Study Abroad in Venice, Italy

Decide what you want to gain. Is your goal to earn a college credit, improve your Italian language, explore a new culture, or all these? Planning early helps you filter programs and set priorities.
Pick your perfect program length. Short summer programs suit those with other commitments, while semester or year-long stays provide deeper immersion and academic growth.
Get expert guidance. Meet with a study abroad advisor to review credit transfer, academic fit, and financial options to avoid surprises and maximize your experience.

Understand the benefits

More than an Instagram opportunity, studying abroad in Venice is a transformative academic and personal adventure.

Live inside a textbook. You’re not just reading about the Renaissance, you’re walking the same streets as Titian and Vivaldi. Venice is an interactive museum where history is alive.
Network with the world. Venice attracts international students, artists, and travelers from every corner of the globe. You’ll build friendships and professional connections that last a lifetime.
Travel beyond. Venice is a train ride away from other incredible Italian cities. Your weekends can be packed with day trips to Rome, Florence, Milan, and more.

Things to know

Studying abroad in Venice comes with its own set of quirks, so a little prep can go a long way.

Learn the language basics. Most Venetians speak Italian, not English. Knowing a few key phrases and understanding the local dialect can help you connect and feel more confident.
Transportation is unique. Get used to walking and using vaporetto (water buses). They're not cheap, but they’re your lifeline for getting around efficiently.
Acqua Alta is real. Seasonal flooding, especially in fall and winter, can leave streets underwater. Bring waterproof boots and stay flexible with your plans.

Popular Providers

Latest Program Reviews

Wonderful Course

November 10, 2025by: John Brimm - United StatesProgram: Historic Capital of Tuscany - Florence, Italy Summer Program

9

The course itself was a wonderful mix of cultural immersion and learning about the history, art, historical figures who lived in Florence centuries ago. My one and only complaint can be summed up as, if you go on this trip, don’t expect everyone to be as into as you. I was deeply passionate about the history of Italy, and made a friend or two on the trip who was equally as passionate, but as a consumer of this tour, be aware that some are here to passively take in the sights, rather than eagerly devouring everything they can see.

Amazing, educational, and once-in-a-lifetime experience!

March 02, 2025by: Fiona Lui Martin - United StatesProgram: 6-week Gap Year Course in Italy | Art History Abroad

10

Art History Abroad was an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience I’m so grateful to have had. In just six jam-packed weeks I traveled to Rome, Siena, Florence, Bologna, Castelfranco, and Venice with a group of like-minded gappers and tutors. Cultural activities included painting Venetian masks, witnessing glass-blowing on Murano island, cooking traditional Italian cuisine, and marbling paper. We explored the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Uffizi, Pompeii, Ravenna Mosaics, and Guggenheim. We studied the magnum opuses of Michelangelo, da Vinci, Raphael, Donatello, Bernini, and Botticelli, among countless others, in situ. We learned to recognize the tell-tale signs of Gothic art—gold leaf, pointed arches—as opposed to that of the High Renaissance—realist muscled figures in complicated compositions—which we in turn could differentiate from the chiaroscuro and dramatic motion of the Baroque. Perhaps most special was when we, still rubbing sleep dust from our eyes in the wee hours of morning before opening time, watched the sunrise over St. Peter’s basilica and took a guided tour of the expansive Vatican museums and fresco-filled Sistine Chapel.

Wonderful Course

November 10, 2025by: John Brimm - United StatesProgram: Historic Capital of Tuscany - Florence, Italy Summer Program

9

The course itself was a wonderful mix of cultural immersion and learning about the history, art, historical figures who lived in Florence centuries ago. My one and only complaint can be summed up as, if you go on this trip, don’t expect everyone to be as into as you. I was deeply passionate about the history of Italy, and made a friend or two on the trip who was equally as passionate, but as a consumer of this tour, be aware that some are here to passively take in the sights, rather than eagerly devouring everything they can see.

Amazing, educational, and once-in-a-lifetime experience!

March 02, 2025by: Fiona Lui Martin - United StatesProgram: 6-week Gap Year Course in Italy | Art History Abroad

10

Art History Abroad was an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience I’m so grateful to have had. In just six jam-packed weeks I traveled to Rome, Siena, Florence, Bologna, Castelfranco, and Venice with a group of like-minded gappers and tutors. Cultural activities included painting Venetian masks, witnessing glass-blowing on Murano island, cooking traditional Italian cuisine, and marbling paper. We explored the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Uffizi, Pompeii, Ravenna Mosaics, and Guggenheim. We studied the magnum opuses of Michelangelo, da Vinci, Raphael, Donatello, Bernini, and Botticelli, among countless others, in situ. We learned to recognize the tell-tale signs of Gothic art—gold leaf, pointed arches—as opposed to that of the High Renaissance—realist muscled figures in complicated compositions—which we in turn could differentiate from the chiaroscuro and dramatic motion of the Baroque. Perhaps most special was when we, still rubbing sleep dust from our eyes in the wee hours of morning before opening time, watched the sunrise over St. Peter’s basilica and took a guided tour of the expansive Vatican museums and fresco-filled Sistine Chapel.