Bucket List #2: Ride a gondola in Venice

Imagine for a moment that you are strolling along a cobbled alleyway, stone buildings in various hues of beige and rust line the narrow pathway like labyrinth walls. Children serpentine in and out of the roads, chasing soccer balls and giggling wildly. Women hang laundry from their high windows. Someone far away is singing. Suddenly, you round the corner and emerge into a brilliant piazza full of art and food and hugged to the right by a magnificent canal.

That is Venice. 

It is no surprise that Venice remains one of the most unique locations I have had the opportunity to explore. There are no roads on the island. Instead, transportation occurs entirely by ancient cobbled road or water transportation, including the famous gondolas.

Riding a gondola in Venice graced the top of my bucket list for a while. I could think of few things more romantic than floating along the maze of canals while the gondolier bellows Santa Lucia in an operatic voice.

Below are my top tips for embarking on a gondola ride in Venice.

Ughhhh. Big, sad disclaimer. Almost all of my photos from Venice were destroyed in ‘The Great Computer Crash’ in the year of our lord 2018. As such, some of the images on this post were taken from Unsplash. I have credited the original photographer where applicable!

What even is a gondola? 

So… what even is a gondola? 

A gondola is a flat bottomed boat that is navigated through the water by a large wooden paddle in the hands of a gondolier standing at the back of the boat. Most gondolas are ornately decorated with cushions.

For centuries, the gondola was the primary mode of transportation in Venice. Although there are only around 400 gondolas left in service today, they are still a popular tourist attraction for those visiting the ancient city.

Top 4 Tips for Booking a Gondola Ride in Venice

1. Book a ride in the morning

I recommend booking a ride around 9am. It is much quieter in the morning, and the temperature is far more pleasant. It is important to note that gondolas do not have any type of overhang or covering – and the Venetian heat can get quite blistering in the mid-day sun. Prices typically raise after 7pm, so the morning is your best bet.

2. Share your ride

Gondolas have a set price! Splitting your ride with other travelers, though admittedly less romantic, is the surest way to drive the cost down. The more people you have, the cheaper the ride becomes per person. I shared my ride with four others, and we all ended up paying around $35USD with tip, compared to over $100 if we had gone solo. Well worth it!

3. Intentionally select your route

Every gondola in Venice has its own route through the winding canals. With that in mind, your starting point (and route) will have an impact on the sights you get to see. I recommend finding a gondola that is slightly out of the way of the large tourist areas – the Grand Canal and Piazza San Marco. So much magic comes from the quieter, ‘back alley’ canals that wind through the lesser explored parts of Venice.

Pro Tip: Ask your gondolier what route they take, and choose the one that best aligns with what you are looking to get out of the trip. But rest assured, there is no bad gondola ride.

4. Book on site in cash

Booking a gondola ride online is likely significantly more expensive than booking in person at the launch site. They will run around 100 Euros, and you can book online with cash. I would recommend having that sum in smaller bill amounts in case you need to break the cost up with other riders.

Is riding a gondola in Venice really worth it?

The answer here is… well… it depends. Gondola rides are undeniably overpriced, and it wouldn’t be unreasonable to walk away underwhelmed. However, the authentic gondolas are part of a tradition in a city that is over 1,200 years old. Riding in one is, for lack of a better word, “cool”. 

I have no regrets spending the money to tour the Venetian canals in a gondola, but if I were to return to the city, I likely wouldn’t do it again unless I had another large group to go with.

My best recommendation for saving some money is finding a group to split the cost of the gondola. The flat rate is around $100USD for 40 minutes. But with five people, you can lower that cost to $20USD. That is a price that is WELL worth it!

For those who do not want to spend the money for a gondola ride, or for those for whom the gondolas are not accessible, I recommend checking out the vaporetti. Vaporetti are water taxis that shuttle citizens and tourists alike around the small islands. They still offer incredible views of the city at a much cheaper price-point.

If you’re planning a trip to Venice, check out my Venice bucket list for more activities to explore!