Venice

Private gondola ride in Venice off the beaten track

Name: Private gondola ride in Venice off the beaten track
Brand: TUI Musement
SKU: 39613P164
Price: 81.50 USD
Rating: 4.0 (77 reviews)

Venice, Italy

Private gondola ride off the beaten path in Venice

Likely to Sell Out

From $81.50

Price varies by group size

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Experience the tranquil beauty of Venice from the water on a private gondola ride that takes you through the city's less-traveled canals. Relax onboard a traditional Venetian boat as a professional gondolier navigates past historic palaces, churches, and landmarks that most tourists miss. Booking in advance guarantees your party’s seats and saves you the hassle of payment on the spot, so you can sit back and enjoy the ride.

Explore Venice's hidden treasures on a private, 30-minute gondola ride
Follow an unconventional route to see parts of the city often overlooked
Pass historic buildings like Palazzo Gaffaro and the Carmini Church
Private ride for a more personalized experience

What's Included

Choice of a 30-minute, 1-hour, 1.5-hour or 2-hour tour
Friendly and expert local gondoliere

Transportation to the meeting point

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Fondamenta Cossetti, 30100 Venezia VE, Italy
Please present your voucher at the Servizio Gondole stand.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Tui Musement Venice

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Infants must sit on laps
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Most travelers can participate

This activity takes place rain or shine, but please note that in the event of exceptionally high tides or heavy rain, the tour may be cancelled by the local supplier and a full refund will be provided
Each gondola carries a maximum of 5 people (infants included). Larger groups will be divided between multiple gondolas
Please note that babies count as adults. You need to book a ticket even for them
Please arrive 10 minutes before the tour departure time. If you arrive late, the ride will be shorter and for those more than 15 minutes late, this will be considered a no-show
Dogs are allowed on the boat and don't count towards the maximum number of people
On certain dates, most travelers staying outside of Venice who are planning to visit for the day will be required to pay a €5 access fee. For further details (including exemptions) and to learn what days this fee is applicable, please visit: https://cda.ve.it
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Bill_M

Seeing other parts of the canals OTHER than the Grand Canal was fascinating. The gondolier was friendly and very competent.

Reviews

4.0

77 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 77 reviews

A Perfect Cruise

Kathleen_H, Apr 2024

Our Gondolier was so personable and explained what we were seeing. History of specific buildings. We took off the beaten path route. It was much more pleasant than the very crowded grand Canal, and Rialto Bridge areas Everyone wants to do. I also recommend going early morning as the water was like glass. The weather was perfect..

Quiet Gondola ride!

Donna_S, Apr 2024

Quiet, off the crowed canals. We had a hour ride, which I had read 30 minutes was too short. This was just perfect. Giacomo told us some history as he pointed out the highlights. We took our ride on April 6, 2024. Weather was beautiful!! Would recommend!

Off The Beaten Track Gondola Rides are Worth It

Bill_M, Apr 2024

Seeing other parts of the canals OTHER than the Grand Canal was fascinating. The gondolier was friendly and very competent.

Hey, It's Venice.

Maura_M, Apr 2024

It was a very wet, rainy day, and chilly. No matter how many layers of water protection we had, there was no escaping it. The canals were choppy, and one of the guides complained he didn't want to go out. Our guide gave very little information as to where we were traveling, pointing out only the major places (the train stations, old and new, the university and the palace). While it was off the beaten path (which was okay because the Grand Canal, with all of the boat traffic and rain was quite scary) it would have been nice to know where we were and why they chose that particular canal. But hey, it's Venice.

Not worth it.

Bryana_C, Apr 2024

We were expecting a “tour” of Venice with commentary. The gondoliers instead spoke loudly to each other over the waters. We passed by quiet houses and a few buildings, but there was no context to what we were looking at. The whole trip lasted 20 minutes. I wish I would have booked a gondola near the train station on gondolier row.

Terrible

Liliana_D, Mar 2024

Do not recommend this tour, the weather was terrible and it wouldn’t stop raining. I tried to contact the tour operator to change the hour or the day and I didn’t get a response . It’s not worth it you can get a gondola anytime anywhere in Venice and much much affordable. I will try to get my money back from Viator.

Worth the time.

Timothy_H, Mar 2024

We had a great time around Venice and learned a bit of the history that helped make Venice a powerful empire in the region.

The best gandola experience

ALAN_B, Mar 2024

We have pre-booked a 1hr tour and explored off the beaten track places. Fantastic experience with signor Romano who explained to us sites and historic curiousities. Turned out one of our best activities in Venice. Highly recommended

Loved it!

Stephanie_w, Mar 2024

This was the highlight of our trip. It was nice to go through the smaller areas and the grand canal of course. Our guide was very friendly and the city is so beautiful by gondola! I only wishi had booked more than 1 hour

Gliding through Quiet Canals is a Must Do

Karen_B, Mar 2024

Every time I come to Venice I ride a gondola. The last few times I have chosen this particular one because it is away from the crowds and you slide through parts that are away from the touristy section of Venice. Usually I go with a 30 minute one but this time I chose a 60 minute one and it was better and I got to see so much more. Marco was our gondolier and he was very friendly and shared his knowledge with us as we glided through the canals of Venice. The location is behind the small park by the bus station and if you are not familiar with Venice it may be a little difficult to find. Go a bit early if you are not familiar with the area.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Dear valued Guest, Thank you for your very positive feedback. Your comments are very important for us to improve our services and we are glad you were satisfied with our services. We hope to be your choice for your future holiday destinations. Kind regards, Customer Service team

The untouchables.

IOANNIS_A, Feb 2024

Despite having tried to contact the operator multiple times either directly or through Viator assistance, as we were late due to short flight delays, we finally found out upon arrival at our meeting point that the gondoliers were never informed about our delay by the operator, so they left. All our efforts to contact them had gone into waste. Viator Assistance proved totally incompetent. They also proved their reluctance to choose their partners. The information was provided to us by another gondolier, Luca, who was kind enough to give us a ride, however he charged us one extra time as it was a different ride. All credits to Luca. Five stars for him.

Quiet away from tourist crowds

Thea_T, Dec 2023

Our Gondolier was friendly and informative. We had a wonderfully quiet trip away from the crowds. It was relaxing.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Dear valued Guest, Thank you for your very positive feedback. Your comments are very important for us to improve our services and I am glad you had a lovely experience with us and we met your travelling expectations. We hope to be your choice for your future holiday destinations. Kind regards, Customer Service team

Amazing!

Emily_g, Dec 2023

Awesome service! We had a wonderful time. Beautiful waterways and friendly staff. We showed up a little early to our booking and they offered to take us out on the water early.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

We saw a 1000 year old gondola factory on a special tour of the quiet canals of Venice

Kristofer_S, Nov 2023

Lorenzo was an incredible guide. He was knowledgeable about the history of Venice, he had a sense of humor, and he showed us the absolutely beautiful small canals and places most tourists don’t get to see. He even showed us a 1000 year old wooden building that houses the oldest working gondola factory in Venice. Incredible to see something like that. Highly recommend this tour.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Dear valued Guest, Thank you for your very positive feedback. We are glad you had a lovely experience with us and we met your travelling expectations. We appreciate your kind words for our guide and are happy you enjoyed every part of the tour. We hope to be your choice for your future holiday destinations. Kind regards, Customer Service team

Nice!

Mackenzie_C, Oct 2023

Nice! I’m happy we chose the 30 minute option. The gondolas move slower than expected which is nice and relaxing, but after 30 minutes we had enough. Also if you’re looking for a tour, this probably isn’t for you. It was calm and lovely but maybe three or four tidbits, not a ton of info.

Response from Host, Oct 2023

Loved the little canals

Anonymous, Sep 2023

Great Gondola ride with Marco! The canals are beautiful and was happy to not only ride the main canal but down little side ones. Marco's navigation was amazing. It was so lovely and quiet off the beaten path.

Response from Host, Oct 2023

Lovely bucket list experience

Debra_R, Sep 2023

Very pleasant and informative, took us through the quieter areas which we otherwise would not have seen and did not have to queue behind other gondolas.5*

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Dear Debra, Thank you for your very positive feedback. Your comments are very important for us to improve our services and I am glad you had a lovely experience with us and we met your travelling expectations. We hope to be your choice for your future holiday destinations. Kind regards, Customer Service team

Perfect back ally ways of Venice

LauraKain, Sep 2023

We loved seeing the non tourist parts of Venice and not being on the Grand Canal as it was very rocky with waves.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Dear Laura, Thank you for your very positive feedback. Your comments are very important for us to improve our services and I am glad you had a lovely experience with us and we met your travelling expectations. We hope to be your choice for your future holiday destinations. Kind regards, Customer Service team

A quiet tour through the canals of Venice

David_P, Sep 2023

After booking our trip on Viator we were supposed to get an email from the gondola company with the exact meeting point. That email never came but we walked to the approximate location, found some gondoliers and asked if we were in the right place. They were very accommodating and, after making a couple of phone calls, determined that we were at the right place. The ride through the canals was very quiet and peaceful. A lot of the time we had the canal all to ourselves, not like riding down the grand canal or other main canals. Our gondolier pointed out some old palaces and churches as we went along, but otherwise left us to ourselves to soak up the ambiance of Venice. All in all, we had a very pleasant time.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Dear David, Thank you for your very positive feedback. Your comments are very important for us to improve our services and I am glad you had a lovely experience with us and we met your travelling expectations. We hope to be your choice for your future holiday destinations. Kind regards, Customer Service team

Not showed up & Waste Time!!!

EMILYQING_C, Sep 2022

We arrived at the meeting point Fondamenta Cossetti prior to 3pm. No gondola there. Two gondolas showed up around 3:15pm. We showed Viator booking confirmation ticket and the gondola skippers told us they had no idea about the booking and was not on their schedule. One skipper was trying to find out what's going on and called his boss. He took photo of our Viator booking confirmation ticket and sent to his boss. The story is Faberest is the booking agent and took our money and booking via Viator. Faberest outsourced to local gondola company, but the gondola company had no communication on our booking from Faberest!!! Up to now, Faberest hasn't offer any apology to this mess-up and didn't try to communicate with us after the event and explain anything. Don't book this experience and it's totally waste time!

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