Enjoyed the extra time in Gondola vs. other ride options but a little disappointed in where the Gondola went, mainly on Grand Canal vs. smaller channels. Personal guide was good but not sure this was worth the price charged.

If this tour had been a quarter the price 100 instead of 400, I would give this tour 4 stars max. But...given that A It barely lasted an hour, B our gondolier was an absolute smart-mouth, and C our tour guide while very nice was pretty checked out, I can't give it more than 2 stars. If you're looking for a private gondola ride, just book one by itself without the guide. You're probably still going to get an arrogant, smart-mouth gondolier, but at least you'll be paying a LOT less than what this tour charges.

Very good gondola ride - tour guide was on time and enhanced the experience of the gondola ride

Great tour guide!

We loved Barbara! We learned so much about the city of Venice, and enjoyed the sites as she spent an hour showing us through the Grand Canal via gondola. We would highly recommend this tour :)

This was our first time in Venezia. A private, romantic gondola ride is a must! We were celebrating our 25th anniversary. We read reviews of other tours, which included someone who would serenade, but we found out they are sometimes not on the same gondola but within earshot. We were fresh off our flight and lacking sleep, but we were excited! The skill of a gondolier is something else! They can turn tight corners while launching off a wall and balancing with an oar! Our tour guide, Maria-Teresa, was originally from Germany but she had been living in Venezia and was well-informed and well-understood. It was everything we imagined it to be on a gondola, but much more! Bucket list item ticked off!

Not only beautiful, but also informative. Our guide noted history and architecture while our awesome gondolier glided our gondola through the Grand Canal and city waterways.

Choosing the private tour is the best option when deciding on a gondola ride. Our tour guide was informative and was open to stopping at locations for pictures.

Not very good! The driver not friendly, looks like they were on the run and didn’t put any attention in please the customers

There was a 90 chance of rain at our scheduled Gondola ride on a Tuesday morning so we asked if we could go the evening before if there was a vacancy. We were allowed to go so that was nice BUT the tour itself was the worst tour our family has ever experienced anywhere in the world. A gondola ride in Venice is an experience you anticipate and dream about for years. This 30 minute experience was so disappointing. The gondoliers smoked cigarettes, sat, and talked while tourists gathered for their rides. Even though the boats were empty, they kept telling people to wait. Finally they gathered everyone up at one time 7:30 pm and put people in boats. There were probably 20 gondolas that went out at once and just followed each other around a block. Two other people were in the boat with our family even though this was supposed to be a private tour. The gondoliers did not care. The gondolier never even told us his name. He steered the boat next to another boat and talked to the other gondolier the whole time. He even took us down a canal with a building under construction so that we had to lean so as not to hit the tarps covering the building. NOT VERY SCENIC! We went around one block by Venetian standards and he docked the gondola at 7:58 pm. ONCE IN A LIFETIME GONDOLA RIDE OVER. For a group of workers who are so specialized and known the world over, they didn't seem to care or take pride in what they were doing at all. Seemed very unionized as in they only did what was absolutely necessary and did not care about their patrons at all. In the picture below you can tell how close we are to the other gondola and he stayed very close beside them the whole time. I understand that being a gondolier can be inherited or they have to train for many years to become one. Nothing in the way we were treated or our tour would suggest they were proud of what they do. So sad because I am sure many others would love that opportunity. I have seen tour bus drivers have much more pride in their work than these guys. And to top it off this was what my husband wanted for his 65th birthday. Such a disappointment. Would not recommend booking this ahead of time to anyone.