This Iconic Italian Destination Just Doubled Its Tax for Daytrippers — What to Know

Venice, with its winding canals, centuries-old architecture, and romantic gondola rides, has long been hailed as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. But with such beauty, comes tourism.

This influx of tourists, especially over specific dates, brings challenges. In 2024, Venice made headlines for its decision to implement the world’s first city “access fee.”

Now, less than a year later, the city announced it will double down on the initiative during the 2025 tourist season — increasing the cost to visit the city from 5 Euros to 10 Euros, and more than doubling the number of days that the fee will be in effect.

The access fee only applies to daytrippers without an overnight reservation who visit on one of the 54 “fee days” in 2025. The fee days run continuously from April 18 to May 4, and continue every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through the end of July. The last access fee of 2025 is currently slated for July 27.

Guests staying overnight in the city won’t pay this fee and daytrippers can cut the fee in half (paying 5 Euros rather than 10), by booking their visit four or more days in advance.

The idea behind the access fee is to control the flow of tourists and deter daytrippers during Venice’s busiest periods.

“The pilot project [of 2024] worked,” Simone Venturini, the city’s tourism councilor, told CNN at the BIT tourism fair in Milan. “The aim remains the same: create a new system to manage tourist flow and disincentivize daytripper tourism in several periods, in line with the delicate and unique nature of the city, to guarantee the respect that it merits.”

The access fee only applies to visitors without an overnight reservation who plan to be in the city between 8.30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on one of the fee dates. Children under 14 years of age and people with a disability are exempt from the fee but have to show an identity document or disability card upon request.

To “reserve” your visit and pay your fee, visit Venezia Unica, the tourism office. The site also has a Whatsapp QR code for easy payment. You can pay the fee in advance or on the day of your arrival, but if you choose the latter, you won’t be subject to the 50 percent early booking discount. You must pay the fee before entering the city.