Venice

Venice Grand Tour: Basilica, Doge Palace, Murano Glass & Gondola

Venice, Italy
Venice Private Gondola Ride on Grand Canal

From $163.54

Select Date and Travelers

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

  • 6 to 7 hours
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Ladies and Gentlemen, Live the Best of Venice with our Venice Grand Tour! Explore the splendor of St. Mark’s Basilica with its golden mosaics and frescoes, guided by local experts who bring centuries of history to life. Wander through the grand halls of Doge's Palace, crossing the iconic Bridge of Sighs to the ancient prisons. Afterward, take a semi-private water-taxi to Murano to witness the magic of glassblowing, a hallmark of Venetian craft. Cap off your day with a panoramic gondola ride along the San Marco Basin, passing historic sites and offering breathtaking views. Reserve Your Spot Now for an Unforgettable Venice Experience!
  • Romantic gondola ride gliding along the Grand Canal and the inner canals
  • A private ride for a more intimate experience with family or friends
  • Convenient departure near Saint Mark’s Square on the Grand Canal
  • Skip-the-line gondola ride thanks to the advance booking

What's Included

  • St. Mark's Basilica skip-the-line entry ticket
  • Doge's Palace skip-the-line entry ticket
  • English-speaking guide
  • St. Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace guided tour
  • Bridge of Sighs access
  • Doge's Palace Prisons access
  • Correr Museum, Archeological Museum, and Marciana Library access
  • Roundtrip to Murano Island (semi-private water taxi)
  • Murano Glass Factory skip-the-line access
  • Glass-blowing demonstration
  • Murano Island walking tour
  • Audio receivers for groups of 10 or more
  • Gondola tradition introduction
  • Shared gondola ride
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Guided tour of Correr Museum, Archeological Museum, and Marciana Library
  • Entry fees not specified in the inclusions

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • Venice Tours Srl Close to St.Mark’s Square, Calle S. Gallo, 1093/b, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy

    Please consider that St. Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace, Murano Island, and Walking Tours all have the same meeting point. If the lunch option is selected, the lunch address is: illy caffè, Giardini Reali, San Marco 30124 Venezia VE.

Start time

09:00 AM

End point

  • St. Mark's Square
    Piazza San Marco, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy

What To Expect

Basilica di San Marco

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Doge's Palace

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Murano

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Riva degli Schiavoni

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Most travelers can participate
  • 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 tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
Operated by VENICE TOURS S.R.L.

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

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Featured review
Bill_L
Great tour guide personalities . Very informative and pleasant. Great experience all around . Would recommend it to others.

Reviews

3.5
128 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 128 reviews
Great all around experience
Bill_L, May 2024
Great tour guide personalities . Very informative and pleasant. Great experience all around . Would recommend it to others.
DO NOT BOOK - Overpriced and a scam
Scott_H, Apr 2024
DO NOT BOOK the "Venice: Romantic Private Gondola Ride on Grand Canal" It is a complete rip-off and scam. If you want to get a gondola, pay the €90 there, not through this company.You are paying twice as much for an awful experience. Not only did the company change our ticket to a different voucher the day before without any explanation. Once we did have it corrected, the ride itself never took us down the Grand Canal, just the minor waterways around the meeting location.
No experience
Eric_E, Apr 2024
Waiting for gondola to show up at the meeting point and never arriving. Company didn't stand behind product when contacted.
Amazing
Ann_S, Mar 2024
Fantastic experience. They were all so friendly. As we was going round the man was telling us all the points and talking to us about the day to day living around the area. Definitely a must if in Venice
My Private Gondola Ride
Luiz_O, Dec 2023
It's a mandatory tour. If you go to Venice and don't take a private gondola ride, you haven't been in Venice. Luiz & Inara
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thanks for your kind review
Morning Gondola ride
Kelley_L, Nov 2023
Great way to experience Venice. Tour was 35 minutes and went through small canals and part of Grand Canal. Guide was helpful in pointing out special sights. He had a great sense of humor and smile.
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Thanks for your kind review
Overpriced and a scam
Shawntae_B, Oct 2023
Terrible experience!! We found out (after we booked) that there is a law that called leaders cannot charge more than €80 for a gondola ride for a group. We had paid 200 after fees! The policy said it was too late to cancel so angrily we went. We had paid for a 40 minute ride with commentary… The ride lasted maybe 17 minutes and the guy never said a single word. I even tried to talk to him and he just ignored me.
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Dear Guest, we are deeply sorry for your personal comment, please consider that the gondolier is not the guide, but he is like a driver who must take care of his oar. At your disposal for further information. Regards.
Ripped off
Harsha_M, Oct 2023
Terrible experience. The tour company insisted that I booked a shared ride when it was a private ride. The ride was to include the grand canal and last for approx 30 - 45 min. We never made it to the grand canal and the ride lasted 10min only
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Dear Guest, we are deeply sorry for your personal comment, please consider that private gondola ride is a unique occasion to discover the romantic and hidden canals of Venice and the façades of typical Venetian buildings on your gondola. At your disposal for further information. Regards.
Great Gondola ride! Definitely recommend!
BasakJulia_K, Oct 2023
I definitely enjoyed our Gondola ride as it was serene and our “Pierre” was professional and tentative!
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thanks for your kind review
Don’t bother buying here - buy it there
Sarah_L, Oct 2023
The experience is just as promised but no point spending more here when you can just queue up for 10 mins and get it for half the price - it’s about 80euros and we spent more than double. There’s always a line somewhere so whether it’s peak period (like what we did) or not, there is ALWAYS a boat ready for you within 10 mins max. We didn’t even get priority, we had to wait for our turn too..: I’m not going to lie - I’m kindda annoyed.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Dear Guest, we are deeply sorry for your personal comment, please consider that private gondola ride is a unique occasion to discover the hidden and romantic canals of Venice on your gondola. At your disposal for further information. Regards.
Overpriced and poor service
Alessandra_F, Sep 2023
The gondola driver didn’t say a word to us and was on his phone texting the entire time. Would recommend just going to a stand and booking and not pre booking because it’s cheaper as well.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Dear Guest, we are deeply sorry for your personal comment, please consider that the gondolier is not the guide, but he is like a driver who must take care of his oar. At your disposal for further information. Regards.
Overpriced and underwhelming
Jonah_H, Sep 2023
It was a good experience, but it was expensive for a 20 minute gondola ride. Starting the tour was made difficult by competing instructions from the operator. There are plenty of gondola areas without lines - check them out instead of this tour.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Dear Guest, we are sorry for your personal comment, please consider that in case of problems to find the meeting point, we are always available to assist customers. At your disposal for further information. Regards.
Not worth the money.
andres_p, Sep 2023
We booked a 45 minute tour. They only gave us a 30 min tour and just a minute in the grand canal. They also had lots of people on tours so they were going as fast as possible.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Dear Guest, we are deeply sorry for your personal comment, please consider that private gondola ride is a unique occasion to discover the hidden and romantic canals of Venice on your gondola. At your disposal for further information. Regards.
Ok
Xiaolu_B, Sep 2023
It’s great experience however, no communication during 30 mins. Maybe the guy has been doing this job far too long
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Dear Guest, we are sorry for your personal comment, please consider that the gondolier is not the guide, but he is like a driver who must take care of his oar. At your disposal for further information. Regards.
Great Experience
Francis_B, Sep 2023
The gondola ride was great. There was no issue with using my voucher. We only wish that Viator offered one that had the singing gondolier.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Thanks for the review
A tourist must do but over rated and over priced for 30 minutes
Robert_B, Sep 2023
Gondola was private and comfortable. Gondolier only spoke when asked a question. Very touristy. Over rated and over priced.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Dear Guest, we are sorry for your personal comment, please consider that the gondolier is not the guide, but he is like a driver who must take care of his oar. At your disposal for further information. Regards.
Disappointed
Glynis_D, Sep 2023
Disappointed- gondola driver did not interact with us (my husband and myself) and the ride was over in 20 minutes- we paid for a 30 minute ride.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Dear Guest, we are deeply sorry for your personal comment, please consider that the gondolier is not the guide, but he is like a driver who must take care of his oar. At your disposal for further information. Regards.
Very disappointing!
Pamela_R, Aug 2023
We showed up at the gondola Baur dock and they did not have our name or reservations! We had purchase a ride from another company. Very disappointing, this was our first trip to Venice. And your service came highly recommended. I have requested a refund. We have reservations for excursions in Rome as well. I pray that doesn’t go awry!
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Dear Guest, we are deeply sorry for your personal comment, please consider that in case of problems with the reservation, we are always available to assist customers. At your disposal for further information. Regards.
Gondola Driver On Phone The Whole Time
Julie_T, Aug 2023
Very disappointed. Gondola driver spent the entire trip talking on his phone in Italian. We had requested an English speaking driver so he could tell us about some of the history of Venice. It ruined the whole experience. No atmosphere for hubby and I to enjoy this supposedly romantic gondola ride for our 40th wedding anniversary.
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Dear Guest, we are deeply sorry for your personal comment, please consider that the gondolier is not the guide, but he is like a driver who must take care of his oar. At your disposal for further information. Regards.
Romantic
Keithley_M, Aug 2023
The experience was wonderful. Private but I did not like when we got on the gondola the man steering it didn’t know we pre paid, he tried to ask for more money. He literally barely told us anything about buildings, history, no singing, and didn’t even offer to take our photo. We went down small canals and the grand canal. We did it at sunset I would say this is a great experience overall.
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Thanks for your kind review
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Venice Grand Tour: Basilica, Doge Palace, Murano Glass & Gondola
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