Italy, Europe

Venice in November

Peak acqua alta season, fog, and near-empty streets. Haunting and cheap, but pack for wet feet and check tide forecasts.

TradeoffsCool and damp, highs near 53F (12C)

Grand Canal Venice, Italy — VenicePhoto: This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but ple, CC BY-SA 3.0

The straight answer

November is a month of real tradeoffs in Venice. Peak acqua alta season, fog, and near-empty streets. Haunting and cheap, but pack for wet feet and check tide forecasts.

Weather: Cool and damp, highs near 53F (12C)
Crowds: 1 of 5
Prices: 1 of 5

What November is like in Venice

November is peak acqua alta season. Highs sit near 53F (12C), the air is damp, fog is common, and the streets are close to empty. Hotel rates fall to about half of May's. The Biennale wraps up during the month, and some lagoon island restaurants and small hotels start to close or cut their days. When a high tide comes in, San Marco may flood for a few hours, then clears.

This is a month for romantics, photographers, and budget travelers who pack well. Families who want long outdoor days should aim for September or October instead. Waterproof shoes and a tide app make all the difference.

Make the most of November

What is especially good about Venice this month.

Near-empty Venice

You can walk Cannaregio and Castello without meeting a tour group, and the Accademia is quiet.

Last days of the Biennale

The show usually runs into November, so you may catch the final weeks with almost no lines.

Moody fog and tides

Mist on the canals and raised walkways in San Marco make for striking photos.

What to pack for November

Waterproof boots
A warm, water resistant coat
A hat and gloves
Quick-dry socks

Our timing tip

Check the tide forecast each evening, and plan San Marco for low tide hours.

Book Venice for November.

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Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in Venice
Opens a hotel search for Venice in November, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
Hotels for November
Vacation rentals. Vrbo
Vacation rentals in Venice
Whole homes, condos and villas. Usually the better deal for families and groups, with a kitchen and room to spread out.
Rentals on Vrbo
Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in Venice
Timed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Venice for November. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Tours and tickets

What's on in November

La Biennale

Roughly April through November, art and architecture editions alternating by year

The world's flagship art and architecture exhibition, spread across the Giardini, the Arsenale, and palazzi citywide.

Acqua alta season

Roughly October through January, peaking in late fall

Seasonal high tides can briefly flood the lowest areas, above all Piazza San Marco. Raised walkways go out; the city carries on.

Things to do in Venice

Full guide

St Mark's Basilica

Book the timed entry and go early; the mosaics are lit best in morning light. Modest dress enforced. The Pala d'Oro upgrade is worth the small fee.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Doge's Palace

Book ahead and consider the Secret Itineraries tour for the prisons and torture rooms; you cross the Bridge of Sighs from the inside.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Grand Canal by vaporetto Line 1

The world's best public-transit ride. Board at Piazzale Roma toward San Marco at dusk and stand at the back rail.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Rialto Market

Mornings except Sunday, fish hall closed Mondays too. Go before 10am while it is a working market, then bacaro-hop the surrounding alleys.

Tickets and tours →

Get lost in Cannaregio and Castello

The residential north and east absorb almost no tour traffic. Aimless walking here is the single best free activity in Venice.

Tickets and tours →

Murano, Burano, and Torcello

A half-to-full day by vaporetto. Go against the flow: outer islands first thing, back in Venice by mid-afternoon.

Tickets and tours →

Beat the crowds

Stay overnight in Venice proper. The day-trip tide arrives around 10am and drains by 6pm; residents of the evening city get San Marco nearly to themselves.
Do the San Marco headline sights at opening, then leave the San Marco-Rialto corridor entirely for midday: Cannaregio, Castello, and the Accademia absorb the hours the crowds own.
Book the basilica and Doge's Palace timed entries; the ticket lines, not the sights, consume rookie mornings.
Ride Line 1 at dawn or after 9pm for the Grand Canal without the crush; midday vaporetti in season are packed standing room.

Know before you go

Acqua alta, roughly October through January: occasional high tides flood low-lying areas for a few hours around tide peaks. Shops squeegee out, walkways go up, and the MOSE barriers now block the worst events. Waterproof shoes beat rubber-boot panic buying.
Venice never seasonally shuts down the way resort islands do, but late fall and winter thin the tourist infrastructure: some lagoon-island restaurants and smaller hotels close or cut days November through January.
The Rialto fish market closes Sundays and Mondays; many churches close to sightseeing on Sunday mornings for services.
Carnival's final weekend and Shrove Tuesday effectively convert central Venice into a costumed festival ground; ordinary sightseeing logistics slow accordingly.

Venice in November, quick answers

Is November a good time to visit Venice?

November is a month of real tradeoffs in Venice. Peak acqua alta season, fog, and near-empty streets. Haunting and cheap, but pack for wet feet and check tide forecasts.

What is the weather like in Venice in November?

Cool and damp, highs near 53F (12C).

Is Venice crowded in November?

November is one of the quieter months in Venice; most sights can be done without long waits.

What is happening in Venice in November?

La Biennale (roughly april through november, art and architecture editions alternating by year); Acqua alta season (roughly october through january, peaking in late fall).