Venice: Grand Canal by Gondola with Live Commentary

2750 Reviews | Venice

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Free Cancellation Up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time) Learn more

30 minutes to 50 minutes

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PRIVATE GONDOLA RIDE OPTION: 30 minutes gondola ride WITHOUT commentary
Journey in the past by gondola Virtual Reality Experience (not included in the private option)
SHARED GONDOLA RIDE OPTION: 30 minutes gondola ride with commentary
The Yard of Venice: discover the secrets of a sectioned gondola (not included in the private option)
SHARED GONDOLA RIDE OPTION: Live commentary in Italian, English, French and Spanish
SHARED GONDOLA RIDE OPTION:App commentary in German, Japanese, Chinese, Hindi and Russian
SHARED GONDOLA RIDE OPTION: 20 minutes introduction to the gondola experience

Hotel pickup
Audio devices
Earphones

Overview

Glide through the canals of Venice on a gondola ride with a live guide who explains the stories and secrets of the fascinating palaces around you. The expert gondoliers will drive you along Venice's hidden passages and canals, reachable only by gondola, admiring the breathtaking Venetian landscape. Pass beneath centuries-old bridges and take in the famous Grand Canal with its amazing views of stunning palaces. The guide will narrate to you the fascinating history of gondolas and gondoliers! On board, you will hear all about the palaces, churches, and attractions around you. 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. If you want to live an exclusive experience, book the private gondola and enjoy a ride with only you and your partner or friends!

Meeting Point

End Point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

1. We will pass trough the Gran Canal terrace of Ca Giustinian, one of the oldest Palace overlooking the Canal Grande. 5 minutes

2. Chiesa di San Moise Close to San Marco Square, in front of St Moise (Moses) Church and the Gondola station, the guide will introduce you in the elegant and romantic world of the Gondolas.

3. Teatro La Fenice Once one of 7 major theatres in the city, today the Fenice is Venice’s one and only opera house. It is surely a jewel among European theatres, and began to shine from the beginning, as the best composers of the age wrote and performed their operas here, among which Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini. But it was Giuseppe Verdi who is most attached to the Fenice and to Venetian memory.

4. Canal Grande The most beautiful road in the world”, this is how the Grand Canal is known as. If you look around, what you will see is almost exactly what a nobleman in the 18th century might have looked upon, and before him a Renaissance courtesan and before him a merchant in the Middle Ages.

5. Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute Here, as you come into the Grand Canal you admire the church of the Madonna della Salute. The first thing that strikes a viewer is how imposing the church is, strategically placed at the entrance of the Grand Canal looking out onto the rest of the city in every direction, thanks to its circular shape. Today, ever 21 November the city celebrates the Madonna della Salute in memory of the end of the plague

6. Punta della Dogana Punta della Dogana separates the Grand Canal from the Giudecca Canal. For its strategic location it was the house of the Custom and of the Salt Warehouses. During the fifteenth century, the Sea Customs House, which had previously been near the Arsenale, was transferred to the western point of Dorsoduro borough.

7. Abbazia di San Giorgio Maggiore You will have a view of the Island of san Giorgio Maggiore, with its beautiful Renaissance Church built by Palladio in the Renaissance and the belltower resembling the bigger one in St Mark’s Square. The island was once known as the Island of Cypress Trees before it became an important Benedectine monastery.

8. Giardini Reali At the end you will enjoy a wonderful overview of Saint Mark’s Square. This is a spot which painters from all over the world have tried to capture in its uniqueness, but we can only recommend that you sit back and take it all in.

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Each gondola can host maximum 5 people; the seat aboard cannot be chosen but will be assigned by the gondolier depending of guests weight.
The Gondola Ride does not operate in case of exceptionally bad weather or high/low tide (in these cases it can be postponed the days after otherwise it will be refunded)
The itinerary may change in the event of wind or bad weather
The guide will be only on one gondola, the participants on the others gondola will listen to her/him with the audio-devices
The live commentary will be only in English, French, Spanish and Italian. The commentary on German, Japanese, Chinese, Hindi, and Russian will be provided by mobile app downloaded on the own devices.
The live commentary IS NOT included in the PRIVATE OPTION
Please be at the meeting point 10 minutes before the departure time
On certain dates, most travelers staying outside of Venice who are planning to visit for the day will be required to pay a €5 access fee. For further details (including exemptions) and to learn what days this fee is applicable, please visit: https://cda.ve.it

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Learn more about cancellations.

Reviews

3.8

2750 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

5 stars

1350
4 stars

419
3 stars

389
2 stars

248
1 star

344

We perform checks on reviews

We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 1350 reviews with 5 stars

Singing in the rain

Published on Sep, 2024

It was amazing, they kept it going even in the rain on smaller canals though we were not allowed on the Grand Canal due to weather warnings. The gondolier was so talented and masterful. He sang a bit and whistled tunes. The guide before the ride was really informative. If it had been canceled, my wife and I would have left Venice without a gondola ride. Thank you Venice City Tours.

Walking tour and brilliant gondola ride

Published on Sep, 2024

Lovely views of the grand canal and other places in Venice, was very peaceful and was a brilliant experience. A must do whilst in Venice.

Very nice to her in Venice

Published on Sep, 2024

This was a nice little tour run very well. Our guide was a local and she was very knowledgeable and good., The ride itself was peaceful, relaxing our boat gondolier sing Italian music to us the whole time. It was very lovely. My only complaint is it lasted longer. ☺️

Great experience of local culture and history.

Published on Sep, 2024

The tour was informative, they provide an English speaking guide. We got Matha and she was absolutely excellent. Gave us great history on the Venice Gondolas and that gave us an added appreciation for them. It also explains the cost. Our gondola ride was great, our guide spoke a little English but mainly just gave us a nice tour of Venice. The route they take is set- so they can’t extend it or go to specific places for you- but different Gondola stations go different places. The prices are the same in Venice to what we paid online in advance. Overall a very enjoyable experience in Venice and we would do it again.

Great quick tour

Published on Sep, 2024

There is a short walk from the meeting place to the gondola ride. This is where the commentary comes in. Then you board the boat. 4/5 people per boat, so if it’s just 2 you are going to pair up. 20 min ride with a bit on the grand canal is more than enough to get your gondola fix.

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