
Private Venice Canal Cruise: 2-Hour Grand Canal and Secret Canals
Traveler rating
4.5/5
Based on 139 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Private Venice Canal Cruise: 2-Hour Grand Canal and Secret Canals worth booking?
Private Venice Canal Cruise: 2-Hour Grand Canal and Secret Canals is a 2-hour experience in Venice, Italy, from $534 per person. It scores 60 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Worth a Look”, based on a 4.5/5 rating across 139 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 60 / 100
- Rating
- 4.5/5 (139)
- Duration
- 2 hours
- From
- $534 per person
Explore some of the smaller, secret Venetian canals by motorboat on a 2-hour cruise, and discover the neighborhoods of Cannaregio, the Jewish Ghetto and Dorsoduro as well as the Grand Canal, too! While hearing anecdotes and history about the enchanting city from an onboard guide, look out for sights such as the Arsenale shipyard alongside intriguing lesser-known landmarks. See craftsmen at work at a gondola boat workshop, and then finish the cruise on a high note with a jaunt along the glamorous Grand Canal and underneath Rialto Bridge.
What you get
About this experience
Explore some of the smaller, secret Venetian canals by motorboat on a 2-hour cruise, and discover the neighborhoods of Cannaregio, the Jewish Ghetto and Dorsoduro as well as the Grand Canal, too! While hearing anecdotes and history about the enchanting city from an onboard guide, look out for sights such as the Arsenale shipyard alongside intriguing lesser-known landmarks. See craftsmen at work at a gondola boat workshop, and then finish the cruise on a high note with a jaunt along the glamorous Grand Canal and underneath Rialto Bridge.
What's included
Included
- Professional English-speaking guide
- Grand Canal ride
- Stop at the Jewish Ghetto
- Stop by a Gondola Shipyard in the charming Dorsoduro district
- Enter via the “Porta dell’Acqua“ into the impressive Arsenal, the historic shipyard of Venice
- Luxurious motor-launch
Not included
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Meals
What you'll see and do
Piazza San Marco
View the magnificent St Mark's Square and Doges Palace from the water
Pass by without stopping
Canal Grande
Enjoy a 1-hour tour of the Grand Canal and minor canals lead by our English-speaking guide in a small group of 8/9 people
60 minutes here
Ponte di Rialto
Learn about the Magnificent Rialto Bridge as you pass by on your boat
Pass by without stopping
Arsenale di Venezia
View the magnificent Arsenal of Venice during your guided 2-hour cruise by boat
Pass by without stopping
Ghetto Ebraico
Enjoy a walk in the fascinating Jewish ghetto of Venice
20 minutes here
Cannaregio
Enter some of the back canals of the picturesque Cannaregio district
Pass by without stopping
San Pietro di Castello
See the first basilica of Venice in the Castello district
Pass by without stopping
Dorsoduro
Cruise down some of the charming canals of Dorsoduro district
Pass by without stopping
Ponte dell'Accademia
Pass by the Accademia gallery and bridge as you tour the Grand Canal
Pass by without stopping
Santa Croce
Cruise some of the small canals of the Santa Croce district
Pass by without stopping
Ponte degli Scalzi
Pass by the Ponte degli Scalzi near the train station, the third bridge connecting the two sides of the Grand Canal
Pass by without stopping
Chiesa di Santa Maria di Nazareth - Chiesa degli Scalzi
See the Baroque church Santa Maria di Nazareth as you cruise down the Grand Canal
Pass by without stopping
Squero di San Trovaso
See the famous Squero San Trovaso, one of the oldest and still active places where gondolas are built
Pass by without stopping
Where it starts and ends
Meeting point
Venice
Entrance to the Royal Gardens, on the waterfront of St Mark's Square - You'll meet Avventure Bellissime tour coordinator outside the Royal Gardens, in front of the wrought iron Gate holding a sign with the name of the tour and Avventure Bellissime written on it.
Hotel pickup
No pickup: everyone meets at the start point.
Ends at
Entrance to the Royal Gardens, on the waterfront of St Mark's Square - You'll meet Avventure Bellissime tour coordinator outside the Royal Gardens, in front of the wrought iron Gate holding a sign with the name of the tour and Avventure Bellissime written on it.
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- en
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Every day
- Group size
- Up to 15 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Avventure Bellissime
Know before you go
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Tour is not suitable for people in wheelchairs or with walking difficulties as passengers are required to step down onto the boat when boarding. The variation of the level of tides can make the vessel unstable
- During high water, the tour will take place, but it might happen we have to partly adapt the tour to the weather conditions
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- All passengers pay the same rate irrespectively from their age
- On certain dates, most travelers staying outside of Venice who are planning to visit for the day will be required to pay a €5 access fee. For further details (including exemptions) and to learn what days this fee is applicable, please visit: https://cda.ve.it
Photos






What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 139 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.
The guide
8 mentionsTravelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
Knowledge and storytelling
5 mentionsReviewers describe the commentary as informative rather than scripted.
Organization
2 mentionsPickup, timing, and logistics are described as running smoothly.
Small groups
2 mentionsThe group size is repeatedly described as intimate rather than packed.
Traveler reviews
139 verified traveler reviews for Private Venice Canal Cruise: 2-Hour Grand Canal and Secret Canals. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Perfect start to Venice.
Our first tour of the trip! After landing in Venice all the way from the states, we were so grateful for this relaxing orientation to venice. We got so much information and understand the city better!
via Viator
Save your money. Don’t book this one!
Tour was in a taxi and not in a wooden boat like the photos. Taxi was old and run down. Tour guide talked badly about “tourists” and the way they shop. His knowledge about the history was limited. We found ourselves correcting him several times. One strange thing was he kept asking us to leave our belongings (purse and backpack) on the taxi when we got off. Felt sketchy. Tour guide left us in the shopping district and not back where we started like it said. It was a 40 minute walk back. We mentioned we wanted to go back and he ignored us. Just awful experience. This was our 4th Viator tour this trip. The others were great.
Response from the operator: Dear Client, Thank you for your feedback . I spoke with our guide Sergio as from your name I could trace back the booking. I try to answer to all various points you arise: Sergio is a professional guide with degree in art and history and has been one of our guides for about 20 years. Therefore I'm a bit surprised to read that you had to correct him . Also he would never speak badly about tourists as we all live on tourism - he was explaining that since tourism has increased, many venitians have moved out from Venice to live outside of Venice - and this is a true fact. The tour could have easily finished back to where it started ; Sergio understood that you wanted to visit the shopping area and therefore offered you to stop at Rialto, as the main shopping street is between Rialto and St Mark's. In regards to the boat, these are the regular water taxis that are used in Venice to operate these tours and although Sergio confirmed it was not a wooden taxi , we would never operate our tours with run down taxis boats - but if you have pictures of the boat, please share those. We are a professional tour company that have been in business for 24 years and have grown thanks especially to the great dedication and love we have for our business and for trying always our best to deliver quality experiences to our clients. Most of the times we succeed , others we don't,like in all businesses as it is impossible to please everybody, for many variable and subjective reasons as well. Kind Regards Monica
via Viator
Great Tour with 1 Technical Issue
This was a great tour of some of the less touristy parts of Venice. It's divided up into the boat portion of the tour and the walking portion of the tour, that is mostly in the Jewish Ghetto. All the locations that were picked out were interesting and our guide did a good job of relaying information to us. The one issue we had was that in the boat portion of the tour, we were sitting outside in the back of the boat and weren't able to hear the guide who was sitting in the front.
via Tripadvisor
boat ride and Jewish Ghetto stop
There were 8 of us on this cruise and the boat used only had seating for 3 to 4 outside the cabin. Those seated inside the cabin really couldn't see what the tour guide was discussing/telling us to look at. A boat without the cabin should have been utilized Also, really not so many secret canals as the tour was titled, they were just canals that most tourists would not see since they were mostly away from the main tourist locations
Response from the operator: Dear Client, Thank you for your feedback. In Venice the only boats allowed down the grand canal and that can be used to tour are the type of boats you were given for touring. We've been operating this tour for many years and our guides advice clients to stay outside in the open air - Generally there is room for 4 people in the back and 4 in the front - Majority of clients enjoy spend part of the time stading and part of the time seated. As for the secret/ hidden canals, our tour features many off the tourist routes canals to give you a different perspective of venice - this is what we intend for secret, seeing places of enchanting Venice most tourist don't see and visit. Yours sincerely, Monica
via Viator
A trip of a lifetime
The tour guide was very knowledgeable and spoke wonderful English. She took us to all the main attractions and then some, thank you
via Viator
Good to know
- Duration
- 2 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Every day
- Hotel pickup
- No pickup, meet at start point
- Booked in 30 days
- 49
- Verdict
- Worth a Look
Who runs this experience
Operated by Avventure Bellissime, who run 7 experiences we rank across 4 cities, with an average Outty Ranking of 58.8.
See everything Avventure Bellissime runsWhy this scores 60
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Private Venice Canal Cruise: 2-Hour Grand Canal and Secret Canals: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Venice.
How much does Private Venice Canal Cruise: 2-Hour Grand Canal and Secret Canals cost?
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Prices start at $534 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Venice usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does Private Venice Canal Cruise: 2-Hour Grand Canal and Secret Canals take?
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Plan for about 2 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Venice is not rushed.
Is Private Venice Canal Cruise: 2-Hour Grand Canal and Secret Canals worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 60 out of 100, which we label "Worth a Look". That score blends traveler sentiment (4.5/5 across 139 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Venice, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Private Venice Canal Cruise: 2-Hour Grand Canal and Secret Canals?
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Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is Private Venice Canal Cruise: 2-Hour Grand Canal and Secret Canals suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 2-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Private Venice Canal Cruise: 2-Hour Grand Canal and Secret Canals?
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Around 49 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Venice can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Venice and add a light layer if any part of the 2-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Private Venice Canal Cruise: 2-Hour Grand Canal and Secret Canals start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Venice within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Venice?
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On Outty we rank every Venice experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Venice Pasta & Tiramisu Cooking Class with wine by Cooking Italy, Eating Venice Small Group Food & Drinks Tour, Tour of The Real Hidden Venice. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Venice?
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Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Venice?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
What is included in Private Venice Canal Cruise: 2-Hour Grand Canal and Secret Canals?
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Included: Professional English-speaking guide; Grand Canal ride; Stop at the Jewish Ghetto; Stop by a Gondola Shipyard in the charming Dorsoduro district; and Enter via the “Porta dell’Acqua“ into the impressive Arsenal, the historic shipyard of Ven. Not included: Gratuities; Hotel pickup and drop-off; and Meals. Always check the voucher for the final list before you travel.
Where is the meeting point for Private Venice Canal Cruise: 2-Hour Grand Canal and Secret Canals?
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Entrance to the Royal Gardens, on the waterfront of St Mark's Square - You'll meet Avventure Bellissime tour coordinator outside the Royal Gardens. Hotel pickup is not included, so plan your own transport and arrive 15 minutes early.
What languages is Private Venice Canal Cruise: 2-Hour Grand Canal and Secret Canals offered in?
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It runs in English. Pick your language when choosing a date and time, as not every departure runs in every language.
Will I get instant confirmation and a mobile ticket for Private Venice Canal Cruise: 2-Hour Grand Canal and Secret Canals?
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Confirmation is sent by the operator after booking, usually within 48 hours; if it is not confirmed you are not charged. Mobile tickets are accepted, so you can show the voucher on your phone.
Is Private Venice Canal Cruise: 2-Hour Grand Canal and Secret Canals wheelchair or stroller accessible?
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The operator notes: Tour is not suitable for people in wheelchairs or with walking difficulties as passengers. If accessibility is critical, contact the operator after booking to confirm arrangements for your date.
What happens to Private Venice Canal Cruise: 2-Hour Grand Canal and Secret Canals if the weather is bad?
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It generally runs rain or shine, so dress for the forecast in Venice. Standard cancellation terms apply: free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start.
What do travelers say about Private Venice Canal Cruise: 2-Hour Grand Canal and Secret Canals?
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Across 139 reviews averaging 4.5 out of 5, recurring themes include the guide, knowledge and storytelling, organization. Travelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
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