Palaces on the Grand Canal
The canal is 3,800 m long and between 30 and 70 m wide. Along it stand palaces built by merchant families over centuries. Counts vary with what is counted: figures run from at least 170 to more than 200 palaces.
Most are private homes, hotels or offices, and you see them from the outside. A handful are museums or university buildings. The easiest way to take in the facades is from the water. A Grand Canal boat tour or a vaporetto ride brings you past dozens in less than an hour, and the landing stages let you step off at the ones with an interior to visit.
Ca' d'Oro: closed for works
The Gothic facade is still there to see.
The Galleria Giorgio Franchetti at the Ca' d'Oro has been fully closed since 2 February 2026. The works cover exhibition rooms, visitor routes, lighting and climate control, access and safety. Reopening is planned for spring 2027, with no fixed day yet. Do not plan on a visit, and do not buy a ticket that promises one.
The facade is a different matter. It faces the water, and you can admire the loggias from the vaporetto or a boat. The Ca' d'Oro has its own stop on Line 1.
Our pick: an evening inside a palace
Our take: the opera moves through the rooms of a historic palace on the canal.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Grand Canal boat tours and gondola rides
See the palaces from the water: boat tours, gondola rides and private boats, with live prices and availability.
The palaces you can visit, compared
Adult prices and closing days in 2026.
| Palace | What is inside | Closed on | Adult ticket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ca' d'Oro | Galleria Franchetti | Closed for works | – |
| Ca' Rezzonico | Museum of 18th-century Venice | Tuesday | €15 |
| Ca' Pesaro | Modern art gallery and Oriental art museum | Monday | €15 |
| Palazzo Venier dei Leoni | Peggy Guggenheim Collection | Tuesday | €17 |
| Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana | Pinault Collection | Tuesday | €20 for a joint ticket |
| Fondaco dei Turchi | Natural history museum | Monday | €15 |
| Ca' Foscari | University, student-led tours | Open Saturdays | Free |
For most visitors who want to see one palace interior, Ca' Rezzonico is the best choice: it shows how a Venetian palace looked and was lived in. Choose the Guggenheim if you come for modern art. Our Grand Canal museums page goes further on each house.
Ca' Rezzonico
Ca' Rezzonico houses the Museo del Settecento Veneziano. A full ticket is €15. Reduced tickets are €7.50 for ages 6 to 14, students aged 15 to 25 and visitors over 65, and children aged 0 to 5 enter free. Bring proof for any reduced fare.
From 1 April to 31 October it is open 10:00–18:00, with last entry at 17:00. From 1 November to 31 March it is open 10:00–17:00, with last entry at 16:00. It is closed on Tuesdays. A scaffold stands in the ballroom for restoration, and the other rooms are open. An audio guide app comes with the ticket. The vaporetto stop is Ca' Rezzonico on Line 1.
More palaces and what to know
Prices and hours for 2026.
Ca' Pesaro
A full ticket is €15 and covers the gallery and the Oriental art museum. Hours match Ca' Rezzonico, with a Monday closure. San Stae is the vaporetto stop. Some rooms close and some works are lent out from time to time, so a full tour is not always possible. Check the notices before you go.
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
The Palazzo Venier dei Leoni stands at Dorsoduro 701, between Accademia and Salute. Adults pay €17, visitors over 70 pay €14 and students under 26 pay €9. Children under 10 enter free. It opens 10:00–18:00, with last entry at 17:00, and closes on Tuesdays and 25 December. Large bags are not allowed. Food and drink are not allowed, even in the garden. The palace was commissioned in 1749, and only the first of five planned floors was built.
Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana
One ticket of €20 covers both. Palazzo Grassi runs its current programme until 10 January 2027, and Punta della Dogana until 22 November 2026. Opening is 10:00–18:00 in exhibition periods, with last entry at 17:00, and Tuesdays closed. Groups over 15 must reserve. Palazzo Grassi is at Campo San Samuele 3231, and Punta della Dogana is at the Salute stop.
Ca' Foscari
This is a university building. Free student-led tours usually run on Saturdays at 10:00, 10:40, 11:20 and 12:00, last 40 minutes and meet in the courtyard at Dorsoduro 3246, 10 minutes early. The rooms depend on university use, and some Saturdays have no tour, so check the monthly programme first.
Fondaco dei Turchi
This building holds the natural history museum. Its main structures date from the 12th and 13th centuries. From 1621 to 1838 it served as a trading centre for Turkish merchants, and it was heavily rebuilt in the 19th century. From 1 October to 31 May it opens 09:00–17:00, and from 1 June to 30 September 10:00–18:00. It is closed on Mondays.
Palaces to see from the water
No interior visit planned.
Ca' Dario and Palazzo Barbaro are best seen from the Grand Canal. Ca' Dario stands in Dorsoduro, and Palazzo Barbaro is in private ownership. Plan to see both from the water, not to go inside. The palace Cavalli-Franchetti is another facade to look for from the boat. For the surrounding city, see our sister guide to things to do in Venice.
Plan the rest of your canal trip
Where the palaces fit.
Grand Canal palaces: frequently asked questions
How many palaces are on the Grand Canal?
Counts range from at least 170 to more than 200, depending on what is counted as a palace. Do not rely on a single exact figure.
Can I visit the Ca' d'Oro?
Not at the moment. The gallery has been closed since 2 February 2026, and reopening is planned for spring 2027. You can still see the facade from the water.
Which palace is best to visit?
For a palace interior, Ca' Rezzonico. For modern art, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Both close on Tuesdays.
Which palaces can I enter for free?
The student-led tours at Ca' Foscari are free on most Saturdays. The other palaces on this page charge a ticket.
What is the best way to see the palaces?
From the water, by vaporetto or boat tour. The facades face the canal, and you can step off at the stops for the museums.
Is this the website of a museum or the city?
No. This is an independent guide to the Grand Canal. For tickets and current openings, check the notice at each museum.