1. Meet your host
Go to Venice Tours Srl near St. Mark’s Square or Campo San Moisè. Your booking confirmation will show the meeting point for your chosen ticket.
Gondola Ride Venice: Explore the Grand Canal and Hidden Waterways
Take your seat in a gondola and let Venice slow to the pace of the water. Over approximately 30 minutes, travel along the Grand Canal and into smaller waterways reached only by gondola, with palaces, churches and theatres coming into view from the boat.
Get your tickets- Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
- Reserve now and pay later
- Skip the ticket queue
- Mobile ticket available immediately—no printing required
30 minutes on the Grand Canal and smaller waterways
Shared or private gondola choices
Nine languages with optional commentary
Gallery and VR with selected tickets
At a glance
Highlights of your Venice gondola ride
See what can be part of your visit, from the Grand Canal and gondola-only waterways to commentary, Venetian history and VR.
- Glide along the Grand Canal and enter smaller canals reached only by gondola.
- Listen to commentary about the route through the app as the sights pass around you.
- Meet a host and, with selected tickets, learn about gondolas, gondoliers and Venice’s water heritage during a 20-minute introduction.
- See a real gondola, a handcrafted oar and a recreated felze at the Gondola Gallery.
- Experience centuries of Venetian history through VR on the Grand Canal.
- Choose a shared experience or reserve a 30-minute private gondola for your group.
The route
The Grand Canal and Venice’s hidden waterways
The ride opens onto the Grand Canal, where the Peggy Guggenheim Collection Palace, Gritti Palace, Santa Maria della Salute and Punta della Dogana line the water. It also enters smaller canals near La Fenice Theatre and Mozart House—quiet passages that reveal a different side of the city.
Look towards Saint Mark’s Basin and San Giorgio Island as the gondola carries you onwards. Choose app commentary when you want the story behind the sights, or simply watch Venice pass at the pace of the boat.
La FeniceGrand CanalPeggy GuggenheimSanta Maria della SalutePunta della Dogana
From meeting point to return
Itinerary
Your experience begins at the meeting point confirmed on your ticket and centres on an approximately 30-minute gondola ride through the Grand Canal and Venice’s smaller waterways.
2. Discover the story of the gondola
Tickets that include the introduction begin with approximately 20 minutes about gondolas, gondoliers and Venice’s water heritage. The private option does not include this introduction.
3. Board for your gondola ride
Spend approximately 30 minutes travelling through Venice by water, with in-app or live commentary available on selected tickets.
4. Follow the route through the city
The itinerary takes in Teatro La Fenice, the Grand Canal, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Santa Maria della Salute and Punta della Dogana. Along the way, look out for Gritti Palace, Mozart House, Saint Mark’s Basin and San Giorgio Island.
5. Return to your meeting point
Your gondola journey finishes where it began.
Depending on the ticket you choose, your visit can also include the Gondola Gallery and VR experience or a self-guided visit to Ca’ Rezzonico.
Find your fit
Choose your gondola experience
The available tickets range from the Grand Canal Gondola Experience to shared Random Seating rides in English, French or Spanish. Grand Canal experiences are also offered in French, Spanish and Italian, while Premium choices are available in English, French and Spanish.
Other choices include Romantic Canals Gondola & Dreamy Palace of Casanova’s Era, Fall in Love on the Grand Canal, the Ca’ Rezzonico visit and a 30-minute private gondola. Read the inclusions for the ticket you select so you know exactly which introduction, commentary and additions come with it.
01Shared ride
Travel with other visitors on a Random Seating ticket.
02Private gondola
Reserve the gondola for your own group for approximately 30 minutes.
03Experience additions
Choose commentary, the Gallery, VR or Ca’ Rezzonico with selected tickets.
Centuries on the water
Discover how the gondola became part of Venice
Selected tickets add a 20-minute introduction to gondolas, gondoliers and Venice’s water heritage. At the Gondola Gallery, see a real gondola up close, examine a handcrafted oar and discover how the boat was once used in everyday Venetian life.
Step inside a recreated felze, the cabin once fitted to a gondola, then enter a VR experience that carries the story onto the Grand Canal. A Ca’ Rezzonico ticket is available with another option, while visitors who want the boat to themselves can choose the 30-minute private ride.
Your ticket
What is included
Every ticket is built around an approximately 30-minute gondola ride. Your selected ticket can also include:
- 01A 20-minute introduction to the gondola experience, except with the private option
- 02In-app commentary during the ride
- 03Live commentary through a radio device, with headphones
- 04The Gondola Gallery, including tools and a cross-section showing how gondolas are made
- 05A VR experience exploring centuries of Venetian history
- 06Wi-Fi at the meeting point for downloading the commentary app
- 07A 30-minute private gondola when that option is selected
- 08A Ca’ Rezzonico ticket with an approximately one-hour self-guided visit when that option is selected
Inclusions vary between tickets, so check your chosen option before booking.
4.2out of 526,570 reviews
1 / 10
No printer needed
Your ticket is ready on your phone
Book online and your mobile ticket is available immediately in the GetYourGuide app and on the website. There is nothing to print—show the ticket on your phone when you arrive.
Get your ticketsPlan with confidence
Frequently asked questions
Find clear answers about tickets, timing, meeting points, ride options and what to expect on the day.
Tickets are €37 per person. Choose your date to see the available times and ticket choices. Read the full gondola ride price in Venice guide.
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later, so you do not have to pay anything today.
The gondola ride lasts approximately 30 minutes. A ticket with the introduction takes around 50 minutes: 20 minutes for the introduction followed by the ride. Other ticket choices add more to the visit, including a self-guided hour at Ca’ Rezzonico, and can bring the complete experience to as much as 2 hours. These durations cover the activities themselves and do not include any gaps between them. See how long the gondola ride lasts.
Choose a shared ride to travel with other visitors, or the 30-minute private ride when you want the gondola reserved for your own group. A gondola carries no more than five passengers. On Random Seating tickets, passengers are not guaranteed to stay in the same gondola, and the gondolier assigns seats according to weight balance. The private ride does not include the 20-minute introduction. Compare the shared and private gondola choices.
You will meet either at Venice Tours Srl, close to St. Mark’s Square at Calle S. Gallo, 1093/b, or at Campo San Moisè. Your meeting point depends on the ticket you choose, so check it before setting off. See exactly where to meet for the gondola ride.
Every ticket centres on the approximately 30-minute gondola ride. Depending on your choice, it can also include in-app commentary, live commentary, headphones, a 20-minute introduction, the Gondola Gallery, VR, a private gondola or a Ca’ Rezzonico ticket. Check the inclusions before booking because each ticket has its own combination.
Download the app commentary before boarding; Wi-Fi is available at the meeting point. Optional audio-guide choices include Chinese, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish. Host or greeter choices include English, French, Spanish and Italian. On the live-commentary option, the tour leader speaks through a radio device that broadcasts to each gondola in English, French or Spanish. Shared tours may be bilingual.
Your mobile ticket is available immediately after booking in the GetYourGuide app and on the website. You do not need to print it; show it on your phone when you arrive.
Wear comfortable shoes and leave luggage or large bags behind. For safety, remain seated while you are in the gondola.
The itinerary may change or the ride may be cancelled in adverse conditions.
Choose your date, check the available gondola ride times and select the ticket that suits you. Places are likely to sell out, so book once your plans are settled. Follow the guide to booking this gondola ride.
No. The ride is not suitable for wheelchair users.
Your Venice gondola ride
Take your seat on the Grand Canal
Choose your ticket, take your seat and let the gondola carry you into Venice.
Still deciding? Read whether this gondola ride is worth it.
Get your tickets