Venice cruises and boat tours

Along Venice's Grand Canal you will come across monuments, churches and palaces from different periods that together form a spectacular harmonious whole. As you can deduce, there's plenty to see and do in Venice, but starting your adventure with a cruise along its waters is the best way to get in tune with the city. Here are the many options for Grand Canal cruises so you can see more than just the Venetian Vaporetto and gondola rides. Venice offers spectacular alternatives!

Designed for the typical Venetian experience, a short gondola ride along the Grand Canal is a great way to admire the most important architectural and historical landmarks up close. The Grand Canal is a place in Venice where the most important buildings of the city are located. During the gondola ride the guide will point out historical landmarks, share interesting facts and you can get close to the facades of certain buildings to admire them more closely. Some of the buildings usually included are:

• Ponte di Rialto, of the four bridges linking the two banks of the Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge is the most beautiful and oldest bridge in Venice
• Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, the second most important Basilica in the city.

Types of excursions

These tours usually come in two different formats to choose from.

• Group Excursion The group alternative is ideal if you are looking to share the experience of a gondola ride in Venice with other tourists like yourself. It is also the most economical option. The maximum capacity is 6 people.
• Private Tour The ideal alternative if you are looking for an intimate ride with your friends, family or partner. Although it would be a bit more expensive because of the privacy, it generally has the same duration and itinerary.

What do these excursions include?

In addition to the classic gondola ride with stops included, it includes the accompaniment of a trained expert guide who will explain all sorts of historical details about the city. The guides in Venice speak several languages, so you can find tours in Italian, French, English and Spanish.

Useful information

• Price: From €30 for group tours, individual tours are more expensive.
• Duration of tour: At least 30 minutes along the canal, taking in the stops.
• Recommended if... You are looking for a typical Venetian boat or gondola ride experience.

An attentive gondolier dressed in the typical striped attire of classic Venetian scenery will take you on a ride along the Grand Canal while you enjoy the scenery, architecture and a fabulous serenade. The tour includes stops at some points of high tourist interest such as:

• Peggy Guggeheim Museum: Home to the largest collection of Impressionist art in Venice.
• Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute: One of the most important works of 17th century Venetian architecture.
• Ponte dell'Accademia: The only wooden bridge in Venice, built after the Austrian occupation.

Types of excursions

This type of excursion is usually offered in two different formats

• Group Excursion With gondolas designed for groups of maximum 6 people, it can be a shared trip with other tourists. From the meeting point there are 8 or 9 gondolas and an Italian musician will sing for everyone.
• Private Tour You will have a private gondola for 4 or 6 people; ideal for a private family trip or a romantic excursion with your partner.

What do these excursions include?

In addition to the gondola ride experience, on this type of tour you will enjoy a group of musicians led by a professional singer who will sing beautiful Italian ballads as you glide through the waters, the guides usually speak several languages so you may be able to find a tour in Spanish or any other language you can easily understand.

Useful information

• Price: The group option can be found at approximately €40 per person, private options will always cost a little more.
• Duration of tour: As the tour generally only covers the Grand Canal it can be done in 35 minutes maximum.
• Recommended if... You are looking to share a unique and special moment with your friends, family or partner. It is a type of experience that is best enjoyed in the company of special people.

Accompanied by an expert gondolier and a professional photographer, you can enjoy a romantic ride on the Grand Canal while taking exceptional photographs.

What do these excursions include?

Some alternatives include photo stops at locations other than the gondola on the Grand Canal. These locations are usually places within Venice with great visual appeal such as St. Mark's Square and the beautiful Bridge of Sighs. In most cases the photographer will provide the client with a digital photo album with the agreed number of photos. Some companies also include travel to and from your hotel.

Useful information

• Price: This is a premium quality service with a price of around 600 €.
• Duration of the excursion: The gondola tour, including the necessary stops to take photographs, is estimated to last 2 hours.
• Recommended if... you want to celebrate and treasure a very special moment; it is a fantastic idea if you are on your honeymoon in Venice, if you are celebrating your anniversary or birthday; also if you want to make an original marriage proposal and document the experience.

Embark on an adventure to learn interesting details about the city of Venice and its most important tourist attractions. After walking through several narrow streets, squares and the most important historical monuments of Venice with a local expert guide, you will finish your excursion with a quiet stroll along the Venetian waters of the Grand Canal.

The route of the tour may change depending on the company you choose to hire, the expected time and the duration of the tour. However, some of the monuments or historical sites you can expect to see are:

• Piazza San Marco, a must on any excursion to Venice, is the most popular square in Venice.
• Casa di Marco Polo, famous Italian ambassador and merchant.
• Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, one of the most important works of Venetian baroque architecture.
• Teatro La Fenice, Venice's main theatre and one of the most famous opera houses in the world.

What do these excursions include?

By booking this type of service you will have a ride on the Grand Canal in a handcrafted Venetian gondola or a shared boat. In addition, you will have the opportunity to tour historic Venetian buildings in the company of a guide who will give you interesting facts about the city. These types of tours are usually available in several languages.

Useful information about the Grand Canal Cruise

• Price: This type of experience is available from €45 per person.
• Duration of tour: The walking tour with the gondola ride on the Grand Canal takes approximately 3 hours to complete
• Recommended if... You have a short stay in the city of Venice, one or two days, and you want to take a look at the main points of interest. Also if it's your first time visiting the beautiful city and you want to quickly soak up all it has to offer.

Unlike the previous excursion this type of tour involves not only a walk through the beautiful Venetian streets but a tour inside various historical buildings such as basilicas and palaces. This is a fantastic way to save time, money and effort on your trip to Venice.

It should be noted that tour options and visits may vary depending on the company you hire and the length of the excursion. However, most historical tours of Venice include stops at the monuments of most interest to tourists visiting the city. These are:

• Doge's Palace or Doge's Palace The most luxurious and impressive Venetian palace is a must on any trip to Venice.
• Basilica di San Marco The most famous of Venice's many religious buildings, theBasilica is right next to the Doge's Palace, so it's great to combine the two on the same day.
• Piazza San Marco Located just outside the Basilica is the most famous square in Venice.
• Ponte di Rialto The most famous and beloved by Venetians of the many bridges that connect the Venetian canals.

What do these excursions include?

This type of tour includes the accompaniment of an expert guide who will explain all kinds of interesting details about the palaces and historical buildings included in the tour. In addition, skip-the-line entrance tickets to places such as the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica are included.

Useful info

• Price: Available from €115 for shorter tours. Longer tours will have a higher price.
• Duration of the tour: It may vary depending on the tours included in each particular excursion. However, the minimum time is usually 3 hours and maximum 5 hours.
• Recommended if... You will spend between two days in Venice or three days in Venice in Venice, this tour will take up a large part of the one-day itinerary but will give you the chance to see the highlights of the capital and the main historical buildings.

Cruising the Grand Canal in Venice at night or at sunset is a magical experience on every level. With this type of tour you can enjoy a beautiful sunset over the waters of the canal or the light show that, during the night, colours the main palaces and historical buildings along the canal.

Due to the timetable of the tour, most people only see the façades of the buildings from afar. If your interest is merely in the architectural side of things, a Grand Canal cruise during daylight hours might be more enriching. Or both, if you have the time.

Types of excursions

• Group Tour You'll share the gondola or boat with other tourists; some group tour options may add stops for snacks at a street stall.
• Private Tour You will have the gondola or water taxi for the exclusive use of you and your companions. The maximum capacity is usually up to 6 people.

What do these excursions include?

Some excursions include dinner stops at Venetian restaurants. Some include the presence of musicians who harmonise the evening with beautiful songs while others include more extensive tours that take in the Grand Canal and some side canals.

Useful information

• Price: The price varies according to various characteristics, you can find alternatives from €37 for group tours or up to €375 for private tours.
• Duration of tour: A minimum time of 30 minutes for shorter tours or up to two hours for longer tours that include other experiences.
• Recommended if... You want to enjoy an original romantic and family evening. Even if you take the Grand Canal tour during the day, the evening offers a new perspective of the city that I recommend doing at least once during a trip to Venice.

Some Grand Canal motorboat cruises combine a half-day tour of the most important canals on the island of Venice with a visit to the islands north of the lagoon.

While it is true that the itinerary may change depending on the company you hire, it is also true that this type of experience usually includes stops at St. Mark's Square, the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica. Then it's on to Murano and Burano for a tour of both islands in a few hours. This type of experience is an excellent way to see the most impressive sights of Venice and the surrounding area in one trip.

What do these excursions include?

All tours of this type include transport within Venice, transport to the islands of Murano and Burano, and an expert guide who accompanies you throughout the trip. On the islands there are stops to see the glass art on the island of Murano and the lace art on the island of Burano.

Useful information about the Grand Canal Cruise

• Price: For this type of experience the price usually exceeds €150 per person; although it is certainly not a very economical alternative you can consider it if it also includes the entrance fees to the monuments.
• Duration of tour: You'll need to book a full day of your itinerary if you want to do this tour; the morning is usually reserved for the most impressive sights on the island of Venice while the afternoon is reserved for the northern islands.
• Recommended if... If you're planning a multi-day trip to Venice, including a visit to the islands of Murano and Burano is usually a fun experience that allows you to see a quieter, less crowded side of Venice.