See Venice the traditional way, by gondola. You’ll enjoy a relaxing 30-minute journey along the city’s waterways and on part of the Grand Canal. This is the perfect way to appreciate the beauty of Venice, which was built to be admired from the water.

About this activity

Free cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund
Covid-19 precautions: Special health and safety measures apply. Learn more
Reserve now & pay later: Reserve now & pay later to book your spot without any charges today. Learn more
Duration 30 minutes: Check availability to see starting times.
Skip the ticket line
Host or greeter: English, Italian

Highlights

Glide along Venice’s waterways on a traditional gondola
See the beauty and elegance of the centuries-old buildings lining the canals
Experience Venice as the locals have for more than a thousand years

Full description

Take an enchanting 30-minute gondola ride and glide through centuries of Venetian history as you marvel at glamorous and elegant canal-side palaces. This classic gondola tour is the perfect way to appreciate the beauty, charm, and colors of this unique city. You’ll see Venice as the locals have for more than a thousand years. For centuries, the city’s noblest and wealthiest families traveled around Venice by gondola. As you explore the Venetian canals, you’ll appreciate the skill of the gondolier in maneuvering the craft through the city’s intricate waterways. You’ll also hear the friendly banter of the gondoliers, as much a part of Venetian culture as the gondola itself.

Includes

A 25 to 30 minute (approximately) shared gondola ride

Guide
Pick-up/drop off
Umbrella
Food or drinks

Not suitable for

Wheelchair users

Covid-19 precautions

You must book this activity online because the ticket office is closed

Safety measures in place

All areas that customers touch are frequently cleaned
You must keep social distance while in vehicles
The number of visitors is limited to reduce crowds

Traveler requirements

You are required to bring and wear a mask

Meeting point

Meet 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time at the gondola station of Santa Maria del Giglio next to the Gritti Palace Hotel. A tour representative will be waiting with a "Gondola tour" sign. Address: Campiello Del Traghetto, 2467 - Santa Maria Del Giglio Gondola park 30124 Venice

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Important information

What to bring

Umbrella

Not allowed

Smoking
Luggage or large bags

Know before you go

Shared gondola with maximum 6 people per gondola
Designated seating arranged by Gondolier due to balance of boat
This activity is not wheelchair accessible
This activity is not suitable if you have limited mobility
Bring an umbrella in case of rain, these are not provided
The tour will not operate in the event of bad weather, high tide or gondoliers' strike
Check-in is 15 minutes prior to the booked tour start time

Customer reviews

Overall rating

3.8 /5

based on 174 reviews

Review summary

Transportation
2.5/5
Value for money
3.5/5
Safety
4.1/5
Service
3.9/5

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Nice simple tour of grand canal and neighboring canals. Highly recommend to go as early as possible before the crowds. We took ours in middle of October at 940am and the water traffic was not nearly as bad. If you’re looking for an in depth tour of each site and landmark then this is not for you. But if you’d like a simple relaxing 20 minute self site seeing tour then book this to avoid lines. My girlfriend and I were able to ride the gondola with two others and no problem. For parties bigger than 4 I’d recommend just renting a private gondola. Last plus is that the meeting place is away from the crowds at San Marco square.

October 22, 2018

Great but very short

The whole buzz about the Gondola ride is exciting but somehow it is shorter than the traditional ride. Given that we were 5 in the boat meaning that they were earning more than the 80 euros ride they could have stretched the route a little bit. We did not learn much from the trip. All being said we got to ride in a Gondola.

August 30, 2016

Wonderful and magical

Seeing the eerie silent canals from the view of a gondola is the only way to travel! The gonadlier was peaceful and navigated the rivers with impressive precision and if it wasn't so expensive we would have done this every day. But alas this is the average price. One thing I will mention is that if you are a family wanting your own gondola there is no need to buy a private tour we had the entire gondola to ourselves at peak time.

July 26, 2016

Classic Venetian Gondola Tour

Classic Venetian Gondola Tour

About this activity

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Great but very short

Wonderful and magical