Sunset Navigli Boat Tour in Milan with Optional Aperitivo
Milan, Italy
- 50 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Explore Milan from a unique angle on a Navigli Canal cruise. Learn about landmarks with an audio guide. Start at Alzaia Naviglio Grande 4. Pass "case di Ringhiera" and San Cristoforo church. Discover where Marscarpone cheese originated. See Canottieri Milano Olona and Vicolo dei Lavandai. Reach Darsena for bars and clubs. Cross Scodellino bridge to Trophy bridge and Conchetta by Leonardo da Vinci. Experience 14 navigation basins connecting Milan and Pavia, operational for five centuries.
What's Included
- Alcoholic BeveragesIf aperitif option selected
- SnacksIf aperitif option selected
- Boat cruise
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Alzaia Naviglio Grande, 4, 20144 Milano MI, Italy
Please be ready at the meeting point 20 minutes before the departure of the tour.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
“Did you know that …?
There are several curiosities that can be found on the canals, here are some of them:
1) The transport of the marbles that still decorate the Milan Cathedral today, coming from the Candoglia quarries on Lake Maggiore, took place through the Naviglio Grande.
2) In 1805 Napoleon completed the construction of the Naviglio Pavese to connect “Milan with the sea”.
3) Navigation on the canal was an excellent method of transport, abandoned only in the first half of the nineteenth century due to competition from the railways.
4) On the Navigli one of the greatest Italian women of the 20th century, Alda Merini, was born and lived her life so emotionally attached to the canals that it inspired her astonishing work writings.
There are several curiosities that can be found on the canals, here are some of them:
1) The transport of the marbles that still decorate the Milan Cathedral today, coming from the Candoglia quarries on Lake Maggiore, took place through the Naviglio Grande.
2) In 1805 Napoleon completed the construction of the Naviglio Pavese to connect “Milan with the sea”.
3) Navigation on the canal was an excellent method of transport, abandoned only in the first half of the nineteenth century due to competition from the railways.
4) On the Navigli one of the greatest Italian women of the 20th century, Alda Merini, was born and lived her life so emotionally attached to the canals that it inspired her astonishing work writings.
Santa Maria delle Grazie al Naviglio (Pass By)
Chiesa di San Cristoforo sul Naviglio (Pass By)
Darsena (Pass By)
Naviglio Grande (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- In case of bad weather condition, the tour can be suspended
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Katie_B
A lovely experience on a wonderfully warm and sunny evening. This was not a guided tour which was fine, snacks and drinks were available. Photos were also incredible. Hosts were polite and accommodating.
Reviews
3.0
based on 277 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Roni_B, Jul 2026
We were looking forward to this tour but unfortunately it fell very short for our expectations. The boat was nice and easy to board. The staff were friendly, but the tour itself was the most boring activity I have been on in quite a while. There was nothing to see but restaurants, buildings and graffiti. The most interesting thing I saw was a rat alongside the water under the bridge. There is no tour guide you scan a QR code to hear an audio recording and even the recording knew the tour was boring because there were many pauses between the information being spoken about. Unfortunately I felt like it was definitely overpriced and not worth the time and taxi money we spent to get to the location from our hotel.
Heather_S, Jul 2026
You advertise this boat right as being 50 minutes, but it was only 38 minutes. Kind of disappointed for the price we paid. Also the snack box was not edible.
David_Z, Jul 2026
We hoped we would have a very nice experience but it turned out the opposite...We booked tickets in advance and the meeting point was written: Start time 11-30 at Alzaia Naviglia Grande , 44, Milano. We came there 30 min before the time to rest as the weather was very hot- almost 40 degrees- and you have to go from Metro like 20 min. To our surprise there was no boat and no office. And nobody to ask as people speak only Italian. We tried to find some tourists and they said- go along the channel may be you see somebody...And to our great luck we saw a sailing boat and we shouted we also have tickets but they didn*t stop...SO WE STARTED GOING looking for our boat- my husband ( 74 yrs old, a disabled person and me 70 yrs old) very nervious and feeling like fainting in terrible heat. Finally ,without breath, we found another boat and had to wait without a bench or a bathroom, in the sun -as there was no office again just a girl with an umbrella...and no lavatory on the boat either and NO apologize...Take our advice - go boating in the evening! Just in case the restaurants will be open.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience, and we're very sorry for the confusion and discomfort you and your husband went through. We'd like to clarify: the correct meeting point address is Alzaia Naviglio Grande, 4, Milano (not 44). Restrooms are available right at the embarkation point and are accessible to everyone. We're sorry this wasn't clear or visible on the day, and we'll work on making the signage and instructions clearer for all guests, especially in hot weather.
Kirstie_W, Jul 2026
Great hour sent on the canal. Nice to enable you to see the whole area. Worth the money. You get to soak up the atmosphere.
Jan_L, Jul 2026
The boat trip was cute, the included drink was nice but the snack box was a little dry. If you want a nice experience and dont mind the price, I can really recommend it.
Jill_J, Jul 2026
Very slow going and narration is on your phone. Just walk the canal instead. Never offered the optional cocktails.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for the feedback. We're sorry the pace felt slow and that the optional aperitivo wasn't offered — that shouldn't have happened, and we're addressing it with the crew.
Graham_G, Jul 2026
A nice relaxing cruise along the canal and back. Good views and not too long in duration. We enjoyed it.
Nada_A, Jun 2026
It was good but the the weather was very hot it’s good not to come in this time of the year plus it was disappointing because they’re in the voucher. It says that there is a drink and snack would be provided and nothing even provided even water so it was disappointing.
Kristi_C, Jun 2026
This was definitely the worst boat ride me and my family have been on. The city of Milan is just so lack there of so this boat experience made sense. The crew didn’t even try to engage with any of the passengers, like at all. No heyy welcome on board or just a simple greeting to anyone. That ruined the beginning and just seeing a bunch of desolate wasteland didn’t enhance it. $19 was too much for such a boring ride! I could’ve floated on a mattress down the canals and had more fun and come up with my own history lessons using google!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Dear Kristi, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are truly sorry to hear that the experience did not meet your expectations. We sincerely apologize for the lack of welcome and engagement from our crew — this is not the standard we set for ourselves, and we take your comments very seriously. We understand how disappointing it must have been to feel ignored, and we assure you that this will be addressed with our team. We regret that the tour did not live up to the experience you were hoping for. We hope you had a wonderful time in Milan overall, and we appreciate you letting us know so we can continue to improve.
Stella_E, Jun 2026
It was good experience but the weather was very hot outside so go early in the day. Boat was clean and not too crowded
Laurie_E, Jun 2026
The history provided during the experience was fairly good. The aperitif was fair, nothing exciting. The captain did a great job
Lee_H, Jun 2026
The boat trip on the canal was very interesting but allow plenty of time to get to the starting point as it’s not that easy to find.
Drinks were ok, beer and an Aperol Spritz but the snacks were very underwhelming. I wouldn’t pay for the drink and snack option.
Crew were pretty non committal and didn’t interact with the passengers at all.
Sheila_W, Jun 2026
We thought it was extremely lame. It was inexpensive but still not worth the money. We cruised the canal 15 minutes, turned around and came right back. Boring.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Dear Sheila, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are truly sorry to hear that the tour did not meet your expectations. The Sunset Navigli Boat Tour is designed as a short and relaxed cruise along Milan's iconic canals, and we regret that the duration and experience felt insufficient for you. We take all comments seriously and will use your feedback to evaluate ways to improve and better communicate what guests can expect. We hope you may give us another opportunity to welcome you on one of our other experiences in Milan. Warm regards, Zani Viaggi
Scott_T, Jun 2026
No aperitivo offered!
Not much of interest to look at - just a straight up and down on the canal - the crew did not engage with the passengers at all - you also had to pay extra to download the commentary.
Not worth the money - definitely the worse cruise - if you can call it that - that I've been on
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Dear Scott, thank you for sharing your experience. We sincerely apologize that the tour did not meet your expectations. The aperitivo is listed as optional in the tour description, and we regret if this was not made sufficiently clear. We also take your feedback about the crew's engagement and the additional charge for the audio commentary very seriously — these are points we will address with our team. We appreciate your honest feedback and hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a much better experience in the future.
Nicola_A, May 2026
The trip is advertised as 50mins, but the boat is only moving for 40mins. There is an automated voiceover in a variety of languages accessible via a QR code, so having some earphones is useful. The voiceover was factual but not very entertaining. The boat has no toilet or refreshments available. It was nice to sit in the shade on the boat in the heat of the sun, but the seats are rigid plastic and not very comfortable. Overall, it was nice to see the canal without walking but I don’t think this trip represents good value for money.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Dear Nicola, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are sorry to hear that the experience did not fully meet your expectations. You are right that the boat cruise lasts approximately 40 minutes of navigation within the advertised 50-minute experience, and we apologise if this was not made sufficiently clear in the description. We take note of your comments regarding seating comfort and the on-board amenities — your feedback is genuinely valuable and will help us evaluate ways to improve the experience. We are glad you enjoyed seeing the Navigli canals from the water, and we hope to welcome you again for one of our other tours. Best regards, Zani Viaggi Team
Jan_S, May 2026
This could’ve been a great opportunity to learn about the history of the canals, what they were used for and how they have become a destination for dining now. Instead it was a simple up and back with no commentary, enthusiasm or connection with the clients. Could’ve been so much better
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Dear Jan, thank you for sharing your thoughts on the Sunset Navigli Boat Tour. We are sorry to hear that the experience fell short of your expectations. We understand that a guided commentary on the history of the Navigli canals would have greatly enriched the experience, and we take your feedback on board. We are reviewing our approach to guest engagement during the cruise to ensure future visitors have a more informative and memorable experience. We appreciate your honest feedback and hope you will consider trying another one of our tours. Best regards, Zani Viaggi Team
Trupti_G, May 2026
Unfortunately we missed our booking as the taxi dropped us at the opposite in the river. The address on the website we thought was 44 however we later were told it was 4. This misunderstanding caused us to be dropped at the wrong place.
They did offer us another booking but with a additional 5 euros if some people did not arrive. However the next booking was full.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Dear Trupti, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We are truly sorry to hear that you missed your booking due to the confusion over the meeting point address. We understand how frustrating this must have been, especially when you were so close to joining us. We will review our listing to ensure the address is displayed as clearly as possible to prevent any similar misunderstandings in the future. We regret that the next available departure was fully booked and that we were unable to accommodate you on the same day. We hope you will give us another opportunity to provide you with a wonderful experience on the Navigli canals. Please do not hesitate to contact us directly and we will do our best to make it up to you.
Nicola_G, May 2026
A well worth while trip. Up the canal and back including adjacent part of canal. At the end. The company was very punctual and the trip was enjoyable. Stary and finish point the same. You could listen to the audio tour or there was some music being played on board. However it was just lovely to soak up the evening atmosphere. I would highly recommend.
Steve_P, May 2026
Little value in the sightseeing and the crew was totally unengaged with the passengers. The audio even did not match the tour.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Dear Steve, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are sincerely sorry to hear that the tour did not live up to your expectations. The engagement of our crew and the accuracy of the audio commentary are aspects we take very seriously, and your comments have been noted. We will review the situation with our team to ensure improvements are made. We genuinely hope to have the opportunity to offer you a much better experience in the future.
Angela_H, May 2026
Getting to the boat tour was very simple. Navigate using the address given and you will see the sign to board the boat…In my mind, I thought there would be a wet bar on the boat for the advertised appertivo but guests were only able to grab their one drink and a snack before boarding. The price for the appertivo was an additional 33 euro per person, which feels rather expensive for one spritz and bar snacks. I do appreciate that the boat was covered because the shade was much needed that day as it was very hot. There were rows of chairs instead of a more lounge setting. Also, most of the journey, there was not much to look at after the initial restaurants when you board the boat. Just past those restaurants were high canal walls with lots of graffiti and industrial type buildings. All in all, I wouldn’t have minded the lack of views if the atmosphere on the boat (seating and access to drinks and maybe better music) was a little better.
I also was surprised that this was advertised as a sunset boat tour because at 6:30pm, the sun was still rather high in the sky like it was mid afternoon.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Dear Angela, thank you for taking the time to share such a detailed review. We are glad to hear that you found the meeting point easy to locate and that you appreciated the covered boat on such a hot day. We are sorry that the aperitivo did not meet your expectations — we understand that the format may not be immediately clear from the listing, and we will look into making the description more transparent. We also take note of your comments about the seating arrangement, the scenery along the route, and the timing of the tour in relation to the sunset. Your feedback is genuinely valuable and will help us improve the overall experience. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back for a more memorable visit.
talithathompson, May 2026
If booking through Viator click on the “get directions” link or when you type in the address you will be taken to the wrong place. Nice tour, but make sure to have headphones or you won’t be able to listen to the commentary during the tour. Lovely little trip down Grand navigili.
Elizabeth_M, May 2026
It was a short but pleasant boat ride up and down a narrow canal. Commentary was on radio headphones and prerecorded- otherwise 80s music keeps you company. Not much to look at but historically interesting if you tune in to the commentary. A bit expensive for what it is. Better to walk the canal’s restaurant lined streets and google about the canal over some food & drink. It was ok but nothing memorable.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your feedback. We’re glad you enjoyed the historical aspect, but we’re sorry it didn’t fully meet expectations. Your comments on value and experience are appreciated and will help us improve our offering.
janet_l, May 2026
Because of the poor directions to the starting route we missed the boat. Then we ended walking half the route noticing the dilapidated area the route covered. The detail was a very misleading description of this experience after we saw the graffiti ridden area the boat went to.
Response from Host, May 2026
Dear Janet, we are truly sorry to hear about your experience on the Sunset Navigli Boat Tour. We sincerely apologize that the directions to the meeting point were unclear, causing you to miss the boat. Clear and accurate meeting point information is essential, and we take your feedback very seriously. We also regret that the description of the tour route did not match your expectations once you were on the ground. We are reviewing our tour materials to ensure they provide a more accurate and realistic representation of the experience. We hope you will give us another chance to provide you with a much more enjoyable and well-organized experience. Warm regards, Zani Viaggi
Kathleen_M, May 2026
Very poor communication- no one told us we needed to use the QR code to get the “tour” info. And we also were told there were pauses on the audio so we thought our code wasn’t working.
In addition, there were times when there was so much interference we actually could NOT hear the audio.
I would not recommend.
Response from Host, May 2026
Dear Kathleen, thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We sincerely apologize for the poor communication regarding the QR code and the audio system. Guests should be clearly informed about how to access the tour commentary before the experience begins, and we deeply regret that this was not the case for you. The audio interference issues you experienced are also unacceptable and we will work to address the technical reliability of our systems. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us improve, and we hope to have the opportunity to offer you a much better experience in the future. Warm regards, Zani Viaggi
MrEFFoley_F, May 2026
The aperitivi is not on the boat. There is a bar on the way to the boat which we missed because of the people standing around it. However from what we saw it wasn’t a great loss. A plastic cup with a spritz and a small cardboard box containing a few nuts, taralli etc. The boat ride is more or less a straight trip down an urban canal which is not that attractive once you get past the bars at the start. Fortunately we managed to sit in the sunshine which was a pleasant enough way to spend 40 minutes or so.
Response from Host, May 2026
Dear MrEFFoley, thank you for sharing your experience with us. We are sorry to hear that the tour did not fully meet your expectations. We apologize that the aperitivo bar was not clearly signposted and that you were unable to access it before boarding. We will work with our local team to ensure the aperitivo stop is better communicated and clearly highlighted for all guests. We appreciate your honest description of the canal experience and acknowledge that expectations can vary. We hope you will consider giving us another chance on a different tour, where we can offer you a more enjoyable experience. Warm regards, Zani Viaggi
William_L, May 2026
If you’ve done canals in Amsterdam you’d probably be disappointed. This tour is one straight canal - up for 20 mins then turn around and back - not a very picturesque setting either but then you can enjoy the canal side restaurants afterwards. There is audio for your mobile to tell you some of the history - playback is bland voice without any expression - staff don’t say a word. We did it in the pouring rain - at least we kept dry.
Response from Host, May 2026
Dear William, thank you for sharing your honest feedback on the Sunset Navigli Boat Tour. We appreciate your candid perspective and are sorry to hear that the experience did not match your expectations. You are right that the Navigli canal is a single linear canal, and we understand that guests with experience of other European canal cities may find it different from what they imagined. We will take your comments about the audio quality and the lack of on-board staff commentary on board, and look at ways to enrich the experience for future guests. We hope the canal-side atmosphere and restaurants after the cruise offered some enjoyment. Thank you again for your feedback. Warm regards, Zani Viaggi
David_S, May 2026
Wonderful way to spend an evening with a boat ride and lots of places to eat and drink along the canal after the boat ride.
Response from Host, May 2026
Dear David, thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We are delighted to hear that you had such an enjoyable evening on the Sunset Navigli Boat Tour. The Navigli area with its canal-side restaurants and vibrant atmosphere is truly one of Milan's gems. We are glad you had the chance to experience it! We look forward to welcoming you again soon. Warm regards, Zani Viaggi
Marijana_P, May 2026
Excellent tour with a boat, with aperol drink in the sun watching all people, buildings and beautiful water. So nice. I recommend it, it was very romantic.
Response from Host, May 2026
Dear Marijana, thank you so much for your lovely review! We are so happy to hear that the Sunset Navigli Boat Tour was a romantic and enjoyable experience for you. Watching Milan from the water while enjoying an Aperol is truly magical, and it is wonderful to know that you would recommend it. We hope to welcome you back for another memorable moment with us!
Marianne_S, May 2026
Short but nice evening event to photograph the cafes etc from another angle. Very pleasant experience with very nice crew.
LisaMarie_M, Apr 2026
We missed the first part of the narration for the ride. There was no instructions despite being there early. I had to ask. Then a QR code had to be scanned. If you don’t have data you won’t get the story of the canal.
Response from Host, May 2026
Dear LisaMari,
thank you for sharing your feedback with us.
We are very sorry to hear that you missed the beginning of the narration and that the instructions were not clear upon arrival. This is certainly not the experience we aim to provide, especially for guests who arrive early and expect a smooth start to the tour.
Your comments regarding the need to ask for information and the reliance on scanning a QR code are very important. We understand how this can be inconvenient, particularly for guests without mobile data, and we will take this into careful consideration to improve our communication and ensure that all participants can easily access the narration.
We truly appreciate you bringing this to our attention, as it helps us identify areas where we can do better and provide a more seamless experience for our future guests.
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