Things to Do in Venice in May
May weather, activities, events & insider tips
May Weather in Venice
Is May Right for You?
Advantages
- Pre-summer sweet spot with warm afternoons around 21°C (71°F) but cool enough mornings at 13°C (56°F) that walking the city stays comfortable - you'll actually enjoy the 5-6 km (3.1-3.7 miles) daily average tourists cover without overheating
- Shoulder season pricing means hotels run 30-40% cheaper than June-August rates, and you can still book decent apartments in Cannaregio or Dorsoduro 2-3 weeks out instead of the 2-3 months advance needed for peak summer
- Festa della Sensa and Vogalonga rowing events bring authentic Venetian maritime culture to the lagoon - locals actually participate in these, unlike the tourist-heavy Carnival, so you see the city's genuine relationship with water
- Gardens and courtyards hit peak bloom in May while tourist numbers stay manageable - the Giardini della Biennale and hidden monastery gardens around San Polo are actually accessible without summer's elbow-to-elbow crowds
Considerations
- That 70% humidity combines with variable weather to create unpredictable conditions - you might get three gorgeous days then two of drizzle, making rigid itineraries frustrating since you can't reliably plan outdoor activities more than 48 hours ahead
- Acqua alta (high water flooding) still happens occasionally in May, typically 1-2 times per month during spring tides, flooding San Marco and low-lying walkways for 2-4 hours - locals know the patterns but first-timers get caught off guard
- May sits in an awkward spot where some summer services haven't fully started yet - beach clubs on the Lido open limited hours, some seasonal restaurants in Burano run shortened schedules, and vaporetto lines still operate on spring timetables with longer waits
Best Activities in May
Lagoon island cycling and exploration
May weather makes the outer lagoon islands like Lido, Pellestrina, and Sant'Erasmo actually rideable - temperatures stay cool enough for the 15-20 km (9.3-12.4 miles) routes without summer's brutal heat, and the 10 rainy days typically hit as brief afternoon showers rather than all-day soakers. Sant'Erasmo's vegetable gardens are harvesting spring artichokes and peas in May, so you see the lagoon's agricultural side that feeds Venice's restaurants. Crowds stay thin compared to Murano and Burano.
Early morning photography walks through empty sestieri
May sunrise around 5:45am means you can shoot the city in golden light before cruise ship crowds arrive at 9am. The 13°C (56°F) morning temperatures keep you comfortable for 2-3 hour walks, and that 70% humidity actually helps - it creates the misty atmospheric conditions over canals that make Venice look ethereal. Focus on Dorsoduro's quiet fondamentas and Castello's eastern edges where locals still outnumber tourists until mid-morning.
Biennale preview and contemporary art circuit
If May 2026 follows the typical pattern, the Venice Biennale opens late May for its preview days before the official June opening - this is when the art world descends but general tourists haven't caught on yet. Beyond the Biennale, May is when smaller galleries in Dorsoduro and Santa Croce mount spring exhibitions timed to the art calendar. The variable weather actually works in your favor since galleries provide perfect rainy-day backup plans, and the UV index of 8 means you appreciate ducking into cool, dark exhibition spaces.
Bacaro wine bar crawls and cicchetti tasting
May brings spring vegetables and lagoon fish to Venice's bacari, so the cicchetti small plates feature seasonal ingredients - white asparagus from Bassano, artichokes from Sant'Erasmo, soft-shell crabs from the lagoon. The comfortable evening temperatures around 18°C (64°F) mean you can hop between 4-5 bacari over 3 hours without overheating, and locals are out in full force since it's not yet oppressively hot. Venetians treat May evenings as prime aperitivo season before summer drives everyone to air conditioning.
Rowing lessons and traditional voga veneta
May's calm lagoon conditions and comfortable temperatures make this the ideal month to learn Venetian rowing - you're standing up in a traditional batela or mascareta, so balance matters, and you don't want summer's 30°C (86°F) heat or winter's cold rain. Local rowing clubs offer lessons to tourists, teaching the voga veneta technique that lets you navigate narrow canals. This connects you to Venice's maritime culture in a way gondola rides don't - you're actually learning the skill Venetians use.
Dolomites day trips and mountain hiking
May is when the Dolomites become accessible from Venice - the 120 km (75 miles) to Cortina takes 2-2.5 hours, and trails at 1,500-2,000 m (4,920-6,560 ft) elevation are snow-free but not yet crowded with summer hikers. You escape Venice's 70% humidity for crisp mountain air, and the variable lagoon weather often means clearer conditions in the mountains. Wildflowers peak in late May at mid-elevations. This gives you dramatic landscape contrast if you're spending a week in Venice and need a break from canals and crowds.
May Events & Festivals
Festa della Sensa (Ascension Day Festival)
This centuries-old festival celebrates Venice's marriage to the sea, typically falling in mid-May on Ascension Thursday (39 days after Easter). The Mayor tosses a gold ring into the lagoon from the ceremonial Bucintoro boat, recreating the ritual that symbolized Venice's maritime dominance. Unlike Carnival's tourist spectacle, this is a genuine Venetian tradition - locals actually care about it. You'll see historical reenactments, religious processions, and traditional boats filling the Bacino di San Marco. The ceremony itself lasts about 2 hours mid-morning, but festivities continue all day.
Vogalonga (Long Row)
Usually held the Sunday after Festa della Sensa, this non-competitive 30 km (18.6 miles) rowing event brings 1,500-plus traditional Venetian boats through the lagoon. It's not a race but a celebration of rowing culture - you'll see everything from sleek racing boats to family gondolas to ornate ceremonial craft. The route winds through Venice's canals and out to Burano, taking rowers 3-4 hours. Spectators can watch the 9am start from Bacino di San Marco or position themselves along the route. This is your chance to see hundreds of traditional Venetian boats in action, not just tourist gondolas.