Take A Gondola Ride

The adventure

You step down into a sleek black gondola, settling onto cushioned seats as it rocks gently. The gondolier pushes off with one long oar, and suddenly you're moving silently through the city, at the pace Venice was built for.

The boat slips between faded palazzi and peeling plaster, under low bridges where people stop to wave, and around blind corners where the gondolier calls out a warning before turning. Washing hangs between windows, water laps against marble steps, and every now and then you emerge onto a wider canal crowded with traffic. Then you're back in a quiet side canal, so narrow you could almost touch the walls on both sides. In the evening, with the lamps lit and the water dark, it is hard to beat.

Why it’s epic

Gondolas are about 11 metres long and built slightly asymmetrically, so a single oar can steer them in a straight line.
Each gondola is handmade from several types of wood, with around 280 separate pieces.
Only a few hundred licensed gondoliers work in Venice, and the training is famously demanding.
Routes can take in the Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge and the Bridge of Sighs.

What it is

A gondola ride through Venice's canals is a classic.

How to do it

Official rates are set by the city. Agree the price before you set off.

Top tip

Share a gondola to split the cost.

Need to know

The city sets the official day and evening rates per gondola, not per person; agree the price and length of the ride before setting off.
Each gondola takes a small group of passengers, so sharing with friends is the best way to split the cost.
Day-trippers to Venice must pay an access fee on certain peak days, so check before you visit.

Plan this trip

Rough cost: £750 to £2,000 per person, including flights from the UK
Time needed: 30 minutes
Best time to go: All year
Fly into: VCE airport

A short ride is a modest cost shared between a few people; flights and Venice's hotel prices are the main expense.

Do it yourself

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My experience

A visit to Venice is not complete unless you take a gondola ride down the world-famous Grand Canal.

A gondola ride is the perfect way to appreciate the beauty, charm and colour of this unique city built on water. Feel part of an ancient Venetian tradition and experience Venice as the locals have for more than a thousand years, surrounded by the glorious palazzo’s above you. Built by wealthy merchants and powerful families these beautiful buildings are in a range of mellow colours and styles from Byzantine to Baroque.

You’ll also explore many hidden canals that are so small, you can literally touch the palazzo, all the while being cradled in the atmosphere unique only to Venice.