Gondola ride tickets & options
Book online to secure your slot and choose between shared boats, private experiences, and sunset serenades.
About Venice’s gondola tradition
The gondola is Venice’s emblem: handcrafted in spruce, oak, larch, mahogany, walnut, and elm, balanced asymmetrically so a single oar can steer with grace.
Prices vary by season and time of day. Private rides offer flexibility and privacy; shared rides are budget-friendly and social.
Sunset and evening rides are especially atmospheric. Some operators offer live music or storytelling.
Pre-booking helps you pick the route you prefer — Grand Canal pageantry or quiet neighborhood canals.
Browse all options to tailor your Venetian experience, from short classic rides to extended romantic cruises.
Ticket Options
Choose the ride that fits your plans
Ticket Options
Choose the ride that fits your plans
Venice: Shared Gondola Ride with Live Commentary
Glide through the canals while a local shares fun stories and handy tips.
Venice: Shared Classic Gondola Ride
Take the quintessential gondola ride through Venice’s postcard-perfect canals.
Venice: Private Gondola Ride on the Grand Canal
Your boat, your pace: a private glide down Venice’s main waterway.
Shared Gondola Ride & Murano, Burano Boat Tour
Combo day: gondola in Venice, colorful glass and lace on the islands.
Venice: Shared Gondola Ride On Grand Canal
Split a gondola, save a bit, still get the views.
Venice: Shared Gondola Ride through the Bridge of Sighs and St. Mark’s Basin
Float past icons like the Bridge of Sighs and soak up St
Mark’s views.
Why book online?
Booking online secures your time slot and preferred route, avoiding uncertainty and long waits at busy boarding points.
Choose between shared or private boats, with options for sunset rides and serenades to personalize your experience.
E‑tickets and clear meeting instructions make the start of your ride easy and stress-free.
On board a gondola: what to expect
From your first step into the boat to the last gentle turn, here’s how the experience unfolds:
Board carefully at the station as the gondola rocks with the water’s pulse. The gondolier steadies the boat while you settle onto cushioned seats. With a measured push of the oar, the canal welcomes you — brick, green water, and sky forming a slow-moving tapestry. Palazzi glide past, balconies hum with plants, and the city’s sounds soften to oar, gull, and chatter.
On the Grand Canal, you’ll share the stage with vaporetti and sleek taxis, grand façades rising in marble rhythms. In back canals, Venice whispers — laundry drifting over the water, a bell from a hidden campiello, a cat watching from a doorstep. The gondolier navigates low bridges and tight corners with ballet-like precision, sometimes sharing anecdotes about the quarters you pass: artisans, families, legends of love, and floods weathered together.
Location & Opening Hours
- Various boarding points across Venice (Rialto, San Marco, Accademia, Santa Maria del Giglio)
- From St. Mark’s Basilica: multiple gondola stations line the canals around San Marco and Santa Maria del Giglio.
- From the Rialto Bridge: boarding points cluster on both banks of the Grand Canal — follow the striped poles.
- Visiting timetable
- Advance booking is highly recommended, especially on weekends, holidays, and sunset hours.
- Contact your chosen operator via their official listing or voucher — there is no single citywide booking email.
Look for gondolas moored by striped poles along the Grand Canal and neighborhood waterways; attendants help guide boarding.
Venice gondola rides: frequently asked questions
Contact & More Information
- Various boarding points across Venice (Rialto, San Marco, Accademia, Santa Maria del Giglio)
- Use the contact provided by your chosen operator
- Varies by operator; check your voucher
Reserve your gondola ride online for simple meeting instructions and timely departure. Many options allow changes or cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.
BOOK NOW
Selmo Rosato
I created this guide to help you ride Venice’s waterways with confidence — clear booking advice, thoughtful etiquette tips, and stories to enrich what you’ll see and feel from the boat.
Cancellation Policy
Most tickets are flexible and can be changed or canceled up to 24 hours before your scheduled ride — check your operator’s policy.
Group Discounts
Small groups can book multiple gondolas together or reserve a shared ride; private fleets may be arranged for events subject to availability.
Important Booking Information
Sunset slots and weekends sell out quickly — reserve ahead to avoid disappointment.
Wear comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing; bring a light jacket in the evening and sun protection by day.
Arrive 10–15 minutes early; boarding points can be tucked into scenic corners off the main paths.
Have your voucher and ID ready, and confirm your meeting location on the map before you set out.