Prices for Taking a Gondola Around Venice
Dreaming of riding a gondola through the canals of Venice? To get tickets at the best price, read on!
Gondola ride in Venice | ©Chait Goli
Yes, taking a gondola ride in Venice is one of the essential plans that you must do during your trip. However, many visitors think that it is a whim within the reach of very few because rumors circulate that its prices are prohibitive.
If taking a gondola ride through the canals of Venice is one of your dreams and you want to know how much budget you might need to fulfill it, do not miss this post.
Venice Gondola Ride
Gondola tour of the Grand Canal of Venice
You will discover the city of canals with a professional guide who will give you all the details about the architecture and the most emblematic buildings along the tour.
With this gondola ride along the Grand Canal, you will have the chance to discover Venice in the most authentic way possible, together with a live guide who will give you all the details about the architecture, the palaces and the churches.
You will pass under centuries-old bridges and see emblematic buildings such as the Gothic Palazzo Ca Giustinian, the Punta Della Dogana, St. Mark's Square, the Fenice Theater, the Church of Santa Maria della Salute and the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore.
Moreover, depending on your preferences, you will have the possibility to choose between a daytime or evening tour, as well as private or shared.
Recommended if... you want to discover Venice in the most authentic way possible.
How much does it cost to ride a gondola in Venice?
Enjoying the Venetian canals on one of these beautiful traditional boats is a once in a lifetime experience. The price of a gondola ride in Venice, lasting approximately 30 to 50 minutes, is around $52, both with and without commentary.
Choose the private option if you want privacy
You can choose between a shared gondola ride, with a maximum of 5 people per gondola, or the more romantic ones will also have the option to book a private evening ride, starting at 8 p.m., for a unique and exclusive experience. In this case, the price starts at 165 € and the time will also be 50 minutes. Services to liven up the gondola ride, such as singing or music, are not included in this rate and must be paid separately.
In practice, in periods of special demand or high tourist influx, it may happen that the gondoliers ask for more money, being difficult to work with the official rates. For this reason, a good option to enjoy a gondola ride in Venice without spending more than expected is to hire the service in advance of your trip or even combine it with another activity in the "Queen of the Adriatic".
How much does a gondola ride in Venice with a walking tour of the city cost?
On your trip to Venice you can also combine the gondola ride in Venice with another activity such as a walking tour of the historic center.
On the one hand, you will live a very special moment gliding over the water of the Grand Canal and other smaller canals discovering many of the architectural gems that have made this city world famous as the Rialto Bridge, the House of Marco Polo, the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute or the Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, among others.
On the other hand, you can take a walking tour of Venice accompanied by a guide to visit some of its most emblematic sites starting from the imposing St. Mark's Square, where you will hear fascinating stories about the city!
What do these tickets usually include?
- Gondola ride on the Grand Canal and other canals of Venice.
- Guided walking tour through the streets of Venice.
- Professional guide.
Which is better in the morning or in the afternoon?
Any time is a good time to take a gondola ride in a city as beautiful as Venice, but depending on the atmosphere you want to enjoy during the activity it will be better to opt for the morning or the afternoon.
For example, taking a gondola ride early in the morning is ideal if you want to contemplate the city in calm, something that at certain times of the day is a bit difficult in Venice and therefore becomes a unique and special moment.
Instead, if you are looking for a romantic atmosphere to contemplate the sunset and the monumental buildings of Venice from the canals, the best time to ride a gondola is in the afternoon from 3 PM. Of course, it is also the busiest time on the canals because it is the time most tourists choose.
How much does a gondola ride with walking tour of Venice and entrance to monuments cost?
You can also do several of the must-do plans in Venice in just one: take a gondola ride through the mythical canals, explore the wonders of the city on foot with a guide and visit some of its most iconic monuments such as the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica. As you read!
Besides being a super appealing plan, you will also save money and time since in only 3 or 4 hours you will be able to enjoy the charm of Venice and many of its tourist attractions in one sitting. This leaves you free the rest of the day to live other experiences in Venice.
It is a perfect plan if you are going to spend a few days in the "City of Canals" (between 1 day in Venice and 3 days in Venice) but you do not want to miss the opportunity to feel for yourself the essence of Venice.
What do these tickets usually include?
- Gondola ride on the Grand Canal and other canals of Venice.
- Guided walking tour through the streets of Venice.
- Unaccompanied entrance to St. Mark's Basilica and/or Doge's Palace.
- Professional guide.
How much does a private gondola ride in Venice cost?
Taking a gondola ride through the canals of Venice is magical! That's why, if you feel like enjoying this special experience exclusively with your partner or your family, from 165 at Hellotickets you can opt for a private gondola ride without sharing it with anyone else.
Just you, the gondolier and the local guide who will show you from this traditional boat all the secrets of Venice so that you do not miss any detail of this beautiful city during your visit and you can take sensational pictures from a unique perspective. It will be one of the most memorable memories of your trip!
What do these tickets usually include?
- Gondola ride on the Grand Canal and other canals of Venice.
- Professional guide.
Other cheaper ways to enjoy the canals of Venice
If you plan to visit Venice in a low cost way and with a very tight budget, riding a gondola may be inaccessible since it is one of the most expensive activities to do in the city.
But don't worry! Fortunately there are other alternatives to tour the canals of Venice for less money.
The vaporetti
One of them is the vaporetti, Venice's urban water buses. From 5 € you can get a ticket to cross the Grand Canal (line 1) and enjoy the beautiful views of the city while you move from one place to another because it has stops at certain places of interest such as the Rialto Bridge, St. Mark's Square or Ca' Rezzonico.
Transport card
Another option for riding the vaporetti in Venice is to make use of the Venice Transport Card, as it includes public water transport and buses. You can choose between the 75 minutes, 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours or up to 7 days option.
The traghettis
And the cheapest of all is to use the traghettis to navigate the Venetian canals. From 0,50 € you can buy a ticket to ride on these inexpensive gondolas that are normally used by Venetian workers to move around the "Queen of the Adriatic".
However, the traghettis do not run every day, nor do they run at all hours of the day, so keep this in mind when planning your route around the city!
Transport pass
If you want to move freely around Venice on any of the three water transport company lines, you can do so with a 72-hour Venice Transport Pass.
These lines make a large number of stops from Marco Polo airport to the cruise terminal so you can get around Venice quickly and conveniently. In addition, you can move to other nearby islands such as Murano or Lido Island, known for its beach.