Discover Venice from the water
A gondola ride is Venice at its most intimate: polished black wood catching the light, iron prow tracing delicate curves, and the gentle swish of the oar echoing between brick and marble.
From the Grand Canal’s pageantry to sleepy sotoporteghi (archways) in back canals, every turn reveals stories — trade and love, craftsmanship and survival, an amphibious city that learned to float and flourish..
Venice Gondola Rides Visiting timetable
Gondola rides typically operate daily from morning until late evening. Hours vary by season, weather, and operator.
Venice Gondola Rides Closing Days
No fixed closing dates; operations may pause during heavy rain, high water (acqua alta), or strong winds.
Where is Located
Various boarding points across Venice (Rialto, San Marco, Accademia, Santa Maria del Giglio)
How to reach gondola boarding points
Venice is car-free. Boarding points are scattered across the historic center: by the Rialto Bridge, near St. Mark’s Square, beside the Accademia, and along quieter canals. Walk or take a vaporetto to the neighborhood of your chosen route.
By Train
From Venezia Santa Lucia station, walk out to the Grand Canal and take vaporetto line 1 or 2 to Rialto, San Marco, or Accademia — each area has multiple gondola stations.
By Car
Park at Piazzale Roma or Tronchetto on the edge of the city. Switch to a vaporetto or walk to your preferred boarding point. Cars do not enter the historic center.
By Bus
Buses from the mainland stop at Piazzale Roma. Continue on foot or by vaporetto to San Marco, Rialto, or Accademia.
On Foot
Venice rewards walkers. Follow signs to major landmarks, then look for the striped mooring poles and gondolas bobbing gently along the canal edges.
Why take a gondola ride
It’s the city’s heartbeat: brush past centuries-old bricks, slip under low bridges, and watch laundry flutter over narrow waterways. See Venice as it was meant to be seen — at water level, unhurried and human.
Venice Gondola Rides
Sunset on the Grand Canal
As gold light floods the palazzi and the water turns to liquid amber, the Grand Canal becomes a theater of silhouettes — bridges, domes, and reflections.
Hidden back canals
Leave the headlines and slip into neighborhood waterways where plants lean toward the current and footsteps echo overhead across narrow bridges.
Live serenade option
Add a musician to your ride for a classic soundscape — folk songs and arias drifting between stone and sky.
Gondola rides at a glance
Quick answers for planning your quintessential Venetian experience.
Book your Venice gondola ride
Choose your route and boarding point.
Online booking ensures a smooth, timely experience.