Grado
A seaside resort on an island in northeast Italy, with about ten kilometers of beaches, a pedestrian-only old town and boat trips into the Marano-Grado Lagoon.
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Grado is a seaside resort on an island and a nearby peninsula in the Adriatic, in the Gorizia area of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, between Venice and Trieste. Locals call it the Island of the Sun. The historic center is pedestrian-only and sits inside the former Roman castrum, and Sant'Eufemia, the cathedral, has a 6th-century mosaic floor covering about 700 square meters. The beaches, about ten kilometers in total, mostly face south.
The other draw is the Marano-Grado Lagoon, shared with Marano Lagunare and home to roughly 30 islands. Boats run from Riva Zaccaria Gregori in Grado to Barbana, where a sanctuary stands, and the trip takes about 25 minutes. Ferries also link Grado with Trieste. July averages about 25 °C and January about 4 °C, and snow is rare, so summer suits the beach while spring and early autumn suit walking. The bora, a strong northeast wind, can blow hard, so check conditions before a boat trip.
Grado in five
- Plan the last leg by bus or carThe nearest mainline station is Cervignano-Aquileia-Grado, and a bus covers the rest. Check the regional bus timetable, or drive and park at the edge of the old town.
- Give Aquileia a half dayAquileia's basilica and its Roman mosaic floor are UNESCO-listed and close to Grado. Check the official hours and ticket rules before you go.
- Walk the old town and its basilicaThe Campo dei Patriarchi and the basilica of Sant'Eufemia sit in a car-light old town. Evening is the best time to stroll the lanes.
- Book a lagoon boat trip, not just a beach dayBoat trips run through the lagoon to the casoni, the old fishermen's huts on tiny islands. Pick a small operator and check departure times, since tides matter.
- Go in June or SeptemberJuly and August fill with families from Austria, Germany and northern Italy. June and September keep the beach and cut the crowds.Best time to visit Italy
Things to do in Grado
See all attractions in Grado
Need to know
- Airport
- Trieste (TRS), about 45 min by car; Venice (VCE), about 1.5 hours
- Getting there
- Train to Cervignano-Aquileia-Grado, then bus; or drive
- Getting around
- Walking and bicycles; a car or bus for Aquileia
- Best base
- The old town, or the beach promenade for families
- Time needed
- 2–4 days
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- Poor
- JanuaryPartly cloudy8 rainy daysHigh8°Low2°Quiet, coldJanuaryPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 8°
- Low
- 2°
- Precipitation
- 92 mm
- Rainy days
- 8
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Quiet, cold
- FebruaryPartly cloudy9 rainy daysHigh10°Low4°Quiet, coldFebruaryPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 10°
- Low
- 4°
- Precipitation
- 103 mm
- Rainy days
- 9
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Quiet, cold
- MarchPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh13°Low6°Cool, quietMarchPartly cloudy
Good
- High
- 13°
- Low
- 6°
- Precipitation
- 108 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cool, quiet
- AprilPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh17°Low9°Season opensAprilPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 17°
- Low
- 9°
- Precipitation
- 99 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Season opens
- MayRain15 rainy daysHigh20°Low13°Warm, quietMayRain
Good
- High
- 20°
- Low
- 13°
- Precipitation
- 165 mm
- Rainy days
- 15
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, quiet
- JunePartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh26°Low18°Beach, goodJunePartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 26°
- Low
- 18°
- Precipitation
- 115 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Beach, good
- JulyClear11 rainy daysHigh28°Low20°Peak, crowdedJulyClear
Best
- High
- 28°
- Low
- 20°
- Precipitation
- 102 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Peak, crowded
- AugustClear9 rainy daysHigh29°Low20°Peak, crowdedAugustClear
Best
- High
- 29°
- Low
- 20°
- Precipitation
- 122 mm
- Rainy days
- 9
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Peak, crowded
- SeptemberRain11 rainy daysHigh24°Low16°Warm sea, calmSeptemberRain
Best
- High
- 24°
- Low
- 16°
- Precipitation
- 203 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm sea, calm
- OctoberRain11 rainy daysHigh19°Low12°Mild, quietOctoberRain
Good
- High
- 19°
- Low
- 12°
- Precipitation
- 161 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, quiet
- NovemberRain12 rainy daysHigh13°Low8°Closing, greyNovemberRain
Mixed
- High
- 13°
- Low
- 8°
- Precipitation
- 177 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Closing, grey
- DecemberPartly cloudy9 rainy daysHigh9°Low4°Quiet, coldDecemberPartly cloudy
Poor
- High
- 9°
- Low
- 4°
- Precipitation
- 117 mm
- Rainy days
- 9
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Quiet, cold
Average daily high and low in Grado, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Right now in Grado
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
12
- Feels like
- 7°
- Humidity
- 69%
- Wind
- 27 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 5%
Grado
01:04 AM
Tuesday, November 3
- Today15°12°5%Tuesday: Cloudy. High 15°, Low 12°. Chance of rain 5%.
- Wed14°11°5%Wednesday: Cloudy. High 14°, Low 11°. Chance of rain 5%.
- Thu14°9°0%Thursday: Clear. High 14°, Low 9°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Fri14°8°4%Friday: Cloudy. High 14°, Low 8°. Chance of rain 4%.
- Sat12°9°8%Saturday: Rain. High 12°, Low 9°. Chance of rain 8%.
- Sun13°9°26%Sunday: Rain. High 13°, Low 9°. Chance of rain 26%.
Updated 09:34 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Day trips by train
- Aquileiaabout 20 min by car or busRoman ruins and a basilica with a mosaic floor.
- Triesteabout 1 hour by carA port city with a grand square on the Adriatic.
- Veniceabout 1.5–2 hours by car or train and busA long day, best as a night away.Read the guide
Before you go to Grado
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Rules for Grado, checked
- Most non-EU visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area. Check entry rules on the Italian visa site before you book.Source
- Dial 112 for police, fire or an ambulance anywhere in Italy.
- Cover shoulders and knees before entering the Basilica of Sant'Eufemia or Santa Maria delle Grazie.
- Check with the Italian Ministry of Culture before you buy antiques or archaeological objects, since some need an export license to leave the EU.
Plan around Grado
Beach, lagoon and the Adriatic side of a route
Read the guideVeniceTwo hours away by road, a city for another day
Read the guideVenice access feeWhat day visitors pay and when
Read the guidePaduaFrescoes and a student city on the way
Read the guideItaly by train, off-peakFrecciarossa, Italo and regional trains compared
Read the guideBest time to visit ItalyMonth by month, region by region
Read the guideGrado FAQ
Is Grado worth visiting?
Yes for a quiet beach holiday with an old town and Roman sites nearby. It is not a place for nightlife or big sights, so it suits families and relaxed couples more than first-time Italy sightseers.
How do you get from Venice to Grado?
By train toward Trieste to Cervignano-Aquileia-Grado, then a bus, which takes about 2–3 hours door to door. A car takes roughly 1.5 hours. Check the regional bus timetable before you travel.
Is Grado good for children?
Yes. The beach shelves gently, the lagoon is calm, and the old town has little traffic. Beach clubs charge for loungers, so check the rate before you commit to one.
When is the best time for Grado?
June and September for warm water and fewer crowds. July and August are the busiest, and many hotels and restaurants close from late October.
How many days do you need in Grado?
Two days covers the old town and a lagoon trip. Four days adds Aquileia, Trieste and beach time without a schedule.