Venice · Month comparison

February vs September

September ranks #1 overall vs February at #2. The best month — Film Festival ends, crowds thin, the golden light of autumn Venice begins

Venice Carnevale masked figure in elaborate costume at Piazza San Marco

February

#2 of 12 months

Best match

Carnevale di Venezia — Venice's most iconic event transforms the city into a baroque masquerade

  • Carnevale di Venezia (10 days, February): elaborately costumed figures, masked balls and the Flight of the Angel in Piazza San Marco
  • One of the world's great spectacles; the masks and 18th-century costumes are breathtaking
Venice Grand Canal in golden September autumn light

September

#1 of 12 months

Best match

The best month — Film Festival ends, crowds thin, the golden light of autumn Venice begins

  • Warm 19–24°C with summer humidity gone; the canals smell better and the light is extraordinary
  • Hotels 40% cheaper than August; the sestieri accessible without the tourist crush
FactorFebruarySeptember
Weather score
4
8
Value score
6
5
Crowd score
7
6
Events score
10
6
Atmosphere
9
8
Avg high temp8°C24°C
Monthly rain52mm70mm
Daily sunshine4.8hrs8.5hrs

February trade-offs

  • Carnevale week accommodation costs are extreme — prices rival or exceed peak summer
  • The city is extremely crowded during Carnevale weekend; movement difficult in the sestieri

September trade-offs

  • First autumn rain possible from mid-September; acqua alta beginning to return
  • Biennale crowds if it's a Biennale year; otherwise September is the best month to visit
Scores compare months within Venice. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →