Venice · RIALTO AND GRAND CANAL TOURS

The 15 Best Grand Canal & Rialto Tours

23 tours  ·  from $19

The Grand Canal is the address book of the republic, and the Rialto is where its money changed hands. These 15 cover it by gondola, by motor launch and on foot through the market, with prices, timings and the ones that run at golden hour.

Venice: Grand Canal Gondola Ride with App Commentary - Meeting near St. Mark’s Square
Rialto and Grand Canal Tours, Self-Guided Tours, Tour Reviews, Venice Gondola Rides

Venice: Grand Canal Gondola Ride with App Commentary

1.Grand Canal Gondola Ride with App Commentary

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 18,908 reviews · from $39Our pick

Take a shared 30-minute gondola ride past La Fenice, the Grand Canal, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Salute, and Punta della Dogana. A host introduces the boat and its traditions, while app commentary and a Gondola Gallery with VR add useful context. Gondolas hold up to five people.

“Me and my husband really enjoyed the ride and also the information that they gave us on the walk would highly recommend”

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Venice: Grand Canal by Gondola with Live Commentary - La Fenice and the smaller canals
Rialto and Grand Canal Tours, Tour Reviews, Venice Gondola Rides

Venice: Grand Canal by Gondola with Live Commentary

2.Grand Canal by Gondola with Live Commentary

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 13,681 reviews · from $44

Join a short walking introduction, then share a gondola for a 30-minute ride through Venice’s side canals and Grand Canal. Guides such as Emma, Beatrice, Aurora, and Veronica explain the city, palaces, and gondola tradition. A gondola-making display and 3D Venice experience follow.

“This was a beautiful photo shoot and the pictures are so beautiful . Filippo Cencin our photographer captured some stunning spots of Venice . These memories will last forever . Filippo Cencin was so helpful and we highly recommend him for your next shoot .”

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Venice: Shared Gondola Ride Across the Grand Canal - From the Royal Gardens to the water
Rialto and Grand Canal Tours, Tour Reviews, Venice Gondola Rides

Venice: Shared Gondola Ride Across the Grand Canal

3.Shared Gondola Ride Across the Grand Canal

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 6,645 reviews · 30 min · from $46

Share a gondola with up to five other passengers and a professional gondolier for a 30-minute ride near San Marco and Rialto. You’ll glide along the Grand Canal, pass La Fenice, and slip through smaller canals. This is a scenic ride, not a narrated tour, and serenades are not included.

“I did this activity as a solo traveller and was fortunate to be on the gondola with only two other people! 30 minutes was just perfect for this journey - enough time to take in the gorgeous scenery and get a real feel for riding round on a gondola with plenty of time to take pictures. There is no interaction from the driver but I don’t think this was needed as I was just taking it all in. I would very much recommend as an affordable way to go in a gondola!”

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Grand Canal Gondola Experience with Live Commentary™ - Starting near St Mark’s and the Ombra del Leone
Rialto and Grand Canal Tours, Tour Reviews, Venice Gondola Rides

Grand Canal Gondola Experience with Live Commentary™

4.Grand Canal Gondola Experience with Live Commentary™

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 4,223 reviews · 30 to 50 minutes (approx.) · from $49

Begin near St Mark’s Square with a short introduction and optional VR presentation, then board a traditional gondola for about 30 minutes. Pass La Fenice, Santa Maria della Salute, Punta della Dogana, San Giorgio Maggiore, and St Mark’s Basin with English, French, Spanish, or app commentary.

“This was okay. We knew we had to do a gondola tour in Venice and just went to for one of the cheapest options. The start of the ‘tour’ was weird because we walked around and got a bit of a history lesson on the islands and gondolas. Then the ride itself was about 20 mins. There was a total of 5 people in the boat, which made it a bit crammed.”

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Venice: Rialto Bridge & Offbeat Unusual Venice Walking Tour - Scala Contarini del Bovolo and Venice’s unusual details
Rialto and Grand Canal Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Venice Hidden Gems Walks, Venice Walking Tours, Walking Tours

Venice: Rialto Bridge & Offbeat Unusual Venice Walking Tour

5.Rialto Bridge & Offbeat Unusual Venice Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 3,538 reviews · from $28

Walk Venice’s quieter lanes with guides such as Valentina, Francesco, and Rosalina, seeing Casanova’s house, Scala Contarini del Bovolo, La Fenice, and lesser-known canal views. Add the optional gondola ride for 30 minutes on the Grand Canal and smaller waterways.

“the tour was great. the equipment sometimes didn't work for the guide but she fixed in seconds. well done Valentina. very informative fun tour. loved learning about casanova and seeing where he was born.”

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Venice: Private Gondola Ride along Grand Canal - Starting near the Accademia Bridge
Private, Rialto and Grand Canal Tours, Tour Reviews, Venice Gondola Rides

Venice: Private Gondola Ride along Grand Canal

6.Private Gondola Ride along Grand Canal

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 2,475 reviews

Share a private gondola for up to five people and glide along the Grand Canal, past La Fenice, Punta della Dogana, and Santa Maria della Salute. The 30-minute ride includes the Gondola Gallery, while commentary may come from an audio guide or your gondolier.

“Little bit of a wait but only 10 mins. Was 30 mins and most enjoyable. Can’t fault it and we loved it. They also took photos for us on my phone.”

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Charming Gondola Ride on the Grand Canal & Gondola Gallery™ - Starting near St. Mark’s Square
Museums, Rialto and Grand Canal Tours, Tour Reviews, Venice Gondola Rides

Charming Gondola Ride on the Grand Canal & Gondola Gallery™

7.Charming Gondola Ride on the Grand Canal & Gondola Gallery™

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,313 reviews · 45 minutes (approx.) · from $47

Ride a shared gondola near St. Mark’s Square, hear a short introduction, and see Venice from the Grand Canal. The experience also includes priority entry to Gondola Gallery, a real gondola display, and a 3D and VR journey through old Venice. Commentary is offered through an app in nine languages.

“My sister and I enjoyed this tour! it was really nice to go late in the day as it’s beautiful during dusk and at night.”

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Venice: Grand Canal Boat Tour - A motorboat ride, not a gondola serenade
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Venice: Grand Canal Boat Tour

8.Grand Canal Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 959 reviews · 1 hour · from $53

Set out from St. Mark’s Square with an English-speaking guide and cruise Venice by motorboat for one hour. You’ll pass Rialto Bridge, Ca’ Pisani Moretta, Hotel Gritti, La Salute, and grand palazzos. Small boats can offer fine views, though seating and sightlines vary by departure.

“It was the only way to see all the architectural buildings all over Venice without any crowds. Thanks”

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Private 4hrs Venice Tour: Doge's Palace, Grand Canal & St Mark's - St. Mark’s Square and the quieter lanes beyond it
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Private 4hrs Venice Tour: Doge’s Palace, Grand Canal & St Mark’s

9.Private 4hrs Venice Tour: Doge’s Palace, Grand Canal & St Mark’s

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 715 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $594

Explore Venice with a private English-speaking guide, skip the lines at Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica, wander quieter lanes, and cruise the Grand Canal by motorboat. Guides such as Edi, Cristina, Sabrina, and Stefano are praised for lively storytelling and personal attention.

“We enjoy the morning and afternoon tours very much. Our tour guides are brother & sister (Marco & Marina), they were very knowledgeable and full of history. The boat ride at the end was very relaxing. A good way to end the tour.🤗”

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Venice: San Marco to Rialto Walking Tour & Spritz Like a Local - The Pantheon of Venice adds an architectural stop
Rialto and Grand Canal Tours, St Marks Basilica Tours and Tickets, Tour Reviews, Tours, Venice Cicchetti and Food Tours, Venice Walking Tours, Walking Tours

Venice: San Marco to Rialto Walking Tour & Spritz Like a Local

10.San Marco to Rialto Walking Tour & Spritz Like a Local

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 688 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $18Best value

Walk from St. Mark’s Square toward Rialto with a small group of up to 15, visiting quiet squares, the Pantheon of Venice, and a site linked to Marco Polo. Your guide adds local stories, then you stop at a bacaro for a spritz. Some options include a gondola ride and Venice VR experience.

“Arrive a bit early to get your earphones and vocal box from the office. Walking through different areas we probably wouldn’t have seen, tour guide was lovely too”

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Venice: Ghost Tour to Rialto and San Marco Square - San Marco after sunset
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Venice: Ghost Tour to Rialto and San Marco Square

11.Ghost Tour to Rialto and San Marco Square

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 659 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $31

Walk Venice at night with an English-speaking guide from Bucintoro Viaggi. Over 1.5 hours, you’ll connect San Marco Square and Rialto through quiet lanes, old courtyards, legends, unsolved mysteries, and darker chapters of Venetian history. Expect storytelling more than scares.

“Kate was an amazing guide! She showed us some cool parts of Venice as well as she told interesting stories! Recommend this activity if you want something different than the other tours”

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Venice's Icons: Basilica, Doge Palace, Rialto & Optional Gondola - St. Mark’s Square and the golden basilica
Doges Palace Tours, Rialto and Grand Canal Tours, St Marks Basilica Tours and Tickets, Tour Reviews, Venice Gondola Rides

Venice’s Icons: Basilica, Doge Palace, Rialto & Optional Gondola

12.Venice’s Icons: Basilica, Doge Palace, Rialto & Optional Gondola

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 413 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $162

Meet in St. Mark’s Square for a 5 to 6 hour guided visit to St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace, plus Rialto Bridge and the Bridge of Sighs. Skip-the-line tickets, a Venice VR presentation, prison access, and an optional shared gondola ride are included, with a maximum of 25 people.

“Venice was very beautiful and so romantic. The Golden Basilica of St. Mark's with its byzantine masterpieces was so majestic and I have experienced an unforgettable gondola ride.”

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Venice: Rialto Market Food and Wine Lunchtime Tour - Starting at San Giacomo di Rialto
Food, Food & Drink, Markets, Rialto and Grand Canal Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Venice Cicchetti and Food Tours, Wine Tours

Venice: Rialto Market Food and Wine Lunchtime Tour

13.Rialto Market Food and Wine Lunchtime Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 383 reviews Top rated

Spend four hours walking Venice with an English-speaking guide such as Denis, Giulia, or Anna. Taste cicchetti, wine, pastries, coffee, tiramisu, and other Venetian specialties while visiting Rialto Market, Marco Polo’s former home, Casanova sites, and local osterias.

“It was so great! Our guide was amazing and so interactive always willing to answer questions and give more information on random things! Food and wine were delicious and the others in our group were very friendly making to whole experience a ton of fun!”

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Venice: 30-Minute Gondola Ride on Grand Canal with Serenade - Starting near Santa Maria del Giglio
Rialto and Grand Canal Tours, Tour Reviews, Venice Gondola Rides

Venice: 30-Minute Gondola Ride on Grand Canal with Serenade

14.30-Minute Gondola Ride on Grand Canal with Serenade

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · 337 reviews · from $59

Share or reserve a private gondola for a 30-minute ride past Santa Maria della Salute, La Fenice, Punta della Dogana, and smaller Venetian canals. A singer and musician perform from the flotilla’s central gondola, with the best sound when your boat travels nearby.

“The serenaded gondola ride was worth every penny and all of the family agreed it made the experience very special. There were only four gondolas in our group so we were able to hear the singing/music very clearly. Big shout out to our gondolier Swann who was lovely!”

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Rialto Market Food and Wine Lunchtime Tour of Venice - Cicchetti and wine in the Venetian style
Food, Food & Drink, Markets, Rialto and Grand Canal Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Venice Cicchetti and Food Tours, Wine Tours

Rialto Market Food and Wine Lunchtime Tour of Venice

15.Rialto Market Food and Wine Lunchtime Tour of Venice

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 278 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $113

Start at 10:45 am near San Giacomo di Rialto for four hours of Venetian food, wine, and sightseeing. A local guide leads you through Rialto Market, cicchetti bars, and historic squares, with guides such as Denys, Julia, Denis, and Tone praised for their humor and personal tips.

“Julia was an excellent guide with very interesting insights. She was friendly and knowledgeable. It was great to learn about the history of Venetian dishes and the history of the Rialto area and the stories behind the food.”

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New in Rialto and Grand Canal Tours

★ 4.2Grand Canal Private Boat TripFrom $212131 reviews
★ 4.0Unusual Venice Walking Tour through Rialto & Gondola ExperienceFrom $60135 reviews

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Explore Venice

Pick a monument, a boat or a counter bar.

The square

St Mark’s BasilicaDoge’s PalaceThe CampanileBridge of SighsSkip-the-Line

On the water

Gondola RidesMurano and BuranoLagoon CruisesIsland Boat ToursKayaking

Eating and drinking

Cicchetti CrawlsCooking ClassesDinner at a Local’sProsecco HillsWine Tastings

Out of town

The DolomitesVeronaPaduaLake GardaFlorence