Venice Italy Weather and Climate

Venice, Italy, Average Daily Temperatures and Precipitation

Temperatures in Venice are much more moderate than in Florence or Rome. But personal experience tells me that when it's moderately hot in Venice, you swelter. It's the humidity.

Unlike the other cities of Italy's "Big Three," Venice's rainfall is pretty well distributed throughout the year, totalling just over 32 inches on average. You'll find thunderstorms, particularly in Spring and Autumn. The biggest holiday periods in Venice feature its worst weather: Christmas (wet and cold), Carnevale (foggy and cold), and Venice Film Festival time in August (hot and humid). Italy's traditional May Day holiday on May 1 usually features decent weather, but Italians crowd the city that day, so it's best for the casual tourist to plan a visit around that holiday.

The historic climate charts below tell the story.

Venice: Best Time to Visit

The best times of the year to visit Venice are from May through early June, then September and October.

Touring Venice

Venice is one of the best walking cities in the universe. As a sea power, the wealth of ideas it brought back from its excursions, especially to the east, resulted in a city whose art and arcitecture is unique, interesting, and diverse. Wander the city, get away from Piazza San Marco and the tourists and squeeze through the narrow passageways for a day. Then, when you want it all explained to you, take a tour. We prefer the scholarly tours put on by Context Travel, where you can find out about Byzantine or Medieval Venice, or find out how the Plague influenced life in Venice, or simply explore a Venice neighborhood of your choosing. See: Context Travel Venice Tours.

It takes a lot of exploring to put Venice in perspective. You might want to stay in a vacation apartment or house, expecially if it has an altana, a typical Venetian rooftop terrace, great for when the weather is warm and you want a view over the city and lagoon: Venice Vacation Rentals.