Venice Walking Tour and Gondola Ride: Explore St. Mark's Square and Grand Canal

Immerse yourself in the beauty of Venice with a walking tour of St. Mark’s Square and a gondola ride along the Grand Canal. Discover architectural marvels, charming bridges, and hidden corners while learning about Venice’s rich history and modern lifestyle.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Piazza San Marco - Wander through the lesser-known streets to uncover hidden squares between St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge. Start your adventure from Campo San Moisè, next to St. Mark’s Square, and dive into the city’s rich history. Navigate through a labyrinth of alleyways and squares, or “campi,” with your guide, learning about the city’s past, fascinating tales, and the local Venetian dialect.

Stop in front of the magnificent La Fenice opera house to learn about its glorious yet turbulent history.

Marvel at the Bovolo Staircase, a stunning Renaissance masterpiece and one of Venice’s most beautiful architectural treasures. This intricate spiral staircase is part of the Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo, dating back to 1499, near Campo Manin.

  • Campo Santa Maria Formosa - Santa Maria Formosa is a picturesque square in the heart of Venice, Italy, known for its historical importance and charming ambiance. At the center stands the impressive Santa Maria Formosa Church, an architectural gem from the 15th century. The church’s façade features a captivating mix of Byzantine and Renaissance styles, making it a must-see for visitors.

Encircled by elegant buildings and narrow streets, Santa Maria Formosa radiates Venetian charm and offers a tranquil escape from the city’s hustle and bustle. It’s an ideal spot to stroll around, soak in the local atmosphere, and admire Venice’s unique beauty. The square’s name, “Formosa,” means “beautiful” in Italian, and it truly lives up to its name, leaving a lasting impression on all who visit.

  • Ponte di Rialto - The Rialto Bridge in Venice is a renowned landmark that spans the Grand Canal, linking the districts of San Marco and San Polo. With its graceful arches and charming shops along its sides, the bridge epitomizes Venetian beauty and history. Dating back to the 16th century, it is one of Venice’s oldest and most famous bridges, drawing tourists from around the globe. From the Rialto Bridge, visitors can enjoy stunning views of the canal and the lively activity of gondolas and boats passing by. It remains a symbol of Venice’s rich heritage and a must-see attraction for anyone exploring this enchanting city.
  • Grand Canal - Flowing through the heart of Venice, the Grand Canal is a breathtaking sight. Stretching over 2 miles and shaped like a backward “S,” this iconic waterway winds through the city, connecting fascinating neighborhoods and showcasing Venice’s architectural marvels.

Take a journey along the Grand Canal and witness the splendor of the palaces, churches, and buildings that line its banks. Admire their intricate designs, adorned with colorful facades and elegant details, reflecting centuries of Venetian history and cultural richness.

As you glide along the shimmering waters, immerse yourself in the vibrant atmosphere of Venetian life. Watch the graceful gondolas and vaporettos navigate the canal, carrying both locals and visitors to their destinations.

  • Teatro La Fenice - In the late 18th century, Venice was home to seven ancient theaters, two for drama and the rest for music. The most opulent was the Teatro San Benedetto, near Campo San Luca. Founded by the Grimani family in 1755, it was later transferred to the Noble Society of boxholders. However, a judicial agreement in 1787 forced the society to relinquish the theater to the Venier nobles, who owned the land. The society quickly set out to build a new, grander theater, named Gran Teatro La Fenice, after the mythical phoenix. Like the phoenix rising from its ashes, this new theater symbolized the society’s rebirth from its troubles.
  • Ponte de le Ostreghe - Numerous place names recall a widespread presence of horticultural activities or undeveloped areas covered with vegetation throughout the city. Examples include the campi, campazzi, and courtyards of the grass, or the calluses of the figher.

The first recorded mention of the Rio dell’Alboro dates back to 1696, while the Rio de le Ostreghe appears in the following century. It is likely that a seller of these delicious seafood was stationed nearby, with oyster cultivation in the lagoon gaining significant momentum in the first half of the 19th century. This is also evidenced by the ostregheri canal, now known as Canale dei Lavraneri, in Sacca Fisola.

What's Included
  • Personal audio system and headset for tour commentary
  • Guided walking tour of Saint Mark’s Square and Castello
  • 30-minute shared Gondola ride with a Gondolier
  • Tours available in English
What's Not Included
  • Transport
  • Food
  • Drink
Additional Information

Take a tour of St. Mark’s Square and admire architectural wonders such as St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, and the Renaissance era clock tower. Wander around the sophisticated residential area of Castello, traversing appealing bridges, thin alleys, and scenic squares.

Discover campo Santa Maria Formosa and campo San Giovanni & Paolo, the location of the Basilica and burial sites of Venetian doges. Explore Marco Polo’s previous home and the Malibran theatre. Our enlightened guide offers historical details, architectural notable points, and fascinating stories about Venice’s historical and modern lifestyle.

The walking journey concludes at St. Mark’s Square, routing through Mercerie, a shopping avenue linking Rialto and San Marco.

Next, engage in quintessential Venetian experience by embarking on a Gondola ride at the campo San Moisè. Cruise on the Grand Canal and smaller canals, admire outstanding architecture, and discover secret palace entrances and secluded spots.

  • IMPORTANT: The tour is not private, it is a shared tour
  • The gondola ride is not private but is shared with other participants.
  • Each gondola can accommodate a maximum of 5 individuals.
  • The seat on the gondola cannot be chosen but will be assigned by our gondolier
  • Children up to 2 years old do not pay, only if they do not occupy a seat on the gondola
  • The itinerary is subject to change in case of inclement weather.
  • When you book, pass us your whatsapp number, we will send you a voucher, via whatsapp, which you must present on the day of the tour.
  • Once you arrive at the meeting point, you must enter the Aliguna Ticket Office, show the voucher, which we will send you via whatsapp, and receive the tickets. If you have any doubts, you can ask our desk colleagues.
  • Important, we ask you to arrive 20 minutes before the departure of the tour, rightly so because you have to show your voucher at the ticket office, and receive the tickets from our colleagues, ok
  • if you don’t arrive in time, or you miss the meeting point you will lose the tour. If you miss the tour, you will not get a refund
  • If the gondola tour is canceled due to bad weather, the customer will receive a refund of 30 euros per person.
  • The gondola tour has a maximum capacity of 5 people, the walking tour up to 15 people
  • 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
Location
Giardini Reali
Piazza San Marco
The meeting point is in SAN MARCO GIARDINETTI c/o ALILAGUNA TICKET COUNTER IN FRONT ILLY CAFFE 5 minutes before the departure of the tour. Once you arrive at the meeting point, you must enter the Aliguna Ticket Office, show the voucher, and receive the tickets
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.3
(23 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
O6064uastephanieh
Aug 26, 2024
Good time. - The guide kept up a steady stream of commentary - complete with jokes and funny comments - that was interesting and informative.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dedunu_s
Aug 8, 2024
Great way to learn about the city! - I went in August 2023 (sorry for the very late 1-year later review!) and it was fantastic. Honestly I feel every tourist should go to a tour like this, because you really learn from a local Venice resident. As a tourist, it's important to know about how tourism affects the land you're in, and I learned a lot about the socioeconomic and ecologal impact of both tourism and the environment +history there. It is a great way to support local, since the entire area relies on tourism. Highly recommend as a solo female traveler!
Review provided by Viator
Anonymous
May 15, 2024
Excellent! Informative - Excellent introduction to your beautiful city! Very informative about the history of Venice and how to navigate the area. Highly recommend Frederica
Review provided by Viator
Marta_p
Mar 25, 2024
The tour guide was nice and took us through many back alleys - The only part I did not enjoy was the gondola ride. The gondolier was constantly smoking. Y couldn’t even take a picture of me and my grandson since he did not sit us at the back!
Review provided by Viator
V2849wmmarcoa
Oct 18, 2023
Top wolk & gondola - Very nice and romantic experience. Very pleasant tour. Going by gondola yes to Venice is a duty. Thank you all for the timely organisation of the tour and for this wonderful day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kirstys19
Apr 15, 2024
A nice introduction to Venice. - Our tour guide Marco was excellent, very funny and knowledgeable. He kept us entertained when there was nothing of interest to look at. I would have liked the tour to have encompassed a bit more for the price. There was about 15 mins of time that was spent waiting around. You can have a Gondola ride for €39 per person if you wanted to still to a gondola ride but maybe a cheaper tour. The Gondola ride was fantastic, the real highlight of the tour. I’m glad I did it though, a very interesting tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Scott_p
Oct 6, 2023
Good tour… arrive early - The guide was informative. The tour was mostly focused on architecture. The tour had a lot of walking and the guide went fast. We had 3 people who couldn’t keep up and they gave up on the tour. This tour company has a lot of tours all starting in the same place at the same time so it’s pretty chaotic, but we eventually got sorted into the right tour. We did a tour with a gondola ride… it’s a shared gondola ride — they just group together parties based on size to get 4-5 people to a boat. The gondola ride was exactly what they said… 20-30 min around Venice including a short stretch on the grand canal.
Review provided by Viator
Mehar_s
Jun 10, 2024
Not satisfactory - Not satisfactory at all. The guide was walking way too fast and didn't care if the group was following her or not. It's more of a classroom lesson tour and you won't get to see anything from the inside. The gondola ride felt very short and rushed.
Review provided by Viator
C9363iqtinad
Oct 13, 2023
Terrible tour! Don’t waste your money! - Terrible tour! After receiving multiple notice to be at meeting place 20-30 mins early, the guide was late. She took us on a 90 min walk that lasted 75 mins and we never really saw the main sights like St Marks Square. She kept looking at her watch, ended the tour early and was not a helpful guide. At the end of the walk she told us to wait and someone would help us onto our gondolas for a 30 min ride. We finally boarded the ugliest, dirtiest gondolas in all of Venice . Ugh! Don’t take this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sara_d
Oct 13, 2023
Worst experience, terrible staff, waste of money - I’ve booked twice before vía this app and wasn’t disappointed until this tour and dealing with their staff. If I could give it a zero I would. We went to the bathroom and a waiter threw away our tickets unintentionally. We explained this to the staff and they wouldn’t let us go on the tour w/o the tickets even thought I could show the reservation via app. My husband had to dig through garbage to get the tickets back. But they were willing to sell us the tickets back…? Will never ever again reserve because they didn’t even count the number of people and never checked for who was who on the tour. They just wanted money for a terrible tour… the tour was not even worth it! The gondola ride wasn’t even the stated 30 minutes, it was a barely 15 minute ride and I timed it, they were all beat up and you are sharing the gondola with 5 people. The guide was terrible, I learned absolutely nothing. Safe yourself the time and money And do not book this tour… you’ll be disappointed and if you run into a problem they will be useless and rude.
Review provided by Viator
Select Date and Tickets
up to 5 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today