Bucket List / Experience Goals
Go To The Carnival Of Venice
Still to do
Wander foggy canals among people in gilded masks and silk costumes, as Venice has done for 800 years.
The adventure
In the mist of a February morning, a figure in a white mask and a long velvet cloak stands perfectly still on a bridge over a canal, posing for anyone with a camera. Around the corner there are more: gold masks, feathered masks, plague doctors with long beaks, all in costumes that took months to make.
Venice's carnival was banned for much of the 19th and 20th centuries and revived in 1979. Now the whole city joins in, from the Flight of the Angel, when someone is lowered on a wire from the bell tower into St Mark's Square, to candlelit masked balls in the palaces along the Grand Canal. Buy a handmade mask, get lost in the alleys and let Venice do the rest.
Why it’s epic
- Masks and costumes in St Mark's Square.
- The Flight of the Angel from the Campanile.
- Masked balls in Venetian palaces.
What it is
Venice's carnival dates back to at least the 13th century. For two weeks the city fills with elaborate masks and costumes, masked balls and events in St Mark's Square.
How to do it
Book accommodation early, buy a mask from a traditional workshop, and check the official programme for the main events.
Top tip
Go on a weekday and get up early: St Mark's Square at dawn, with masked figures in the mist, is the best of it.
Need to know
- Hotel prices rise steeply for carnival.
- The city is very crowded at weekends.
- Ball tickets sell out early and need period costume, which can be hired.
Plan this trip
- Rough cost
- £2,000 to £5,000 per person, including flights from the UK
- Time needed
- A long weekend
- Best time to go
- February, the two weeks before Lent
- Fly into
- VCE airport
Venice hotels in carnival season are the main cost; balls are extra.
Make it happen
Why it’s on my list
Not done yet. If you’ve done it and have tips, tell me about it.
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