On our third wedding anniversary, my husband and I were in Venice, Italy, and we spent it taking a romantic gondola ride with a singing gondolier. The dream! We ended up having the best time, and I am so glad we did it! In this post I will share which gondola ride we booked, how we did it, what our experience was like and tips for making the most of your experience.
There are many spots all over Venice where you can get on a gondola. The pickup spots are clearly marked along many of the canals, so you can wait at one of those until a gondolier comes by.
If you want a musical gondola ride though, you will have to do a bit more planning than that. The gondoliers that are not working on the designated musical gondolas will not sing for you.
Booking a Musical Gondola
We booked our gondola ride and serenade through Viator. The cost is $66.59 CAD per person, up to six people per gondola. We booked the tickets about a week ahead of time in July and were able to get the time we wanted. I do recommend booking ahead of time though, because you don’t want to get there and find out they’re all sold out! Also, you have to print out your ticket and bring it with you, which is much easier to do at home.
The Gondola Serenade Experience
Since there are six people per gondola, you will be sharing the boat with other people. You can also go private gondola tours, but as I mentioned before, those gondoliers do not sing or play music. If you are ok with that though, then go for it!
The one thing that worried me about the group gondola experience was not being able to choose where we were going to sit. We were so lucky, and ended up being the first people on our gondola, so we got to sit next to each other nearest the gondolier facing the rest of the gondola. Our seat even had a heart as the backrest. It was too perfect!
The singer and the accordion player were on another gondola, but they stayed right next to us the whole time. The ride was about half an hour, and I never wanted it to end! Riding around on the gondola is so much fun, and it gives you a whole other perspective of Venice. However, I really believe the serenading experience takes it to a whole other level. The magic and romance of it is indescribable!
If anyone tells you gondolas in Venice are too cliché, do not listen to them! It was the most magical experience ever, and it was the perfect way to kick off our Italian holiday.
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Check out these posts next:
How to Spend 4 Days in Venice, Italy
Visiting Murano, Burano and Torcello in Venice
Rowboating in Central Park, New York City
Ultimate Guide to Free Activities in New York City
xo,
Andrea
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I really want to get here. Your post makes me want to just jump on the plane right now!
Thank you! You have to go! 🙂
Oh my goodness…I wouldn’t even care if it was cliche. I want to do it anyway!!
Right?? That’s what I thought too, and I’m so glad we did it! 🙂
Omg what a cool experience!! We almost booked a trip to Venice this summer, but switched gears (we’ll be going to Oktoberfest instead) but this is totally on my bucket list! I love that they stay right next to you in another boat the whole time. So. Romantic. I can’t wait to do this one day. And definitely for an anniversary. That’s the cherry on top. 🙂
Oooh Oktoberfest will be a blast, have fun! Venice is definitely perfect for a romantic vacation. 🙂
Looks amazing! I can’t wait to make a trip to Italy!
It’s such a fun place to visit!
How beautiful, and so romantic! Especially the musical gondola. Just a tad bit jealous!
It was so amazing! You’ll have to do it one day 🙂