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Venice entry fee in 2024: all you need to know

In spring 2024 , the City of Venice takes a step forward to combat overtourism and move towards a more sustainable and responsible tourism . From 25 April , in fact, there will be a fee for tourist to enter Venice for a trial period that will last until July, in order to support local tourism and preserve the authenticity of the city and its inhabitants by limiting entry on the "black sticker" days of the year.

Here is all the information you need to organise your trip in the best possible way.

How much does the ticket cost and how to pay

Admission to Venice from 25 April will cost €5 per person per day. The fee is the same for everyone and there are currently no reductions. Each ticket is nominal and valid for the entire day , so if you leave the city centre to re-enter during the day you will not need a new ticket, but you will not need to buy one if you enter the city between 4pm and 8.30am.

To purchase the ticket simply go to the official website of the Municipality of Venice and follow the instructions. Once you have made the payment you will be issued with a voucher with a QR-code to take with you and show in case of controls at one of the eight access points.

Venice oentry fee: who has to pay

The dates on which you will have to purchase your ticket

For this trial period, Venice entry fee is limited only to "black-sticker" days , when the overcrowding is greatest.

Here are the days on which you need to purchase an entrance ticket:

- From April 25th to May 5th .

- The remaining weekends of May , namely 11/12, 18/19, 25/26 May.

- All the weekends in June, except the first one , and therefore: 8/9, 15/16, 22/23, 29/30 June.

- The first two weekends of July , i.e. 6/7, 13/14.

This solution implemented by the municipality of Venice is aimed at preserving the heritage and uniqueness of this city , containing daily tourism and making it more sustainable. Moreover, this measure is also intended to give residents some breathing space, allowing them to enjoy their city.

In these "black-sticker" days, the entrance ticket will make the streets and monuments more enjoyable for everyone, but the smartest way to visit Venice remains the Venice Pass , which allows you to skip the queue at the most important attractions and take advantage of discounts and concessions.

Let us all commit to safeguarding Venice's heritage!

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In spring 2024, Venice has introduced a booking system and an access fee for day trippers : visitors not staying in accommodation in Venice overnight (and residing outside the Veneto region) have to book online and pay a fee of €5 during the peak tourism periods of the year  (those sleeping in accommodation in Venice already pay a tourist tax).

The fee applies on 29 days , starting from April 25 to May 5 and also during weekends in May and June -  excluding the Festa della Repubblica weekend (1-2 June) - as well as the first two weekends of July. The day-tripper fee only applies during peak hours from 8:30am to 4pm .

This fee, a first-of-its-kind experiment, aims at managing visitor influx more effectively and preserving the city's unique heritage, discouraging 'hit-and-run' tourism .

On the website of the City of Venice there are FAQs on the Access Fee that explain everything you need to know before arriving in Venice.

ph. @murnudinvenice via Instagram

VENICE ACCESS FEE

For the year 2024 the amount is  5.00 € a day , not subject to reductions.

The entry fee is  NOT applied to the smaller islands , including Venice Lido (including Alberoni and Malamocco), Pellestrina, Murano, Burano, Torcello, Sant'Erasmo, Mazzorbo, Mazzorbetto, Vignole, Sant'Andrea, La Certosa, San Servolo, San Clemente, Poveglia.

It is NOT due by those transiting Piazzale Roma, Tronchetto or the Maritime Station, without accessing the Old City.

ph. Matthias Süeßen CC BY-SA 4.0 Wikimedia Commons

WHO HAS TO PAY TO ENTER VENICE?

All  visitors over the age of 14,  who do not stay overnight  on the dates on which the fee is applicable, and do not reside in the Veneto region,  have to book their visit and pay the  €5 fee  in advance. 

To manage the entry process, visitors need to register on the online platform  https://cda.ve.it/en/  that has been launched  on January 16 .

Upon booking, visitors will receive a QR code that  certifies the payment of the fee (or the exclusion/exemption condition). I n order to prove that you have booked and paid for entry - as well as that you are exempt from payment - simply show the  QR-code  to officials at Venice's main access points.

ph. @frankpicc via Instagram

EXCLUSIONS AND EXEMPTIONS

Persons born in the Municipality of Venice, residents of the Municipality of Venice, minors under the age of 14 years are not required to pay the Access Fee. In case of a check, it will only be necessary to show an ID.   Holders of the European Disability Card (Disability Card) and their companion are not required to pay the Access Fee. In case of check, it will only be necessary to show the Disability Card.

Personnel belonging to the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Forces (including Fire Brigade personnel) are not required to pay the Access Fee. In case of check they can show the relevant service card.

They are not required to pay the Access Fee but must apply for exemption on the portal https://cda.ve.it/en/ , workers (employees or self-employed), even commuters, students of any grade and order of schools and universities that are based in the Ancient City or the Minor Islands, subjects and members of the families of those who have paid the IMU in the Municipality of Venice ; residents in the Veneto Region, those in need of care , who participate in sports competitions , the spouse, the partner, relatives or relatives related up to the 3rd degree of residents in the areas where the Access Contribution is valid, and an additional set of exemptions provided for in the Regulation .

ph. Vladimir Korolkov CC BY-SA 4.0 Wikimedia Commons

The Municipal Administration may carry out checks, inspections and site visits through authorized personnel, in the main points of access to the City .

Fine from 50 euros to 300 euros (+10 euros of the entry fee), with the possibility of reporting under the Italian Criminal Code and special laws on the subject to anyone who makes false declarations, and falsification of documents in the cases provided for by the Regulation .

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Venice’s New Tourist Entry Fee Just Went Into Effect—Here’s What to Know

April 25 marked the first time ever that venice day-trippers were charged a fee to enter the city. here’s how the new system works, how much it costs, and the dates when the fee is required..

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On certain days of the year, it now costs a little more to visit Venice.

Courtesy of Vidar Nordli/Unsplash

Whether arriving by boat, bus, car, train, or plane, Venice, Italy’s famed floating city, has always required a little bit of extra effort to visit—and as of April 25, it now requires a little bit of extra cash on select days of the year.

In fall 2023, Venice’s city council approved the introduction of a 5-euro entry ticket (US$5.35 based on current conversion rates) for day visitors into the city. And in November, the city revealed the exact 29 days during 2024 when day visitors will have to purchase a ticket for entry if they want to set foot on La Serenissima .

Venice’s 2024 entry fee dates

• April 25–30
• May 1–5, 11–12, 18–19, 25–26
• June 8–9, 15–16, 22–23, 29–30
• July 6–7, 13–14

How much does Venice’s new entry fee cost and who has to pay?

On the above dates, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., the 5-euro entry fee will be charged to every person over the age of 14 entering the ancient city of Venice, with the exception of residents, property owners, students attending universities in the city, and employees who work in Venice.

How does Venice’s new entry fee work and how will it be enforced?

Hotel guests, who already pay a per-night tourist tax, will also be exempt. However, they will still need to register in advance online or get a QR code from the hotel.

In order to pay the fee, day visitors will need to log on at http://cda.ve.it , where they will be able to obtain a QR code that can be shown to the authorities “in the event of checks,” according to the latest update from the city council. The QR code “certifies payment of the contribution or the condition of exclusion/exemption and must always be kept with you,” the city stated.

The entry fee is the latest attempt to ease the stresses of mass tourism on the city of Venice.

Photo by Jaroslav Moravcik/Shutterstock

An attempt to curb overtourism

“We need to show to the world that, for the first time, something is being done for Venice,” said city mayor Luigi Brugnaro during a September 12 council meeting . In this case, “something” means a ticketed pilot program to gauge the effects and logistics of an entry ticket in the hopes that it could potentially ameliorate Venice’s storied issues with overtourism .

Approval of the entry ticket follows more than two years of talk, debate, and postponing, and a UNESCO recommendation to add Venice to the List of World Heritage in Danger sites. On September 14, UNESCO voted to spare Venice from the so-called endangered list, which includes approximately 55 locations that face threats such as war, natural disasters, climate change and/or unchecked tourism. Though it was once again spared, it’s not the first time Venice has seen its UNESCO protected status threatened.

Venice has experienced a steady rise in visitors since the turn of the 21st century, with 2019 shattering records and 2023 looking to potentially top 2019 numbers. In 2019, nearly 13 million people visited the historic city, according to the City of Venice and Italy’s National Statistics Institute (ISTAT), drastically overshadowing the city’s 49,665 residents. To be honest, that’s not news—Venice has been overrun by tourists going back decades now. And in 2021, and after a very vocal protest from residents, environmentalists, and Venice lovers, the Italian government banned large cruise ships from Venice’s historic center . But this doesn’t mean the city no longer sees crowds pile up during the daytime. It still does.

Cramped calle (streets) and long lines to enter St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace have become signatures of the Venice experience. During high season, which stretches from March through October, mornings at Stazione Santa Lucia, Venice’s train station, can feel like Grand Central at rush hour or the final minutes before a Harry Styles concert, as visitors rush out to the Rialto and San Marco in a tight single file march.

Visit one of the smaller, lesser-known islands in the Venetian lagoon, like Isola di San Giorgio.

Photo by Pyty/Shutterstock

How to get off the tourist trail in Venice

“Venice is so much more: its artisans, its food, its museums, its art, its music, its boats, and endless other marvelous things,” says Monica Cesarato , Venice culinary guide. “I truly believe that the way to reduce the number of tourists is by educating people, not by taxing them.”

Indeed, there are ample ways to get off the tourist trail in Venice .

Added Cesarato, “Nowadays people come to Venice only to take a selfie and add a tick to their bucket list. We need to educate people by using the tools we have, like social media, to research the city before coming. Once people realize how much can be done in Venice and that one or two days are not enough to discover all the incredible things that can be experienced here, then people will want to stay more and the number of day-trippers will go down.”

Now that the entry fee has gone into effect, it’s clearly not the end-all solution to years-long buildup of residents’ frustrations. And it has also already opened the door to questions such as whether or not there will be a limit in the number of reservations per day (the city council says there won’t be) and to concerns about whether or not it will actually curb the crowds, potentially create bottlenecks, or worse, turn the city into a theme park of sorts.

“We [are] . . . aware of the urgency of finding a new balance between the rights of those who live, study, or work in Venice and those who visit the city,” deputy mayor Simone Venturini said in an email. “This is why, at certain times and on certain days, innovative flow management is required, capable of putting a brake on day-to-day tourism.”

This story was originally published in September 2023, and was updated on April 26, 2024, to include current information.

Venice Travel Tips

Venice Entry Fee 2024

Venice Travel Guides Last Updated · May 18th, 2024 · Maddy [post_comments before=""] -->

Have you recently heard that from spring 2024, some travellers visiting Venice will have to start paying an entry fee to visit the city? I can confirm that this is true.

To be even more precise, the fee will actually be applicable for 29 days, which correspond with the weekends between the 25th of April to mid July.

It will also be applied during festivities like Festa della Liberazione and Festa dei Lavoratori, when a high number of visitors is expected to arrive in Venice.

First, I would like to introduce myself and my site. My name is Maddy and welcome to Venice Travel Tips. Here I like to share all my best tips about travelling to Venice.

Below I will answer some of the most important questions about the new Venice Entry Fee so you can be clear on what to expect. Starting with the question:

Who will have to pay the Venice entry fee?

• Every visitor over 14;
• Daytrippers (=visitors that don’t stay overnight) during the days when the fee will be applicable;
• Non-residents in Veneto.

Why has this fee been put in place?

The entry fee is a way to discourage hit and run tourism which means visiting Venice only one day, without sleeping here.

This type of tourism has been negatively affecting the city for years from an environmental and social point of view.

If you’re spending one or more nights in Venice historic centre you won’t be asked to pay this fee. This is because you’ll be already paying a tourist tax when you arrive at your accommodation.

Important information about the fee:

• The Venice entry fee for 2024 is 5 euros per day.
• The fee is applicable from 8.30am to 4pm.

See the Venice entry fee 2024 timetable:

The fee is applicable for Venice historic centre only and not to visit other islands of the Venetian lagoon.

For your reference, the islands in Venice are:

• Lido of Venice (including Alberoni and Malamocco)
• Pellestrina
• Mazzorbetto
• Sant’Erasmo
• San Servolo
• S. Clemente

The fee is not applicable for those who are transiting through Piazzale Roma, Tronchetto and the Stazione Marittima, without entering the historic centre.

Venice Entry Fee (exclusions and exemptions)

Exclusions:

• Residents in the Municipality of Venice;
• Workers (employed or self-employed), including commuters;
• Students of schools and universities located in the city centre or in the smaller islands;
• Subjects and members of the families of those who appear to have paid the IMU (Imposta Municipale Propria) in the Municipality of Venice.

Exemptions (must be registered on the portal https://cda.ve.it ):

• Overnight tourists;
• Veneto region residents;
• Children up to 14 years old;
• People who need medical treatments;
• People who assist or accompany patients to healthcare facilities;
• People who take part in sportive competitions;
• People with certified disabilities and accompanying people;
• spouse, partner, relatives or in-laws up to the 3rd degree of residents.

The complete list can be found here:

• City of Venice Website

How do I pay the entry fee?

To pay the Venice entry fee, you’ll have to register on this website (from the 16th of January).

Once booked the day of your visit and paid the fee, you’ll receive a QR code to show at the checks (or your exclusion/exemption proof).

The Municipality of Venice administrations will carry out checks, inspections by authorised people at the main access points of the City.

The administrative sanction is from 50 euros to 300 euros (+10 euros of the access fee), with the possibility of reporting pursuant to the Criminal Code and special laws on the matter to anyone who makes false statements, forms false documents or uses them in the cases provided for by the Regulation.

I hope this guide has provided you with some clarity on the new Venice Entry Fee.

Feel free to browse some of my other travel guides to help you with your visit.

Here are some popular guides that I recommend you read:

• Best time to visit Venice
• Airports near Venice
• Best Things to do in Venice
• What to wear in Venice
• Must eat food in Venice
• Acqua Alta in Venice
• Where to stay in Venice
• Day trips from Venice

If you need more advice and want to get personalised tips for your trip to Venice, you can book a call with me and we can start planning together!

I wish you a wonderful time in Venice!

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About Maddy

I love to share tips, advice and resources to help visitors explore Venice and the Veneto region like a local. Learn more about me here.

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Venice launches its experimental entry fee today. Here's what visitors need to know

Apr 25, 2024 • 5 min read

A tourist shows a card with the days the Venice Access Fee is implemented highlighted in red © Christoph Sator/picture alliance/Getty Images

Today marks a big change for Venice as it officially rolls out an entry fee for day trippers. This long-anticipated measure aims to ease the heavy toll of overtourism that the UNESCO-listed city has struggled with for years.

Alongside cities like Barcelona and Amsterdam, Venice has become synonymous with the challenges of overtourism. With a staggering 30 million visitors in 2019, many of whom stayed for just one day , Venice is desperate to protect its fragile infrastructure and historic charm with the new so-called Venice Access Fee.

Local officials, including Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, have championed the fee as a "first-of-its-kind" experiment intended to make Venice more livable. However, not everyone's on board. The policy has sparked controversy, with protests from local committees and activists throughout the city on Thursday. Matteo Secchi from the residents group Venessia.com argues that this fee might turn Venice into a "theme park," stripping away its authenticity and offering little real benefit to the locals.

Speaking to the Guardian today, Secchi said: “You can’t impose an entrance fee to a city; all they’re doing is transforming it into a theme park. This is a bad image for Venice."

UNESCO has previously expressed serious concerns about irreversible damage and ongoing deterioration in Venice due to human activities, climate change, and mass tourism. The organization has criticized Italy for not making significant progress in addressing these complex issues.

The entry fee is part of Venice's broader strategy to manage tourist numbers and protect its heritage more effectively. Here’s what you need to know about this new tourist fee and other initiatives the city is implementing to control its visitor numbers.

This article was first published Jul 24, 2020 and updated Apr 25, 2024.

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Venice launches world first tourist entrance fee in bid to fight overcrowding

VENICE, Italy — Ancient and beautiful, this city is sometimes referred to as an open air museum — and now visitors to Venice will have to pay an entry fee after the tourist hub on Thursday became the first in the world to introduce a charging system for day-trippers.

In a bid to thin out the crowds that throng to see the canals, bridges and striking architecture during vacation season, day-trippers will have to pay 5 euros ($5.35) to enter the lagoon city on 29 peak days, mostly on weekends, as part of a trial phase until July 14. 

Tourists who have booked at least one night at a hotel in the city will be exempt from the charge, as will residents, workers and students in the city. Visitors under age 14 will also be exempt. But like the day-trippers, they will also have to ensure they have registered online and received QR codes.  

Those without smartphones will have to go to the city’s Santa Lucia train station to buy tickets. 

Among the thousands of people lining up at the station for a ticket Thursday was Donna Porter-Mutchler, a tourist from Tennessee, who told NBC News she thought the charge was “a wonderful idea.”  

“Venice deserves to be taken care of,” she said. “I think it’s more than worth it. I come here often, and I’ll pay every time.” 

While there will be no limits on the number of people who can register, officials hope the fee will put people off on days it applies. 

“We are not looking to collect money, tax people or introduce a police state,” Simone Venturini, Venice’s tourism councilor, told NBC News. “We are being democratic about it, but the important message is: ‘Please, if you are a day-tripper, choose another day.’”

While there are no turnstiles at the city’s entrance points to make sure people have passes, inspectors will make random checks and issue fines of 50 to 300 euros to anyone who has failed to register.

Prominent signs across the city and a TV and newspaper advertising campaign have been launched in Italy and some other countries to let people know about it. And with the help of artificial intelligence , Mayor Luigi Brugnaro has also recorded a video message in several languages to inform tourists about the charge.  

Officials in the city estimate an average of 50,000 people a day visit Venice, an influx that almost matches the resident population, some of whom are unhappy about the new charge.  

“Venice has turned into Disneyland, where tourists are catered more than residents, and charging $5 is not going to stop anyone,” Federica Toninello of the Social Assembly for Housing and the Solidarity Network for Housing in Venice said Thursday. “It’s just propaganda.”

Others, like tourist guide Luisella Romeo, said they were concerned about the use of personal data collected by the new system. “That’s an invasion of privacy. Those details will remain in the system for five years and could be given to third parties, public and private,” she said. 

But officials in the city, which narrowly escaped being placed on UNESCO’s “World Heritage in Danger” list last year, in part because the United Nations body decided that it was not addressing concerns that its delicate ecosystem risked being overwhelmed by mass tourism, have insisted that something needed to be done. 

Three years ago, large cruise ships were banned from sailing into the Venetian lagoon , and the city has also announced limits on the sizes of tourist groups.

While the charge in Venice is still in its experimental stage, other popular Italian tourism destinations, like Lake Como, which has struggled with overcrowding for years, are watching closely.

Only time will tell whether it ends up dead in the water.  

Claudio Lavanga is Rome-based foreign correspondent for NBC News.

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It’s Official—Venice Will Start Charging Day-Trippers in 2024

If a Venetian gondola ride under the Bridge of Sighs or an aperitivo at Harry’s Bar is on your travel list for 2024 , you might need to fill out some extra paperwork—and pay some extra money. In an effort to shore up against the ravages of overtourism, Venice will start charging certain tourists an entry fee to access the marvels of the delicate floating city.

As part of the plan for next year, the city recently released its fee schedule for 2024 detailing the days peak-hour visitors can expect to be levied the new tax (which will only apply to tourists who are not spending the night). The goal of the new fee is to encourage visitors to stay longer, reduce overcrowding, and make Venice more hospitable for its permanent residents.

Day-trippers over the age of 14 will have to pay 5 euros (about $5.45) to gain entry, but Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro says the primary purpose of the levy is not to bring in extra money. “Our attempt is to make a more livable city,” Brugnaro said of the policy at a news conference earlier this month, per the AP .

According to the schedule, there are 29 days on which day-trippers will be charged to enter Venice in 2024. Most of them fall on weekends during the high season from April to July, with some weekdays included during April and May. The fee will apply between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., which are considered the city’s busiest hours. Short-term visitors outside of those hours—those coming for the evening or in the early morning—will not have to pay the new tax. Others exempt from the charge include residents, travelers staying in a hotel within Venice (who already pay a similar tax each night), students, workers, and anyone born in Venice.

Day visitors will need to register before arrival, and can begin scheduling their visits on a just-launched page on the city of Venice’s government website, starting on January 16. After paying the 5 euros, the site will generate a QR code that day-trippers will need to show upon arrival in Venice at one of seven entry points.

Day-trippers will be charged to enter Venice in 2024, according to the new schedule.

Why is Venice taxing tourists?

Although it’s launching in 2024, Venice’s plans to tax day-trippers have long been in the works. The first iteration of the plan was introduced in 2019, but was derailed by the pandemic until recently. In the past, the city has also installed electronic turnstiles to particularly crowd-choked sectors of the city; tourists had to use an app and pay a small fee in order to pass through.

But travel specialists don’t agree that the new 5 euro charge will be an effective deterrent for travelers eager to see the wonders of the UNESCO-listed lagoon city, including the breathtaking Grand Canal, St. Mark’s Square, and the Rialto Bridge. “I’m not sure it will discourage visitors from coming during high-season, but hopefully the extra charge contributes to a cleaner, safer, and more efficient Venice,” says Courtney Mundy , a travel specialist with Butterfield & Robinson based in Italy.

For others, the crowd control isn’t worth the hassle that the registration system could pose for other visitors. “Not only will the day-trippers have to file for a QR code, but also workers in the city and, ridiculously, Venice’s hotel guests,” says Avi Hagby , a resident and owner of tour company Venice Luxury Services. “That means that even the non-day-tripper will have to file arduous forms before coming." Indeed, travelers staying in Venetian hotels will also need to generate a QR code to show on arrival and input their hotel information in order to bypass the fee.

Regardless of whether the tax will be effective at quelling the crowds, it’s certainly clear that Venice is reaching a breaking point with overtourism. During the summer high season, as many as 110,000 tourists per day pass through Venice, according to Euro News . The hordes of visitors far outnumber the local population—which currently clocks in at about 50,000 residents—and contribute to problems including litter, pollution, and potential damage to historic sites.

The situation has gotten so dire that UNESCO recommended earlier this year that the city be placed on its World Heritage in Danger list, which tracks sites at risk of deterioration or destruction due to “serious and specific dangers.” (Along with mass tourism, the organization is also concerned by the threat of climate change looming over the city.) Ultimately, UNESCO refrained from adding Venice to the official list, in part because of the day-tripper tax, according to the AP.

But, for some, tourists who visit only for the day represent only a small piece of a much larger issue. “Blaming them for overtourism in Venice would not be accurate,” Hagby says. “It’s only part of the problem.” Just as important, according to Hagby, would be increasing the amount of hotel rooms available in Venice to encourage longer stays, clamping down on illegal vacation rentals, and prioritizing efforts to grow the city’s number of residents.

St Mark's square is a big draw for tourists, thanks to its historical architecture and the San Giorgio Maggiore church.

To help reduce the strain, consider a longer stay during the off-season

While those are all initiatives for officials to tackle, tourists can do their parts, too. The easiest way travelers can take pressure off of the at-risk destination? “The short answer is to stay longer,” Mundy says. “The tourism economy in Venice is largely driven by hotel revenue, whereas purchases by day-trippers contribute only a fraction of support for the city. Staying longer reduces the environmental impact of scores of day-trippers packing onto one ferry after the other, which disrupts the wildlife in the canals, adds to air, water, and sound pollution, and increases the number of paper tickets printed.”

Travelers who opt for longer visits in Venice can plan a more in-depth trip, including visiting other islands in the Lagoon, according to Mundy. “We take our travelers biking along the beach in Pellestrina and Lido, to the mesmerizing glass workshops in Murano, and have a wine-paired lunch in complete tranquility on tiny Mazzorbo,” she says.

Visiting outside of peak hours of 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. is another good way to reduce strain on the fragile city. A visit at night also means avoiding the new tax—remember, it ends at 4 p.m.—and saving a bit of cash. “Saint Mark’s Square is even more beautiful in the evening,” Hagby says. Of course, like many destinations, visiting in the off-season is one of the surest ways to avoid Venice’s clamoring crowds. Cold weather months tend to be significantly slower, with November to January usually being the calmest, according to Hagby.

Even though it will be chillier, the good news is that Venice is enchanting all year round. “If you have the possibility to choose the period in which to visit Venice, come during low season,” Hagby says. “Venice is fascinating when it’s foggy or cold.”

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Visiting Venice? Make a Reservation and Be Ready to Pay.

City officials are introducing a new fee to visit Venice and its islands, a move, they hope, will limit tourists.

By Elisabetta Povoledo

ROME — Traveling to Venice? Get ready to pay for the privilege of visiting the city, one of the most beautiful on earth. Oh, and be sure to reserve your spot.

Beginning in January 2023, visitors must make a reservation through a new digital system and many will have to pay a daily fee — from 3 to 10 euros depending on how crowded Venice is at the time — as part of a plan to better control the masses of tourists that can overwhelm the fragile city.

The system will allow city officials to know ahead of time how many visitors they can expect on any particular day, and can then deploy staff and services accordingly. Those making early reservations will be charged at lower rates.

The reservation system and entry fee is part of a “revolution” when it comes to visiting Venice and its islands, Simone Venturini, the city councilor in charge of tourism and economic development, told reporters on Friday. He said it aims to balance “the needs of residents, the needs of tourists who sleep in the city and those of the day-trippers, whose rhythms are different.”

Before the pandemic curbed tourism, hordes of day visitors and cruise ship passengers had transformed Venice into a prime example of “ over-tourism ,” its narrow streets so crowded that on some days the police instituted one-way flows. Annual estimates for the numbers of tourists fluctuate wildly, with some as high as 30 million and others at a more modest 12 million.

In a city with a population of just over 50,000, those numbers were overwhelming at times.

Just about everyone visiting the city will have to register their presence, but not everyone will have to pay a fee, including children under 6, guests of Venetian residents and visiting relatives of people held in city jails. The city’s residents, people who work in Venice, students enrolled in city schools and property owners (as long as they’ve paid their taxes) are among those who won’t have to register or pay at all.

But even those who are exempt will have to show proof that they have a right to be in the city. Officials said the verification could come by way of a QR code that reveals whether someone deserves an exemption.

Tourists sleeping in the city won’t pay the daily fee directly because a fee is already tacked onto their hotel stay.

People will be stopped on the streets to make sure that they’ve paid up or have a right to an exemption. Ten to 15 “controllers” will be deployed daily to enforce the rules, said Michele Zuin, the city councilor responsible for the budget and taxes

“Naturally, their attitude won’t be that of a police state — they will be cordial, polite,” Mr. Zuin said. “But there will be controls, just as there will be sanctions for those caught without having made the payment.”

Violators will face hefty fines, ranging from €50 to €300, plus the €10 entry fee. And if someone is found to have lied — claiming, say, that they were visiting a resident in order to avoid a fee — they could face criminal penalties, Mr. Venturini said.

City officials are still fine-tuning some details, like daily pricing and the daily cap on the number of people. They hope that higher costs during high season will encourage people to come at slower times. “But the city of Venice will remain open,” Mr. Zuin said.

The city’s costs for implementing and managing the system are expected to be considerable, so the city doesn’t foresee that the fees will do much more than recover its investment. Should anything be left over, it would be used to offset taxes and service fees for residents.

Mr. Venturini said the new reservation system complements a monitoring system that the Venice City Council introduced last year to track people via phone location data, a system some critics have likened to Big Brother .

Mr. Venturini claimed Venice would be the first city in the world to use such a complex monitoring system. Bumps in the road could be expected, he said.

“It would be foolish, ambitious, arrogant to think that everything will work perfectly, with a snap of our fingers,” he said. “It won’t” he added. “It will be a course that can certainly be improved and we will work constantly.”

A picture caption with an earlier version of this article misidentified the canal and bridge in the photograph. It is a view onto a side canal, not a view from the Rialto Bridge onto the Grand Canal.

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Elisabetta Povoledo has been writing about Italy for nearly three decades, and has been working for The Times and its affiliates since 1992. More about Elisabetta Povoledo

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Free access to the main attractions of Venice and get discounts in the best activities

✅ Free entrance to the main attractions of Venice ✅ Free public transport ✅ Discounts at the best hotels, restaurants and businesses

• Venice entry fee from Jan 23: all the rules Venice is setting to avoid crowds
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Venice is beautiful but also fragile. To be enhanced, but also protected. Venice introduces an entry fee from 2023: here's what changes.

After many years in which the City of Venice has been debating about introducing an entry tourist fee , it seems that the measure is a reality.

Making the city a livable place even during peak season is a demand coming not only from Venetians, but also from visitors themselves. Indeed, in this period of relaxation of covid-related measures, more than 100,000 tourists per day have been recorded. In a city that, until a few years ago, had just over 50,000 inhabitants in its historic center.

For Venice and Venetians, tourism has a fundamental value and hospitality is a way of life . So, the measures we will see in a moment have precisely this function: to protect Venice, its inhabitants , but also its visitors themselves.

So that it will be possible for everyone to be able to enjoy the wonders of La Serenissima in the years to come.

Venice entry fee introduction process: the first step

Venice wants its visitors to be taken through this transition phase a little at a time. It will therefore take time for the whole process to be completed.

Among the ongoing changes, there is an increase in the cost of waterbuses , a measure that is expected to take effect from September 2023 . In fact, the cost of the 75-minute ticket will increase from 7.5 euros per person to 9.5 euros per person and will include not only waterbuses (vaporetti), but also People Mover, streetcars, and city buses.

As for the Venezia Daily transportation Pass there will be an increase of 4 euros on the ticket valid for one day, and 5 euros on tickets valid for 2, 3 or 7 days. The cost of the municipal garage in Piazzale Roma will also increase, from 26-29 euros to 35 euros.

In conjunction with the introduction of the increases, discounts are also planned. Since there is an intention to make Venice closed-access, all those who reserve their access to the city, as well as purchase tickets in advance , will be able to avail themselves of these new rates. Discounted rates have not yet been officially announced, but it is believed they will be about 4 to 5 euros less on multi-day passes and 2 euros on single tickets. The cost of the municipal garage may also be reduced by 5 euros.

In the upcoming weeks, a new web platform will be set up and booking arrangements will be specified.

Venice entry fee introduction process: second step

Before covid, there had been much discussion about the introduction of turnstiles into Venice . They were to serve mainly during peak seasons , such as Carnival and Redeemer, and make the city a serenely livable place for everyone.

From what the City of Venice has disclosed, there will be "no real limited access." The turnstiles will simply serve to count attendance and cannot be used to identify visitors.

Everyone will be able to access Venice , but only by booking in advance and paying the appropriate entry ticket. The amount of that ticket will vary according to seasonality . In fact, the goal is not to limit admissions, but to discourage tourist takeover .

Those who live or work or study in the lagoon, as well as visitors who stay overnight in Venice, will not have to pay this fee. The latter, in fact, already pay it through the tourist tax . In any case, it seems that all visitors to the lagoon city will be required to book an entrance ticket. It will probably be necessary for students and workers to show a simple pass.

Venice entrance fee: FAQs

As we have seen, not all decisions have been made yet. Much about access costs or how to book in the city will only be made known in due course .

In any case, we find it useful to summarize here the questions we have been asked most frequently about this change that will soon affect the city of Venice.

1. Since when will it be necessary to book admission to Venice?

The city entrance booking system will go into operation starting August 2022 . Details have yet to be released, but it appears that it will be a multilingual web platform where people can register their reservations.

2. How much is Venice charging tourists?

In the early stages of this process, Venice will be by reservation, but with free access. The entry fee will go into effect after the holiday season, starting January 16, 2023 .

Those who book their access in advance will pay less than those who decide only at the last minute to visit the city. Those who catch on early will also enjoy discounts on transportation and, most likely, on tickets to museums and cultural initiatives.

In addition, the entrance fee to Venice will also vary according to seasonality : you will pay less on low season days and more on "red dot" days, such as holidays. The rates, however, have not yet been officially announced.

3. Do I need a pass to get into Venice?

Until January 15, 2023 , one will enter Venice simply by making a reservation in the platform that will be released in the coming weeks.

From January 16, 2023 , however, in addition to booking, payment of the entrance fee will be required.

Please elaborate on point 2 of the article for more details.

4. Who will be waived from paying the entrance fee to Venice?

Again, the information is not yet official.

Those who live in the city will of course be exempt, but also those who work or study there . There are discussions about making access free for all residents of the Veneto Region as well.

At the tourist level, on the other hand, those who stay in the city will be exempt, as they pay the tourist tax anyway.

5. What will change for visiting museums and attractions?

It is not yet clear how the policies of museums and attractions for visitors to Venice will change. What is certain is that it will become increasingly necessary to plan   visits  in detail and to book in advance for the major attractions.

To make organisation easier, tourist passes will be increasingly indispensable. With a pass you can quickly and easily access the major attractions in Venice and be sure not to miss out on any experience.

There are several passes for Venice on the market, but if you want to get to know the city through more authentic experiences , we recommend the Venice Pass .  

These measures will serve to make the city a more livable and serene tourist place for all. A way to avoid crowds blocking passage through the city's narrow streets ( calli )   or to avoid long lines at the vaporetto stop. A way to appreciate that authentic and genuine Venice, its inhabitants and its slow and enjoyable lifestyle that have made it loved in every corner of the planet.

What do you think of this decision?

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Venice’s Tourist Fee: 3 Things We’ve Learned So Far and What Comes Next

Dawit Habtemariam , Skift

July 23rd, 2024 at 2:59 PM EDT

Venice has trialed its entry free for day trippers. Armed with data, the city is going to figure out adjustments to make it effective.

Dawit Habtemariam

The results of Venice’s tourist entry fee for day trippers are in. For a total of 29 days between April 25 and July 14, Venice mandated that day trippers pay a fee of 5 euros before entering the city. The system targets day trippers from nearby Italian regions.

Visitors who didn’t pay were fined between 50 euros and 300 euros. Additionally, they are required to pay 10 euros for the entry fee.

To enforce the rules, municipal workers have been placed at rail stations, bus terminals and other locations. Residents, commuters and overnight tourists were exempt from the fee but had to register on the program’s website .

 In total, the system had over 3.6 million registrations.

1. Day Trip Tourism on Peak Days Decreased

Over 485,000 day trippers in total came to Venice during the 29 days. Day tripper volume never exceeded its 2023 levels on those days.  

2. Venice Made More than $2.5 million in Fees

The government collected 2.4 million euros ($2.6 million). In its first year, the cost of running the pilot system actually exceeded the revenue collected, city councilor and deputy mayor Simone Venturini told Skift in a June interview .

The city intends to use the system to fund local maintenance and restoration. Venice is home to antiquated and fragile architecture and infrastructure.

3. Venice Plans to Expand the Program in 2025

Venice sees the trial as a success, and plans to make adjustments in 2025.

“It is possible that in 2025 we will calibrate the contribution cost upwards, on certain days of high influx, within the range that national law allows us, which goes from 3 to 10 euros,” a city spokesperson told Skift.

City officials have considered expanding the number of days for the program to 100 and raising the entry to $10, Venturini told Skift.

Entry Fee: One Pillar of Venice’s Tourism Restriction

The pilot entry free system is part of Venice’s overall approach toward managing overtourism.  Venice and its surrounding region had over 13 million tourists in 2023, according to the Italian government . 

Some of the city’s other policies include a cap on new hotels in the city center, building a terminal for cruise ship stops outside the city center and limiting group tour size to 25.

In September, the city is going to introduce new restrictions on short-term rentals.

Governments in Europe Combat Mass Tourism

Governments in Europe have been trying to reduce mass tourism.  Amsterdam, for example, is relocating its cruise terminal from its city center and blocking new hotel development, deputy mayor Sofyan Mbarki told Skift in an interview in July.

In Barcelona, the mayor announced a ban on short-term rentals by 2029 and a new tax on cruise passengers.

The Daily Newsletter

Our daily coverage of the global travel industry. Written by editors and analysts from across Skift’s brands.

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Tags: dwell , italy , overtourism , venice

Venice is being destroyed by tourism – a £100 entry fee might be the only solution

T ourism – we have a problem. As the populations of the world have become richer and more mobile, the balance is tipping. The numbers who want to visit the most beautiful and famous cities, landscapes and sights are starting to outweigh those places’ capacity to cope. We are slowly but surely destroying the destinations we love, and a few of the worst affected have started to react – either through the spontaneous protests from local residents that we have seen in places such as Mallorca and Barcelona, or through more bureaucratic attempts to stem the tide.

Earlier this summer, Venice  trialled a €5 (£4.30) fee for day-trippers , which looks likely to return – at double the price – next year. Now the Greek government is reported to be considering imposing charges for cruise-ship passengers who land at specific places, with a €10 fee being suggested for the picturesque Greek island of Santorini, for example. 

Let’s be honest. Piffling charges like this will do nothing to deter significant numbers of visitors. They are simply a way of skimming off some compensatory revenue instead. This might be a good thing in some cases. The £8 entry fee introduced for visitors to Bali last February is supposed to fund projects that benefit the local community. In Venice, however, it hasn’t even done that. The municipality  has conceded that the revenue earned from the charge was roughly the same as the administrative cost of collecting it.

But we also have to be honest that this is an extremely difficult problem to solve, and in my mind there are only two blunt instruments that can be used. The first is to weigh in with much heftier visitor charges. Some places already do this. Bhutan charges a daily “sustainable development fee” of US$200 (£156) for an adult in high season – which adds a hefty £2,000 to a two-week holiday. That, combined with the need to fly via India, keeps visitor numbers to the mountain kingdom (which has a population of around 790,000) down to about 350,000 a year, as well as bringing in substantial revenue.

Could you charge day-trippers something much more significant – say, £100 – for access to Venice , or £50 to visit Santorini from a cruise ship? It’s not unthinkable. Would it be fair to potentially price out the less wealthy? Should these places be open to all no matter what damage is being done or how unbearable they become? Is an invasion of thousands of cruise passengers at a time really fair on a small island? Would it turn them into a rich person’s playground instead? I’m not sure. After all, it can cost more than £80 to watch a Premier League football match, and the admission price for a day in Disneyland Paris (at peak time) is £97. If you want to see somewhere enough, you will make the investment.

Of course, there are potential ethical implications in charging someone to visit a city or an island. But now that Venice has crossed that Rubicon, it is simply a question of how much it decides to raise the price. And there are many other cases where equally awkward ethical considerations have been outweighed by financial need. Want to visit St Paul’s Cathedral outside of service times? It will cost you £25 (unless you are happy to pray in a tiny chapel by the door).

The other main option is a ceiling on numbers. That already works in some specific and controllable situations. The Louvre put a cap on maximum daily visits last year. If you want to see Leonardo’s  Last Supper in Milan, or Giotto’s frescos in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, you have long had to book  – days in advance – one of a limited number of time slots. Without that control, the frescos would fade away because of the increased moisture in the atmosphere. 

In some cases you even have to pay to visit the natural world. To walk the Milford Track in New Zealand or the Inca Trail in Peru, you have to apply for one of a limited number of permits, which may sell out weeks or maybe months in advance. And to climb Mount Whitney in California (or to experience popular parts of certain other US national parks), you will need to apply for a permit via a lottery (and pay a $15 fee if you win one).

Maybe there is a halfway house. Perhaps you hold a lottery for free access to a certain number of tickets so that, if you are lucky or try hard enough, it is possible to visit such destinations without a charge. Perhaps you also allow free admission for under-21s. But I’m convinced the only thing that will make a real difference to overtourism – apart, perhaps, from limiting the number of flights in the world, is money. An entry fee of £5 or £10 won’t cut it; £50 might; £100 surely would. But then you will, of course, create new and never-ending controversies. 

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'World Heritage in Danger'

After the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) indicated that it was contemplating adding Venice to its global heritage danger list, the city's leaders took this step in the hopes of reducing the number of tourists visiting the city.

According to Forbes , Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro pointed out how important it is to limit visitor numbers at peak times. Nevertheless, he emphasized that this does not mean the city has to be shut down completely. The mayor has promised that the city would remain welcoming to all visitors.

The municipal government said in a statement that "the objective is to discourage daily tourism in certain periods, in line with the fragility and uniqueness of the city."

Reportedly, only daytime guests will be required to purchase an entrance ticket. Those who live in the area, people who commute, as well as students and kids who are under 14, will not have to pay. Guests of hotels located inside the historic city center will likewise be exempt from the fee.

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Imposing Price To Enter

There has been talk about instituting an entrance fee to Venice's historic center for quite some time, but no action has been taken on the matter by the city council as a whole.

The executive board of the council has approved a 30-day trial period beginning in the spring and summer of 2024. This will encompass all major holidays and weekends.

Whether or not there will be a daily ticket cap is only one of many factors that have yet to be announced.

Simone Venturini, the deputy mayor for tourism, claimed the new tax will make the city a "trailblazer on the global level." Since the €5 charge would only cover operating expenses, he added the city has no plans to generate a profit from the program.

Instead, he said that a new equilibrium will be sought between the rights of Venice's permanent residents and those of the city's temporary visitors, as reported by Reuters .

Instead, he said that a new equilibrium will be sought between the rights of Venice's permanent residents and those of the city's temporary visitors. A restriction on big cruise ships sailing in front of St. Mark's Square was enacted by the city in 2021.

The move was made in an effort to lessen the number of people that descend by the thousands and cause traffic congestion in the downtown area.

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