Getting around Venice means water buses at €9.50 a ride, and a gondola costs €90 for 30 minutes. The hotel tax, Doge's Palace tickets, airport boats and cover charges add more.
Starts with a sample trip. Change any number to match yours.
Compare hotels in central Venice →The sample is 2 travelers for 4 nights. Your plan ($4,030) covers the main costs most people budget for, the ones you enter on the left. Costs people forget ($923, about 23% more for this trip) are the fees, taxes, tips and extras listed in the calculator. Prices were last checked on October 17, 2026.
Share of the $4,953 real cost. Nights and travelers multiply most of these costs, so changing either one moves the total the most.
7 of this trip's numbers link to a published price or rate. The rest are our estimates, and each one says what it is based on. You can also read how we calculate every trip.
| Cost | Default | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Airfare per person | $1,050 per traveler | Our estimate of a typical round-trip economy fare to Venice from a major US airport; sale fares can be far lower. Our estimate |
| Hotel per night | $270 a night | Our estimate for a mid-range double room in Venice's historic center, which costs more than the mainland. Our estimate |
| Food per person, per day | $85 per traveler, per day | Our estimate for cafe breakfasts, cicchetti or a casual lunch, and a sit-down dinner, about $85 per person a day. Our estimate |
| Cost | Default | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Checked bag fees Off by default | $90 per traveler | Most economy fares to Europe include one checked bag, so this is off by default. Basic economy fares charge extra. Source |
| Passports Off by default | $165 per traveler | A new adult passport costs about $165 and can take weeks. Our estimate |
| Airport transfers | $70 for the trip | The Alilaguna water bus is €15 per person each way, about $70 round trip for two. Source |
| City tourist tax | $5 per traveler, per night | The city's rate table shows €3.50 at 3-star and €4.50 at 4-star hotels per person a night in high season. Source |
| Vaporetto passes | $50 per traveler | A 72-hour water bus pass costs €45, about $50, and a single ride is €9.50. Source |
| Doge's Palace and museum tickets | $40 per traveler | Doge's Palace tickets rose to €35, about $40, including the St Mark's Square museums. Source |
| Gondola ride | $100 for the trip | The official rate is €90 for 30 minutes by day and €110 after 7pm, per boat. Source |
| Restaurant cover charge | $5 per traveler, per day | Most sit-down restaurants add a coperto of a few euros per person. Our estimate |
| Venice day-trip fee Off by default | $10 per traveler | Day visitors pay €5–10 on 60 peak days in 2026; overnight guests are exempt. Our estimate |
| Phone data | $30 per traveler | An international plan or eSIM. Our estimate |
| Card fees | 3% of your plan | Foreign transaction fees on credit cards are usually around 3% of each purchase. Source |
| Travel insurance | 6% of your plan | Squaremouth says a comprehensive plan averages about 6% of the trip cost, usually 4% to 10%. Source |
| Pre-trip shopping | $60 for the trip | Our estimate for travel-size toiletries, sunscreen and small things bought before a trip. Our estimate |
| Pet boarding or sitter | $50 a day, if you check Pets | Dogster puts regular kennel boarding at about $35 to $85 a night. Overnight sitters at home cost more. Source |
With flights, a central hotel and food, plan on about $4,050. Once you add the costs most visitors forget, like water bus passes, a gondola ride, Doge's Palace tickets, the hotel tax and airport boats, it's closer to $4,950. Use the calculator above to change any number to match your trip.
No. The access fee is for day visitors only, on 60 days between April 3 and July 26 in 2026, from 8:30am to 4pm. It's €5 if you book at least four days ahead and €10 after that. Guests staying overnight in Venice, Mestre or the islands are exempt, but they pay the city's hotel tax. Source
In the historic center, hotels charge €3.50 per person, per night at 3 stars, €4.50 at 4 stars and €5 at 5 stars from February to December. Rates are lower on the Lido and in January. The tax stops after 5 nights, and children under 10 are exempt. Source
Usually yes. A single water bus ride costs €9.50, while passes cost €25 for 24 hours, €35 for 48 hours and €45 for 72 hours. Three or four rides a day already cost more than a pass. Source
The official rate is €90 for 30 minutes during the day and €110 after 7pm. That price is per boat, for up to five people, so sharing a gondola cuts the cost. Source