Venice Grand Canal Private Boat Tour
About this activity
Highlights
- Explore Venice's Grand Canal in a private boat
- Discover hidden canals and lesser-known landmarks
- Learn about Venice's rich history from a local guide
- Enjoy personalized attention in an intimate setting
- Capture stunning photos of Venice's unique architecture
Full description
Included / Excluded
- Private motorboat cruise along the Grand Canal and secret canals
- Expert local guide providing historical insights
- Hotel pickup and drop-off for added convenience
- Meals and beverages during the tour
Itinerary
Pass by: View the magnificent St Mark's Square and Doges Palace from the water
Enjoy a 1-hour tour of the Grand Canal and minor canals lead by our English-speaking guide in a small group of 8/9 people
Pass by: Learn about the Magnificent Rialto Bridge as you pass by on your boat
Pass by: View the magnificent Arsenal of Venice during your guided 2-hour cruise by boat
Enjoy a walk in the fascinating Jewish ghetto of Venice
Pass by: Enter some of the back canals of the picturesque Cannaregio district
Pass by: See the first basilica of Venice in the Castello district
Pass by: Cruise down some of the charming canals of Dorsoduro district
Pass by: Pass by the Accademia gallery and bridge as you tour the Grand Canal
Pass by: Cruise some of the small canals of the Santa Croce district
Pass by: Pass by the Ponte degli Scalzi near the train station, the third bridge connecting the two sides of the Grand Canal
Pass by: See the Baroque church Santa Maria di Nazareth as you cruise down the Grand Canal
Pass by: See the famous Squero San Trovaso, one of the oldest and still active places where gondolas are built
Meeting point
Start Location
Unknown location
Important information
Know before you book
- This tour is wheelchair accessible; please inform the provider in advance if assistance is required
- Children under 5 years old can join the tour free of charge
- The tour operates in all weather conditions; cancellations due to severe weather are rare but may occur
Know before you go
- Wear comfortable clothing and footwear suitable for a boat ride
- Bring a camera to capture the stunning views and architecture
- Be prepared for potential weather changes; consider bringing a light jacket or raincoat
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Accessibility
- Easy Public Transport
Good to know
- Tour is not suitable for people in wheelchairs or with walking difficulties as passengers are required to step down onto the boat when boarding. The variation of the level of tides can make the vessel unstable
- During high water, the tour will take place, but it might happen we have to partly adapt the tour to the weather conditions
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- All passengers pay the same rate irrespectively from their age
- 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
Traveler reviews
Perfect start to Venice.
Our first tour of the trip! After landing in Venice all the way from the states, we were so grateful for this relaxing orientation to venice. We got so much information and understand the city better!
Save your money. Don’t book this one!
Tour was in a taxi and not in a wooden boat like the photos. Taxi was old and run down. Tour guide talked badly about “tourists” and the way they shop. His knowledge about the history was limited. We found ourselves correcting him several times. One strange thing was he kept asking us to leave our belongings (purse and backpack) on the taxi when we got off. Felt sketchy. Tour guide left us in the shopping district and not back where we started like it said. It was a 40 minute walk back. We mentioned we wanted to go back and he ignored us. Just awful experience. This was our 4th Viator tour this trip. The others were great.
Great Tour with 1 Technical Issue
This was a great tour of some of the less touristy parts of Venice. It's divided up into the boat portion of the tour and the walking portion of the tour, that is mostly in the Jewish Ghetto. All the locations that were picked out were interesting and our guide did a good job of relaying information to us. The one issue we had was that in the boat portion of the tour, we were sitting outside in the back of the boat and weren't able to hear the guide who was sitting in the front.
boat ride and Jewish Ghetto stop
There were 8 of us on this cruise and the boat used only had seating for 3 to 4 outside the cabin. Those seated inside the cabin really couldn't see what the tour guide was discussing/telling us to look at. A boat without the cabin should have been utilized Also, really not so many secret canals as the tour was titled, they were just canals that most tourists would not see since they were mostly away from the main tourist locations
A trip of a lifetime
The tour guide was very knowledgeable and spoke wonderful English. She took us to all the main attractions and then some, thank you