Venice. The final point of our trip to Italy

Venice was the main destination of our trip to Italy. Since the end of January, we have been gradually moving north - from Rome to Florence, then to Bologna and Verona, and now we have finally reached the city for which we had planned this trip at the beginning of February. The 2026 Venice Carnival took place from January 31 to February 17, and we were supposed to leave on February 9, so there wasn't much time left.

First morning in Venice

When we reached the canals, it immediately became clear that Venice was not at all like any of the previous cities on the route. It's almost impossible to just walk the usual way here - the streets turn into bridges, bridges lead to squares, and around the next bend a canal with boats and ancient facades reappears.

But this time the city was special. Carnival was already approaching on the streets. People were photographing costumes and masks, performances were taking place in the squares, and among ordinary passers-by there were more and more people who seemed to come from another era.

St. Mark's Square

The first thing we did was go to St. Mark's Square. I've seen her many times in photographs, but the space feels completely different in person. On one side is the Basilica of San Marco, next to the bell tower, surrounded by ancient buildings, and tourists are constantly moving between them.

During the carnival, the square also turns into a large stage. The 2026 program included performances, parades, and a mask contest. One of the central elements was the "Olympus - Alle origini del gioco" program, dedicated to mythology, gaming and sports in the year of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

But what I liked most was not even the specific event, but the people. You could just stand on the square and watch the carnival participants pass by. Some of the costumes looked very carefully thought out, and the masks were so unusual that I wanted to look at every detail.

Carnival is not only on the square

At first I thought that the main atmosphere would be only around San Marco, but it turned out that the carnival is gradually spreading throughout the city. Street performances, music, circus acts and theatrical performances took place on the streets and small squares. The official 2026 program included more than 350 street performers, about 80 companies, and about a thousand performances in various locations in Venice, Mestre, and the lagoon islands.

That's why we stopped using the map on purpose and just started walking around. In one place we got to a small performance, ten minutes later we found ourselves near the canal, then we found a quiet courtyard where there were no tourists at all.

Masks and Venice

Of course, it was the masks that I was waiting for the most. On a typical day, Venice itself looks a bit theatrical, but during carnival this feeling increases several times.

Carnival Venice 2026

It was especially interesting to see people in costumes not only at official events. Someone was just walking around the city and letting tourists take pictures of themselves, someone was standing by the canal, and someone was posing near ancient buildings. Sometimes it felt like you were inside a historical film.

However, not all of Venice was noisy. It was worth moving a little away from the main tourist routes, and the carnival fuss practically disappeared. The narrow alleys became empty, only the sound of water could be heard, and from behind the houses there was sometimes a view of a small canal.

Venice in the evening

The city has changed especially much in the evening. During the day, costumes, people, and events took all the attention, and after sunset, Venice became a little mysterious again. We walked from San Marco to the Rialto Bridge, turned into unfamiliar alleys several times on purpose, and eventually found ourselves on an almost empty street.

At such moments, I realized that carnival is only one part of the experience. If we had come here solely for masks and events, we would have missed Venice itself. Canals, bridges, old houses, water between buildings and a very special silence away from the center turned out to be no less interesting.

Last day of the trip

On February 9th, it was time to finish the trip. It was on this day that the so-called "fat week" of the carnival began, which lasted until February 17, so the city was just entering the busiest period of the holiday. We managed to see enough to understand the scale of what was happening, but it was still a bit of a pity to leave.

As we were picking up our things and heading to the train station, I took another look back at the canals. In two weeks, we traveled through several completely different cities - from ancient Rome to Florence, Bologna and Verona, and ended the journey here, among the masks and canals of Venice.

That's why I chose the end of January and the beginning of February for this trip. It was possible not just to see Italy, but to gradually move around the country towards a specific goal. And when Venice appears in front of you at the end of the route during the carnival, it seems that all the previous stops really led here.