The Grand Canal and the domes of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice
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Luxury in Italy

Venice

A city on the water: palazzo hotels on the Grand Canal, private launches at the door, the Biennale and the Film Festival, Carnival in winter, and the Orient Express to Paris.

The Grand Canal and the Salute, VenicePhotograph: Andrea Piacquadio

Benvenuti

The Most Serene Republic

Venice is built on more than a hundred islands in its lagoon, its palaces set on wooden piles driven into the mud. For a thousand years it was a republic of merchants, the Serenissima, whose ships ruled the trade of the eastern Mediterranean until Napoleon ended its independence in 1797.

The riches of that trade built St Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace and the palazzi of the Grand Canal, and paid for the painters of the Venetian school, Bellini, Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese, whose works still hang in the churches where they were made.

Venice has been a city of festivals ever since. Carnival fills the winter streets with masks, the Biennale, founded in 1895, is the world's great exhibition of art and architecture, and the Venice Film Festival on the Lido is the oldest in the world. There are no cars: the city is crossed by boat or on foot.

A few words of Italian
EnglishItalianSay it
HelloBuongiornobwohn-JOR-noh
PleasePer favorepehr fah-VOH-reh
Thank youGrazieGRAHT-see-eh
Good eveningBuonaserabwoh-nah-SEH-rah
The bill, pleaseIl conto, per favoreeel KOHN-toh, pehr fah-VOH-reh

Where to go

Venice at a glance

When to go, the one best hotel and table, and how to arrive privately.

Venice

Best time to visitLate April to May and late September to October are best: mild days, fewer people than summer, and the Biennale is open. February belongs to Carnival; July and August are hot, humid and crowded.

  • Stay
    Aman Venicethree MICHELIN Keys

    A 16th-century palazzo on the Grand Canal.

  • Dine
    Glam

    Enrico Bartolini's restaurant in Palazzo Venart on the Grand Canal, Venice's two-MICHELIN-star table.

  • Beach
    None that meets our standard yet.
Arrive privately
By private jet
Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE / LIPZ), then about 30 to 40 minutes by private water taxi to St Mark's Square.
By helicopter
Not a regular option.
By sea
Venezia Certosa Marina, 320 moorings for yachts up to 60 metres; a few minutes by water to St Mark's Square.
Good to know
There are no cars in central Venice; the final leg from the airport or marina is always by boat.

Stay

Luxury hotels in Venice

The finest hotels in and around Venice: each rated Forbes Five-Star, holding two or three MICHELIN Keys, or among the 25 Finest Resorts of the Mediterranean.

Venice

Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel

Giuseppe Cipriani of Harry's Bar opened the Cipriani in 1958 at the tip of Giudecca island, a few minutes by the hotel's own boat from St Mark's Square.

Visit website ↗

The finest hotels

Each rated Forbes Five-Star or holding two or three MICHELIN Keys.

Dine

The best restaurants in Venice

The finest tables of Venice and around.

Two MICHELIN stars

Cruises

Venice by sea

How the ships arrive in Venice, and the luxury lines that call.

Since August 2021 ships of more than 25,000 tonnes may no longer sail past St Mark's: only the small ships still berth in Venice itself, at the Marittima and San Basilio. Larger ships use Fusina and Marghera at the edge of the lagoon, or Trieste and Ravenna.

Of the great ships, Cunard's Grills, Princess and Holland America sail from Trieste, and Norwegian's Haven and Celebrity's Retreat from Ravenna. Nine of the luxury lines below begin and end voyages here.

The luxury lines that call here

From the lines' own 2026 and 2027 voyages. Ports change from season to season, so check the voyage before you reserve.

Luxury Cruise LinesSuites at Sea

Travel

First-class travel in Venice

The great hotel trains and first-class rail at our standard. Private jet arrivals are covered in the questions below.

First-class rail

The top class on the scheduled high-speed trains, from city to city.

  • Trenitalia Frecciarossa, Executive

    The top class on Italy's high-speed Frecciarossa, in one carriage at the end of the train with only eight to ten leather seats that recline and swivel, a dedicated steward and a meeting room. Visit website ↗

  • Italo, Club Executive

    The top class of Italo, Italy's private high-speed operator, with leather armchairs in interiors by Giugiaro and a choice of seat. Visit website ↗

The hotel trains

Overnight journeys in restored carriages.

  • Venice Simplon-Orient-Express: Paris to Venice

    Belmond's restored 1920s and 1930s Art Deco carriages run the train's signature overnight route between Paris and Venice in both directions, with variants via Verona and via Florence, across a season that runs from March to December. Visit website ↗

  • Venice Simplon-Orient-Express: Paris to Venice via Cannes

    A Riviera routing of the same train, running Paris to Lyon, Cannes and on to Venice, offered in May. Visit website ↗

  • Venice Simplon-Orient-Express: Villeggiatura journeys to the Italian coast

    Multi-night itineraries that pair a night on the train with stays at Belmond hotels: Paris to Portofino with Belmond Hotel Splendido, and Paris to the Amalfi Coast via the French and Italian Rivieras, with a Pompeii visit and two nights at Belmond Hotel Caruso in Ravello. Visit website ↗

  • La Dolce Vita Orient Express: Rome-based journeys across Italy

    Italy's own luxury train, in service since 2025, with 1960s-inspired cabins and suites by Dimorestudio and dining overseen by chef Heinz Beck. Visit website ↗

  • La Dolce Vita Orient Express: Rome to Istanbul

    A four-night journey from Rome via Venice, Budapest and the Carpathian Mountains to Istanbul, first running in October 2026, with a return journey from Istanbul to Rome by way of Bulgaria and Vienna, also in October. Visit website ↗

  • Golden Eagle Danube Express: Balkan Explorer, Venice to Istanbul

    A 12-day journey eastbound from Venice through Trieste and Slovenia to Pula and Rijeka in Croatia, Sarajevo and Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina, then Belgrade, Sofia and Istanbul, with seven nights on the train. Visit website ↗

Shop

Luxury shopping in Venice

The shopping streets and ateliers of Venice.

The great shopping streets

  • Calle Larga XXII MarzoVenice

    The broad street running west from Piazza San Marco towards the Gritti, Venice's street of haute couture boutiques, with Chanel at No. 2070, Dolce & Gabbana, Tod's and Brunello Cucinelli in the former Venice Stock Exchange, Palazzo della Borsa. Visit website ↗

Artisan ateliers

Experience

Events and things to do in Venice

The Venice year: the great events, month by month; each event's own website gives this year's dates.

The great museums

  • Peggy Guggenheim CollectionVenice

    Modern art in Palazzo Venier dei Leoni on the Grand Canal, where Peggy Guggenheim lived for thirty years. Visit website ↗

  • Gallerie dell'AccademiaVenice

    The greatest collection of Venetian painting, from Giovanni Bellini and Giorgione's The Tempest to Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese, in the former Scuola Grande della Carità on the Grand Canal. Visit website ↗

Opera houses, concert halls and festivals

Private access

Doors that open by arrangement.

  • Secret Itineraries of the Doge's PalaceVenice

    A guided route through rooms closed to general visitors: the Council of Ten's offices, the Secret Chancellery, the Chamber of the Inquisitors, the torture chamber and the Piombi cells where Casanova was held. Visit website ↗

Weddings and celebrations

  • Lanza & BaucinaLondon, Venice and Palermo

    Founded in 2000 by Counts Aleramo and Riccardo Lanza and Prince Antonio Licata di Baucina, the firm planned the Venice weddings of George and Amal Clooney and of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez. Visit website ↗

Live

Luxury real estate in Venice

A home in Venice: the agencies and advisers at our standard, for the purchase and for life after it.

Prime real estate

  • Lionard Luxury Real EstateFlorence

    Italian luxury specialist with offices in Florence, Milan, Rome, Naples, Venice, Porto Cervo and Forte dei Marmi, handling villas, castles and estates in Tuscany, Liguria, Sardinia and Capri. Visit website ↗

All the leading agencies in Italy ›

Looking for a home in Venice? Write to travel@TheMediterranean.com and we will introduce you, in confidence, to the right agency.

Plan your trip

Luxury travel in Venice and the Mediterranean: your questions answered

Plan your journey to Venice

Where is Venice?

In its lagoon at the head of the Adriatic in north-eastern Italy. Venice Marco Polo airport takes private jets, and a private water taxi reaches the hotels of the Grand Canal in about 30 minutes.

What is Venice famous for?

Its canals and palazzi, St Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace, Carnival, the Biennale, the Venice Film Festival on the Lido, and the glass of Murano and lace of Burano.

When is the best time to visit Venice?

Late April to May and late September to October are best: mild days, fewer people than summer, and the Biennale is open. February belongs to Carnival; July and August are hot, humid and crowded.

Where are the best luxury hotels in Venice?

Aman Venice (three MICHELIN Keys).

Also among the 25 Finest Resorts of the Mediterranean, in and around Venice: Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel.

How do you arrive in Venice by private jet?

Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE / LIPZ), then about 30 to 40 minutes by private water taxi to St Mark's Square.

Which are the best restaurants in Venice?

The finest table on our list: Glam.

Do you tip in Venice?

Not obligatory; a service charge (servizio) may already be on the bill. Leaving a few euros, or up to about 10% for excellent service, is appreciated. Taxis: rounding up is enough. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, €10–20 for a helpful concierge.

What should you wear in Venice?

Shoulders and knees covered in churches; carry a light scarf or layer. Some resort towns fine people for wearing swimwear or going bare-chested in town centres; check locally. On yachts, soft-soled or bare feet on deck. Elegant, well-cut dress for fine dining.

Beyond Venice

More in Italy

The rest of Italy, and the Mediterranean beyond.

ItalyLuxury Italy Holidays: Amalfi Coast & CapriExplore ItalyThe MediterraneanTwenty-two countries and Gibraltar, first class onlyExplore the MediterraneanPlan your journeyFrom your home to Venice, with the costsOpen the trip planner

Customs and etiquette

Customs and etiquette in Venice

How Italy does things.

Language
Italian. English is widely spoken in luxury hotels and leading restaurants in Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan and the main coastal resorts; less so in the countryside.
Greetings
A handshake on first meeting; cheek kisses among friends and family. Titles matter: dottore / dottoressa for anyone with a university degree, signore / signora otherwise.
Dress
Shoulders and knees covered in churches; carry a light scarf or layer. Some resort towns fine people for wearing swimwear or going bare-chested in town centres; check locally. On yachts, soft-soled or bare feet on deck. Elegant, well-cut dress for fine dining.
Dining
Lunch about 1–3 pm; dinner from about 8 pm, often 9.30 pm or later in the big cities and in summer. Book ahead for good restaurants. A per-person cover charge (coperto) for bread and table setting is normal and is not a tip. Ask for the bill; it will not arrive until you do.
Tipping
Not obligatory; a service charge (servizio) may already be on the bill. Leaving a few euros, or up to about 10% for excellent service, is appreciated. Taxis: rounding up is enough. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, €10–20 for a helpful concierge.
Good to know
Smaller shops often close for a midday break and on Sunday. Many towns fine people for sitting on monument steps or eating and drinking beside major churches and monuments; entering or bathing in public fountains is an offence in many cities, including Rome and Florence, and swimming in Venice's canals is banned. Taking sand, shells or pebbles from the coast is illegal.
Tourist tax
Venice charges day visitors an access fee on set days from April to July, from €5 booked in advance; guests staying overnight in the city are exempt but must register online.

Every list on this page is checked by hand and dated: last checked October 2026. Hotels, restaurants and events link only to their own official websites, where confirmed.

The Mediterranean Season Letter

Where to be, every season

Four letters a year, one for each season: the Mediterranean from spring to autumn, and Beyond the Mediterranean, into the Alps, in winter. The one best hotel to book, and the events worth crossing a sea for.