The Best Venice City Pass: A Complete Venice Pass Comparison Guide

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If you’ve taken a look at some interesting facts about Venice, you’ll realize this is an enchanting city with a ton of history and culture.

However, the price tag for entry to museums and landmarks might sometimes seem too high. 

What if I told you there was a way to save money while spending 2 days in Venice?

A few different Venice sightseeing passes are available, but not all of them offer the same value.

In this post, I will compare the top three Venice attraction passes to help you decide which one is the best Venice city pass for you and explain why I recommend it over the others.

If you’re planning a trip and looking for things to know when visiting Venice, read this article first before making any decisions. It will save you tons of time and money!

Is a Venice pass worth it?

Yes, purchasing a Venice pass is worth it! If you plan on visiting several landmarks or museums that are included on the pass, then you can save hundreds of dollars in fees by bundling your admission together.

However, there are a few different Venice attraction passes to choose from, based on your interests and itinerary.

What are the best Venice city passes available?

There are six primary Venice attraction passes you can choose from:

• Venice Museum Pass

• MUVE Friend Card

• Venice Unica Pass

• The Venice Pass

• Venice Discovery Pass

• San Marco City Pass

Editor’s Choices: The Best Venice City Passes

Venice Museum Pass and MUVE Friend Card

Purchasing the standard Venice Museum Pass gives you one-time admission to twelve of the city’s major Civic museums over six months.

In contrast, the MUVE Friend Card gives you unlimited access to the city’s twelve museums over twelve months.

Cost

The Venice Museum Pass costs €36 for adults, and the MUVE Friend Card costs €45 for adults. You can look at the current pricing for the Venice Museum Pass and the MUVE Friend Card here.

Features

• Attractions: You can visit all twelve of the city’s major museums included in both passes. Participating museums include the Doge’s Palace, Museo Correr, National Archaeological Museum, Monumental Rooms of the Biblioteca Marciana, Cà Rezzonico, Palazzo Mocenigo Museum, Carlo Goldoni’s House, Ca’ Pesaro, the Murano Glass Museum, the Burano Lace Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the Palazzo Fortuny Museum.

• Validity: The standard Venice Museum Pass is valid for 160 days, and the MUVE Friend Card is good for 365 days once you activate them for the first time.

• Suitability: These passes are excellent if you were planning to visit a few of the museums on this list already or are fascinated by some of the lesser-known museums in Venice. I highly recommend it if you live in Italy, close to Venice, and often take day trips into the city.

Pros

• You do not need to make a reservation with any museums in advance before you visit; you can just show up and activate your pass.
• You’ll have six whole months to visit all of the museums offered with the Venice Museum pass and a full year with the MUVE Friend Card, so you don’t need to cram all of this art and history into just a few days.
• It’s a straightforward, one-and-done purchase. When you buy this Venice attractions pass, you can access everything included.

Cons

• If your trip to Venice is only a few days and you don’t live close enough to the city to visit again, you might not have the opportunity to check out all of the museums included.
• You’ll need to purchase separate entry tickets if there are museums you want to visit that aren’t included in this pass.
• Other significant landmarks and attractions that you might want to see in Venice aren’t included in this pass. Also, this pass doesn’t have a Vaporetto transportation pass.

How to Purchase and Use It

You can purchase the Venice Museum Pass or the ​​MUVE Friend Card online.

A .pdf of your tickets will be delivered to you digitally, and you can either print it out or keep it on your phone.

When you visit a participating museum, have them scan the barcode listed on the ticket, and you’re good to go! 

Why choose the Venice Museum Pass?

The Venice Museum Pass is worth it if all you want to do is visit the Musei Civici di Venezia museums.

You have twelve world-class museums to choose from and six full months in which to see them all.

It’s also more straightforward than the Venice Unica Pass since it doesn’t include any additional add-ons you need to worry about expiring if a specific date was selected.

Why choose the MUVE Friend Card?

The MUVE Friend Card is perfect if you live nearby and want the option to go back to the twelve museums within the Musei Civici di Venezia system.

You have one year to go back to any museums as often as you’d like. 

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Venice Unica City Pass

The Venezia Unica City Pass allows you to combine your entry to several different museums and Venetian landmarks, as well as add-ons like other museums, single and daily tickets for the Vaporetto public water taxis, access to the lagoon city’s high-speed internet, transfers to Venice Marco Polo Airport, and more.

Cost

The Venice Unica Pass price varies depending on several factors like age, access to select landmarks, and what additional offerings you choose.

The least-expensive level without any add-ons starts at €21.90 for Juniors (ages 6 – 29), €33.90 for Adults (ages 30 – 64), and €21.90 for Seniors (ages 65+).

You can take a look at the current pricing here.

Features

• Attractions: What does the Venice City Pass include? There are four different base-level ticket packages within every age group:
  • All four different base-level tickets are eligible for more than 20 additional add-ons and excursions and include extra benefits like discounts to participating restaurants and bars, shops, performances, bookshops, and museums.
    • The All Venice City Pass includes access to Doge’s Palace and eleven other Musei Civici di Venezia museums, fourteen chorus churches, and admission to the Querini Stampalia Foundation.
    • The All Venice City Pass + Fenice includes access to everything in the All Venice pass, with the addition of a guided audio tour of Teatro La Fenice.
    • The St. Mark’s City Pass includes access to the Doge’s Palace and the other three Musei Civici di Venezia museums within Piazza San Marco, only Santa Maria del Giglio – Sacred Art Museum, Santo Stefano, and Santa Maria Formosa chorus churches, and the Querini Stampalia Foundation.
    • The St. Mark’s City Pass + Fenice includes access to everything in the St. Mark’s pass, with the addition of a guided audio tour of Teatro La Fenice.

• Validity: For visitors to Venice, the Venice Unica Pass is valid for 24 months from the date of purchase unless the product has a specific expiration date. The Venice Unica Pass is valid for five years for frequent visitors or residents of Venice.

• Suitability: This pass is perfect if you’re looking for more offerings than only museums, especially if you were planning to ride the Vaporetto a lot while in Venice or needed to purchase access to the city’s internet. 

Pros

• Unless otherwise stated for a particular add-on, you don’t need to make a reservation with any of the museums in advance before you visit; you can just show up and activate your pass.
• Since thus Venice Card for visitors is valid for 24 months, if you come back to Venice within 2 years of your purchase date, you can still use your discount card’s benefits.
• You can really mix and match different offerings to make the pass best fit your interests.
• You can purchase several tickets for the Vaporetto at a discounted rate at once.

Cons

• Although most museums don’t require a reservation and can be used at any time, any ticket you buy with a set date and time can not be changed after purchase. So if you’re schedule changes, you’re unfortunately locked into the commitment and can’t change it.
• If your trip to Venice is only a few days and you don’t live close enough to the city to visit again, you might not have the opportunity to see everything included.
• You’ll need to purchase a separate ticket if there are museums you want to visit that aren’t included in this pass.

How to Purchase and Use It

To purchase the Venice Unica Pass, you need to head to their website and follow the prompts to create a tourist travel card for each person.

Next, you’ll select which of their base-level “Best Deals” tickets you want to start with.

Then, scroll through the additional add-ons and select which card you want to add it to.

Once you’re done, you’ll check out online, save your voucher to your phone, and/or print it out, so you have it with you when you arrive in Venice.

Since each pass is different, follow the directions listed on the voucher on how to access and use the pass you’ve purchased.

Why choose the Venice Unica Pass?

If you’re looking for more flexibility than the Venice Museum Pass, then the Venice Unica Pass is what you want to go with.

One of the base-level passes includes every museum included in the Venice Museum Pass and other admissions.

Or, if all twelve museums are overwhelming, you can choose a base-level pass that only consists of the four significant museums within Piazza San Marco for less, which still includes extra benefits and the option for add-ons.

The Venice Pass

The Venice Pass offers a curated selection of the top attractions most people plan to see when they come to Venice.

Since you’re bundling the cost of admission, it’s overall less expensive than if you were purchasing all of these separately.

Cost

The Venice Pass costs $97.38 for adults (ages 30+), $84.95 for youths (ages 6 – 29), and $34.19 for children (ages 2 – 5).

Features

• Attractions: The Venice Pass includes skip-the-line entrance to St. Mark’s Basilica with access to the Terrace and Pala d’Oro, fast-track admission to Doge’s Palace, a downloadable audio walking tour called Discover Venice: Past and Present, an audio tour led by a local historian called Welcome to Venice, and a shared 30-minute gondola ride. 
• Validity: When you purchase The Venice Pass, you will schedule each of your included attractions at the time of booking. Your excursion is available on the date and time you selected in advance.
• Suitability: This pass is an excellent choice if you’re interested in accessing all of Venice’s most famous attractions.

Pros

• With a streamlined selection of excursions, you’ll be able to use all of the activities on your pass.
• Since you can choose the exact dates you want to use for each of the included attractions, you can spread your experiences out over the whole amount of time you’re visiting Venice instead of squeezing everything into 24 or 48 hours. 
• Once you buy The Venice Pass, Tiqets sends you a 10% discount code to use for your next purchase!

Cons

• When you’re buying this Venice pass, you have to select all of your entrance times at the time of purchase.
• Since your tickets are tied to the specific dates and times you chose at the time of booking, rescheduling any part of your ticket is not allowed after you make your purchase.

How to Purchase and Use It

To purchase The Venice Pass, head to Tiqets and select “Book Now.”

Once you select the number of adult, youth, and children tickets you’ll need, you will work through the prompts to schedule each of the excursions your pass includes. 

Why choose The Venice Pass?

This streamlined pass is an excellent choice if you’re interested in experiencing only the most famous landmarks in Venice–St. Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace, and enjoying a gondola ride.

Venice Discovery Pass

Like the Venice Pass, the Venice Discovery Pass allows visitors to choose from a curated list of the best things to see and do in Venice.

However, it offers more experiences and landmarks than the more consolidated Venice Pass.

Cost

The Venice Discovery Pass has different pricing based on your age and how many days you want the pass to be active. You can view the current pricing breakdown on their website here. 

Features

• Attractions: The Venice Discovery Pass includes a fast-track entrance to Doge’s Palace, admission into 15 different Catholic landmarks throughout the city, an Alilaguna Boat Transfer from the city center to the airport, and an audio tour led by a local historian called Welcome to Venice. It also includes 24-, 48-, or 72-hour unlimited access to Venice’s public water transportation system, the Vaporetto.
• Validity: When you purchase the Venice Discovery Pass, you will schedule each of your included attractions at the time of booking. Your excursion is available on the date you selected in advance. However, your Venetian Churches Chorus Pass is valid for 1 year after its first use.
• Suitability: This pass is a great choice if you’re interested in visiting Venice’s many historic churches or want to utilize an airport transfer or the Vaporetto system without worrying about additional bookings.

Pros

• If you’re interested in visiting historic Catholic churches in Venice, this pass includes entry to fifteen churches. 
• No need to schedule an additional airport transfer and Vaporetto passes to get you into and around Venice–this pass does it for you.

Cons

• The only major landmark the Venice Discovery Pass includes is Doge’s Palace, so you’ll still need to purchase entry to other museums you want to see.
• Since your tickets are tied to the specific dates and times you chose at the time of booking, rescheduling any part of your ticket is not allowed after you make your purchase.

How to Purchase and Use It

To purchase the Venice Discovery Pass, head to Tiqets and select “Book Now.” Once you select the number of adult, youth, and children tickets you’ll need, you will work through the prompts to schedule each of the excursions your pass includes.

Why choose the Venice Discovery Pass?

If you’re looking for a Venice pass that combines an airport transfer with a Vaporetto pass, then this is a great choice. 

San Marco City Pass

The San Marco City Pass is the only one of its kind here on this list of the best Venice city passes! If you’re a history buff who’s passionate about the Republic of Venice, this one is for you.

Cost

The San Marco City pass costs $40.80 for adults (ages 30-65), $25.10 for youths (ages 6-29), and $25.10 for seniors (ages 65+). 

Features

• Attractions: The San Marco City Pass includes almost all of the most famous attractions in Piazza di San Marco. With this pass, you can visit Doge’s Palace, the Correr Museum, the National Archaeological Museum, the Marciana National Library, the Fondazione Querini Stampalia, and three churches–the Church of Santa Maria del Giglio, the Church of Santo Stefano, and the Church of Santa Maria Formosa. 
• Validity: When you purchase the San Marco City Pass, you can enter each included museum or monument one time and it’s valid for two years once activated. However, you must enter the Doge’s Palace on the date and time you select at the time of booking.
• Suitability: This pass is great for anyone who is interested in only exploring the included museums around Piazza di San Marco.

Pros

• Once you activate the pass with your entry to Doge’s Palace, you can use it for entry into the other included landmarks for two years.  
• With a streamlined selection of excursions, you’ll be able to use all of the activities on your pass.
• Instead of purchasing one of these other Venice city passes with too many offerings for a short Venice itinerary, You’re only paying for the things you really want to do.

Cons

• Although it’s called the San Marco City Pass, entry into the Basilica di San Marco is not included in this pass. 
• Once you purchase the pass, you can’t change your entry date and time for the Doge’s Palace. 

How to Purchase and Use It

To purchase the San Marco City Pass, you’ll need to visit the Civitatis and select the date you’re interested in activating your pass and the number of tickets you’ll need.

Once your pass has been purchased, you can schedule all of your additional activities up until the start time, as long as they have space available. 

Why choose the San Marco City Pass?

If you’re interested in really exploring all of the different landmarks, the San Marco City Pass is for you.

You’ll be able to take time to discover the history of Venice inside these museums without paying for other museum entries you won’t have time to use.  

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Venice Sightseeing Passes Comparison Breakdown

	Venice Museum Pass	MUVE Friend Pass	Venice Unica Pass	The Venice Pass	Venice Discovery Pass	San Marco City Pass
Price	€35	€45	Passes start at €21.90 for juniors (ages 6-29) and €33.90 for adults (ages 30-64)	Passes are $34.19 for children (ages 2-5), $84.29 for youth (ages 6-29) and $97.38 for adults	Passes have different pricing based on age and days active	Passes are $40.80 for adults (ages 30-65), $25.10 for youths (ages 6-29), and $25.10 for seniors (ages 65+).
Validity	One-time only visits to the participating museums within 6 months of activation.	Unlimited visits to the participating museums for 12 months after activation.	24 months from the date of purchase unless the product has a specific expiration date.	Your pass is active for each excursion specifically on the date you scheduled at the time of booking.	Your pass is active for each excursion specifically on the date you scheduled at the time of booking.	2 years from the date of activation; however, you must enter the Doge's Palace on your scheduled booking date and time.
Does it include the Musei Civici di Venezia?	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Only the St. Mark's Museums
Does it include tickets for the Vaporetto?	No	No	Yes, as an add-on purchase	No	Yes	No
Does it include discounts for other museums, restaurants, and businesses around Venice?	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
Where can I purchase this pass?	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now

Which is the best Venice city pass to buy for my trip?

Although each Venice attractions pass shares some similarities, here are my recommendations on which one to buy based on this Venice pass comparison:

The Overall Best Venice City Pass

After reviewing all of the information, and after very happily using the full Venice Museum Pass myself, the Venice Unica Pass is the best Venezia city pass overall, for both visitors and frequent visitors like myself.

It offers everything the Venice Museum Pass offers–and more.

However, what really sells me on the pass is that cardholders receive additional discounts from participating museums and restaurants.

The Best Venice Attractions Pass To Use Multiple Times

If you live near Venice or are planning to spend a lot of time in the city over the course of a year and want the flexibility to visit the Musei Civici di Venezia museums over and over again, then you need the MUVE Friend Card.

Since there are no restrictions on how often you can visit any of the participating museums, you can take your time working through different museums and go back to others that you want to explore further.

Or, if family and friends are coming to visit and you know they’ll want to head into these museums, then the MUVE Friend Card makes the most sense.

The Best City Pass Venice for Major Attractions

If you’re visiting Venice for a limited amount of time and only want to experience the most famous landmarks and attractions, The Venice Pass is the best choice for you.

Although the pass only includes five excursions, it has the Big 3–skip-the-line entrance to St. Mark’s Basilica with access to the Terrace and Pala d’Oro, fast-track admission to Doge’s Palace, and a shared 30-minute gondola ride.

If you’re not interested in wandering through museums and want to hit the biggest sites, this is the best pass for your itinerary.

The Best Pass to Explore San Marco

The San Marco City Pass is the perfect choice if you want to dive deep into the history and museums around Piazza di San Marco.

Although it does not include skip-the-line admission to the Basilica di San Marco, you can access the Doge’s Palace, the Marciana National Library, the National Archaeological Museum, and the Correr Museum–all museums surrounding the Piazza di San Marco.

The Case For A Venice Museum Pass

However, as I said, I’m a very happy Venice Museum Pass user!

When I first moved to the Veneto region, we didn’t know that there were different options for passes–we only saw the Venice Museum Pass available when we purchased individual tickets to visit Palazzo Ducale.

If you’re only going to be in Venice for a short time, so you don’t need the flexibility of multiple admission but want as many options as possible, this is the pass for you.

The Case of a Venice Discovery Pass

The Venice Discovery Pass offers the fewest bucket-list experiences in Venice.

However, if you’re interested in religious tourism and want to visit fifteen different historic Catholic churches in the city, this is the pass for you!

Also, if you don’t want to deal with the hassle of managing an airport transfer or scheduling your Vaporetto pass, the Venice Discovery Pass includes it for you.

What are some Venice experiences and landmarks not included on these passes?

• If you’re interested in purchasing one of the Venice city passes for museums, then they do not include a classic Gondola ride. Book a Grand Canal by Gondola with Commentary tour to try this wonderful boat trip.

• Although admission is included for four of the major museums in Piazza San Marco, entry into the Torre dell’Orologio and climbing up the San Marco Campanile are not included in any of these Venice passes.

• If you want to explore the Doge’s Palace further with a Secret Itineraries tour, you’re going to need to purchase the experience separately from your ticket to Palazzo Ducale.

The Best Venice Tourist Cards: Wrap-Up

Fortunately, Venice offers a variety of passes that allow tourists to visit the most incredible landmarks and museums in the city while bundling admission.

To ensure that you enjoy the most out of your stay in Venice, consider purchasing one of these Venice city passes!

Which Venice attractions pass is right for you?

Lyndsay

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