Water activity

Venice: Grand Canal by Gondola with Live Commentary

4.1  / 59257 reviews
Activity provider:VENICE TOURS
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Water activity
Venice: Grand Canal by Gondola with Live Commentary
Activity provider:VENICE TOURS
4.1  / 59257 reviews
Likely to sell out

Glide through the canals of Venice on a gondola ride with a live guide. Hear stories and secrets of the fascinating palaces around from your guide.

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Reserve now & pay later
Keep your travel plans flexible — book your spot and pay nothing today.
Duration 40 minutes - 3 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Skip the ticket line
Host or greeter
Italian, German, Spanish, French, English
Small group available

Experience

Itinerary

  • getyourguide-logo-icon.svg

    2 starting location options:

    Venice Tours, Venice Tours Assistance (NEWSTAND IN SAN MARCO)

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    Teatro La Fenice

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    Grand Canal

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    Peggy Guggenheim Collection

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    Santa Maria della Salute

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    Punta della Dogana

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    Teatro La Fenice

  • 2 drop-off locations:

    Venice Tours, Venice Tours Assistance (NEWSTAND IN SAN MARCO)

Main sites passed

For reference only. Itineraries are subject to change.

Highlights

  • Glide along the Venetian canals on board a gondola
  • Discover the city and its picturesque spots by boat
  • Hear stories from your guide about palazzos, gondolas and gondoliers
  • Journey in the past by gondola Virtual Reality Experience
  • The Yard of Venice: discover the secrets of a sectioned gondola

Full description

Explore the canals of Venice aboard a gondola. Enjoy live commentary from your guide as your gondolier takes you down narrow ways and along the Grand Canal. Learn about the city's palaces, churches, and attractions. Hear about local stories and the history of the gondola and gondoliers. During your journey, admire the Mozart’s House and pass by the magnificent La Fenice Theatre and the “De le Ostreghe” Canal. Continue to the most important canal in Venice, the Grand Canal. Make your way towards the Salute Church, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, and some of the stunning Venetian palaces that run alongside the canal, like Ca' Dolfin, Ca' Loredan, Grimani Palace, and many others. You will also see Punta de la Dogana and Saint Mark’s Basin before making your way back to Campo San Moisè.  Lastly, experience a ride in a unique virtual reality as you glide over the Grand Canal's tranquil waters at sunset over the centuries, and then discover the craftsmanship and secrets behind Venice's iconic boat with an up-close look at a sectioned model.

Includes

  • Gondola ride
  • Introductory walking tour
  • Commentary via mobile app in multiple languages (if option selected)
  • Mobile app to see Venice in the past
  • Mask (with serenade option)
  • Gondola virtual reality experience (not included with the gondola serenade option)
  • The Yard of Venice (not included with the gondola serenade option)
  • Food and drinks
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • App commentary (if the serenade option is selected)
  • Tips and personal expenses

Not suitable for

  • Wheelchair users

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

Meeting point may vary depending on the option booked.

Important information

What to bring

  • Comfortable shoes
  • Headphones

Not allowed

  • Pets

Know before you go

  • The tour is composed of a 20-minute introductory walking tour to the gondola experience followed by a 30-minute gondola ride
  • If you have booked the option with random seating, you will not be sitting in the same gondola
  • The guide will be on only one gondola. The participants on the other gondolas will listen to them with an audio device
  • The live commentary is in English, French, Spanish, and Italian. The mobile app provides commentary in German, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, and Hindi
  • Each gondola can hold a maximum of 5 people
  • The gondolier will determine your seat according to your weight
  • The tour will only be canceled in cases of extreme weather conditions
  • The itinerary may change in cases of wind or bad weather
  • Commentary for shared tours may be bilingual
  • For the serenade option, the performers (a singer and a musician) will board a gondola in the center of the row so all participants can hear the music (musicians won't be present on every gondola)

Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.1 /5

based on 9257 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    4.2/5
  • Transportation
    4.3/5
  • Service
    3.8/5
  • Organization
    3.8/5

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D
Danica – United States5 March 2023  – Verified booking
The ride was wonderful and relaxing! Just plan extra time to walk to the meeting location. We missed our appt by 10 minutes and had to wait 2 1/2 hours to take the next tour. It takes longer than you think to walk through their crazy windy allies! The Get Your Guide people were awesome and so helpful! Would do this activity again and definitely use this company!
Helpful?
J
Jenna – United States6 February 2023  – Verified booking
If you are traveling as a couple or in a group, I would probably advise you find your own gondola (and stay away from the Grand Canal based on what I've read). But as a solo traveler, I would choose this tour again rather than pay $80 to use a gondola by myself. It was less expensive and still a cool experience. The route is okay - I would prefer to stay away from the Grand Canal, but the first ten minutes or so were quite nice and in smaller alleys. The tour guide provided some nice context before everyone stepped into a gondola, and you had the choice to listen or not listen to him throughout the gondola ride. The guy in my gondola was not super talkative, which could be a good thing or bad thing depending on whether or not you want an informative ride or relaxing ride. But some of the others seemed more talkative.
Helpful?
J
John – United Kingdom6 February 2023  – Verified booking
Really enjoyable; the classic activity to do in Venice. Great to book in advance as it removes the uncertainty of "Will we be able to book on arrival? How much will it cost? etc. Would have liked a more scenic route - e.g. under the Rialto or the Bridge of Sighs. Guide was friendly and informative. Would be better if the whole tour was just done in one language.
Helpful?

Product ID: 48463

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