Summer 2026 has started with a new heatwave in Europe and Venice has not been spared, so far. Heatwaves are more and more common and have an impact  on, among others, tourism and daily life. 

Tourism seasons are indeed changing, as it’s getting easier and more enjoyable to travel in Autumn rather than in Summer, when you risk spending your holidays under a scorching sun and facing temperatures around 40°C.

Besides, our activities’ seasons (schools, university, jobs…) haven’t adapted yet and it’s most likely that we have our main break in Summer.

What to do if you’re spending your stay in Venice during a heatwave and you didn’t foresee it?

The first tip that comes to mind is to adapt your daily schedule: you may take advantage of your stay in Venice to become an early riser, if you’re not one already. You may plan your tours and visit in the early morning hours, walking around and having a nice coffee with a “pastina” (pastry) in one of the many local bakeries, until you get to the museums’ opening time, which is usually between 9 and 10 am. By then, you can already enter the attraction you wanted to visit, then get back to your apartment for lunch and rest at home during the central hours, the hottest.

You may spend the early afternoon at your apartment in Venice planning the activities for the next day, then you can get out again from 5 pm, when the sun is starting to lower down.

Another tip is to memorize the places in Venice which get the most sunlight and try to avoid them in the hottest hours: Fondamente Nuove, the quay where you take the water-buses to Murano, Burano and Torcello, is sunny in the morning and in the shade in the afternoon. Zattere, the main quay in Dorsoduro, faces south and it’s in the sun for most of the day.

If you can’t avoid walking around in the sun in the hottest hours, bring a compact umbrella, sunglasses, a hat, water, sunscreen and a small towel, ready to have in your bag or backpack. 

And don’t get stressed if you can’t visit all of the monuments you planned for the day: Venice is a slow destination, it’s better to visit a few places at a leisurely pace and fully enjoy them, rather than to rush around trying to see too much in a short time!

If you have any questions, get in touch with us at Luxrest Venice to book your apartment and take the most out of your stay in Venice!