Tours/Venice/Small Group Venice Grand Canal Panoramic Tour
Viator · group up to 12 pax

Small Group Venice Grand Canal Panoramic Tour

3.2(82)Venice1 hour
VIATOR3.5(64)TRIPADVISOR2.1(18)

Description

Embark on a captivating one-hour motorboat tour along the Grand Canal with a small group, accompanied by a multilingual host. Known as "the most beautiful street in the world," the Grand Canal stretches over 3 km in length and varies between 20 and 70 meters in width. It divides the city in two and serves as the main waterway for Venetian transportation, including private boats, vaporetti (water buses), water taxis, and gondolas. Select your preferred departure time from four available options when booking.

Tour Options

6:30pm Departure
  • Tour starts at 6:30pm.
4:30pm Departure
  • 4:30pm Departure
Sunset cruise tour
  • Grand canal tour on the sunset Duration: 1 hour water taxi
3:30pm departure
5:30pm Departure
  • Tour starts at 5:30pm.

Itinerary

Pass by

Navigate on board an elegant water taxi the famos s-shaped canal, the Grand Canal

Pass by

St. Mark's Square has always been the most important Square in Venice and it has been defined as "the most beautiful drawing room of Europe".

Pass by

The Doge's Palace is one of the finest example of Venetian Gothic style. It was the residence of the Doge, and the political and judicial heart of the city.

Pass by

The island of San Giorgio Maggiore is located right in front of St. Mark's Square. On the island there is a 6th-century Benedictine church designed by Andrea Palladio.

Pass by

The Church of the Redeemer was designed by the architect Andrea Palladio and built as a votive church to thank God for the deliverance of the city from a major outbreak of the plague.

Pass by

The Ca' Pesaro is a Baroque marble palace facing the Grand Canal built by the Venetian architect, Baldassarre Longhena, who also designed the church of the Salute and Ca' Rezzonico, for the noble and wealthy Pesaro family.

Pass by

At the beginning of the Grand Canal, the "barefoot bridge" connects the Railway station to the rest of the city.

Pass by

It is a particularly notable example of the 18th century Venetian baroque and rococo architecture and interior decoration, and displays paintings by the leading Venetian painters of the period, including Francesco Guardi and Giambattista Tiepolo. Nowadays it hosts a public museum dedicated to 18th-century Venice (Museo del Settecento Veneziano).

Pass by

Designed in the 16th century, Ca' Vendramin Calergi now hosts the casino of Venice.

Pass by

The Ca' d'Oro or Palazzo Santa Sofia is a palace on the Grand Canal . One of the oldest palace in the city, its name means "golden house" due to the gilt and polychrome external decorations which once adorned its walls.

Pass by

Pass under one of the most iconic symbol of Venice: the Rialto Bridge.

Pass by

The Accademia Bridge is the only wooden bridge in Venice.

Pass by

The Peggy Guggenheim collection is housed in the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, an 18th-century palace, which was the home of the American heiress Peggy Guggenheim for three decades.

Pass by

In the 17th century Venice experienced an unusually devastating outbreak of the plague. As a votive offering for the city's deliverance from the pestilence, the Republic of Venice vowed to build and dedicate a church to Our Lady of Health (or of Deliverance, Italian: Salute).

Highlights

Motor launch ride long the grand canal
Professional art historian guide
Live commentary on board

What's included

Included
Motor launch ride long the grand canal
Professional art historian guide
Live commentary on board
Not included
Gratuities
Food and drinks

Traveller Ratings

3.2
82 reviews
5
29
4
10
3
13
2
7
1
23

Important Information

  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
  • Specialized infant seats are available
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Operated by a multi-lingual guide
  • If you're planning a day trip to Venice and staying outside the city, please note that an access fee will be required on certain dates. For more information, including details about exemptions and the specific dates when the fee applies, please visit (https://cda.ve.it).

Reviews(82)

J
Joe_H
July 28, 2026
Is a scam don’t book

Is a scam don’t book Is a scam !!!! Is. A scam don’t book !!!!!!!! Is a scam don’t book !!!! Is a scam don’t book !!!!

M
Michael_L
July 22, 2026
Excellent boat trip on...

Excellent boat trip on the Grand Canal with lots of really good information and a very knowledgable guide . Recommended

E
Erin_C
July 9, 2026
Being in the boat was...

Being in the boat was lovely - there were only 3 people total in our group so we all had lots of space - but the tour was pretty bland. Our guide pointed out key places, but I would have loved more information about Venice and its history. I did my own learning later - it’s such a cool city! We also returned to the dock 10 minutes early, meaning the tour only lasted 50 minutes.

L
Louise_F
June 20, 2026
Don’t waste your time

The boat was 30 minutes late, the boat was not properly tied to the pier so dangerous to get on, the first 5 people took up the only space for taking pictures since the windows were dirty, and the guide did not encourage them to share the space. The cruise was only 45 minutes instead of a hour due to late boat. Totally a waste of time.

R
Rachel_S
May 26, 2026
This was an excellent...

This was an excellent tour! Our guide was knowledgeable about Venice and shared interesting facts about the city. We enjoyed the tour!

M
Mary_T
May 24, 2026
Average tour

Nice boat ride but the commentator was not very friendly. He seemed board and only spoke on the way there, not the way back. He spent that time on his phone. Was extremely had to hear and understand him.

M
Monica_P
April 18, 2026
Nice tour but a bit short

Tour very nice and well organized. The guide, a young lady, was very professional and friendly. But only about 45 minutes instead of an hour. The boat was moving fast. You could have slowed down a little to watch things in peace.

2
237mariat
March 29, 2026
Short time and above leave us hanging

Unpresentable. We took the tour of the islands of Murano- Torcello- Burano. The guide gave excellent explanations but the time they give to go around each island is insufficient. Bad luck meant that from the last island, Bursno, the ship left the moment we reached it. They saw us arrive and left without waiting. We were speechless, see how they came out the moment you set foot on the jetty! I do not recommend this type of guide at all.

1 people found this helpful
Operator response

Thank you for taking time out of your day to write this review. We are sorry for the inconvenience. We noted these complaints, and we are going to refer them to who is in charge of the tours. The trip you are referring to, is Murano, Burano & Torcello: Half-Day Boat Tour in Venice - for reference. We are improving our trip experiences as we go, better suited to the feedback left by you. Thank you for the input and if you have any further doubts, don’t hesitate to contact us. Regards, Bucintoro Viaggi

M
Michael_T
August 25, 2025
Not worth it!

Waste of time and money! Guide was very unprofessional without any knowledge about anything! Very poor experience for not so little money

B
Bonnie_H
July 7, 2025
Lovely

Small group tour with guide on part of the grand canal. Easy to find. Easy to book. Lovely start to Venice.

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