Despite attempts to reduce visitors, such as banning cruise ships from the old city and charging a nightly tourist tax, La Serenissima (“the most serene”) belies its nickname and swells with tourists most days to the point of overcrowding. Cruise ships dock farther away now, but guests are bused in and, during our visit, not a single official asked to see proof of our prepaid nightly fee. Still, it’s actually quite easy to find quiet pockets of Venice. Here’s how to do it.

Strategic Timing

The best times to visit Venice without the masses are November and January, when the city is truly serene and crowd-free (not to mention that hotel prices are slashed). Venice is only two hours away from the ski slopes of the Dolomites, and with direct flights to the U.S., the city could be a lovely place to start or end a European ski holiday. Keep in mind that the time around Christmas and New Year’s Eve is quite busy, as are the weeks leading up to Carnival (February 22 to March 4, 2025). If you plan to attend art exhibitions of the Biennale, you’ll have no choice but to go between April and September. Plan your visit for a few weeks after the opening, when the initial fervor has died down but before the summer visitors conglomerate. (The next Biennale is in 2026.) Whenever you’re planning a trip, make sure it doesn’t coincide with any major bank holidays, since the city is a popular destination for Italian tourists.

Track the Crowds

One helpful website for tracking the crowds is CruiseTimetables, which lets you see which ships are in Venice and how many people are on board. If possible, plan to visit top attractions on weekdays without a ship docked in port. You’ll find that the city tends to empty out in the evenings, when cruise passengers and local daytrippers have left. A night stroll in Venice, when the main sounds are church bells and water lapping in the canals, can be extraordinarily romantic.