We loved the romantic gondolas navigating the Grand Canal and the baroque architecture of Venice, Italy. But because our trip coincided with Carnevale di Venezia, the costumes were definitely the main attraction.
Even though the February weather was cool and damp, it was a small sacrifice to experience the surreal world of Venice Italy during Carnevale.
Begin your Italian adventure with these essential Italy tips and guide, perfect for experiencing Carnevale and beyond.
Visiting Venice Italy During Carnevale
In this article, you are invited to…
- Take a Romantic Cruise on the Grand Canal in a Gondola
- Admire Beautiful Baroque Architecture in Venice
- Experience Saint Mark’s Square
- Find Delicious Italian Food to Eat in Venice
- Be Wowed by Costumes in Venice Italy During Carnevale
- Where to Stay in Venice, Italy (Interactive Map)
- Decide Which is Your Favorite Carnevale Costume
Take a Romantic Cruise on the Grand Canal in a Gondola
Venice is a car-free city, but you can rent a car in Venice so you can explore the wider area. One of the best ways to get around inside of Venice is by taking a water taxi or a romantic gondola.
Here’s what that can be like.
Admire Beautiful Baroque Architecture in Venice
Experience Saint Mark’s Square
Find Delicious Italian Food to Eat in Venice
Be Wowed by Costumes in Venice Italy During Carnevale!
Where to Stay in Venice, Italy (Interactive Map)
If you’ll be exploring Venice and want to stay overnight, book convenient accommodations nearby. It’s a good idea to compare popular hotel booking platforms like booking.com, expedia.com, and hotels.com to get the best deals.
Or, you can use this full-featured interactive map to hone in on your preferences.
Tip: You can adjust the dates, budget, and filters, as well as zoom in/zoom out to narrow down your options. Adjust the filters to explore tours, restaurants, and other attractions here, too!
Decide Which is Your Favorite Costume
I’d love to know which costume is your favorite. Let me know in the comments, below.
If you enjoyed this photo gallery of Venice, Italy, we invite you to follow Enjoy Travel Life on Instagram to see more photos from around the world.
About Jackie Gately, editor-IN-CHIEF
I'm Jackie Gately, your travel confidante and the creative force behind Enjoy Travel Life, awarded the "Best Casual-Luxury Lifestyle Blog (USA)" in Travel and Tourism by LUXlife Magazine for four consecutive years. With 25 years of published expertise, I'm a seasoned writer, editor, and photographer curating inspiring travel guides and lifestyle tips for empty nesters. I hope to kindle your spirit of exploration, encouraging you to overcome obstacles and turn your dreams into reality. Learn to minimize your pre-travel angst and maximize the joy of exploration with insights from my experiences. Let's make every adventure a celebration of this exciting phase of life! Follow my social channels for more inspiration.
Next Steps: Read More Articles About Italy
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- Florence Festival Guide: Best Festivals in Florence By Month
- Venice or Naples, Italy: Good Reasons to Add Both To Your Italy Itinerary
- 24 Hours in Venice Italy During “Carnevale”
- Rome for Foodies: What Are the 25 Best Food Experiences in Rome, Italy?
- What to Buy in Milan, Italy with 5 Best Places for Milan Shopping
- 5 Stunning Must-Haves for Fashionable Florence, Italy
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How fun to visit Venice during carnival. We have been there in October. It wasn’t so colorful but at least it was warmer.
It was really fun, Ania! And not too cold for me to enjoy it: 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wow! As if I didn’t already want to go to Venice, now this makes me want to go even more. I’ll bet it was pretty busy during this festival though, right? Was it worth the crowds?
There weren’t as many crowds as you might think, Melanie! We were staying in Florence and made a day trip of it (via train), so weren’t worried about finding or affording accommodations during Carnevale, which I hear can be tricky. (It may be more crowded in July and August when the weather is warm.) We found it was a great time to visit Venice…I definitely recommend it!
Venice is beautiful and romantic, and to visit it during the carnival must’ve been one awesome experience, I can imagine! Those costumes are amazing, I especially love the last one, the blue one. When I visited, it wasn’t during the carnival so I wasn’t lucky to see so many people in these costumes but I did see a lot of Venetian mask shops on the streets and absolutely loved them. I wanted to pick up a few but I didn’t know what I’d do with them 😀 Lovely pictures!
Thank you, Medha! The blue masquerader is one of my favorites, too. We planned our vacation around visiting my friend’s daughter who was studying abroad, and didn’t even realize our trip was during the carnival. At first, I was concerned it would be over-crowded, but we were pleasantly surprised. It was so fun to see such beautiful costumes!
Aww it is my DREAM to go to Ave ice during the carnival. We went over the summer and loved Venice. You captured a lot of a Venice’s beauty in your photos. I love the photo of the two women in pink top hats!
Weren’t those top hats cool? So detailed! I’ll bet Venice is enchanting in the summer time. Thanks for enjoying my photos.
Venice is somewhere I would love to tick off my list at some point and I’m sure being there during the carnival really added to it’s charm (I’ll have to make sure to go around the same time) My favourite would be the all white costume, it does have an air of mystery to it 😀 – By the way your pictures are amazing, really enticing 😀
I appreciate your kind words about my photography, Amit. The all white costume is a great one! The weather at the end of February was about 50F/10C, so it was comfortable, even though we hit an overcast damp day while in Venice. I would do it again! Hope you get a chance to visit, too.
Venice is a place I would love to go to at whatever time of the year I can manage. But when the ‘carnevale’ is on, to supplement all the gondola, waterway and baroque romance? Now you’re talking! If I had to pick one favourite from the costumes above, it would have to be the rich and intricate Mad Hatter style outfits. Outlandish is good, as is a literary reference!
Ha ha, those Mad Hatters are outlandish! It was a bit surreal, with masqueraders on parade everywhere, birds landing on your arm, and that cake frosting ornamentation topping St. Marks Cathedral. I envisioned Tom Hanks showing up as he did in the DaVinci Code movies (no such luck)! Great place…I’ll be going back for sure.
This photo gallery of Venice is amazing, you’ve really captured the essence of the city, even in the winter. I haven’t visited Venice yet, but hopefully I will one day! x
Thank you, Becca! I hope you do visit – I promise you won’t be disappointed!
I love Venice, but have never been for Carnival! (Hope to change that someday!) Your pics are gorgeous. Oh, and I think we have the same taste in window shopping! 😉 🙂
It was a great time to go, Stefanie. So glad you liked the pics. And, Italian pastry…Mmmmmm!
Wow, I have never heard of this, but it looks fun! My favorite costume is the purple dress with pink shiny decorations – there are two people with them on in the picture.
It was really fun — a photographers’ dream. Those purple costumes were cool. Love the matching hats!
which is my favorite? that is a hard question to answer when it comes to Venice and all of these beautiful photos you showcase. being from New Orleans I’ve always been fascinated with Carnival or Mardi Gras as we call it, so going to Venice to experience a different version of the famous Festival to see those elaborate costumes would probably be my favorite, follow perhaps by riding all of the gondolas through the canals
That would make an interesting contrast, Carnival to Mardi Gras! Both so fun. Thanks for your kind words, Eric. I know you would enjoy Venice during Carnevale!