Glide through the most romantic waterway in the world aboard a private gondola, accompanied by a singing gondolier, threading the Rio Ognissanti and emerging onto the shimmering Grand Canal at golden hour.
What to expect
Your gondolier, in traditional striped shirt and straw hat, poles you away from the chaos of the tourist embarkation points into a labyrinth of mirror-still side canals flanked by Gothic palazzo walls draped in wisteria. Bridges arch just overhead; cats watch from windowsills. As you emerge onto the Grand Canal the scale shift is breathtaking — a wall of Renaissance and Byzantine façades lit by afternoon sun. The optional tenor serenata turns the 40 minutes into a memory that never leaves.
Good to know
Book directly at official gondola stations near Rialto or San Marco; rates are government-regulated. Arrive at least 30 minutes before your slot. From Marghera, shuttle to Piazzale Roma and Vaporetto Line 1 to Rialto — 40 minutes total. Afternoon departures work perfectly against a typical early-evening all-aboard.
Sail there
Luxury cruises that call at Marghera — book through us, the fare is identical and your concierge stays on your side.
More to do in Marghera
- Doge's Palace: Private Expert-Led Tour + Secret Itinerary
- Basilica di San Marco: Skip-the-Line + Pala d'Oro & Loggia dei Cavalli
- Murano: Master Glassblower Private Demonstration & Furnace Tour
- Peggy Guggenheim Collection: Private Curator-Led After-Hours Visit
- Rialto Market Dawn Food Walk & Private Bacaro Cicchetti Masterclass