Thinking of visiting in Venice in May? We recently got back from visiting Venice for two days in mid-May and it felt like we were there at the perfect time.
It wasn’t too hot, and it wasn’t too cold; the crowds felt manageable, and it was overall just magic.
This post is to help you understand what to expect when visiting Venice in May and to decide if May is the best time for you to go too!
All of the photos in this post were taken in May so you can see exactly what it looked like while we were there. Obviously, the weather varies, but you can at least see what our weather was like!
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🇮🇹 IN A RUSH? CHECK OUT OUR VENICE, ITALY FAVORITES:
✨ WHERE TO STAY IN VENICE:
🛏️ 😍: APARTMENT WITH GORGEOUS CANAL VIEWS: We enjoyed the Airbnb we stayed in, however, if we did it again I'd choose this place instead. This affordable apartment is located in a quiet area of Venice with an ariel view of the canals. That canal view would have been the cherry on top to an already perfect 2 days in Venice.
✨ OUR FAVORITE TOURS/EXCURSIONS:
🛶 LEARN TO ROW LIKE A GONDOLIER: We had the chance to learn very basic Venetian rowing techniques and ask every question we could think of about the history of rowing, sport rowing and the culture of gondoliers today (lots of drama there, let me tell you...).
🎵 INTIMATE OPERA EXPERIENCE IN A BEAUTIFUL PALACE: We weren't sure we'd enjoy the opera, but Musica a Palazzo is the perfect introductory opera experience and was possibly my favorite thing we did in Venice. It's a very intimate experience where you can get as close as one foot from the actors and you can really see and appreciate their vocal power.
✨ ST. MARK'S CAMPANILE: I love a good view and the view from St. Mark's Campanile is a stunning 360 ° view of all of Venice.
🏰 SMALL GROUP DOGES PALACE & ST. MARK'S BASCILICA TOUR: We didn't take this tour, but we did visit the Doge's Palace! It was great to get a glimpse of history by walking the beautiful halls of a building dating back to the 1300s 😮 and this tour will give you insights that we missed out on.
➡️ 2-HOUR WALKING TOUR + GONDOLA RIDE: We didn't take this tour, but if we had decided to book a gondola ride, I totally would've done it in combo with this walking tour with a local. The experience has 5 stars on Viator and seems like a great way to get the most out of your gondola ride as possible.
✨ HOW WE SAVE MONEY ON OUR RENTAL CARS:
🚗 ECONOMY BOOKINGS CAR RENTAL: Any bit you can save on your car rental is worth it! Our go-to car rental search engine is Economy Bookings.
📸 Tours/Excursions: Viator & Get Your Guide
🚕 Airport Transfers with Car Seats: Welcome Pickups
👉 Travel Strollers: Zoe Traveler & Zoe Double
🍼 Baby Carriers: Tula Carriers, Wildride Hip Carriers
📱 International Data Phone eSIM: Airalo
🚗 Cheap Rental Cars: Economy Bookings
🏠 Accomodations: Booking,Expedia,VRBO,Airbnb
🌎 Travel Insurance: World Nomads
Is May a Good Time to Visit Venice, Italy?
PROS OF VISITING VENICE IN
- Perfect weather (not too hot and not too cold)
- Fewer crowds than July/August (but still busy)
- Slightly less expensive accommodations than July/August
CONS OF VISITING VENICE IN MAY
- I honestly can’t think of any!
What’s the weather like in Venice in May?
Venice’s weather in May is really quite lovely.
The average high temp is 72° F, and the average low temp is 57° F.
We visited Venice in mid-May and experienced mostly sunny weather (tiny bit of rain showers)with temps about 65° F each day.
A few days before us, the temps were about 55° F and the week after us the temps hit 82°F.
So as you can see, it can vary greatly, but generally you’re going to have some pretty lovely weather.
My favorite way to research the weather of a destination is to use the website Time and Date. On Time and Date, you choose your destination and then can see the exact past weather on any given day of any given year- it’s amazing!
I find it so helpful to input the dates I’m interested in to see not only the overall average weather but the exact weather for the last many years. It really helps with my decision making.
How you do this is by visiting timeanddate.com, clicking on weather, then worldwide, inputting the destination, clicking yesterday/past weather, and then selecting the dates you want to see.
I’ll usually input a few specific days of the month and look at each of the last five years to see what the weather has been.
Does acqua alta (high water) occur in Venice in May?
Acqua alta very rarely occurs in Venice in May and shouldn’t be a concern for your visit.
Acqua alta (meaning high water) is a phenomenon when Venice experiences light-to-medium flooding as the tide rises.
The first area to flood is St. Mark’s Square, where the water can be a few inches deep to a few feet deep, but it usually only lasts a few hours and naturally drains as the tide goes out.
For more information about acqua alta, you can read about it on the official city of Venice website here.
Is it crowded in Venice in May?
So you’re probably wondering, “Is it busy in Venice in May?” Let me tell you!
The crowds in Venice in May are manageable, and it’s definitely not as crowded as the city gets in July or August.
Let’s be real- Venice is an extremely popular destination that struggles with overtourism. Our instructor for our Learn to Row Like a Gondolier Class mentioned how the city used to be only a summer destination, but it’s now a year-round travel destination.
The busiest time of day is from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm when cruise ship passengers and daytrippers are visiting.
When we visited Venice in mid-May, the streets were pretty busy by 10:00 am, and there were some large walking tour groups throughout the city, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from such a popular destination.
However, we booked our tickets for the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Campanile (bell tower) the morning of and easily got tickets (whereas I wouldn’t risk that in July or August).
Plus, our tickets to the Doge’s Palace were for 5:00 pm, after a lot of the walking tours had already visited for the day, and I felt like it wasn’t that crowded at all.
There was plenty of room to walk around, and sometimes only a few other people in the large grand rooms.
Something else that helped beat the crowds is that when we spent two days in Venice we decided to stay in the actual city of Venice rather than take a day trip.
This allowed us to experience the quieter side of the city (and I’m so glad we did!).
We stayed in an Airbnb in a more residential area about a 15-minute walk from St. Mark’s Square. It was so lovely to walk to and from our Airbnb each morning, enjoying the calm, quiet canals before reaching the more touristy areas.
What to Wear When Taking a May Trip to Venice
On our trip to Venice in May, the high temperatures were around 65° F and mostly sunny (but it can be even warmer). We wore linen pants with short sleeves and sometimes a light button-up.
It honestly felt like perfect weather.
If you happen to get slightly cooler May weather, you’ll want a warmer sweater or light jacket, but if it ends up being on the warmer side (70°s F), you could easily wear shorts, tank tops, and summer dresses.
Even though we found mid-60° F weather to be pretty nice, there were plenty of locals wearing light puffers 😅 (especially in the mornings).
Other Good Times to Visit Venice, Italy
Besides May, other great months to visit Venice include late April, September, and early October.
In these months, you have high chances of great weather that’s not too hot and not too cold, plus fewer crowds than you’ll see from June to August.
If we hadn’t visited Venice in May, I would have aimed to visit in September.
If you’re considering a winter visit to Venice, keep in mind that from October to March, you may experience acqua alta (the high waters/floods that I talked about above).
But even then, acqua alta generally only happens a few times per year.
It’s also worth noting that in the winter, the high humidity and winds from the sea can make Venice feel quite cold.
And that’s what our experience was like visiting Venice, Italy, in May! I overall felt like it was just the perfect time of year to be there, and I’m so happy it’s when we went.
Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions. I’ll be sure to get back to you!
✨ LOOKING FOR MORE ABOUT VENICE, ITALY?
🇮🇹 Venice in Two Days: Our Tried and True Itinerary
✨ 11 Unique Things to Do in Venice Italy
🚣♀️ How to Take a Traghetto in Venice: An Alternative to the Gondola
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