Grand Canal tour by private boat

Programme

• The shape of the canalIt runs as a reversed S and divides the city in two. Only four bridges cross it, which explains why Venetians still use the traghetto and why nothing here works as it does elsewhere.
• Gothic on the waterThe tracery arcades that look too fragile to hold anything, and hold because the house stands on piles and cannot afford a stone more than it needs.
• Reading a facadeHow a family’s standing is written into the frontage: the width of the plot, the number of windows on the piano nobile, the presence of a loggia. A house here is a public statement.
• RialtoAntonio da Ponte’s bridge of the late sixteenth century, built against the opinion that a stone span of that width would not stand on piles. It has stood four hundred years.
• The narrow riiWe turn off the ceremonial artery into side canals three metres across, where washing hangs from the balconies.

Route

• The shape of the canalIt runs as a reversed S and divides the city in two. Only four bridges cross it, which explains why Venetians still use the traghetto, and why logistics here work unlike anywhere else.
• Ca’ d’Oro and the GothicA house whose facade was once covered in gold and ultramarine, which is where the name comes from. Venetian Gothic: tracery arcades that look fragile and hold, because the house stands on piles and cannot afford a stone more than it needs.
• Ca’ Foscari and the palaces of powerHow standing is read off a facade: the width of the plot on the canal, the number of windows on the principal floor, the presence of a loggia. A house here is a public statement, not a private matter.
• RialtoAntonio da Ponte’s bridge of the late sixteenth century, built against the prevailing opinion that a stone span of that width would not stand on piles. It has stood four hundred years. Beside it, a market working on the same spot since the eleventh century.
• The narrow riiWe turn off the ceremonial artery into side canals three metres wide, with washing on the balconies. The same city from behind, and the contrast explains more than either view alone.
• Out into the bacinoThe finish: the Palazzo Ducale, the campanile and the Salute seen from the water — the view Canaletto and Turner painted, and one that cannot be assembled from the shore.

How this differs

Vaporetto line 1 runs the same canal for nine and a half euros. The difference is that it stops sixteen times, runs in a crowd, never turns into a side canal and does not pause where you find something interesting. Here the route is yours and the boat waits while you look.

Not for you if

• If it is specifically a gondola you want — a launch is faster and goes further, but without oars or romance.
• In a strong wind or high water, the run out into the bacino may be dropped on safety grounds.
• One hour is an overview. For a reading of each palace, take two.

When to go

What the price covers

• A licensed private guide
• A route built around your pace and interests
• A private launch with a boatman throughout

Paid separately

• Admission, if we go inside anywhere
• Food and drink

The quoted price covers one to three guests. From four upwards, quoted on request.

Practical notes

The boat

A private mahogany launch with an open deck

Departure

From your hotel’s landing stage or from San Marco

Best hour

The hour before sunset

Frequently asked