Welcome to this guide that looks at some of my recommend best things to do in Venice in July, the weather and how to get ready to spend summer in Venice.
There’s no real high and low season in a city like Venice, but summer is the most touristy period of the year you could ever visit without a shadow of a doubt.
Even though I suggest to visit Venice during spring and autumn, there are still untold reasons to be here and exploring the city in July. You can expect to find beautiful long sunny days and quite warm temperatures that often graze 30 °C.
You can enjoy the outdoors till late, visit other islands in the lagoon or go on day trips from Venice. Even if you decide to stay in Venice’s historic centre, there’s lots you can do during this month, so keep reading this guide to find out what’s on!
Venice in July
In this guide you’ll learn some reasons why Venice is worth visiting in July, what the weather is like (during this month) and what I recommend you pack for your trip.
As you can imagine, the sun blazes as new hoards of people start to sprawl in, but keep reading below to learn more about what there is to do during this month.
But firstly though, why choose July over June, or, May over August?
I have spoken a lot about the best time to go to Venice on this website and with my recommendations I really do hope you can find the perfect month to visit for you.
Why Visit Venice in July?
Let’s start by looking at the reasons why visiting Venice in July is a good idea and what will make a trip to Venice during this month one that you won’t easily forget.
- 1. Attend the most heartfelt city event: the Feast of the Redeemer. This is not a festival like any other. It’s safe to say that it’s the most important event in Venice for locals and attracting tourists from all over. Travelling to Venice around the 3rd weekend of July means having the chance to attend.
- 2. Enjoy long sunny days and not have to think about acqua alta or even rain. By choosing carefully how to plan your time in Venice, avoiding the warmest hours of the day to walk around its streets, you can have a great time and also avoid the crowds. Wondering how?
- 3. To go to the beach. Even if there are no beaches in Venice city centre, you can get a vaporetto to Lido of Venice or a bus to Lido di Jesolo and spend the whole day sunbathing, going for walks along the seashores and taking some time out to get to know the area.
ℹ️ If you need more advice and want to get personalised tips to support your next trip to Venice, you can book a call with me and we can start planning together!
Now that you have a better idea of why it’s worth visiting Venice in July, let’s take a look at what you can expect from the weather and the best activities to do here.
The weather in Venice in July
July in Italy is quite hot wherever you travel to. As I mentioned earlier, in the hottest hours of the day, Venice’s temperatures easily exceed 30 °C.
Early morning and late afternoon, temperatures range between 23 and 26 °C which are ideal to walk around the city. What makes the heat annoying at times is the humidity, a typical phenomenon in a lagoon city.
If you don’t fear the heat though, July is a good time of the year to enjoy the long days of walking around the city very early or late at night. You can actually do it without worrying about carrying an umbrella to protect you from the rain or boots from high tide. It’s also the perfect month to enjoy some beach time.
It’s important to know what to wear in Venice in July, so here’s my advice:
- Comfortable sandals or sneakers (I like these for all seasons), don’t wear flip flops in Venice historic centre only at the beach;
- Comfortable light cotton dresses;
- Breathable t-shirts or polo (for men);
- Some UV sunglasses + Good sunscreen to protect yourself (avoid sunburn);
- Not revealing tops;
- Shorts are fine BUT it’s preferable knee-lenght shorts or alternatively, long linen trousers if you’re planning to visit religious sites;
- Pashmina or foulard to cover your shoulders or wrap around your legs if you want to visit a church;
- A UV sun cap (or hat) that will protect your head from the sun’s rays;
- Remember to carry a portable water bottle, you can refill it in one of the many drinkable water fountains in and around Venice.
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Things to do in Venice in July
With no further ado, let’s take a look at the best things to do and special events to attend in Venice in July, if you’re around here at some point during the month.
Join the most heart felt event: the Feast of the Redeemer
The Feast of the Redeemer is a very important festivity for the city of Venice and attracts thousands of tourists every year from all over the world.
The event is celebrated every year on the 3rd Sunday of July to commemorate the recovery of the city from the plague back in the year 1577. The most awaited moment of the event are the fireworks on Saturday night.
People from all over head over Venice to watch the magnificent fireworks illuminating the St. Mark’s basin in a riot of colours and lights.
Venetians are lucky enough to enjoy the show from their balconies overlooking the beautiful lagoon and boat owners gather in the St. Mark’s basin waters to witness the magical show.
On this occasion, The Church of the Most Holy Redeemer (called Il Redentore in Venice), in Giudecca island, gets connected to Zattere with a temporary bridge of boats to let the religious procession pass and thank the Redeemer for ending the plague tragedy.
If you’re planning to travel to Venice for this event, book your accommodation, flights and trains well in advance because there’s very limited room availability and prices are usually sky-high.
Go on a day trip to the Dolomites
If you want to escape the sweltering heat of Venice for a day, then why don’t you do it in the wonderful Dolomites! The Dolomites are a great day trip from Venice and you can easily organise your own transportation.
If you feel like it’s too complicated to do it on your own, you can always save yourself time by joining an organised tour instead and get everything included.
It usually takes about 2 hours to reach the Dolomites by car and around the same time or slightly more when travelling by bus.
The ATVO bus number 26 leaves from Venice Piazzale Roma, Mestre or even from Marco Polo airport and arrives at the Dolomites.
Some of the places in the Dolomites that you can visit along the way are:
- Longarone
- Cadore Valley
- Cortina
You can also get to the Dolomites by train from Venice, with the Trenitalia regional train to Calalzo di Cadore-Cortina (direct trains only available on the weekends).
You can find all the information you need by reading my guide all about visiting the Dolomites from Venice which even includes a list of guided tours you can join.
Eat gelato and drink Spritz!
There’s no better time to enjoy a scoop (or two!) of Italian gelato than in the summer and in the warmest hours! Sometimes a good gelato can replace a meal at the restaurant, allowing you to save money and that’s what I love more about it.
You’ll be pleased to know that in Venice there are many artisanal gelato shops where you can taste amazing ice cream (it always tastes better on a hot day).
Here’s a list of my go to gelaterie in Venice:
- Gelatoteca Suso;
- Gelato Fantasy;
- Gelateria Gallonetto;
- Gelateria lo Squero;
- Venchi.
In Venice you can forget about discos and parties, the real Venetian nightlife takes place during the aperitivo hours in the bacari (typical taverns).
Around this time of the day, you can refresh your palate by sipping a glass of Venetian Spritz, which is the undisputed king of the Venetian aperitivo!
If then you do decide to join a bacaro tour, with the help of your local guide you can learn more about the real Spritz in Venice and the aperitivo ritual.
Don’t forget to accompany your Spritz with some Venetian cicchetti, such as crostini with all the different seasonal toppings on offer, mozzarella in carrozza and polpette.
Spend a day at the Lido of Jesolo beach
When you just want to escape the hustle on bustle, another thing to do in Venice in July is a nice dip in the sea while at one of the many beaches close to Venice.
Even though there are no beaches in Venice historic centre, you can get a vaporetto to the Lido of Venice or a bus to reach Lido di Jesolo, a very popular beach destination for young people and families who wish to spend time on the sand.
Both of these Northern Italian beach locations count on pretty long stretches of land overlooking the shallow waters of the Adriatic Sea with free beaches on offer too.
There are also bathing establishments where you can rent two sun beds and an umbrella for around 25 euros a day which will allow you to completely relax.
So while you’re here, why not pop in and cool off? To find out more, read my guide that talks about some of the best beaches near Venice and how to get there.
If you still want to escape Venice’s crowds on a hot summer day, you can get a vaporetto to Giudecca or other less touristy islands of the Venetian lagoon.
No matter how many days you have in the city, going on a hop on hop off boat tour is a great way to discover this unique lagoon landscape, find more about the history of Venice and nearby islands and traditions rooted in the lagoon area.
Join the Venetians in their neighbourhood’s festivals
July is the month of the local/neighbourhood festivals called ‘sagre’ during which Venetians gather together to party on the warm summer evenings and celebrate.
Here’s a list of ‘sagre’ you can join too:
- The Festival of San Piero de Casteo, takes place between the end of June and the beginning of July in the campo of San Pietro in Castello, in front of the homonymous church. There are food stands that serve some Venetian must-eat foods such as bigoli in salsa and fried fish. There’s always music, usually played by cover bands, games for children and adults.
- The Festival of San Piero in Volta on the island of Pellestrina, a fisherman island where you can visit food stands and taste typical fresh fish dishes. The Festival of Saint Anthony also takes place here on the first days of July.
- The Charity Festival of San Giacomo dell’Orio held in the homonymous field at the end of the month. During this festival the best bands in the province perform, and people can have some food from the gastronomic stands.
Attend the Madonna of Maria di Malamocco Festival in Lido
If you want to dig deeper into the Venetian lagoon folklore and traditions or you’re simply spending some days at Lido, you have to check this festival out!
The Festival of the Madonna of Maria di Malamocco takes place on the island of Malamocco, which you can reach from the Lido of Venice.
Walking around Malamocco’s streets is like taking a dive into the past: calli, campi and campielli have remained those of the past, as have the festivals and popular traditions, still deeply felt by the islanders.
During the first half of July, the Feast of the Madonna di Marina is celebrated. Its origins date back to the 14th century, when according to legend the Virgin appeared to a Malamachi greengrocer, intent on collecting wood along the beach.
The celebrations last for an entire week, during which, in addition to the religious procession, there are concerts and dances, local craft markets and food stands where you can eat the traditional pasta in Malamocco style (with a clam, mussel and tomato sauce).
At the end of all the celebrations, there’s a rowing regatta on caorline and mascarete boats, a charity bingo and a firework display in front of the lagoon.
From Lido, you can reach Malamocco by bus (line A) or by bike (to be rented at Lido or transported via the ACTV ferry boat).
Visit the prestigious Biennale
If you didn’t already know, the Biennale (which is held annually in Venice) is one of the most well-known and prestigious cultural exhibitions in the world.
It takes place from April to November with numerous appointments all around the city, in particular in the Arsenale and Biennale Gardens area.
The Art Biennale is the first Biennale to make an appearance before any other cultural appointment, like the Architecture, Cinema and Dance Biennale.
It’s worth visiting it if you’re in Venice in July and have an interest in contemporary art and to look at the creations from the most cutting-edge artists in the world.
You can join temporary exhibitions based on your other interests of yours too, from architecture, music, theatre, dance and cinema.
The Venice Film Festival only starts at the end of August and continues till the first half of September. I highly recommend that you check out the official Venice Biennale website to find out more about this event and to get your tickets.
Venice in July
Now you should have a much better idea of what it’s like visiting Venice in July.
Despite all the confusion when it comes to knowing when to visit, or thinking you won’t enjoy the summer months, now you have even more reasons to book.
By planning ahead and avoiding the hottest central hours of the day, maybe by visiting museums, art exhibitions and churches to enjoy the outdoors in the early morning and evening, you’ll almost certainly have a great time over here!
Find more ideas on what to see during your time here by reading my guide on the most unmissable tourist attractions in Venice that I suggest you make time to see.
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