by – Mat Wass, Tour Manager, Europe

One of my favorite excursions has to be the gondola ride in Venice – it is the best and coolest way to end a busy day in Venice.

Nice and relaxing, with some friends cruising the canals and seeing a completely different side to the city and of course you can’t go to Venice and not go on a gondola!

by – Matt Vernick, Tour Manager, Europe

What trip to Venice would be complete without a gondola ride!

The long black boats are one of most famous icons in the world and are synonymous not only with the beautiful city of Venice, but also Italy itself.

A ride on a gondola Gives you a totally different perspective on the city and has a reputation as being one of the more romantic experiences to be had while visiting Europe.

The waterways and canals in Venice are the lifeblood of the city and are used as ‘roads’ by the boat-going locals. Although Contiki uses a number of different gondola companies in Venice, all of them will take you along the Grand Canal (‘the most beautiful street in the world’ according to the Venetians) as well as through the serene ‘backstreets’ of Venice.

Most people really enjoy the Gondola ride (some even claim that it is one of their most memorable experiences in Europe) and even if it doesn’t seem like your cup of tea, it’s something that you almost have to do if only to say you’ve been there and done that.

The gondoliers (almost always wearing their striped shirts) are very protective of their gondolas (most are more likely to spend their time talking on their cell phone than serenading you with ‘That’s Amore’) but most are cool if you bring along your own bottle of vino (wine) and enjoy a few glasses along the way – perfect!

The gondola rides are usually in groups of 6 or less depending on the total number of people on tour taking the excursion and usually last form 35 to 40 minutes. If you’re after a private gondola you may have to organize it yourself (this will no doubt cost a lot more) or ask your Tour Manager and they may be able to organize something for you.

The Gondola ride is weather dependent and is offered as an optional excursion on Contiki’s European Tours visiting Venice, Italy.