Explore Venice's famous canals on a guided gondola ride through the city. Meander beneath bridges and along quiet, peaceful stretches in a traditional Venetian boat, taking in sights such as the Rialto Bridge and Campo Manin as you go. Join up to five others—along with your expert gondolier—in enjoying one of Venice's most leisurely and original pastimes, and don't miss this chance to experience the Grand Canal from the water.

A classic gondola ride through Venice
Explore the waterways around Venice by one of the city's most traditional and unique transportation methods
Sit back and enjoy as an expert gondolier navigated hidden passages and the Grand Canal
Enjoy the peace and tranquility of being on the water and seeing Venice from a whole new perspective

What's Included

30-minute shared gondola ride

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Gratuities

Departure & Return

Departure Point

S. Marco, Riva degli Schiavoni, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy
Alilaguna ticket office at the Royal Gardens gate, San Marco stop. Please refer to this information (don't look for Alilaguna office on Google maps). Strictly requested to be at the meeting point 15 minutes before the departure of the tour.

Return Details

Chiesa di Santa Maria del Giglio, Campo Santa Maria del Giglio, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy
Santa Maria del Giglio gondola pier

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers

Operated by Bucintoro Viaggi

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.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

about cancellations

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

Q:What is the policy on face masks and attendee health during Classic 30-Minute Gondola Ride in Venice?

A:The policy on face masks and attendee health is:

Face masks required for travelers in public areas

Q:What is the policy on sanitization during Classic 30-Minute Gondola Ride in Venice?

A:The policies on sanitization are:

Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

Would recommend this tour via Viator because it was easy to set up and nice to show up and just have it done.

We were only on the grand canal for a few minutes so not the choice if you are looking for a grand canal tour!

Reviews

3.5

473 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers

Showing 1-10 of 473 reviews

Gondola experience at a reduced cost

Laura_G, May 2022

Exactly as described - was a shared gondola ride with another couple, efficient and cheaper than paying for a private gondola but still the same experience on the water .. which in my opinion is a must do when in Venice! Many reviews say that they found the ticket office hard to locate, I would say that the Alilaguna office is literally on the San Marco (Vallaresso ou Giardinetti) station, right opposite the Illy coffee shop. I would definitely recommend this if you want the gondola experience for a reduced cost

1 traveler found this review helpful

Sharing a gondola - shocking ! Dont waste your money

BROOKE_d, May 2022

Had to wait half an hour for a gondola to arrive, then it arrived and we had to share ! Sit on crappy stools and not really sit back and enjoy ! I only booked in advanced to be more organized. I’d recommend just paying when you get there. It doesn’t state anywhere that you are sharing, with another couple ! Shocking

1 traveler found this review helpful

It’s a must in Venice....

Susan_W, Apr 2022

It’s a must in Venice. Very relaxing and enjoyable. Would recommend this ride to all. Great value for money

If you only have time for one gondola ride, make it this one.

EdgarTorres, Apr 2022

My wife and I took another gondola tour --- and it was an awful experience. We gave it another shot and this gondola service gave us the experience we dreamed about. The chauffeur made the difference.

Not worth it

Marilena_A, Apr 2022

The driver was aggresive and didnt stop talking to other drivers.The route followed was grab.Abandoned building and nothing interesting to see.We were 4 adults and 2 kids and they seperated us 3 and 3 instead pf leaving the parents with kids (2+2) and the other couple with the strangers.Water came in the gondole and my kid got wet and the driver didnt apologise.If you search a different route (Grand Canal) prefer it if you want to see a more picturesque route and nicer photos.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Stressed

Robin_R, Apr 2022

Directions on where to go we’re not good at all in fact I would say horrible. We walked up and down for 30 minutes asking other gondola places where to go. They were very helpful. Unfortunately we missed our required time but were able to rebook since they had other times available. Only to find out that if you book with the gondola company directly it’s 3€ cheaper.

Gondola Ride

pamela_a, Apr 2022

Nice going through the canals and seeing architectural designs. Gondola driver shared no history or much information. He talked to other drivers on the canal.

Worth it but Gondolier did not sing

MariaMercedes_C, Apr 2022

It was one on my bucket list that I checked off. Love the experience of finally riding the gondola in Venice. But 2 things, the address of the meeting point indicated is very confusing so we got lost and the gondolier did not even sing which is what I always see on TV so that was disappointing. But over all, the experience was really worth it!

amazing

Angela_C, Apr 2022

a stunning experience just wish it was a bit longer! We also found it hard to find the meeting point

Unfortunately not a great...

Emma_B, Mar 2022

Unfortunately not a great experience. Shared the gondola with a American couple who had friends on the gondola riding next to us, so constantly shouting across. They could have been put on that boat? Then we would have had a semi peaceful experience, aside from our gondola driver also shouting at his other driver mates the whole time. Not impressed and not worth the money.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Gondola Ride

Jessica_W, Mar 2022

It was a calm steady trip but there wasn’t much information given from the tour , also it says you visit realto bridge but we didn’t unfortunately go that way :( other than that it was ok

1 traveler found this review helpful

Don’t Make A Reservation!!

Daniel_C, Feb 2022

No number address was given, the phone number provided did not pick up, I had to be refunded. It is much easier to get a ride without a reservation.

Response from Host, Mar 2022

Dear Daniel_C, We are sorry to read you were not satisfied with our tour and we apologise for any inconvenience we might indirectly have caused. However, the meeting point is clearly stated both in the voucher that you get after your purchase and in the product page (it is also dislplayed on google maps). We are sorry you were not able to find it and that we couldn't help you on the phone as we had our lines busy. Thank you for choosing Bucintoro Viaggi, best regards

1 traveler found this review helpful

We had a marvelous time...

Deanna_M, Feb 2022

We had a marvelous time on the gondola ride, however we were unexpectedly pared with another couple rather than the three of us on our own. The weather was cold and rainy, but the trip was nice. We were hoping for more commentary by our gondolier.

Not what expected

Nick_K, Feb 2022

Very expensive for a shared with random customers gondola ride! The freelancers gondola operators are much cheaper and you get a private ride.

Shoddy and commercialised experience - do not recommend!

Brian_F, Feb 2022

I was very disappointed. The tour was apparently meant to be English however we were completely ignored throughout the whole journey and the guy who was doing the rowing spoke in Italian to the couple behind us like we were not even there. I have been on a gondola before a couple years ago and so know how special this experience can be however the only word I can use to sum up this experience is ‘commercialised’. There’s not authenticity or tradition that comes with riding this gondola, and definitely no romance. I would not recommend this to anyone, you can get a better experience paying €20 or so more where you can sit comfortably, explore a nicer area rather than just one back turning that made me feel like I was being smuggled illegally into Venice! And also a more memorisable experience to share with your loved one. Also, the only time the guide would speed up is when they noticed the ride was almost coming to the end of the time, as well as going side by side with another gondola group which prevented pictures from being taken as they were in the way. One of the women asked if they could be serenaded and the man refused out right. I understand you have to pay more for this but was just the general attitude of it. They also didn’t wear the traditional uniform. Shoddy experience and we are going to pay for another tour with another company as we were left disappointed!

1 traveler found this review helpful

Waste of time

Glykeria_T, Jan 2022

The gondola boat guy was rude and unfriendly and the rude was waste of money. Better to book fast boat ride.

Response from Host, Jan 2022

Good afternoon, we are really sorry to read that you had not a completely positive experience with our Gondola Ride and we apologise for any inconvenience we might indirectly have caused. We are sorry to read that the Gondoliere was rude and unfriendly. Unfortunately we are only the suppliers of the tour and we rely on a professional company of Gondoliers to provide the ride. We will for sure signal the lack of courtesy to the company. Thank you for choosing us during your stay in Venice. Best regards,

1 traveler found this review helpful

DO NOT BOOK THIS!

Lhysa_B, Oct 2021

PLEASE DON’T THIS, This place is unfindable and they force you to pay for it! We asked everyone near the place they told us, but no one knew where it was.

Nightmare

Chris_K, Sep 2021

The address for where to start the tour is wrong. When we finally found the location, after being on a long customer chat with viator because the phone number didn't work, we and missed the tour and currently are being denied a refund. This has added a lot of stress to our honeymoon.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Scam

Caitlin_M, Sep 2021

They are basically just re-selling alilaguna gondola tickets at a higher price. We arrived on time but were turned away and told that the boat had already left.

2 travelers found this review helpful

Truly TERRIBLE. Do NOT book.

Billy_F, Sep 2021

Without doubt the worst tour we’ve ever booked. Miss sold. Tragically organised. Massive disappointment. Be warned; You will be in a SHARED gondola (not as sold) You will find it impossible to locate the meeting point. You will NOT see the Rialto Bridge as advertised. You will find this cheaper at the desk in euros when you eventually find said meeting point. 20 minutes on Gondola instead of 30 as sold. Customer service useless. They even admitted the address provided doesn’t work and the maps location is broken…but they provide no accurate meeting point location. We walked for over an hour trying to find the meeting point - eventually even heading for the head office back in the city centre - to then be told the maps doesn’t work and we should head back to the coast and find a ticket office opposite the gardens of the s.marco basilica. Wish we read the reviews before as many have had the same experience. I asked the company directly through their live chat (which they originally responded to with some half useful information on where to find the meeting point) to contact me so I could issue a full complaint. I detailed my issues with them and they have since ignored it. I will be pursuing a full refund as this whole experience was miss sold and absolutely not worth the effort it took. If you were on a single day trip please don’t waste your time. You’ll waste half your day searching for the meeting point and get less than the sold time on the gondola itself. Absolutely terrible. Do NOT book.

3 travelers found this review helpful

...

Questions?

Product code: 2495P37

Attractions in Venezia, Italy

Privacy and Cookies Statement About Viator Careers Sitemap Supplier Sign Up Travel Agents Become an Affiliate News

Terms & Conditions

Classic 30-Minute Gondola Ride in Venice

From $33.63

Select Date and Travelers

Overview

What's Included

Departure & Return

Departure Point

Return Details

What To Expect

Additional Info

Cancellation Policy

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

Questions?

Explore Similar Things to Do

Attractions in Venezia, Italy