What are the nearest attractions to Grand Canal?

Attractions near Grand Canal: Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista Frari Church (Basilica dei Frari) Santa Croce

What else should I know about attractions in Venice?

As well as visiting the Grand Canal, check out these trip ideas to make the most of your visit: How to Drink Coffee in Italy Like a Local Must-See Museums in Venice Things to Do in Venice with Kids

Grand Canal - What To Know BEFORE You Go

The Basics

A sail down the Grand Canal is a trip through centuries of Venetian history, as historic palaces dating from the 13th to the 18th centuries rise out of the water along most of the route. Though stretches of the canal are lined with walkways, many of the important landmarks can be seen only from the water, so a small-group Grand Canal boat tour or combination walking-and-canal tour is by far the best way to go. For a historical tour of the canal, opt for a daytime sightseeing tour so you can see the ornate facades of Venice’s famous palaces. For a romantic journey, choose a moonlit gondola ride. And for a truly Venetian experience, opt for a gondola ride with a serenade!

Things to Know Before You Go

Most Grand Canal gondola rides begin or end in St. Mark’s Square, home to St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace, and include a few picturesque minor canals along the way.
Alongside Rome and Florence as one of the most popular destinations in Italy, Venice can get extremely crowded. To avoid a long wait at the motor launch, book your Venice tour tickets in advance.
The palaces along the Grand Canal have architectural styles that span from the Byzantine to the Renaissance, and are best appreciated with an expert tour guide who can explain their history and importance.
Note that Venice and the Grand Canal feature a great number of bridges, many of which are not wheelchair accessible.

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The Islands of Venice

Venice is made up of over 100 small islands, so for a different perspective of this unique city on the water, take a boat tour to one of the quieter outlying islands such as Murano, famous for its glassblowing industry; Burano, known for its lace-making artisans; or Torcello, thought to be the first populated island the in Venetian lagoon.

Recent reviews from experiences in Venice

Beautiful ride

Pratts_P, Jun 2022

Venice: Charming Gondola Ride on the Grand Canal

Guide was very friendly and given tour in English too which was helpful. Did Gandola ride on Grand canal, was amazed by the experience. This ride didn't take to Railto bridge. I think we'll have to check the route the ride takes before booking it. I would recommend this to a friend

Amazing, very worthwhile tour!

Elizabeth_W, Jun 2022

Small Group Motorboat Cruise: Grand Canal & Basilica San Giorgio Maggiore

GREAT TOUR!!! Our tour guide was phenomenal and she even treated us with some delicious Prosecco on our tour. She was so knowledgeable and the tour was the perfect amount of time and far from boring! We saw amazing views of Venice, we went down the Grand Canal but also other areas that we would’ve never saw on our own.

Fantastic day! Our guide...

John_T, May 2022

Private Grand Canal Boat Tour , Murano and Burano 6 hours

Fantastic day! Our guide gave us a real feel for Venice during the Grand Canal tour. Excellent glassblowing and lacemaking demonstrations. Our guide's restaurant recommendation on Burano was memorable!

What a great tour!

Paula_O, Jul 2022

Grand Canal Tales: 100 Amazing Palaces, Small Group Boat Tour

Wow! What an amazing tour!!!! My guide Victorino was beyond awesome. I had such a great time going through the Great Canal and getting information. This tour was small and personal so you weren't overwhelmed with the amount of people around you. I highly recommend this trip and if possible ask for Victorino!

Lovely way to see the sights of Venice

Diana_M, Jul 2022

Private Guided Tour: Venice Gondola Ride Including the Grand Canal

Clementina was an excellent, knowledgeable guide with interesting stories and insights. Very lovely, peaceful tour with a very skilled gondolier. Highly recommended.

Great way to see Venice

The Secrets of the Grand Canal - Boat Tour

What a wonderful introduction to Venice with our very knowledgeable, interesting, enthusiastic and well-spoken guide. It helped get us oriented and we learnt so much about the history of Venice and the buildings we passed by. Highly recommended.

Lovely!

William_S, Jun 2022

Venice: Grand Canal by Gondola with commentary

The guide that took us to the gondola was very informative and did a wonderful job sharing history about gondolas, how they are passed from family to family etc. We wish it had been a longer boat ride and that the gondolier had pointed out landmarks & shared more info. But we loved the experience!

If you want to have the...

TRACEH_R, Jun 2022

If you want to have the gondola experience without the hassle of carrying euros around this is the way to go. The gondolier was friendly. There just wasn’t much commentary other than pointing out Mozarts house. However I would do it again for the experience and ease

Great way to see city

Donna_P, Apr 2022

Grand Canal boat tour and Murano glass experience with Hotel pick up

A very informative guide (Virginia) explained the significance of buildings along the Grand Canal. The boat was a great way to see the city Murano island glass making exhibit was quite nice and had opportunity to purchase product.

Tour guide

David_L, Jun 2022

Our tour guide Elisa was excellent very knowledgeable and gracious. The boat that was used was very good the old wooden boat with the shellac finish! The areas we visited were excellent. We were fortunate to have the boat to ourselves..would recommend to anyone

Fun and informative

Dyce_M, Jun 2022

Very informative. Neat insights into back alley Venice. Small(4 people) is the way to go. Let's you get answers to your questions. Travel44 European Specialists

Wonder & Magic.

Stephanie_C, Jun 2022

This was a delightful tour. We glided along small narrow canals as well as the Grand Canal. The look of pure wonder on my daughters face reminded me of Christmas mornings when she was a child. It’s probably the most treasured memory from our 10 day trip to Italy. Stephanie.

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Grand Canal