Gondola rides · MORNING
The 6 best morning gondola rides you can book today, with the fare, the length of the ride and who else is in the boat. Number one leads for a reason; start there.
Start at 10:45 with a multilingual guided visit to St. Mark’s Square and Basilica, including the terrace and advertised access to the famous horses. After several free hours, return at 3:00 for a 30-minute shared gondola ride. Bring your voucher twice, dress modestly, and leave large bags behind.
Start at 9 a.m. with a guided walk through Venice, passing the Grand Canal, Piazza San Marco, La Fenice, Campo Santa Maria Formosa, and other landmarks. Guides such as Monica and Antonella have led especially strong outings. The walk lasts about 90 minutes, followed by a shared 30-minute gondola ride with no guaranteed commentary.
“A very knowledgeable and interesting guide on the walking part of the tour and a 20 minute gondola ride that was brilliant”
Leave your Ko Lanta resort before dawn for Tung Yee Peng village, where guides such as Gunn, Nas, and Wi take you by paddle-powered wooden gondola toward Lanta Bay. Listen for waking wildlife, watch the sunrise, spot macaques and birds, and enjoy local coffee plus a Thai breakfast on the water.
“The host was wonderful. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate and provide a good sunrise. It’s the risk you take, but fortunately we are early risers anyway.”
Leave your Koh Lanta Yai hotel around 5 AM for Tung Yee Peng, where guide Gunn and a local captain take you by paddle-powered gondola toward Lanta Bay. Watch sunrise over the mangroves, enjoy fish with sticky rice and a hot drink, and look for macaques, mudskippers, and birds. Each booking has a private boat for up to four people.
“Honestly just book this tour. Don't think twice about the early pick up time, it's so so so worth it. Can't even describe how magical it is to see and hear nature waking up around you, how gorgeous the gondolas are, how delicious and special the food is and how kind everybody is. This is a family run business: the tour guides are a lovely young couple from a local community, and their parents make the food and drive the boats. They also pick you up in a comfortable and air-conditioned private car. Besides being an amazing experience, you're guaranteed to have some of the best pics of your trip…”
Start in St. Mark’s Square with a guided visit to St. Mark’s Basilica, including its museum, famous horses, mosaics, and terrace. Later, board a shared gondola at San Moisè for a 30-minute canal ride. The tour suits first-time visitors, but the split schedule and guide quality require careful planning.
“I learned a lot from the Golden Basilica Tour. I only wish I could have spend more time in the basilica and gone to the top. We got to see Mozart's house during the Gondola tour! Was extraordinary.”
Start near St. Mark’s Square with a guide-led walk through Castello, Santa Maria Formosa, La Fenice, and Rialto. Then share a gondola for a peaceful ride on the Grand Canal and smaller waterways. The walk takes up to 15 people, while each gondola holds no more than five.
“Our guides name was Elizabeth and she was fantastic! We got to learn about all the little nooks and crannies of Venice. It was nice to start our first day in Venice with this tour to get a foundation of the city! Would def recommend!!”
A shared bench, a boat of your own, or a route past the Bridge of Sighs.
