Shared Gondola Ride with Bridge of Sighs Views

Scam artists, avoid avoid avoid!

Avoid this company like the plague, they sell a "gondola ride to bridge of sighs" but then they don't take you there (according to past reviews I'm not the first), so when I went back to the office first Louisa says she's not sure why we didn't go, offers me a later tour (I couldn't make it), anyway then they claim high tides when I have timestamped photo and video proof of gondolas going through there all day, they clearly are used to scamming tourists, they started joking to each other in Italian, they said request a refund through the app, then proceeded to deny all the refund claims, Viator wasn't good in this process, they sided with these scam artists every time, so I resorted to my credit card company to get my money back successfully, I hope viator has some sense when there is more than one review for a company like this that they stop allowing them on their apps, lots of time lost in this process, I won't get the time back, but learn from my review and avoid these people seriously!

Response from the operator: Dear Steve, We take customer feedback seriously, but we must firmly reject the accusations made in this review. Describing our company and our staff as “scam artists” and claiming that we deliberately deceive tourists is both serious and completely unfounded. Your gondola ride took place on 17 July 2026 at the scheduled 3:00 pm departure, and the service you booked was provided in full. As clearly stated on the Viator listing and, importantly, on your own booking voucher under “Know Before You Go”: “In case of high tide (acqua alta) gondolas might not be able to complete the itinerary that passes underneath the Bridge of Sighs and an alternative route will be provided.” This is not a condition introduced after your complaint. It formed part of the information provided with your booking. At the time of your 3:00 pm departure, the water level did not allow the gondolas to safely complete the passage beneath the Bridge of Sighs and the following bridge, due to insufficient clearance. For this reason, the alternative route described in the booking conditions was operated. You subsequently referred to photographs and videos of other gondolas passing through the area. The photographs you told us about were taken at approximately 4:13 pm — more than one hour after your scheduled departure. Water levels in Venice change continuously with the tide, and the fact that gondolas could navigate the passage later does not demonstrate that the same passage was safely navigable at 3:00 pm. When you returned to our office, our staff did not dismiss your concerns. On the contrary, you were offered the opportunity to take a later ride, which you declined because it did not suit your schedule. We also explained the reason for the route modification and directed you to Viator regarding your refund request. Viator reviewed your refund requests together with the circumstances of the tour and the applicable booking conditions and did not approve the refund. We likewise contested the subsequent chargeback because the booked experience had been provided and the possibility of an alternative route in these circumstances had been expressly disclosed in advance. You are of course entitled to be disappointed that the route had to be changed. What we cannot accept is that a clearly disclosed operational and safety-related itinerary change is portrayed as a deliberate “scam”. We have been operating gondola experiences for visitors to Venice for many years, and neither our company nor our staff benefit in any way from changing a route because of tidal conditions. Our responsibility is to operate the experience safely and in accordance with the conditions communicated to our guests. We therefore stand by the service provided and categorically reject the allegation that you were deceived or scammed.

via Viator

Not worth the money.

The basilica was wonderful, but the tour was not great. We paid for someone to walk us to the basilica. We were told she would be available to help but as soon as she got us to the basilica she left. We arrived at the gate, she escorted us through the gate and said, “do the palace and museum on your own.” Then we didn’t see her again.

Response from the operator: Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. However, after reviewing your reservation, we noticed that this review has been posted under our Shared Gondola Ride with Bridge of Sighs Views experience, which does not include a visit to St. Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace, or any guided walking service. It seems your comments may refer to a different tour booked with another provider. If this is the case, we kindly invite you to review the reservation details and post your feedback under the correct experience so that it reaches the appropriate operator. Thank you!

via Viator

Merchant closed when arrived - no refund given

Arrived in time, no one was there. Viator refuses to give a refund. We weren’t the only ones. Another family arrived shortly after us with the same reservation. Beware!

Response from the operator: Dear Guest, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. We would just like to clarify that our staff was present at the designated check-in location. We also have a physical store that remains open beyond the scheduled check-in time to welcome and assist arriving guests. Regarding the refund, bookings are subject to the cancellation terms agreed to at the time of purchase. Unfortunately, refunds are generally not available when guests are unable to check in or do not arrive at the meeting point within the required time. Kind regards

via Viator

Beautiful start to the day!

Very nice tour. We were not able to sit on the “sofa” part of the gondola since it was a shared ride, but it was a great experience.

via Viator

Only about 20-25 minutes....

Only about 20-25 minutes. No singing or talking. Not what I experienced in the last visit, not very memorable.

via Viator