20 Great Things to do in Venice 1/20 - Gondola

Experience Venice: The Timeless Gondola Ride

One of the most iconic symbols of Venice, the gondola, has gracefully navigated the city's canals for centuries. A trip to Venice feels incomplete without experiencing the serene beauty of its waterways from the plush seats of a traditional gondola.

Why Choose a Gondola Ride?

While Venice offers numerous modes of transportation, nothing compares to the charm and intimacy of a gondola ride. It's not just about getting from one point to another; it's about immersing oneself in the city's history, culture, and unparalleled romantic ambience. Gliding through the canals, you'll witness Venice from a unique vantage point, catching glimpses of hidden courtyards, majestic palazzos, and everyday Venetian life.

Planning Your Gondola Experience

The Istituzione per la Conservazione della Gondola e Tutela del Gondoliere, also known as the Gondola Board, is an excellent resource for those looking to delve deeper into this Venetian tradition. They offer recommended itineraries to ensure you capture the essence of Venice during your ride. You can explore their suggestions on their official website: www.gondolavenezia.it.

Pricing Details

The cost of a gondola ride is based on the duration and time of day. Here are the updated fees:

Daytime Rides (8 am - 7 pm): €100 for a 40-minute ride. If you wish to extend the experience, it's an additional €50 for every subsequent 20 minutes.

Evening Rides (7 pm - 8 am): The canals take on a different charm as the sun sets; the fee reflects this unique experience. It's €120 for a 40-minute ride and an extra €60 for every 20 minutes.

These prices are for the entire gondola, accommodating up to six passengers. It's a flat rate, making it a perfect experience to share with family or friends.

Final Thoughts

A gondola ride is more than just a tourist attraction; it's a journey into the heart of Venice. Whether you're seeking romance, history, or a moment of tranquillity amidst the hustle and bustle, a gondola ride promises memories that will last a lifetime.

Photo By: Marco Secchi

20 Things to do in Venice - 14/20 Getting Lost in Venice

There is nothing, I repeat nothing, that is as important when you’re visiting Venice than just wandering aimlessly through its streets and alleys. If you only had 3-4 hours in the city, I’d recommend that you do this before you set foot inside a single museum or attraction – it’s that critical to enjoying your visit. By wandering (especially if you point yourself in the exact opposite of the direction where the herd is going) you can find Venice’s many charming and often-empty squares and streets, which goes a long way toward helping you appreciate the city. I’d almost say you could ignore basically everything else on this list and just stroll around without a map… But although I might not go that far (again, unless you’ve only got 4 hours or less), I do consider the sentence “get lost in Venice” an order, not a suggestion.

But really, the point of Venice – for me, anyway – is to wander its maze-like alleyways and bridges, getting thoroughly lost and then finding your way back to something familiar. It’s about accidentally finding a gondola workshop where the men are working their lathes into the groove of the boats outside in the sun. It’s about seeing a market boat (rather than a brick-and-mortar store) selling Venice’s few residents their vegetables and fish. And it’s quite a challenge to do any of that in a day-trip, or by staying close to the Piazza San Marco.

Venice Photo Tour On the Steps of Canaletto

Giovanni Antonio Canal, alias Canaletto, was a painter and engraver who lived in Venice in the 18th century; he is world-famous for his wonderful views of Venice.

Topography, architecture, nature, atmosphere and lights are all mingled in his masterpieces creating realistic scenarios and authentic testimonials of the life and architecture of his time.

This itinerary propose the same places that Canaletto depicted in his works taking the participant to look at each location from the same angulation as if he/she were looking through Canaletto’s own eyes, searching for the differences between the 18th century Venetian landscape and today’s landscape as well as for what has remained unvaried since Canaletto’s time.

Le grand guide de Venise - sur les pas de Guardi et Canaletto 

Guardi, Canaletto et autres artistes du XVIIIe siècle se sont attachés à peindre toutes les facettes de leur ville. Près de trois siècles plus tard, Alain Vircondelet, un des plus grands historiens de Venise,  avec photographe Marco Secchi  s'adonne à une comparaison passionnante entre les photos de la ville d'aujourd'hui et les tableaux de celle d'hier. Douze circuits sont ainsi proposés au lecteur et commentés par l'auteur.

Un guide de Venise passionnant en pleine actualité de l'exposition dédiée à Canaletto au Musée Maillol.

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Swimming in Venice

I found this post on a Forum...and made me laugh...quite few times...But kids use to swim in Venice an no there were no sharks!

I keep seeing these movies and programs on TV about Venice Italy, and I see the people's houses that are like directly on the water, and can't help but think that it would be really cool to swim from place to place. Sure you would be dripping wet, but the water there looks really cool in the movies. (Although it's probably kinda nasty from all of the boats concentrated in that one area.) But I'm asking more of, would there be...sharks and stuff in Venice. If you look on Google Earth, the water eventually does reach the ocean. So I thought that maybe all sorts of evil animals and junk might be waiting to eat you as soon as you tried it. Anyway, those are my thoughts. I'd like to hear yours.

Rush hours in Venice

Imagine a world without cars. Or pickups, vans, sport utility vehicles or semi-trailer trucks.

It is quite amazing how much space you have left in such a world for other things, when you take the motor vehicle out of the equation.

There is no rush hour, because in Venice there is no rush!

Happy New Year! 2012 that is.

VENICE, ITALY - DECEMBER 31:  Fireworks display are seen in St. Mark's Square during New Year's Eve street party on December 31, 2011 in Venice, Italy.  Official figures say that around seventy thousand people gathered in St. Mark Square for this year's street celebrations.

Tribute to Lorenzo Lotto - The Hermitage Paintings At The Accademia Gallery

Switching alliances. After having been so passionate about Jacopo Robusti (Tintoretto) at the point that one of the reasons I choose my present house in Venice was due to being close to the Tintoretto's house and workshop I find myself deeply in love with Lorenzo Lotto. Traitor!

The Hermitage Paintings at Accademia Gallery on November 23, 2011 in Venice, Italy. The exhibition, which includes two very rare and previously unseen paintings, opens from the November 24 2011 to February 26, 2012 in Venice

Fog shrouds Venice

Venice woke up this morning under a heavy blanket of fog adding to the atmoshere of the city.

Vaporino

When you walk in the winter fog, there seems to be no division between water and embankment, life and death, love and hate. You feel that you can walk through walls, through sky, through time.

My Venice is the Venice of winter, the Venice of Cannaregio, the Venice of fog. Walking down the Fte Nove  in la nebbia, wearing rubber boots against the high water, it is hard to tell where terra firma leaves off and sky and water begin. The city seems to hang in the air like a mirage. Sounds bounce off the waters and deceive you with their closeness or farness. Figures appear and disappear around corners. The past beckons. It is quite possible to believe that it can take you and never give you back.

Related articles

• The peaceful pleasures of Venice in winter (seattletimes.nwsource.com)