Romantic Evening Gondola Ride on the Grand Canal
Description
Experience a romantic Evening Gondola Ride through the Grand Canal and Venice’s most enchanting canals in a small-group setting. Before boarding, enjoy a fascinating introduction to the history and traditions of Venetian gondolas with a visit to the Gondola Gallery. Discover authentic gondola parts and tools, then immerse yourself in a unique VR experience that brings Venice of the past back to life. Relax as your gondolier navigates through the city's picturesque waterways, passing iconic landmarks such as La Fenice Theatre, Mozart’s House, Peggy Guggenheim’s Palace, Punta della Dogana, and the Accademia Bridge. For an even more memorable Venetian evening, upgrade your experience with a delightful dinner at a traditional Venetian restaurant and savor local specialties.
Tour Options
Itinerary
“The most beautiful road in the world”, this is how the Grand Canal is known as. Gondola serenades have always been part of Venetian culture, an unchanged tradition for an unchageable city. 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.
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.
The Gritti Palace takes its name from the Gritti family, an old Venetian family, the most important member being Andrea Gritti, who was Doge of Venice in the Renaissance, and led the Venetian armies against the League of Cambrai, composed by France, Spain, Holy Roman who attempted to stop Venice’s expansionist goals in France.
Peggy Guggenheim Collection, one of the most important art collections in the world. Peggy Guggenheim, originally from New York, arrived in Venice in 1949 and began to satisfy art addiction buying this wonderful building where she displayed invaluable artworks to the world. The beautiful terrace you see is where Guggenheim sun-bathed regularly looking onto the Grand Canal.
Here, as you come into the Grand Canal you are opened to 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
From your gondola, you will see the basin of St. Mark's and the marvelous bell tower with the base of its incredible square.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- 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.
Reviews(269)
This has some good features and some not so great aspects. The ride of course is great. But the lead up to the ride was somewhat disappointing. There’s a VR port which is very nice. But then you put on headsets and listen to the tour guide and you follow her over to the gondolas. The problem is the headset goes in and out and she just motors through everything. She just spits out words. So you would hear some, then static. Rinse and repeat. So not great. But the ride was great.
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.
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.
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.
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 .
The guide girls was very nice and helpful. Also., the gentleman in the virtual Shop was very helpful and friendly. He explain to me everything about the gondolas. I enjoy the gondola ride.
Very friendly, I recommend
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
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.
Excellent coordination by the guide Alvise Moro! We liked it a lot; it was a wonderful experience!
Dear Guest, We appreciate your feedback. Thank you and we hope to see you in Venice again. Regards, Customer Care Team
