Piazza San Marco
Venice, Italy
Gondola ride in Venice
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Photo: Nan Palmero, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- Paid, per boat
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Hours
- Day and evening; evening rates are higher
- Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 40 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Price
- Set by the city, per boat; higher at night
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Duration
- About 30 minutes
- Passengers
- Up to 5 per boat
- Where to board
- Gondola stands (stazi) at San Marco, the Rialto and more
- Budget option
- Traghetto across the Grand Canal
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - The boat
- ≈ 11 m, asymmetric black hull
Key facts
≈ 400licensed gondolas work in Venice
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English Wikipedia≈ 11 mlong, with an asymmetric hull
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English Wikipedia16th centurya law required gondolas to be painted black
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English WikipediaFerrothe iron prow whose prongs evoke the city's districts
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English WikipediaSqueroSan Trovaso yard, where gondolas are built and repaired
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English WikipediaA short history
Gondolas have plied Venice for nearly a thousand years. Once there were thousands, used for business, shopping and visits, and noble families kept their own with private gondoliers. So lavishly were they decorated that a 16th-century sumptuary law ordered them painted black, as they remain.
Today about 400 licensed gondolas operate, and gondolier is a respected, often hereditary trade requiring training and an exam, including city history and languages. Gondoliers wear striped shirts and straw hats and race in September's Regata Storica.
How a gondola works
About 11 m long and built from nearly 300 wooden parts of eight kinds of wood, the hull is asymmetric — the left side longer than the right — so the boat runs straight though the gondolier rows on one side from the stern. The oar rests in a carved oarlock, the forcola, allowing turns, stops and pivots in tight canals.
The iron ferro on the prow has six forward prongs, said to stand for the city's six sestieri. Gondolas are still handmade in boatyards called squeri; the best known, the 17th-century Squero di San Trovaso, can be seen from across its canal in Dorsoduro.
What to know
- Price — set by the city per boat; more in the evening.
- Time — about 30 minutes; longer by arrangement.
- Passengers — up to five for the same price.
- Route — agree before you leave: Grand Canal or quiet canals.
- Serenade — with a singer and accordion, extra.
- Traghetto — a short Grand Canal crossing, inexpensive.
The traghetto — a gondola for pocket change
If a full ride feels pricey, take a traghetto: a large gondola with two oarsmen ferrying people across the Grand Canal where there are no bridges, such as by the Rialto Market or Santa Maria del Giglio. The crossing takes a couple of minutes and costs very little; locals stand, and you can try it holding the side. Look for green "Traghetto" signs; some crossings run only in the morning and daytime.
Where to board
- Bacino Orseolo stand — behind Piazza San Marco, in a quiet basin.
- Stands by the Rialto Bridge, heading out onto the Grand Canal.
- Stands by the Salute and the station.
- Traghetti by the Rialto Market and Santa Maria del Giglio.
Is a gondola ride worth it?
Yes, at least once — it's the quintessential Venetian experience, especially through quiet canals where all you hear is the oar and the gondolier's voice. With one price per boat, it's best shared with family or friends; on a tight budget, the traghetto gives you the feel of a gondola for pocket change.
Before you go
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Venice on the water: compare and choose
Canals, bridges and islands in Venice rated by YesGo. Click a column header to sort.
| Bridge of Sighs | 57 | 15 min | Free | 6 min walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rialto Bridge | 56 | 20 min | Free | 6 min walk |
| Grand Canal | 49 | 1 h | Free | 20 min walk |
| Gondola rideyou are here | 48 | 40 min | Paid, per boat | — |
| Accademia Bridge | 44 | 15 min | Free | 12 min walk |
| San Giorgio Maggiore | 43 | 1 h | Free | 17 min walk |
| Murano | 42 | 3 h | Free | 2.8 km |
| Giudecca | 41 | 1 h 30 min | Free | 22 min walk |
| Peggy Guggenheim Collection | 39 | 1 h 30 min | Paid | 11 min walk |
| Lido di Venezia | 39 | 3 h | Free | 3.3 km |
| Ca' d'Oro | 38 | 1 h | Paid | 12 min walk |
| Burano | 34 | 3 h | Free | 8.4 km |
| Torcello | 30 | 2 h | Free | 9.5 km |
Venice from the water
The Grand Canal by vaporetto, the Rialto Bridge, a gondola ride and an evening on Piazza San Marco.
- Grand Canal1 h · Free; water bus paid
- 15 min walk from the previous stopRialto Bridge20 min · Free
- 6 min walk from the previous stopGondola rideyou are here40 min · Paid, per boat
- 3 min walk from the previous stopPiazza San Marco30 min · Free
4 places · about 2 h 54 min with walks · 24 min on foot in total
Nearby and on the way
How to do it right
- Priced per boat, not per person.
- Agree the route first.
- Early evening — the best light.
- Traghetto — a cheap gondola ride.
Questions
How long is a gondola ride?
Usually about 30 minutes; longer by arrangement.
How many people fit in a gondola?
Up to five, for the same per-boat price.
Where do I get a gondola in Venice?
At official stands — San Marco (Bacino Orseolo), the Rialto, the Salute and the station.
How can I ride a gondola cheaply?
Take a traghetto across the Grand Canal — it costs very little.
Why are gondolas black?
A 16th-century law against luxury required them to be painted black.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- English Wikipedia, Gondola; Squero
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