Rainy day · Venice · Italy
8 things to do in Venice when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Matthias Süßen, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
Start with St Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace and Gallerie dell'Accademia. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 12–14 hours across 3 areas; all charge for entry. April is usually the wettest month, with about 9 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 12–14 hours
- Areas
- San Marco, Dorsoduro and San Polo
Venice on a rainy day
Religious site · San Marco
1.St Mark's Basilica
Cover shoulders and knees, leave large bags at the free deposit nearby and buy the museum ticket for the loggia view.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Art
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
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Palace · San Marco
2.Doge's Palace
The Secret Itineraries guided tour shows hidden offices, the torture chamber and Casanova's cell in the roof; book it in advance.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
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Museum · Dorsoduro
3.Gallerie dell'Accademia
Focus on the Bellini, Giorgione and Veronese rooms if time is short.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Gallery · Dorsoduro
4.Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Step onto the canal terrace beside Marino Marini's horse-and-rider sculpture for one of the best views of the Grand Canal.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Views
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Religious site · San Polo
5.Basilica dei Frari
Combine it with the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, a minute's walk away.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes–1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
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Gallery · San Polo
6.Scuola Grande di San Rocco
Pick up a mirror at the entrance to the upper hall and take your time; it is rarely crowded.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
- History
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Architecture · San Marco
7.La Fenice opera house
Even a seat high in the gallery for an opera or concert is worth it for the atmosphere; dress smartly.
- Time needed
- 45-minute tour; 3-hour performance
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- After dark
- Couples
- Architecture
- Rainy day
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Museum · Dorsoduro
8.Ca' Rezzonico
Combine it with a spritz in nearby Campo Santa Margherita.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| San Marco | St Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace and La Fenice opera house | 1–1.5 hours + 2–3 hours + 45-minute tour; 3-hour performance |
| Dorsoduro | Gallerie dell'Accademia, Peggy Guggenheim Collection and Ca' Rezzonico | 2 hours + 1.5–2 hours + 1.5 hours |
| San Polo | Basilica dei Frari and Scuola Grande di San Rocco | 45 minutes–1 hour + 1 hour |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 4 low cost, 4 mid-priced. Book ahead for St Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace and La Fenice opera house. The longest visit is Doge's Palace; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- St Mark's Basilica: Queues are long from late morning; book a timed entry online for a small fee.
- Doge's Palace: Buy timed tickets online to avoid ticket queues, especially from spring to autumn.
- La Fenice opera house: Performances sell out; book online well ahead.
How to fit them into 4 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (San Marco): St Mark's Basilica → Doge's Palace, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (San Marco and Dorsoduro): La Fenice opera house → Gallerie dell'Accademia, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Dorsoduro and San Polo): Peggy Guggenheim Collection → Ca' Rezzonico → Basilica dei Frari, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 4 (San Polo): Scuola Grande di San Rocco, at least 1 hour.
The wettest months
- April: highs of 17°C (63°F), about 9 rainy days, busy crowds. Spring sunshine and showers, with Easter and the 25 April holiday bringing large crowds.
- May: highs of 22°C (72°F), about 9 rainy days, very busy crowds. Warm and pleasant, among the best months for walking and the lagoon islands, but busy at weekends.
- June: highs of 26°C (79°F), about 8 rainy days, very busy crowds. Warm, long days and beach season on the Lido; humidity and mosquitoes start to build.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- San Marco — St Mark's Square, grand hotels, La Fenice and luxury shopping streets
- Dorsoduro — Art museums, the Zattere waterfront and the student square of Campo Santa Margherita
- San Polo and Santa Croce — The Rialto Market, Titian's Frari and the bacari around the bridge
More of Venice
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Venice?
St Mark's Basilica. Venice's cathedral, rebuilt in the 11th century on a Byzantine plan, is covered inside with more than 8,000 square metres of gold-ground mosaics.