5 Theme Parks and Water Parks near Venice

October 4, 2026 October 7, 2026

Raptor and Mammut roller coasters at Gardaland, near Venice. (Smatteo499 · CC BY 4.0 · Edited)

Choose by what your family wants to spend the day doing, then by how much travelling you can accept. Aquaestate in Noale has the shortest outward journey for a pool-and-slide day, while Caribe Bay in Jesolo and Aquafollie in Caorle are coastal water-park choices. Gardaland and Movieland take you towards Lake Garda for rollercoasters, themed rides or live performances.

Treat each as a full-day outing from Venice, not an extra stop between sightseeing. The water parks are summer choices, with Aquaestate already looking ahead to its next season. The Lake Garda trips also depend on a seasonal onward bus, so an evening event does not automatically mean a workable late return.

Choosing a park

Criterion	Aquaestate	Caribe Bay	Gardaland	Movieland	Aquafollie
Outward journey	about 43 minutes	about an hour and a half	about an hour and a half	about an hour and a half	about 2 hours
Route from Venice	Santa Lucia: REG to Noale–Scorzè; walk	Piazzale Roma: buses via Marco Polo Airport to Jesolo (line 10); 23a to Piazza Marina; walk	Santa Lucia–Milano Centrale train to Peschiera; bus 483; final approach	Santa Lucia–Milano Centrale train to Peschiera; bus 483 to Roarlongo; walk	Piazzale Roma: bus 25 to San Donà di Piave; bus 4 to Caorle; walk
Single-day admission	—	2026 OPEN: €39.50; €33.50 from 1 m to under 1.4 m; free under 1 m	Adult dated: online from €44; gate from €59; free under 90 cm	€36 over 140 cm; €29 over 100 cm and under 140 cm; free under 100 cm	€30 over 140 cm; €25 at 100–140 cm or over 70; free under 100 cm
Onward bus, single fare	—	€1.50: 0–5 km distance band	—	€3.70: extra-urban flat fare	—
Onward bus service	—	23a: usually every 30 minutes (some 25/35); 05:10–23:00; winter, 1 October 2026–2 May 2027	483: hourly, 08:28–19:28 daily through 18 October 2026; resumes 21 March 2027	483: hourly at :28, 08:28–19:28 daily through 18 October 2026; resumes 21 March 2027	—
Last listed onward-bus return	—	23a to Jesolo bus station: 00:09 daily, winter 1 October 2026–2 May 2027; excludes 31 December	483 to Peschiera: 20:10 daily from 29 March 2026; service through 18 October 2026	—	—
Late direct regional return to Santa Lucia	—	—	22:05, arrives 23:50: summer-only train 3549; see warning for days	22:05, arrives 23:50: summer-only train 3549; see warning for days	—

These outward totals start at Santa Lucia station or Piazzale Roma, not your accommodation. Allow extra time to reach them and for separate connections. Each park earns a full day: Aquaestate for water games and green breaks, Caribe Bay for its sandy setting, Aquafollie for children’s water play, Gardaland for rides and Movieland for performances.

Gardaland and Movieland share the Peschiera train connection. Bus 483’s operating period is shorter than the parks’ combined calendars. Jesolo’s winter local-bus figures do not describe Caribe Bay’s summer service or guarantee an onward connection to Venice.

Aquaestate next summer

Aquaestate suits families who want water games and room for breaks without the longer coastal journey. In Noale, you can alternate slide time with quieter stretches in the green areas rather than build the day around performances or thrill rides.

Take the direct REG regional train from Santa Lucia to Noale–Scorzè, about 31 minutes. The final walk is about 12 minutes. For the return, walk back to Noale–Scorzè and take the train towards Venice. Keep the station walk in mind when leaving with tired children.

Daily tickets distinguish weekdays, Monday–Saturday except 15 August, from Sundays and 15 August.

Free admission: Ages 0–2
Reduced admission: Ages 3–12 and 65+
Full admission: Ages 13–64

Tickets are date-specific, so choose the visit day carefully. Leave the day free for the park rather than fitting it around another excursion.

Name: Aquaestate
Location: Via De Pol, Noale Maps
Site: aquaestate.it
Essential fact: A water park with pools and slides in Noale, on Via De Pol.

Caribe Bay

Caribe Bay is the choice for slides and pools mixed with sandy areas and family water play. Its Caribbean setting in Lido di Jesolo makes the water park itself the day’s destination, rather than a brief addition to a beach outing. Leave space between the slides for younger children to enjoy the water-play areas.

From Piazzale Roma, the journey to Jesolo bus station uses two trunk-bus services via Marco Polo Airport, with line 10 on the route, and takes just over an hour. Change at Jesolo for local bus 23a towards Piazza Marina and walk to the park. This final bus-and-walk leg takes about 18 minutes.

Return through Jesolo bus station and the airport connection to Piazzale Roma. A late local bus back to Jesolo is not a late bus all the way to Venice. The winter return departure in the comparison is separate from the park’s summer season.

Advance purchase is optional, and a visit does not need to be booked. Choose a dated ticket if your day is settled or an undated OPEN ticket if you want flexibility.

Name: Caribe Bay
Location: Via Michelangelo Buonarroti 15, Lido di Jesolo Maps
Site: caribebay.it
Essential fact: A Caribbean-themed water park in Lido di Jesolo, on Via Michelangelo Buonarroti.

Gardaland Park

Gardaland earns the journey if rides are the main reason your family is taking a day away from Venice. Its mix of family attractions and rollercoasters lets different ages find something to enjoy, although ride-height restrictions still shape what children can do. Oblivion – The Black Hole is one of its distinctive thrill rides, with a steep first drop.

The steep first drop of the Oblivion roller coaster at Gardaland. — Oblivion – The Black Hole at Gardaland in Castelnuovo del Garda.
*Kandlbach · Public domain · Edited*

Gardaland is like Disneyland in having themed areas, characters and rides, but it is not a Disney park. Choose it for the attractions themselves rather than expecting Disney characters or stories.

Take the direct Santa Lucia–Milano Centrale train as far as Peschiera del Garda, about an hour and a half. Bus 483 then takes about 7 minutes to the park approach. Return by bus to Peschiera and train to Venice, leaving the park in time for the bus rather than treating closing time as your departure time.

The standard park ticket includes rides and shows, and you can repeat rides, but maintenance may make individual attractions unavailable. SEA LIFE Aquarium and LEGOLAND Water Park need separate admission. A dated ticket fixes your visit day and its online price varies by date, while an undated ticket lets you choose the day later.

The 2026 park season runs from 28 March to 1 November, with Magic Winter from 5 December 2026 to 6 January 2027. Hours vary by date. Later park openings do not extend bus 483’s seasonal operating period, so winter is not the same public-transport outing as the summer route.

Name: Gardaland Park
Location: Castelnuovo del Garda, near Peschiera del Garda Maps
Site: gardaland.it
Hours: Mon–Thu 10:00–17:00; Fri 17:00–22:00; Sat–Sun 10:00–20:00
Essential fact: A theme park with rides and themed areas in Castelnuovo del Garda, near Peschiera del Garda.

Movieland

Movieland suits families who want actors, stunt performances and shows alongside rides. In Lazise, its Hollywood focus makes watching part of the visit, not simply something to do between attractions. Give the performances room in the day rather than trying to race through every ride.

Use the same direct train connection from Santa Lucia to Peschiera del Garda as for Gardaland. Continue on bus 483 to Roarlongo and take the short walk to Movieland. This onward leg takes about 13 minutes. Return through Peschiera for the train to Venice. An evening show needs a return plan that does not depend on staying until park closing.

Open-dated tickets can be used until the end of the 2026 season. Caneva is a separate water-park attraction, not a second stop to squeeze into this full-day outing.

Regular opening windows are 10:00–18:00 or 10:00–19:00. Event days can run until 23:00, and Halloween openings can also finish at 24:00, but the later hours are not an everyday schedule.

The €29 cash-desk concession covers pregnant visitors, those over 65, law-enforcement and military personnel, and visitors with disabilities. The disability concession requires documentation.

Name: Movieland
Location: Via Fossalta 58, Lazise Maps
Site: canevaworld.it
Hours: 10:00–23:00
Essential fact: A Hollywood-themed park with shows and rides in Lazise, on Via Fossalta.

Aquafollie

Aquafollie is a full-day choice for children’s water-play areas as well as slides and pools. In Caorle, it works best when the family wants to spend the day in the water park: the longer bus journey leaves less reason to add a separate beach visit.

Take bus 25 from Piazzale Roma to San Donà di Piave and change to bus 4 for Caorle bus station, about 2 hours. The final walk to Aquafollie is about 3 minutes. Return along the same route through San Donà di Piave to Venice.

Advance booking is optional, as you can buy admission at the ticket office on arrival. Online purchase can save queuing, and the online-only Special 3 and Special 4 tickets cost €79 for three people and €99 for four. Compare the group ticket with your family’s individual admission bands before choosing.

Name: Aquafollie
Location: Viale Aldo Moro 1, Caorle Maps
Site: aquafollie.it
Essential fact: A family water park with slides and pools in Caorle, on Viale Aldo Moro.

Sources & fact-checking

Checks against the sources below cover: services, fares and charges, opening hours, and closures.