Venice: Traditional Shared Gondola Experience
Duration: 30 minutes
The gondola is a symbol of Venice, as emblematic of the famous city of canals as it is mysterious in its origins. Experience a half-hour gondola ride…
Grand Canal
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Grand Canal: Tours & Tickets
Venice: Shared Gondola Ride Across the Grand Canal
Duration: 30 minutes
Likely to sell out
Enjoy Venice from a privileged view of a Gondola accompanied by its gentle movement. Take a ride along Canal Grande and minor canals around San Marco…
Venice: Private Gondola Ride for up to 6 People
Duration: 25 minutes
Likely to sell out
Experience an exclusive and romantic 25-30 minute private gondola ride on the canals of Venice. Discover the city from the water, as it was meant to…
Venice: Private Gondola Ride for Up to 6 People
Duration: 20 minutes
Soak up the romance of Venice on a 30-minute private gondola ride. Journey down the Grand Canal and some of the smaller waterways of the city to see…
Venice: Grand Canal by Gondola with Commentary
Duration: 30 minutes
Explore the waterways of Venice on a 30-minute gondola ride, and see the sights of the city and lagoon from some the most secluded canals. Discover…
Venice: Gondola Grand Canal Ride
Duration: 30 minutes
Indulge in the ultimate romantic experience in Venice, and journey along the waterways on a gondola ride. Sit back and dream your way along the Grand…
Venice Grand Canal 1-Hour Boat Tour
Duration: 1 hour
Indulge your senses on the ultimate Venice tour and journey up the Grand Canal. Sit back as you pass dreamy palaces and sail under romantic bridges.…
Venice: Gondola Serenade on Grand Canal
Duration: 30 minutes
Take an unforgettable gondola ride through the canals of Venice while being serenaded with famous and authentic Italian songs.
Venice: 2.5-Hour Street Food Tour with a Local Guide
Duration: 2.5 hours
Sample the traditional food of Venice on a small group 2.5-hour walking tour with a local guide. Visit the Rialto Market and marvel at the produce,…
Top sights in Venice
Venice
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5 historical facts about the Grand Canal
Referred to as the heart and soul of Venice, the Grand Canal is the longest of the city's 120 canals. Stately homes of former merchants line its 2.5-mile, serpentine banks, reflecting centuries of wealth that have flowed into this majestic port city.
Home sweet home
The first settlers to arrive on the marshy islands of the lagoon were refugees fleeing from Huns and Visigoths after the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD.
Here's to your health
Venice built the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, with the hope that the Virgin Mary's intervention would rid the city of the Black Plague. "Salute" means "health" in Italian.
Bridging the gap
The Rialto Bridge is the oldest of the four bridges that span the canal, and it was the only one until the 19th century. First made of wood, the newer stone version was erected in 1591.
It's what makes Venice Venice
The gondola was the original form of transport through the canals from the 12th century, until speed boats made their roaring debut eight centuries later.Venedigs Markenzeichen
Aging gracefully
Over 170 buildings along the canal reveal the ages of architectural influences on the city. The oldest is the 13th-century palazzo Ca' da Mosto in Venetian-Byzantine style.
Our insider tips
Getting around by bus and taxi
The "vaporetti" (water buses) cost €8.50 per ticket from the train station to Piazza San Marco and run every 10 minutes. The trip on Line 2 takes 20 - 30 minutes, and 45 minutes on Line 1. The "taxi acquei" (water taxi) costs €110 from the airport to a hotel, and, depending on the distance, between €40 - €70 within Venice itself.
Getting around by gondola
A typical ride lasts 40 minutes and costs about €80. Add another €40 per 20-minute increment thereafter. The price goes up after 7:00 pm to €100 and costs €50 for every 20 minutes thereafter. In the end, it is always wise to agree on the price with the gondelier before setting off.
Getting around by traghetto
This "water ferry" is a cheap alternative to traveling by gondola and costs €4 for a five-minute ride across the Grand Canal. The difference between a traghetto and gondola is that two people are rowing, and passengers generally stand for the short trip.
Good to know
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- When should I visit?
- Depends on when your chosen gondolier wakes up! From 9AM onward is a good bet.
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- Is it expensive?
- Choose your fancy! You can compare gondola-ride and water taxi prices on our website.
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- Will I need a guide?
- Most definitely, unless you row your own boat. And would you really want to miss an Italian serenade?
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- How to get there
- By foot from the train station or Piazza San Marco.
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- Additional information
- Though the locals stand in a traghetto, find yourself a seat. The bobbing of the boat might bop you into the Canal!
What people are saying about Grand Canal
Terribly organised but gondola ride is a must
The ride itself last around 40 mins and was in a gondola shared with 4 others. It's a beautiful way to see Venice and was a true highlight of the trip BUT the organisation was appalling. We booked in advance and expected to be in a queue for 5-10mins before boarding. In reality we were herded like cattle with at least 40 other people to the departure point and had to stand in a crowd and battle our way on to the first available boat. There was no queuing system and no order. Given that this was arranged in advance and the providers new the number of bookings made there could have been more order and much better customer service.
Never been in a gondola and it was good for a first time
As the tour stated, it is not a guided tour. I would reccomend going in April or during cooler months. Even in April the smell of sewage water was rather strong in some areas, not all areas. The gondola conductor was quite the expert to manuever around, never any danger of tipping. The name of the Tour Agency is not on the building where you get your ticket, but if you get to the area, look for the building number above the door. Plus, you can ask people along the way, even policemen, in English, and they are helpful to guide you to that plaza.
Great experience but with a minor nuance..
I have to say that overall the experience was really nice but getting to the actual gondola was kind of messy because our host literally made us run from the meeting point to the place of the gondola so we could get ahead of other groups. This was not very nice because my wife had a hurt knee so having to rush her to get to the gondola was not a good experience. After getting to the gondola the actual ride was lovely and I highly recommend experience.
Fantastic experience - and very romantic
Due to bad weather we didn't actually get to renew our vows in the gondola. Maria Rosa immediately came up with plan B, which was to have the ceremony inside the Doge Palace. Later in the afternoon the weather cleared up and we had our gondola ride - so amazing and romantic. I highly recommend Venice Events.
Shared gondola ride. Still a must do in Venice!!
We (2 of us) did this gondola ride and shared the ride with two other couples. Still a great experience & still got the great pics. Directions for meeting point were very simple and easy to find. Was happy to save some £ by doing this tour!
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