacaro) don’t accept credit cards so be sure to have euros with you.
View of San Giorgio Maggiore island from Saint Mark’s Plaza
Visit the island of San Giorgio Maggiore
Directly across the water from Piazza San Marco, San Giorgio Maggiore appears in countless visitor’s photos but few actually visit.
You can easily reach the island via vaporetto, Venice’s public boat system. It’s about a 10-minute ride from San Marco.
The highlight of a quick visit to San Giorgio Maggiore is the view from the bell tower. Best of all you can access the top via an elevator.
Visit Scala Contarini del Bovolo
If you love great views but not crowds Scala Contarini del Bovolo should be on your list.
A unique 28-meter spiral staircase leads to a fantastic view of Venice.
It is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm. You can purchase Scala Contarini del Bovolo tickets here.
Purchase tickets early since they limit the number of visitors and only sell tickets online.
The Grand Canal at sunset.
Visit During The Shoulder Season
On our most recent visit to Italy, we visited in May. The weather was delightful and the crowds were definitely less than summer.
Since we visited close to the summer season everything was open. Closer to winter some shops may close but flights and hotels will be considerably cheaper.
If you are trying to avoid crowds the one off-peak time you shouldn’t visit is during Venice Carnival, usually in February. While it’s a fantastic event it attracts large crowds and high prices.
This post was researched and written by John of the Empty Nest Explorers. You can learn more about the Empty Nest Explorers here.
Some well-reviewed Venice tours
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