In this guide
💡 The Short Version: No fee is charged to enter Venice now: the 2026 trial ended on 26 July, and nothing is fixed for 2027. The former Chorus churches are free, Monday to Saturday, 10:30 to 17:00 (closed Sundays). The Accademia is free on the first Sunday of the month, with no booking and a queue: 1 November and 6 December 2026, then 3 January 2027. Always free: the Rialto Bridge, St Mark’s Square, the Riva degli Schiavoni and the Libreria Acqua Alta. Not free: the Basilica (€10), the Doge’s Palace (€35), the Frari (€8) and a traghetto (€2). Or book a walk: the city highlights walking tourad is from €24.
Free, and the rule
| What | Free when | The rule |
|---|---|---|
| Former Chorus churches | Monday to Saturday, 10:30 to 17:00 | Closed Sundays, 1 January, Easter, 15 August and Christmas. €3.50 for four paid spaces inside |
| Gallerie dell’Accademia | The first Sunday of each month, and 4 November 2026 | No booking, first come first served |
| Rialto Bridge | Always | The fish market is shut on Sunday and Monday |
| St Mark’s Square and the Riva degli Schiavoni | Always | Open-air |
| Libreria Acqua Alta | Daily, 9:00 to 19:10 | No prams, no food or drink. Staircase and gondola: last access 17:15 |
| Venice Free Walking Tour | Daily, at 10:00 and 11:00 | Online booking is mandatory |
The churches
The old Chorus network of churches now charges nothing at the door. Chorus lists Monday to Saturday, 10:30 to 17:00, with exceptions for a few churches. Four spaces inside them are €3.50: the Santo Stefano museum, the San Zaccaria museum, the Oratory of the Crucifix at San Polo and the Redentore sacristy. A St Mark’s Basilica ticket opens those four. Venice churches says which church holds which painter, and the Frari and the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, which charge, are on the same page.
Inside San Giacomo dall’Orio, one of the free churches. Photo: Didier Descouens, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Accademia on the first Sunday
The state-run Gallerie dell’Accademia is free on the first Sunday of each month, and on 1 November and 4 November in 2026. There is no booking, so expect a queue. The next first Sundays are 1 November and 6 December 2026 and 3 January 2027. The civic museums, including the Doge’s Palace, run free days only for residents of the Venice area. Best museums in Venice has the prices for the rest.
Walks that cost nothing
St Mark’s Square and the Riva degli Schiavoni
Free · open at all hours
The Square, the Piazzetta and the waterfront promenade east of the Doge’s Palace are open-air. The Basilica, the Palace and the Campanile are the ticketed sights on it.
The Riva degli Schiavoni. Photo: Wknight94, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The Rialto Bridge and the market
Free · produce Monday to Saturday, fish Tuesday to Saturday morning
Free to cross and to walk through. See the Rialto.
The Accademia Bridge
Free · always open
The Grand Canal looking down to the Salute basilica, which is on the views page.
The Libreria Acqua Alta
Free · daily 9:00 to 19:10 · Calle Longa Santa Maria Formosa 5176b
An independent bookshop with a staircase of books and a gondola of books. The last entry is 19:00. The last access to the staircase and the gondola is 17:15, and both are shut in rain and at high or low tide. No prams, no food or drink, and small dogs only in arms.
Books in a gondola at the Libreria Acqua Alta. Photo: Davide Mauro, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A free walking tour
Free · 10:00 and 11:00 daily · online booking mandatory
Venice Free Walking Tour runs two English tours a day: “Hidden Venice” at 10:00 from Campo della Maddalena and a tour of the north at 11:00 from Campo SS Apostoli. Venice walking tours compares the paid ones.
The access fee
No fee is charged to enter Venice now. In 2026 the Comune ran a trial from 3 April to 26 July, on 60 listed days: €5 if the code was bought by the fourth day before the visit and €10 after, for visitors over 14, in the old city and not on the lagoon islands. Overnight guests were exempt but had to register. The Comune says the trial has ended and that the later years are for its governing bodies to decide, so no 2027 dates or price are fixed. Venice access fee has the detail.
What costs money
| Sight | Price | Page |
|---|---|---|
| St Mark’s Basilica | €10, and €20 to €30 with the Pala d’Oro or the Museum | Basilica tickets |
| Campanile | €15 | Campanile tickets |
| Doge’s Palace and the Square museums | €35, or €30 online 30 days ahead | Doge’s Palace tickets |
| Accademia | €20 | Best museums in Venice |
| Frari | €8 | Venice churches |
| Scuola Grande di San Rocco | €12 | Venice churches |
| Scala Contarini del Bovolo | €9 | Best views in Venice |
| La Fenice, daytime visit | €12 | La Fenice tickets |
| Gondola, per boat | €90 by day | Gondola ride in Venice |
| Traghetto across the Grand Canal | €2 | Gondola ride in Venice |
A Museum Pass at €50 covers the Doge’s Palace and eleven other civic museums, and a St Mark’s Basilica ticket opens Torcello’s cathedral, the Salute sacristy and the paid spaces in the churches.
Tours worth paying for
A paid walk adds a guide to the free sights. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.
City highlights walking tour
From €24 · 2 hours · 1,594 reviews
Venice: City Highlights Walking Tour with a Local Guidead is run by Blue Tours and Experiences in English, in a small group. It goes through Campo San Rocco and San Polo, past the Frari, and ends at the Rialto Bridge. The price does not include church tickets. Cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
Walking tour of the must-see sites
From €25 · 2 hours · 1,181 reviews
Venice: Walking Guided Tour of the City Must-See Sitesad is run by Orange Umbrella Srl.
What to see
- The churches, Monday to Saturday: Madonna dell’Orto for Tintoretto, San Sebastiano for Veronese.
- The Accademia, if your trip includes the first Sunday of a month.
- The Rialto, early, for the fish market.
- The Libreria Acqua Alta, before 17:15 for the staircase of books.
What to skip: the Libreria in the rain or at high tide, when the staircase and the gondola of books are shut.
What to book before you go to Venice has the closed days for every sight. Venice in one or two days and 3 days in Venice build the free sights round the booked ones. To stay in the centre, see where to stay in Venice.
Common questions
Is there a fee to enter Venice?
Not now. The 2026 access-fee trial ran from 3 April to 26 July 2026, and the Comune says the fee is no longer in effect. Whether and how it returns in later years is for the city's governing bodies to decide, and nothing is fixed for 2027.
Which churches in Venice are free?
The former Chorus churches, more than 20 of them, are free from Monday to Saturday, 10:30 to 17:00, and closed on Sundays. A few spaces inside them, such as the Santo Stefano sacristy museum and the Redentore sacristy, charge €3.50.
When is the Accademia free?
On the first Sunday of each month, with no booking and a queue. The next are 1 November and 6 December 2026 and 3 January 2027, and 4 November 2026 is free too.
Is the Rialto Bridge free?
Yes, and so is St Mark's Square. The Rialto produce market, open Monday to Saturday, is free to walk through, and the fish market is open Tuesday to Saturday morning.
Is the Libreria Acqua Alta free?
Yes, entry to the bookshop is free. It is open daily from 9:00 to about 19:10 with the last entry at 19:00. The last access to its staircase of books and gondola of books is 17:15, and both close in rain and at high or low tide.
Are Venice's museums free for visitors on any day?
The Accademia is free on first Sundays. The civic museums of the Doge's Palace group have free days, but those are for residents of the Venice area only.
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