Is a Gondola Ride in Venice Worth the Cost?

Currently, the going rate for a gondola ride in Venice is โ‚ฌ80 for 40 minutes, and 20-minute add-on costs โ‚ฌ40. After 7 pm, the price jumps up to โ‚ฌ100 for 40 minutes, and a 20-minute add-on costs โ‚ฌ50. That’s craziness, right?

While a gondola ride is an iconic Venetian experience that most tourists don’t want to miss, it’s pricey. And that leaves so many people wondering the same question: “Is a gondola ride in Venice worth it? Is it really worth that amount of money, for such a short time?”

For us, the answer is a nonnegotiable, absolute no. A gondola ride in Venice is not worth its high price.

A gondolier rowing the boat along the canal. The question is: Is a gondola ride in Venice worth it? Find out my answer in this guide.

But why?

Well, simply because there’s a better alternative, in our humble opinions.

While in Venice, we opted for a Venice Boat Tour & Tower Climb with Walks of Italy, which lasted two hours and cost โ‚ฌ98.

Sure, the tour is a bit pricier than the normal gondola ride, but it’s also much longer and allows you to see much more of Venice by boat. The tour also comes with the bonuses of a knowledgeable guide and jaw-dropping bird’s-eye views of all the Venetian islands, from the bell tower of San Giorgio Maggiore.

In short, if you want to cruise the canals of Venice, this boat tour with Walks of Italy is the way to go! No, it’s not your typical, iconic gondola ride. But in the end, you do get more bang for your buck and a better experience to boot!

Boats docked on a narrow canal in Venice

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Gondolas along the canal in Venice. If you want to know if a gondola ride in Venice is worth it, check the different prices offered by other tours.

Now, before you go thinking that this boat tour takes place on a giant boat, maxing out its capacity in giddy tourists, it’s not.

Aboard our boat, there were just six guests, not including our captain and tour guide. The group was small and intimate, leaving us plenty of space to move about the boat for the best views and camera angles, and to ask our guide any questions we had about Venice.

Walks of Italy actually caps its guest count at nine guests per boat, ensuring each group is cozy and personal.

Doesn’t this sound just as good, if not better, than your typical gondola ride already? We think yes!

Old buildings by the Venetian canals under the blue, sunny sky

While cruising the dreamy Venetian canals, our guide entertained us with interesting facts and stories about Venice.

Between pointing out multi-million dollar hotels and homes where celebrities live(d), places where movies were shot, and of course, the real historical facts (like when Venice was a super important city for foreign and Venetian merchants alike), we learned a ton about Venice. Certainly a lot more than we would have on a gondola!

An old brick house by the canal during my Gondola ride in Venice

After about 1.5 hours of cruising through the canals, I was on the brink of experiencing visual overload.

Everything, everywhere was so incredibly old, rustic, and simply stunning. I couldn’t believe it.

For a first-timer in Venice, this boat tour was the perfect introduction to such a grand city! And since this was the first thing we did in Venice, the amount of photos I took during the cruise was borderline ridiculous. But so necessary.

Old buildings in Venice by the sea. One tip for a better experience in Venice is to book a guided tour instead of the normal gondola ride.
Stunning view of islands in Venice. One of the things you need to know before taking a gondola ride in Venice is that a guided gondola is more worth it than a normal gondola ride.
Boats docked by the island filled with old buildings

At the end of our canal tour, we visited an island across from Venice, to summit the bell tower of San Giorgio Maggiore. This is something special that you won’t get from a normal gondola ride, and it really was the cherry on top of our tour!

From the top, we gazed out over what seemed like hundreds of islands dotting the baby blue horizon. As you can imagine, the amount of “oooooohs” and “aaahhhhhhs” emanating from the bell tower were absolutely warranted.

These views really are the best in all of Venice.

Beautiful buildings by the canal during our gondola ride in Venice, Italy
Small boats docked near old buildings by the canal

After experiencing such a lovely way of seeing Venice, we can’t imagine doing it any other way. Sometimes, the touristy, iconic experiences, such as a gondola ride in Venice, are so overrated. We feel that this is one of those times.

When we reached the shore again, just outside of Piazza San Marco, we felt that we’d seen a lot more of Venice than we would’ve on a normal gondola ride, and we’d definitely learned more, too.

Multiple gondolas in Venice as they pass by the beautiful buildings

Is a gondola ride in Venice worth it?

When you visit Venice, hopefully you won’t have to wonder that oh, so typical question: Is a gondola ride in Venice worth it?

We’ll take quantity and quality over touristy and overrated any time. For us, a Venice Boat Tour & Tower Climb with Walks of Italy wins over a gondola ride every time.


What to Pack for Italy

Depending on the season you visit will depend on the layers you need, summer is very warm but the winter is incredibly cold. Italy is very stylish and Italians famously dress well, so avoid white sneakers where possible and opt for a smart shoe or boot. Always have a beautiful coat in winter, it will hide anything less stylish you may be wearing as you explore in the colder months.

Here are a few top tips of what to wear:

  • Wool coat: During the colder months a beautiful wool coat is essential. You will fit in with the locals with this one.
  • Comfortable boots: As expected, you will do a lot of walking so opt for a comfortable but stylish boot that you’ve worn in. You can’t go wrong with a smart Chelsea boot, like these.
  • Floaty dress: In the summer opt for a long floaty dress so you know you are always prepared to enter religious sites. Bring a light scarf with you to cover your shoulders.
  • Sunscreen: Nothing spoils your trip (and your photos!) more than sunburn. Remember to prepare with a good, natural sunscreen and stay protected.
  • Reusable water bottle: Remember to keep hydrated during your tours, it can’t all be Aperol and coffee! Bring a reusable water bottle so you can keep topped up.
  • Travel insurance: As with all trips, it’s always best to purchase travel insurance so you know you are covered should anything go wrong.

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What do you think? Have you been to Venice before? Is a gondola ride in Venice worth it? 

Maddy’s Avenue experienced this Venice Boat Tour & Tower Climb as guests of Walks of Italy, but as always, all opinions are our own.

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13 Comments

  1. I can’t believe this was your first trip to Venice! So glad you enjoyed it :) And I totally agree, the gondola rides are not worth the price. I was only there for 2 days when I visited, so I opted not to take any sort of tour. Maybe in the future though!
    -Claire
    tallgirlbigworld.com

    1. Thanks for your comment. I would definitely recommend it. I think Venice is best explored by boat because there are some canals you just can’t get to on foot.

  2. When I went with a friend we didn’t do the ride at all! From what I remember (I could be wrong too much wine) we took a bunch of water taxis and convinced ourselves that was good enough.

    If only we had known about the boat tour then! Sounds absolutely perfect. Two hours is the ideal amount of time to take it all in AND local guides are a necessity in travel.

    Looks like you’re having a ton of fun ?

    1. As long as you experience Venice on its canals and not just on foot, I think you’re good to go!

      Probably having too much fun! ;)

  3. Agreed. Our gondola ride was actually great because of the old man who sang for us, but the guys who rowed the boat were entirely rude, talking and being absolutely unprofessional. They were so arrogant and didn’t think we were worthy of such a ride… I’m a paying customer, dudes!

  4. I live in Venice and I think it is absolutely worth taking a gondola ride!!! There are many palaces on narrow canals that are only accessible by gondola, Thats the way Venice was meant to be seen…..How can anyone come to Venice and not go on a gondola ride??!!!

    1. In our opinion, a gondola ride is pretty expensive for how short it is. Venice is definitely meant to be seen by its canals, but for us, that didn’t necessarily mean we had to pay for a gondola ride. Instead, we opted for a much longer canal experience, which we detailed above, where we also learned some history of the city. Thanks for your input!

  5. I think it was worth absolutely every dime I paid for it. The history that goes along with the ride or at least my ride was worth it. Depends on your budget and if you get a good gondolier. I didn’t see people who paid the money complain and even now I’m not complaining.

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