In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The city’s fare is €90 per boat for 30 minutes by day (9:00 to 19:00) and €110 for 35 minutes at night (19:00 to 4:00), for up to five people, so a full boat costs €18 a head by day. Longer rides are priced in proportion, so agree the time and the total before boarding. Shared rides on GetYourGuide are €36 to €42 a seat, about double the per-head price of a full boat, and they sell a meeting point, an app or a gallery visit. A traghetto across the Grand Canal is €2. Or book: the shared ride with app commentaryad is from €37.05 and the shared ride across the Grand Canalad from €39.
The fares
The Comune di Venezia sets the gondola tariff, in a council resolution of 20 April 2023, and publishes it with the list of stations on its gondola service page.
A gondola on the Rio dei Miracoli. Photo: Nino Barbieri, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5.
| When | Fare per boat | Length | People |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day, 9:00 to 19:00 | €90 | 30 minutes | Up to 5 |
| Night, 19:00 to 4:00 | €110 | 35 minutes | Up to 5 |
- The fare is for the boat, not for each person.
- The length can vary by a few minutes because of traffic, the tide and the weather.
- Other lengths are priced in proportion to the time. Agree it before you board.
- The sums: five people pay €18 each by day and €22 each at night. A couple pays €45 each by day and €55 each at night.
Where to board
The Comune lists ten gondola stations, and each takes bookings by phone or email: Danieli, Molo, Dogana, Trinità, Santa Maria del Giglio, San Tomà, San Beneto, Carbon, Santa Sofia and San Marcuola. Walking to a station and paying the city’s fare is the cheapest way. The bookable products below sell convenience.
Gondolas moored in the Bacino Orseolo, near St Mark’s Square. Photo: BKP, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Shared or private?
| Option | Cost for two | Cost for five |
|---|---|---|
| Official fare, private boat, by day | €90 | €90 |
| Shared seats at €36 to €42 | €72 to €84 | €180 to €210 |
A shared seat is cheaper only for one or two people. For three or more, a private boat at the official fare costs less than shared seats. Private gondola rides on GetYourGuide start at €139, which is 54% above the official fare of €90, so book those at the station instead.
A traghetto is the other gondola ride: a ferry that crosses the Grand Canal at set points, for €2 a visitor. It is a short crossing, not a tour.
The Santa Sofia traghetto landing on the Grand Canal. Photo: Didier Descouens, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tours worth paying for
Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person, for a shared ride of about 30 minutes.
Shared ride with app commentary
From €37.05 · 30 minutes to 2 hours · 26,683 reviews
Venice: Grand Canal Gondola Ride with App Commentaryad is run by City Tours Co. It starts with a 20-minute introduction to gondolas and a visit to the Gondola Gallery, then a ride of about 30 minutes with commentary in an app, so download it before boarding. It is not suitable for wheelchair users. Cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
Shared ride across the Grand Canal
From €39 · 30 minutes · 7,022 reviews
Venice: Shared Gondola Ride Across the Grand Canalad is run by Bucintoro Viaggi, with up to five other people and a gondolier, and meets on the Riva degli Schiavoni. It has no serenade, and the listing says the ride could last less than 30 minutes depending on the traffic on the canals. Cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
Traditional shared ride
From €36 · 30 to 50 minutes · 4,008 reviews
Venice: Traditional Shared Gondola Ridead is run by Gray Line Venice, with up to five passengers per gondola and commentary on board. The listing warns that you may not be seated next to your partner, and that the gondolier decides the length. It is not suitable for wheelchair users.
What to expect
The shared rides go through the smaller canals around St Mark’s Square and Rialto and out onto the Grand Canal. Their listings name the sights from the water:
- The small canals. The listings mention La Fenice and, on one ride, the Bridge of Sighs.
- The Grand Canal, with the Salute church, Punta della Dogana and the Peggy Guggenheim palace.
- The Gondola Gallery, on City Tours Co’s rides, a visit before the ride with a real gondola and an oar.
What to skip: a private gondola booked on a website above the €90 or €110 fare. The fare is the same at the station.
Practical information
- Agree the length and the total with the gondolier before you board. The city’s tariff is on its gondola service page.
- Do not stand up in the boat.
- Weather: the shared rides run in rain, and exceptional high tides can cancel them.
- Getting there: the stations are on the Grand Canal and round the Square. Venice public transport has the vaporetto fares if you would rather see the canal from a boat for less.
What to book before you go to Venice has the fares and closed days together. The Rialto Bridge and market and best views in Venice are the other ways to see the Grand Canal, and Venice in one or two days fits a ride in at dusk. To stay on the water, see where to stay in Venice.
Common questions
How much is a gondola ride in Venice?
The Comune di Venezia sets €90 per boat for a 30-minute tour by day, from 9:00 to 19:00, and €110 per boat for a 35-minute tour at night, from 19:00 to 4:00. The fare is for the boat, which carries up to five people.
Can a gondolier charge more than the official fare?
The official fare covers the standard tour. For a different length the Comune says the price is worked out in proportion to the time, so agree the length and the total with the gondolier before you step aboard.
How many people fit in a gondola?
Up to five. Five people in one boat pay €18 each by day and €22 each at night. A couple pays €45 each by day.
Is a shared gondola ride cheaper?
No, per head it costs about double. Shared rides on GetYourGuide are €36 to €42 a seat, against €18 a head in a full boat at the official fare. Two people in shared seats pay €72 or more, against €90 for a private boat.
What is a traghetto in Venice?
A gondola ferry across the Grand Canal. The fare is €2 for visitors and €0.70 for residents. It is a short crossing, not a tour.
Where do I find a gondola?
At one of the city's gondola stations. The Comune lists ten: Danieli, Molo, Dogana, Trinità, Santa Maria del Giglio, San Tomà, San Beneto, Carbon, Santa Sofia and San Marcuola, each with a number for bookings.
