Venice Entry Fee 2026: Now Free — 72 Chargeable Days Planned for 2027

Grand Canal, Venice

First, a fact that may not match the guides you've found: right now, if you go to Venice, you don't have to pay that €5 "entry fee."

It's not permanently abolished—the 2026 trial period has simply ended. The homepage of Venice's official ticketing portal (cda.veneziaunica.it) currently displays a notice in capital letters: as of July 27, 2026, the access fee does not apply; entering the city requires no payment and no exemption application. The summer rules—"book ahead for €5, book last-minute for €10"—won't return until 2027, and when they do, they'll apply more broadly.

If you're thinking of visiting before the Biennale closes, this is actually a comfortable window: the 61st Venice Biennale Art Exhibition "In Minor Keys" runs until November 22, the entry fee happens to be suspended, and the city isn't as crowded as in midsummer.

How the entry fee actually worked in 2026

Venice began trialing the "access contribution" (contributo di accesso) on April 25, 2024, aimed at day-trippers entering and leaving the historic city on the same day. The trial continued in 2026 under these rules:

• There were 60 chargeable days in total, from April 3 to July 26, falling mostly on Fridays through Sundays and a few public holidays (17 days in April, 15 in May, 16 in June, 12 in July). The entire month of August was free.
• The amount was calculated per person per day, with no reductions: buying at least 4 days in advance cost €5; buying within 4 days of arrival rose to €10—purely to push you to book early and make crowd control easier.
• The charging window was 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; entering outside those hours was not checked.

Those rules applied until July 26. In other words, from July 27, 2026 to now (November), entering Venice is free—no ticket to buy and no exemption code to apply for. Many guides online still say "Venice charges a €5 entry fee"—that's outdated summer information.

Who pays and who doesn't: overnight guests and the outlying islands are two different matters

Even when charging resumes in 2027, not everyone will have to pay. The official position falls into three categories:

• Day-trippers making same-day round trips, and visitors staying outside Venice (such as Mestre) — must pay.
• Visitors staying overnight in Venice — exempt from the access fee, because you are already paying another "accommodation tax" (imposta di soggiorno); once charging resumes, you need to register and obtain an exemption code.
• Some groups do not even need to apply for an exemption code; the specific categories will be listed by the authorities in the 2027 detailed rules.

There is also a rule that has always been in effect and is most easily overlooked: the "small islands" in the lagoon have never charged an access fee. The small islands specifically named by the authorities include more than a dozen, such as Murano, Burano, Lido, Torcello, Pellestrina, and Sant'Erasmo. In other words, even on days when the historic city charges the fee, taking a boat to Burano to photograph those candy-colored houses or to Murano to watch glassblowing is not covered by this fee.

When it returns in 2027, it will be charged more broadly

The Venice city government already approved the 2027 charging calendar on October 15, 2026 (according to CCTV News):

• The number of charging days increases from 60 to 72 days, spread from March 26 to August 15, still mainly Fridays through Sundays and public holidays, with some additional dates in August — the tail end of midsummer that was avoided in 2026 cannot be avoided in 2027.
• The daily charging period is extended from 8:30–16:00 to 8:30–16:30.
• The amount remains up to 10 EUR per person per day.

One reminder: the specific tiers, reduction and exemption scope, and booking and verification methods for 2027 have not yet been officially announced, and the authorities say detailed rules will be issued before December 31, 2026. So any guide online right now that fixes 2027 prices and exemptions should not be fully trusted — wait until the official documents are in place.

By the way, for scale: in 2026 this pilot scheme sold about 680,000 paid vouchers in total and brought in about 5.22 million EUR. It is not a lot of money, but what Venice wants is exactly the effect of "making you choose which days to come."

Why go now of all times

St. Mark's Square

Because the 61st Venice Biennale Art Exhibition (Biennale Arte 2026) is in town, closing on November 22.

This edition's theme is called "In Minor Keys," and the curator is Koyo Kouoh. She passed away in May 2025, and with her family's support, the Biennale decided to realize the exhibition entirely according to the plan she had conceived during her lifetime—so this is not just another Biennale, but a presentation imbued with commemorative meaning. The main venues are at the Giardini and Arsenale, with works scattered across the entire city of Venice and Forte Marghera, totaling 110 invited artists, 100 national pavilions, and 31 collateral events; about 10,000 people came on opening day, roughly ten percent more than in 2024.

For travelers, this means: if you go now, you can take advantage of the free city entry status and run into a Venice where the whole city is hosting exhibitions. After seeing the Biennale, you can walk right over to St. Mark's Square and the Grand Canal; the Bridge of Sighs and the Rialto Bridge are both within walking distance, and the Doge's Palace is right next to St. Mark's Square. Venice in November is low season, with slanting light and fewer people—more comfortable than summer—though of course, in the last ten days or so before the Biennale closes, the popular pavilions will still have lines.

How to get there, and how much group tours cost

For independent travel to Venice, the most money-saving and hassle-free way to stay is to stay overnight in the city (exempt from the city entry fee once charging resumes); conversely, staying in Mestre and doing day trips means you count as a day-tripper once charging resumes and you have to pay. Getting around the city is mostly on foot, with the vaporetto water bus for longer distances; to reach Murano and Burano, you change boats around Fondamente Nove.

If you don't want to deal with flights, intercity transport, and tickets yourself, Italy group tour routes are very well established. Below are several routes sold by Zousifang that include Venice (tour prices are real-time data from the interface, verified November 2026, quoted in US$, subject to the product page):

• 3-Day Italy Tour · Milan + Venice + San Marino: $479, the shortest and cheapest, suitable for those who just want to check off Venice.
  3 days 2 nights

  3-Day Tour of Italy

  Milan + Venice + San Marino, the Country within Italy | A Journey of Art and Romance

  $479from

  View Details
• 4-Day Italy Tour · Rome + Milan + Venice + Small Towns: $639, covering both Rome and Venice.
  4 days 3 nights

  4-Day Italy Tour

  Rome + Milan + Venice + Italian Towns | A Journey of Art and Romance

  $639from

  View Details
• 6-Day Italy Tour · Rome + Florence + Pisa + Venice + Civita di Bagnoregio: $959, stringing together Florence and Rome.
  6 days 5 nights

  6-Day Italy Tour

  Rome + Florence + Pisa + Venice + Civita di Bagnoregio | A Journey of Art and Romance

  $959from

  View Details
• 7-Day Charming Tour · Milan + Venice + Small Towns + Rome + Pisa: $1101, with a more relaxed pace.
  7 days 6 nights

  7-Day Charming Tour

  Milan + Venice + Italian Towns + Rome + Pisa | In-Depth Italy Tour

  $1,101from

  View Details

One honest word: if the fee is reinstated in 2027, you must ask the operator before booking whether the tour price includes the city entry fee—this cost is calculated per person per day, and for a family of several people traveling a multi-city route, it is no small sum. Going now in 2026 means no such problem, because it simply isn't charged.

Back to the beginning: Venice's €5 entry fee has already been suspended in 2026, so visiting now is free; in 2027 it will return for 72 days over a longer period, with detailed rules to be finalized only by the end of the year. And the Biennale "In Minor Keys" runs only until November 22. To combine "free entry + Biennale + off-season" all at once, the window is these next ten days or so.

Sources: Venice official entry fee portal cda.veneziaunica.it/en (2026 pilot ending, who pays and who is exempt, list of small islands, payment channels); Venezia Unica 2026 dedicated page (60-day calendar, €5/€10 tiers); CCTV News 2026-10-16 (2027 72-day calendar, time slots, 680,000 entries/€5.22 million); La Biennale di Venezia official website labiennale.org/en/art/2026 (Biennale theme, curator, dates, scale). Ticket prices and charging rules may change; refer to the latest official announcements before traveling.

FAQ

Is the Venice entry fee really waived right now? Yes. The 2026 trial ended on 26 July, and the official ticketing portal now states that from 27 July 2026 the access fee does not apply — you neither pay nor need an exemption code. This free window lasts until the 2027 rules take effect.

If the fee returns in 2027, do I pay it when staying overnight in Venice? No. Visitors who overnight in the historic centre are exempt because they already pay the accommodation tax; once the fee returns you register and get an exemption code. Day-trippers and those staying outside the city (e.g. Mestre) are the ones who pay.

Do lagoon islands like Murano and Burano charge the entry fee? No — the minor lagoon islands have never charged it. The official list includes Murano, Burano, Lido, Torcello, Pellestrina and Sant'Erasmo, among others. Even on days when the historic centre charges, these islands sit outside the fee.

When does the Biennale close, and can I still catch it? The 61st Venice Art Biennale, "In Minor Keys," runs until 22 November 2026. Going now catches the final stretch with the entry fee waived and November's low-season crowds — though the popular pavilions still draw queues in the last ten days or so.

Is the entry fee included in the tour price? Not necessarily — confirm with the operator before booking. It is charged per person per day, which adds up for a family on a multi-city route. For travel in 2026 it is moot since the fee is suspended; watch for it on 2027 departures after the fee returns.