Guide XCIV — City — Venice
Luxury Travel in Venice: Where to Stay & What It Costs
How to stay in Venice properly: which sestiere, what a palazzo floor costs, and how to have the city to yourself in a place that receives twenty million visitors a year.
Live inventory
Tonight's rates in the Collection
Drawn from connected partner inventory each time this page loads — not a hand-maintained table. Availability last confirmed Wed, 16 Sep 2026 08:25:19 GMT.
| Destination | Estates | From | Median | Available now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorsoduro, Venice | 4 | $720 | $1,535 | 4 |
Listings
See every villa, hotel and rental in Venice — photographs, nightly rates and live availability.
Book a stay in Venice
Set your dates to see what the week costs — our own houses first, then live rates with our booking partners for this destination.
Our houses in Venice
San Marco, Venice
$4,200 / night
Dorsoduro, Venice
$1,750 / night
Castello, Venice
$1,320 / night
Hotels and other rentals
Partner rates are indicative and confirmed at checkout. Some links are affiliate links.
Why Venice
Almost everything people dislike about Venice happens between ten in the morning and five in the afternoon, in about six streets. Stay overnight, stay away from the Rialto–San Marco corridor, and use the early morning and the evening, and you are in a different city entirely.
The great luxury here is water access. A palazzo floor with its own water gate means you step from the boat into the house; that single feature does more for a stay in Venice than any amount of interior grandeur.
Where to stay
Five quarters, and what each one is for. Every house we hold in Venice, alongside live hotel and rental availability, sits on the listings page linked below.
Dorsoduro
The scholar's Venice: the Accademia, the Guggenheim, the Punta della Dogana and the Zattere for the evening walk. Quiet, beautiful and central without being in the crush.
Castello
The largest and most residential sestiere, home to the Biennale gardens and the Arsenale. Real shops, real neighbours, and the best value for a large apartment.
Cannaregio
Long straight fondamente, the Jewish Ghetto, and the best cicchetti bars in the city. Ten minutes from the station and a world away from it.
San Marco and San Polo
For grandeur and for the Grand Canal frontage: piano nobile floors with balconies over the water. Dearest, and busiest by day.
Giudecca and the lagoon
Across the water: gardens, space, sunset views back at the city, and a five-minute boat to San Marco. The choice for families and for a longer, slower stay.
What it costs
| Property | Shoulder season | High season |
|---|---|---|
| Two-bedroom apartment, Dorsoduro or Cannaregio | USD 600 – 1,100 | USD 1,000 – 1,800 |
| Three bedrooms with canal frontage | USD 1,100 – 2,000 | USD 1,800 – 3,000 |
| Piano nobile on the Grand Canal | USD 2,000 – 3,500 | USD 3,500 – 6,000 |
| Palazzo with staff and water gate | USD 3,000 – 4,500 | USD 4,500 – 6,000 |
Planning the stay
- Book a water taxi from Marco Polo to the house door — it is the difference between arriving and struggling.
- Take St Mark's Basilica at opening, and the Doge's Palace on a secret-itineraries tour rather than in the general flow.
- Give a full day to Torcello, Burano and Mazzorbo by private boat, with lunch on Mazzorbo.
- Keep the evenings free: Venice after seven, when the day boats have gone, is the reason to stay overnight.
Frequently asked questions
- Where should I stay in Venice to avoid the crowds?
- Dorsoduro, Castello or Cannaregio. All three are central enough to walk everywhere, and none of them sits in the station–Rialto–San Marco corridor where the day-tripper flow concentrates.
- How much does a palazzo apartment cost in Venice?
- From about USD 600 a night for two bedrooms in Dorsoduro to USD 6,000 for a staffed piano nobile on the Grand Canal with its own water gate.
- Is Venice sinking or flooding?
- The MOSE barriers, operational since 2020, now close against the highest tides and have prevented the serious floods that used to reach St Mark's Square. Minor acqua alta still occurs between late autumn and January, and is forecast a day ahead.
- How many days do you need in Venice?
- Three nights for the city, four if you want a full day in the lagoon at Torcello, Burano and Murano.
Editorial note & limitations
Rates are indicative for a whole-house or whole-apartment booking and move with the calendar. Hotels and other rentals shown on the listings pages are searched live through our booking partners; nothing on this page is a sponsored placement.