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The 2019 edition of the Venice Art Biennale runs from May 11 until November 24. Curator Ralph Rugoff has entitled the exhibition ‘May You Live In Interesting Times‘. The event will not have a theme per se, but it will highlight a general approach to making art and a view of art’s social function as embracing both pleasure and critical thinking. You can read more about this in my post ‘What to expect from the Art Biennale 2019‘. In the coming months, I will publish more details about the pavilions and other new initiatives for this year. You can subscribe to my biweekly newsletter if you want to be kept up-to-date.
The event is spread across two main locations (Giardini and Arsenale) and different venues in and around Venice. With the #MayYouLiveInInterestingTimes exhibition, the huge number of national pavilions, collateral events and plenty of coinciding exhibitions, the Art Biennale can be overwhelming. Unless you have the luxury to dedicate a full week to the Art Biennale, you will have to make some choices.
This post will help you prepare your visit to the Art Biennale and to decide which parts are most interesting for you:
Jump to Tickets – Which day? – At what time? – Where? – Which pavilions and events?
The central pavilion in Giardini
Tickets
There are different types of entrance tickets, so you have to check upfront which ticket fits your needs. Until the end of March, you can buy an early bird ticket for 21.5 euros (11 euros for students). The price of this regular ticket will increase to 25 euros from April 1. This ticket allows one entrance to Giardini and one to Arsenale. You are allowed to visit these sites on two different days, which don’t have to be consecutive. If you prefer more flexibility about the number of times you can enter each site, you can take a plus ticket (multiple visits during 3 consecutive days, 35 euros), a one week pass (45 euros) or an accreditation ticket (unlimited access, 85 euros). There are also several reductions possible (e.g. children, over 65, residents of Venice, groups). For your information, you don’t need tickets for most of the national pavilions and collateral events which are located outside Giardini and Arsenale.
I recommend to buy your regular ticket online on the website of La Biennale di Venezia. This will save you time as the queues can be rather long on the busy days. Unfortunately, the plus ticket, the one week pass and the accreditation can only be bought at the entrance, as they require a copy of your id card or passport. Alternatively, buy your ticket for the Art Biennale in the afternoon on the day before your visit, when the ticketing booths are desolate.
Since this year, you can also buy a Biennale Card and become a member of La Biennale. You can choose between 4 different types of cards: Silver (65 euros), Gold (300 euros), Platinum (550 euros), and Diamond (2,000 euros). The Silver card entitles you to 2 admissions to the Art Biennale, discounts to the dance, music and theatre events of the Biennale and to the Venice Film Festival and 10% discount on purchases at the Biennale Bookshops. If you want to become a donor with the Diamond card, you will also be invited for the pre-opening of the Art Biennale with your guests, receive a guided tour and a catalogue, and you will be invited to a gala diner for the Festa del Redentore. The entire revenue from the sale of Biennale Cards will be used to support the activities of the Historical Archives of Contemporary Arts.
The Biennale Card is a new initiative for art lovers (© La Biennale di Venezia)
Which day?
Once you decided how much time you will dedicate to each site, you have to choose on which day you want to visit Giardini and Arsenale. Here are some elements which you can take into account.
- Monday is usually, with a few exceptions for collateral events in the city, the closing day for all the events of La Biennale. It is however open on the first and last Monday (May 13, November 18) and on September 2.
- Weekends and especially prolonged weekends are much more crowded than weekdays. Many Italians tend to visit the event during these periods.
- The first week is also very crowded as many journalists stay around after the pre-opening for the press (May 8-10). There are however several performances which only take place during the first week. Hence, you will have to decide whether you want to mingle with the artists, curators and press or if you prefer to have the exhibitions more to yourself.
- Finally, the weather is also a determining factor. When it rains, you might prefer to visit Arsenale. In Giardini, you spend more time outside when walking from one pavilion to another. Running around with a wet umbrella is not the best way to visit the Biennale, especially if you want to have a free hand to take pictures.
The old buildings of the Arsenale are stunning exhibition areas
At what time?
The Art Biennale starts each day at 10 AM and ends at 6 PM. I advise to start your visit around 10 AM, especially if you have only one day per site. There is so much to see, that you wouldn’t be the first to realize at 5 PM that you have only one hour left for a large part of the exhibition. I must admit that I have already been in that situation. In case you don’t need the whole day, you can use the remainder of the afternoon to wander around and discover the pavilions and events spread over the city.
In Giardini, the crowds disperse more or less automatically at the entrance. You could however start with the area across the river, as they receive less visitors in the morning. At Arsenale, there is a sort of walking order, but you can also decide to leave the path. Go first to the pavilions at Arsenale Nord or in the Sale d’Armi and return afterwards to the main corridor.
At lunch time, it can be very crowded at the catering points. It’s better to wait until 2 o’clock or let it depend on when you pass one of the eating booths. At Giardini, the one between the German and the Korean pavilion gives you a nice view on the lagoon, but it is rather small.
The visitors in Giardini are spread across the entire park
Where?
The majority of the national pavilions are located at the two main locations, Giardini and Arsenale. You can reach these with the vaporetto (more info in my post ‘A practical how-to guide on transportation in Venice‘) and get out at either the Giardini or Arsenale stop. It is a 5 to 10 minutes walk from one site to the other, depending on the route you choose. You can opt for the scenic walk along the lagoon or for the shortcut via Via Garibaldi.
INSIDER TIP: If you are interested in the history and architecture of the pavilions in Giardini, I recommend the book ‘Guide to the pavilions of the Venice Biennale since 1887′ of Marco Maluzzani.
There are also several national pavilions, collateral events or coinciding exhibitions spread all over the city. Schedule at least one day for these, as it takes time to go from one place to another. You can download the map upfront if you want to plan your walk and combine it with other sights, shops or restaurants you want to visit in Venice. These locations can be recognized by large signs outside on the street.
Some of these events do not run during the whole Biennale period. Several close on different days or as of September. Make sure to check upfront whether or not they will be open. You don’t want to walk to the other side of the city to find a closed pavilion.
The locations spread across the city can be recognized by signposts
Which pavilions and events?
The Art Biennale brings a wide variety of art works, small and large exhibitions. In combination with the large number of pavilions, you will have to make some choices in line with your preferences and your time availability. I recommend you read about the different participations before your visit, so you know which ones you really want to see. If you also figure out which ones are not at all interesting to you, you can use the remaining time for your ‘I have no clue what this is about’ category. This upfront selection is especially crucial for the locations in the city which can be far from each other, and to a lesser extent for the pavilions in Giardini. At Arsenale, you have to follow more or less a set order so you can adjust your pace instead of choosing where to go first.
An overview of all the national pavilions and and of the collateral events is available on the website of La Biennale. The coinciding exhibitions have no relationship whatsoever with the official organization, so you will have to consult other sources such as the website of the tourism office Venezia Unica. A good starting point are the previews related to the Art Biennale on this site of course, which will be published as from next month. Don’t forget to subscribe to our biweekly newsletter if you want to be informed about new updates.
INSIDER TIP: The catalogue of the 2019 Art Biennale ‘May You Live In Interesting Times’ is now also available online, so you don’t have to carry this heavy-weight with you after you bought it at the Biennale shops. You can also buy the ‘Venice Art Biennale 2019 Map Planner Journal‘ which is a pocket size guide. It comes with maps of Giardini, Arsenale and Venice and lists all the official exhibitions (both national pavilions and collateral events) as well as 30 general exhibitions.
If you don’t feel like preparing, but you would like to receive background information about the works, you can join a guided tour (with or without reservation) via La Biennale. The schedule will be available on their website. Alternatively, ask your questions to the guides and hosts at the different pavilions.
I hope this overview gives you some insights for your visit to the Art Biennale. Don’t forget to read my post ‘What to expect from the Art Biennale 2019‘ for more information about curator Ralph Rugoff and the theme ‘May You Live in Interesting Times’. Feel free to contact me, via the comments section below or by mail, if you have any additional questions. I will be glad to help you. If you want to combine your visit to the Biennale with other events in Venice, you can read my post ‘19 reasons to visit Venice in 2019‘.
Don’t forget to follow The Venice Insider on Facebook or to subscribe to our newsletter if you want to keep up-to-date on the Biennale.
Enjoy your visit!
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81 Comments
Thank you so much – this post was very helpful. This is our first time at the Art Biennale and we were having trouble planning our visit.
Do we need to purchase tickets for the country pavilions outside the Arsenale and Giardini?
Dear Mark,
I’m glad you like the article. The pavilions outside Giardini and Arsenale are usually free, so you don’t need a ticket. There might be a few exceptions for the collateral events. In that case, you can buy a ticket at the entrance.
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
This was a very helpful article. I am already here in Venice until Tuesday and on your advice purchased two tickets online – only to find that they need to be printed to be used. As I do not have access to a printer here at my airbnb rental, this is a big problem. Do you have any advice for me? I was planning to use the tickets tomorrow and Sunday….
Many thanks for any suggestions… (I can ill afford to pay all over again at the door tomorrow – this was a big splurge for me.) – lucinda
Hi Sandy,
I hope you managed to print your tickets via one of the suggestions I sent you by mail. And of course, I hope you liked the Art Biennale. Feel free to share your favourite pavilion in these comments.
Best regards
Katia – The Venice Insider
I am having an impossible time buying tickets online. Seems the site isn’t working? Will I regret not buying in advance?
Janet
Hi Janet,
Maybe try again tomorrow? It might be just a temporary problem. Anyway, I don’t think there are still lines at the entrance of the Biennale, so you won’t regret. If you are in Venice the day before you plan to visit the Biennale, you could pass by Giardini or Arsenale at that time and buy your ticket for the next day. You only have to validate it once you enter, so that’s not a problem.
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Hi Katia,
I am trying to buy a weekly ticket, however I find links only to 48H and the one entry to each site.
Do they still have a weekly ticket? Can you send me a link?
Can it be bought in the tickets booth? same price as on internet?
I assume that if lines in May were not horrible, then in Nov…am I right?
Thanks a lot
Karn
Dear Karn,
The week ticket can only be bought at the entrance, as they require your id for this. You also have t show your id every time you enter.
The lines should be fine in November, except around November 1 which is a holiday in Italy and rather crowded at the Biennale.
Best regards
Katia – The Venice Insider
Hi Katia,
Whats’ the difference between the full regular ticket ( 25 euro)( you can use it two days for the two exhibitions)
and the 48u ticket( 30 euro)
Thanks a lot
Hilde
Hilde,
The regular ticket allows one entrance to each site, while the 48 hour ticket allows several entrances at each site during these 48 hours. Usually, if you plan one day at Giardini and one at Arsenale, the regular ticket should be fine.
Enjoy your visit!
Katia
Hi Katia – do you know how I buy a group ticket (for 11 people). The official website says there are group tickets, but there’s no link. Many thanks. Andrew
Hi Andrew,
The site mentions that the group ticket (min 10 people) has to be ordered at least 10 days before your visit. You have to contact them via promozione@labiennale.org .
Enjoy your trip!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Hi Katia,
Thank you so much for this very complete and helpfull article!
I would love to download the map you mentionned, but I can’t find the link!
Would you help me with this problem or give me directely the link?
Have a very nice day,
Kareen.
Dear Kareen,
I checked the website of the Biennale, but it seems that the map isn’t available yet. They might add it once the event starts. I will check with the organization and let you know.
Alternatively, you could also use the app of My Art Guide Venice (only on iTunes) to get around the city: https://itunes.apple.com/it/app/venice-architecture-biennale/id1374361631?mt=8
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Katia, I checked out the ticket options but I don’t know which of the four options I will need. Do I need a separate ticket for the 10 Chapels on San Giorgio Maggiore? Do any of the tickets come with a vaporetto pass? I am in Venice Sat, Sun, and Monday so if exhibits are closed on Monday, I have only two days.
Hi Lin,
The Biennale is indeed closed on Monday (with a few exceptions) so the best ticket is the standard one which costs 25 euros. It allows you one entrance to Giardini and one to Arsenale. You can then do one site on Saturday and one on Sunday. Afterwards (on the day that you finish earliest), you can go to the Vatican chapels. These are the best part of the Biennale this year, so don’t miss it. You don’t need a ticket for these, as it can be accessed for free.
Vaporetto tickets are never included in the Biennale tickets. You would need at least 2, to visit the Vatican chapels. You can buy them in advance (https://www.veneziaunica.it/en/e-commerce/services/?sp=veniceinsider) if you want so you don’t have to queue at the counter when you’re in Venice. You will receive a QR code which you have to show at the machine which will then print it for you.
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Dear Katia, do you know if we could leave our bags anywhere, since we have to check out from our apartment?
I read about cloakrooms, but am not sure if they will except it.
Thanks, best regards,
Dear Manca,
There is indeed a cloakroom at the Biennale (with lockers at Arsenale, a guarded room in Giardini). It is intended for small backpacks which you don’t want to carry during the day. You could be lucky however that they allow you to store all your luggage but it would depend on how crowded it is and how much bags you have. If you want to be sure, it might be better to use one of these options:
– At the Santa Lucia train station: http://www.grandistazioni.it/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=09dd82a9ec4eb110VgnVCM1000003f16f90aRCRD
– Keep Calm Point (in a shop) next to the station
– Venice Luggage Deposit between San Marco and Rialto: https://veniceluggagedeposit.com/en/
Enjoy your visit!
Best regards
Katia – The Venice Insider
hey will i be able to purchase a ticket at the venue for the biennale ?
is the Giardini and arsenale exhibitions free ?
Hi,
You can buy the tickets at the entrance of Giardini or at the Arsenale entrance. These locations are not free, so you will have to pay to get in.
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Hello! Thanks for this great information! Do you have a recommendation on a guide I can hire to show me around the Bieannale? I see that the organization offers guided tours, but only if you’re a group of 25+ people! Thank you!
Hi Mary,
The Biennale usually organizes guided tours which you can join as an individual. There will be a press conference with more information in the first weeks of March, so you might want to wait until then. If you already want to book a tour now, I suggest you contact the Best Venice Guides (http://bestveniceguides.it/ ). They will then connect you with an official guide who organizes such a tour.
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
We would like to to visit the 2019 Venice Viennale. We are will to búy Diamond tickets but want to know what specifically this offers. Would we get a tour of the main Pavillions.? Would this offer special access to convenient hotels? We would prefer early May 2019. We are seniors and would need assistance with transportation, etc. We are serious art collectors. We also would like to see the Peggy Guggenheim museum. We have not been to Venice before. Thanks. Susan Talley Washington DC 202 669 6703
Dear Susan,
As art collectors, I’m sure you will love the Art Biennale in Venice.
The diamond ticket does include a guided tour to the Biennale, but only during the pre-opening days. It does however include a participation to the gala dinner, additional tickets etc. You can find the overview here: https://www.labiennale.org/en/biennale-card
It does however not include anything outside the Biennale such as hotels, transportation or the Guggenheim.
As for transportation, this post might give you already some idea of how you can organize yourself: https://www.theveniceinsider.com/how-to-guide-transportation-venice/
Finally, I can also create a personalized program for you. This is a day-by-day program with information on where to go and when, which landmarks or expositions to visit, tips for nice restaurants or bars in the vicinity, how to go from one place to the other and so on. You can find more information about this here: https://www.theveniceinsider.com/advice/
Feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions.
Enjoy your trip!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Hi Katie
Just about to buy our tickets for 2019 Bienale. We will be in Venice from 12th -18th May but we need to know if the tickets are day/ time specific?
Thank you
Jill
Hi Jill,
The tickets don’t have a specific date. They are validated when you enter the exhibition. So you don’t need to decide upfront which day you will be visiting the different sites. You can also visit Giardini on one day and Arsenale on another. It doesn’t even have to be on consecutive days (unless you buy a 48 hours pass).
Enjoy your visit!
Katia
From what age do you need tickets please? We are bringing our children also and want to make sure they can enter 🙂 thanks
Zoe,
Children up to the age of 6 (included) can access the Biennale for free. Older children pay a reduced fee. These prices will be announced early March.
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Hallo Katja, can I buy the Biennale Ticket reduced for disabled people? Also online? Thank you
Dear Ingeborg,
I don’t think there are reduced tickets for disabled people. There is only a free entrance for adults accompanying disabled visitors holding a disability ID. However, all the details about the prices should be available in the next weeks.
Best regards
Katia – The Venice Insider
Hi Katia,
You have an extraordinarily well documented and pleasurable to read website!
May I ask you if discounts for early bird senior tickets will be available sometime in March?
Thank you so much,
Seth
Good morning Seth,
Thanks for your kind words about my site 🙂
The Biennale will host a press conference in the coming weeks, so I assume all tickets and prices will then be available. There used to be a reduction for +65 last year, so I assume it will be the same this year.
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Dear Katia,
I am planing to visit Venice May 8, for one week with my 10 month baby girl. Is it possible to visit La Biennale with my baby? Or it is inconvenient?
Kindly Lisa
Lisa,
There is usually no problem in visiting the Biennale with a baby. However, as you will be visiting during the first week, it will still be very crowded with journalists hanging around. If your baby is (reasonably) quiet, no one will have a problem with it, so it really depends if you want to take her in these crowds.
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Can you buy the one ticket, leave the gardini, have lunch off grounds and return?
Then the next day, attend the arsenale?
thanks.
Emily,
The regular ticket only allows one entrance to each site so, in principle, the answer is no. However, I heard from other people that they asked the guard if they could leave and return, and it was allowed. It might however depend on the guard and on how crowded it is that day.
If you buy the 3 day ticket, you can enter and exit as often as you want.
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Hello, Katia,
I am debating between purchasing two regular tickets or the Silver Card. What specifically would the difference be as to entry to the Giardini and Arsenale.
Many thanks for your assistance.
Robin
Dear Robin,
The difference is mainly related to the discounts which you receive:
– Discount, where available, on tickets for the performances of the Dance, Music and Theatre Departments
– Discount, where available, on tickets for screenings open to the public scheduled in the official program of the 76th Venice Film Festival
– 10% discount on purchases at the Biennale Bookshops
On top of that, you are also sponsoring the support the activities of the Historical Archives of Contemporary Art.
Enjoy your visit!
Best regards
Katia – The Venice Insider
Hi, Katia, one more question: Does the Silver Card give one in-and-out privileges? Thanks, Robin
Hi,
Very informative information. One question…are there toilet facilities at both sites?
Thanks.
Hi Nora,
Yes, there are (free) toilets in Giardini and Arsenale.
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Hi
I was just on the biennale website – https://www.labiennale.org/en/agenda/biennale-arte-2019
and it looks like you can now buy the Plus ticket and the weekly ticket in advance online. To clarify, the plus ticket lets you into the two main locations, Giardini and Arsenale, multiple times over three days rather than the one day ticket, correct? And the weekly ticket lets you do the same for a whole week, correct?
Just trying to get the lay of the land before I buy since the website is mainly in Itlaina regardless of google translate.
Thanks for your helpful blog!
Hi Adrienne,
That’s great news! I will update it in the article.
You are right. The Plus ticket allows you to go and in out as much as you want during 3 days, while you can only access each site once with the regular ticket. The week ticket is similar to the plus ticket but valid for one week.
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
I’m under the impression that tickets can be purchased (at a much higher price) for the pre-opening (may 8-10) of the art Biennale.
Is that correct? If so, can that be done in advance online?
Thank you,
Hi David,
You can indeed buy a Biennale Gold Card this year, which allows you to access the Biennale during the pre-opening. The price is 300 euros. You can find more information on this page: https://www.labiennale.org/en/biennale-card
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Hello Katia,
Is it possible to visit the Biennale with the Plus ticket on sunday, thuesday and wednesday? i assume these are consecutive days because monday it is closed?
Many thanks for your assistence
Hi Kris,
Yes, the closing days are excluded so you can use your ticket from Sunday until Wednesday.
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Hi Katya,
Great article, thank you !
Do you know how to get tickets to preview events from 8.05-11.05 2019 . Lilia
Dear Lilia,
If you want to access the preview days (which are in principle only on invitation and for the press), you can buy a Biennale Gold Card. The price is 300 euros. You can find more information on this page: https://www.labiennale.org/en/biennale-card
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Hi! I am member of ICOM. Is that possible to dicount to entrane fee for ICOM Member?
Hi,
As far as I can see on the website of La Biennale, there is no discount for ICOM members. You can find the list of possible discounts here: https://www.labiennale.org/en/art/2019/information#tickets
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Hi Katia
Thank you so much for your excellent site. If i buy a regular ticket, will that allow me to attend the two sites on Sunday and Tuesday, as they’re closed on Mondays?
Thank you
Jan
Hello again Katia
I just read one of your previous posts which I think answered my question
Thanks again
Jan
Dear Jan,
If you buy a regular ticket, you can use it on 2 different days, so it doesn’t need to be on consecutive days. You can enter each location only once. So, for instance, you could visit Giardini on Saturday, and Arsenale one or two weeks later.
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Thank you so much Katie, your page is a tremendous help
Thanks Jan!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Hi I was just wondering if someone were to come visit here, what would be the key contents to look for, any interesting details for example. Is there a website that I can find more information on?
Hi,
Are you referring to the Biennale or Venice? You can plenty of information on this page if you want. I will be publishing my selection of pavilions after my visit at the end of May.
Best regards
Katia – The Venice Insider
Thank you for the article. It was very helpfull.
What would be your recommandation about where to stay as hotel during the biennale.
Nazife
Nazife,
That’s a difficult question. The main sites of the Biennale are Giardini and Arsenale, so if you want to be close to those, you could choose a hotel in Castello or Sant’Elena. However, there are also plenty of pavilions and other art events all over the city. So, in fact, it doesn’t really matter. Venice isn’t that big.
I personally always stay at the Hotel Indigo Sant’Elena or the Sina Centurion Palace.
Have fun!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Hello! Thank you for the interesting article, very helpful! Could you please recommend- having just one full day and and a half in Venice and having bought the tickets to the biennale- do you reckon it would be “enough” (I’m sure not, but maybe not impossible?) to visit both Arsenale and Giardini in one day? Of course I know I’d miss out on A LOT, but would you say it’s rather impossible, or not ideal but doable? This other half of the day would be great to see a bit of Venice itself too and just walk around it…
Thanks in advance!
Hi Joanna,
I’m glad to read you find the article interesting 🙂
If you have only one day for the Biennale, I would say it’s not ideal but it’s doable. You will just need to be aware you won’t be able to spend as much time as you would like in some pavilions. I would suggest you make sure you are at the entrance at 10 am when the doors open. I would first start with Giardini and then move to Arsenale, which is a 5-10 minutes walk.
Also, when you walk around Venice on your other half day, you will come across some of the other pavilions or events so you can pop in when you see one that interests you.
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Thank you Katia for the good information. I will be in Venice with two friends from June 12 – 16th. Do we need to purchase tickets for those exact dates? Or just buy the plus tickets for any 3 days. Will it be clear when I go to buy them online. It looks like I can buy online. Should I do that before traveling? Thank you. Patrice
Dear Patrice,
The tickets for the Biennale don’t have a date mentioned on them so you can use them whenever you want. If you want to avoid the lines, you can buy them online. Otherwise, you can buy them in Venice, for instance the day before your visit or on the moment itself. I don’t expect this period to be very crowded (but you never know).
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Hi Katia!
Thanks a lot for helpful info.
I will stay for 3 days in Padova and I plan to visit the Biennale for 2 days, on Saturday and Sunday. I will come to Venice Mestre by train and go back to Padova in the evening. I saw there is a bus number 2 that goes from the main train station in Mestre to the island. How can I buy a ticket for that bus, or do you recommend some other kind of transport to the island?
Hi Sandra,
Glad to hear you found my post interesting.
To get from Mestre to Venice, you have to cross the Ponte della Liberta. You can do this by bus, by tram or by train. Tickets for the tram or bus are 1.5 euros. Tickets can be bought at the ticket offices or in some newspaper shops.
However, you will also need tickets for the vaporetto to get from Piazzale Roma (in Venice) to Giardini and Arsenale. You can either buy individual tickets (7.5 euros per ride) or a 2 day pass (30 euros). You can buy these online via http://tidd.ly/f0f9c9fd
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Thanks a lot, Katia!
Hi Katia
Thanks for your information;
Do you know if there is a map for the exhibitions outside Giardini and Arsenal?
According to the comment left on Amazon, the pocket guide looks to be poor quality and the maps useless , have you use this book?
Thanks in advance, Philippe
Dear Philippe,
there is indeed a map of all the Biennale locations, both in Giardini and Arsenale and across the city. You can find it at the entrance (for free). I couldn’t find it only yet however.
Alternatively, you can use the app of My Art Guides which shows the locations across town, as well as other art events.
No, I haven’t used the pocket guide. I used the free map of the Biennale.
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Hi,
We would like to purchase “plus” tickets but they only deliver option is “print at home” but we are in an apartment without a printer. Is there any option to receive the tickets to my mobile?
Thank you,
Julia
Hi Julia,
The website of La Biennale states that you can show the tickets on your smartphone, so you should be fine.
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Hello Katia,
Thank you for the information you share. It’s been a great help in planning our trip. We will only be In Venice for 2 days, one being a Monday, so we only have one day to check out the Biennale. Though I wish we had more time, a small experience is better than none!
If you had to choose between the two for one full day, would you suggest the Arsenale or the Giardini?
Thank you much!
Hi Josh,
Choosing between Giardini and Arsenale is a difficult one. As you might have seen from my new post with my favourite pavilions (12 must-sees at the 2019 Art Biennale in Venice), I would be tempted to say Arsenale. If you make sure you start at 10 when it opens, you could also do half a day in each. That would however require that you quickly pass the ones which don’t seem to interest you at first glance and you skip the video installations which often take a lot of time. It’s only a 10 minutes walk from one to the other.
On Mondays, you can for instance visit Glasstress (Murano), The Spark is You (Conservatorio) or the Scully exhibition on San Giorgio Maggiore.
Enjoy your trip!
Katia – The Venice Insider
What a great help this is coming from Sri Lanka. I will be there from July 8 until July 18. Can I buy tickets for every three days consecutively – tickets are for 3 days or 2? I read somewhere it is discounted for people over 60, is that correct? Good typeface too, your blog page. Easy to read. Thanks Gail
Hi Gail,
It’s nice to read that my blog is read in Sri Lanka
To visit the Biennale, you can either buy the regular tickets which can be used on 2 days (one day Giardini, one day Arsenale) which don’t have to be consecutive. You can also buy the 3 day pass (Plus ticket) which is for 3 consecutive days and you can enter each site as often as you want. Or, as you are staying longer, you could also consider a 7 day pass.
There’s a reduced price for the regular ticket if you are over 65.
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Re Bienniale: If I buy a senior ticket online (american – over 65), can I just show my “print at home” ticket at the entrance for admission?
Or when I enter do I need to get in a ticket line/Q to show a valid ID?
Thank You, JoAnn
JoAnn,
You can print your ticket at home and show it at the entrance. There’s no separate line. Depending on the guide on duty, they might ask for your id that shows your age so don’t forget to bring it.
Enjoy your visit!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Can I see the Art Show one day and take the tour of the location on another day( day before).
I was wondering if I buy a tickets to Biennale Arte 2019
do I have to buy Visita Guidata GIARDINI – INGLESE on the same day I see Biennale Arte 2019 ?
Hi Neal,
You can only follow a guided tour if you have a ticket to enter the Biennale that day. If you buy a regular ticket with one entrance to each site, it means you have to arrange your visit and tour on the same day.
Enjoy your trip!
Katia – The Venice Insider
Which show because of weather??
Finally, the weather is also a determining factor. When it rains, you might prefer to visit Arsenale. In Giardini, you spend more time outside when walking from one pavilion to another. Running around with a wet umbrella is not the best way to visit the Biennale, especially if you want to have a free hand to take pictures.
Hi Neal,
Thanks for the tip. That’s indeed something to take into account when chosing which site you will visit first.
All the best
Katia – The Venice Insider