Romantic Evening Gondola Ride on the Grand Canal
Venice, Italy
- 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Experience the beauty of Venice from the water with this exclusive small-group gondola ride down the iconic Grand Canal. Before boarding, learn about the history of the famous boat at the Gondola Gallery, which also includes a VR experience. Then, settle on board for an unforgettable ride and take in some of the city's most famous sights from the water, snapping keepsake photos along the way.
- A picturesque way to explore Venice's famed canals and top sights
- Learn about the history of Venice and the vessel at the Gondola Gallery
- Avoid the hassle of hiring a gondola at the last minute in Venice
- Ideal for couples or anyone on a first visit to the Floating City
What's Included
- 20-minute introduction to the gondola experience
- 30-minute gondola ride
- Aboard a timeless gondola, experience centuries of Venetian history in VR
- Gondola Gallery: how gondolas are made, with tools and a cross-section
- Dinner (if option is selected)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Gondola Ride ExperienceVenice Tours Srl Close to St.Mark’s Square, Calle S. Gallo, 1093/b, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy
With St. Mark's Basilica behind you, keep right and walk under the arches. At the Olivetti Museum, turn right and continue under the arcades. Cross the small bridge and continue to Campo San Gallo. SHARED GONDOLA WITH DINNER (IF OPTION SELECTED) Dinner: Ai Coristi Restaurant
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Canal Grande (Pass By)
Teatro La Fenice (Pass By)
Palazzo Gritti Badoer (Pass By)
Peggy Guggenheim Collection (Pass By)
Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute (Pass By)
Campanile di San Marco (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- The Gondola Ride does not operate in case of exceptionally bad weather, high/low tide (in these cases it can be postponed the days after otherwise it will be refunded)
- Each gondola can hold a maximum of 5 people; the seat aboard cannot be chosen but will be assigned by the gondolier depending on guests' weight
- 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.
- The gondola route may change due to weather, canal maintenance, or tides.
- Duration may be slightly less than 30 minutes.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult; free under 2 years if not occupying a seat.
- Not fully accessible for wheelchair users or those with mobility issues.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 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
Christian_G
Great experience, my parents loved the gondola ride and the short history about them. The host was very nice to guide me where the gondola sails so I could take pictures of them. The singer/serenade was wonderful too! Definitely worth it
Reviews
4.2
based on 269 reviews
William_E, Jun 2026
Evening is kind of misleading, the sun is not close to setting for the evening, wish it had later times. Quick talk about the gondola and the design is very informative. While our gondolier was not very friendly it’s not the tour operators fault. Be prepared to share your ride with others.
Vanitha_C, Jun 2026
This is not a romantic gondola ride if you’re sharing the gondola with three other strangers.
The experience felt more like a procession of gondolas moving together, with the gondoliers loudly talking to each other throughout the ride. There was no sense of romance, privacy, or intimacy.
For a tour costing over $105, we expected at least some commentary about what we were seeing, opportunities for photos, or engagement from the gondolier. Unfortunately, there was none. We finished the ride disappointed, despite still leaving a generous tip.
Afterward, we booked another gondola ride on our own and had a completely different experience for essentially the same price. It included privacy, champagne, a much longer ride, excellent commentary, a highly knowledgeable gondolier, and plenty of memorable photo opportunities.
Based on our experience, I would not recommend this tour. Save your money and book a private gondola directly instead.
Janet_W, Jun 2026
It was extremely difficult to find the starting point as the original ride we booked was changed but the ticket and link were not. We were directed by the map to a completely different part of the city. When we eventually arrived we found our trip time had been changed so at least we weren’t late. Having booked a romantic gondola ride we weren’t expecting a virtual reality experience or a guided walk to the gondola neither of which added much to the experience. The ride itself was pleasant but we had the best seats. I’m not sure the other 3 people crammed at the front enjoyed it so much. My advice would be not to book this tour but turn up to one of the many gondola stations in the city and book a ride directly with them.
Nisha_S, Jun 2026
Nothing is romantic about being in a gondola with a group of random people. Maybe I overlooked that part but photo displayed a couple and the title displayed "romantic" so I had different expectations .
Michelle_C, Jun 2026
Supposed to be romantic private and had to share with two other people which meant we got seats that were tiny and on opposite side of boat. Not romantic at all
Walter_O, Jun 2026
The gondola crew were rude. The implication is the ride is private. It is not. We ended up with another couple we had never met on board...they were nice people but not the most romantic thing. Do not do this one.
Scott_S, Jun 2026
The whole process since booking seemed very unorganized. The times changed. The serenade portion was canceled which was disappointing since it was part of our anniversary celebration. I was assured I’d receive a partial refund for that which I have not received. And we were seated with another couple so we didn’t even get to sit next to each other, but across from each other. Several gondola groups launched at the same time so it was not serene but like a traffic jam. So disappointing. Not the gondola experience I had hoped for and would not recommend.
Stacy_P, Jun 2026
It is not romantic at all. Didn’t even get to sit on a boat with my husband. We sat with 3 other strangers. The tour started with a VR video and a lengthy walk through town. We did appreciate the information; however, it was very misleading and not at all what we expected .
Susie_w, Jun 2026
It is difficult to take pictures when You are 4 people or more in the gondola. And on top og that they wanted tips for helping us a land again. Been by other gondola and they did not ask for money? And the small bureau/office was very had to find even by using google map.
Christina_L, Jun 2026
Terrible experience I’m asking the address and they said this is not the address I keep calling Viator I am not getting help
Luke_D, May 2026
Don’t book this. What a joke. They don’t tell you until after you already paid that it is less than the allotted time it says, not private, and not all drivers preform which is exactly what you pay for…. You will be better off just getting a random ride
Carolyn_C, Apr 2026
Excellent gondola ride with a singer and an accordion We were in the gondola with the musicians so it was super cool. Definitely recommend.
Tiffany_K, Oct 2025
Due to the forecast of rain, the office was nice enough to change my reservation to earlier but that caused me not to get a serenade. Unfortunately, they would not refund me the difference. The ride was nice but quiet. The guy didn’t talk at all, so rode around not really knowing what we were looking at
Christian_G, Oct 2025
Great experience, my parents loved the gondola ride and the short history about them. The host was very nice to guide me where the gondola sails so I could take pictures of them. The singer/serenade was wonderful too! Definitely worth it
Tanya_D, Oct 2025
We learned so much about the inception of Venice and the history of the gondolas! The VR info at the beginning was such a great addition. So romantic and fun.
Helene_G, Oct 2025
It was not romantic at all. One singer sang for about 6 gondolas, our "driver" chatted with the other drivers and smoked cigarettes. He didn't even introduce himself to us. What a waste of money although, if you are in Venice, I guess you have to try this once!!
James_B, Sep 2025
Fun time. Great music, short and fun. VR intro was awesome. We all had fun. Pick up at the hotel would have been cool.
Michele_M, Sep 2025
We had difficulties finding the office although we had directions and asked multiple locals. Firstly, the best water taxi to get to the area was not highlighted so we ended walking at least 20 minutes in circles. When we arrived, I tried to explain to the tour guide that my mom has some accessibility issues as the walk was way longer than expected;. Although the tour guide, was gracious we were given alternate meeting point to get on the gondola, I was still unable to find that point. As a result, we completely missed the tour and were frustrated as we paid $295 CAD for this. What a terrible and stressful start to the European trip.
Traci_H, Sep 2025
Wish I could give this a zero!
The young lady who provided the walking tour prior to the gondola ride was lovely and informative! The only good thing about this tour!
The gondola ride. Where do I begin. Our gondolier “John” got on his personal phone with a buddy and talked loudly during our ride. We were to far away from the singer, therefore, with his talking and not keeping up with the other boats we could not hear anything. We had to ask John to get off the phone. The ride was also very short.
Very disappointing!!!
You are Serenaded! Is a misleading statement!
Memory_T, Aug 2025
This was a great experience. The historical explanation was interesting. Our gondolier was very experienced. The music was beautiful. We were in a large group, so the musician and singer were in a separate gondola that was behind us. Just be aware when booking that this is not a single gondola/private ride. We enjoyed ourselves nevertheless.
Angela_M, Jul 2025
The tour started over 20 min late. The gondola ride itself was fairly nice. But know that you may not be in the actual gondola with the musicians. We were in the second one & could hear the music but if you were expecting to be up close & personal, you may be disappointed. The musicians were very good though. Biggest issue is we paid for dinner, which we did not get. When we went back to the tour office to find out about the dinner, we found it closed for the day. We have now been told by the tour operator that because we booked through Viator, that is who we must deal with to get a refund. Extremely disappointed!!
YazanK, Jul 2025
The VR section at the beginning was great. The walk before the ride was very nice. The ride itself was magical. The singer and guitarist were awesome.
yourtravel_a, Jul 2025
Very bad experiences !
The gondola ride was the most un respectful and mindful person ! He push out my friend and make her feel ! Hey bad mouth
KarlaPlooster_P, Jun 2025
The guide was nice and the VR show before hand however our actual gondolier was not very nice and started our ride by yelling at my husband for not understanding that he wanted him to move a chair. Set a bad tone for our ride. He seems to hate what he was doing. This was a one and done for us.
kathleen_w, Jun 2025
Worst tour we went on. Meeting place is no where near the boat and people missed their boats - apparently regularly. We sat in a boat and we were directed to the 2 nice seats while 2 other people sat on stools (I felt so bad) the serenade was 4 boats over- not on our boat. How is that a serenade? I would have been able to hear him if our gondola driver wasn’t yelling the entire ride to gondola rider next to us. When he wasn’t yelling - HE WAS ON HIS PHONE LOUDLY. Honestly horrible. Every Viator tour has been great. I have NEVER written a bad review about anything. I honestly think I might protest this on my Amex. How do you serenade from 6 boats over?
Hendrika_R, May 2025
Lovely gondola ride with guitar and vocal from another boat. They were so talented! Disappointed the singer was not in our boat but still a great experience.
Julia_C, May 2025
So many things wrong with this tour. The gondola operator was absolutely obnoxious. The musician was not on our gondola (as the description says he is), but was on another gondola nearby. But we couldn't hear him well because our gondola operator talked on his phone the entire time. The entire gondola ride was 17 minutes long. Total waste of money and time. Avoid this one.
Steven_G, Apr 2025
The best thing we did in Venice. Great experience, even the virtual reality tour of the history of Venice to start it off
Claudia_C, May 2024
The directions to get to the meeting point were requested them by me about 2 hours before the departing, and they were sent to me 20 minutes before. That made us miss the ride, and the lady at the counter was super rude. We travel from los angeles to Italy and Venice was one of my top destinations on my list. I am so disappointed with this company.
Charles_R, Sep 2023
This was a terrible experience, as we didn't get to actually take the tour. After booking this tour with viator, it became 1 out of 7 tours booked, where the tour guide never contacted us for the tour. We wound up booking for the wrong date, but could've taken the tour if they had contacted us. Tried to contact the tour guide assigned to this tour but never got a response. I asked for a refund but was refused, even though it said we could ask for one, even though we were never contacted by the guide.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Dear Guest, we are deeply sorry for your personal comment, please consider that in case of wrong date selected, we are always available to assist customers. At your disposal for further information. Regards.
From $52.10
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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