The cruise to check first
Venice has many gondola stations and a long waterfront full of look-alike landings. A booked ride leaves from one specific place, and turning up at the nearest gondola stand will not work.
The points below run roughly west to east along the San Marco side. None of the six trips leaves from Fondamente Nove on the north shore, so ignore that pier unless you are taking a public waterbus on your own.
1Gondolas west of St Mark's Square: Ascensione and Giglio
The shared gondola meets on Calle Larga Ascensione, in front of the Poste Italiane post office, just around the corner from the Correr Museum at the west end of St Mark's Square. The meeting point has a sign reading 'Gondola Tour'. This is a street meeting point, not the gondola landing itself.
The private gondola meets at the Giglio gondola station in Campo Santa Maria del Giglio, at the traghetto landing by the Hotel Gritti. The voucher includes a map link. Do not go to Ascensione for a private booking: they are two different places.
2San Zaccaria: the Bridge of Sighs gondola
Check-in is at a shop at Campo San Zaccaria 4683/G, in front of the church of San Zaccaria, east of the Doge's Palace. You do not go straight to a gondola. Staff walk each group to the station and handle boarding.
The voucher warns that this can mean a long wait when many groups are booked. Leave slack in your plans afterwards. Children under 3 are not accepted on this ride.
3Riva degli Schiavoni: the Vidali pier for boat trips
The one-hour boat trip and the Murano and Burano tour both use the Consorzio Vidali Group point at Riva degli Schiavoni 4142, opposite the Presidio Militare Cornoldi, also called Caserma Cornoldi or Palazzo Cornoldi. Look for the blue Vidali signs. For the islands tour the staff signs read LAGOON TOURS.
The Murano and Burano tour can also be boarded at Santa Lucia pier by the Ponte della Costituzione, next to the KFC at the railway station, at 10 am. You choose the pier when booking, and the voucher says the operator can cancel your place if you go to the wrong one. Riva degli Schiavoni is a long quay with many other excursion boats, so go by the name on the sign, since a blue boat alone proves nothing.
4Riva San Biasio: the galleon
The galleon boards on Riva San Biasio, directly in front of the Naval Historical Museum, about 15 minutes on foot east of St Mark's Square. It is further along the same waterfront as the Vidali pier.
Arrive 15 minutes early to validate the ticket. The voucher states that time changes are not permitted, and the cancellation deadline is three days, so a missed boat is a lost booking. There is an emergency phone number on the voucher, staffed from two hours before boarding.
5What goes wrong
Pushchairs are the most common surprise on gondolas: the vouchers say they cannot be taken on board or left at the quay. Sort that out before you reach the meeting point.
On certain days between April and July, day visitors must pay the city's access fee, which several vouchers mention and which is paid to the municipality, not to the tour. Finally, allow more walking time than a map suggests. The galleon voucher counts 15 minutes from St Mark's Square on its own, before any crowding on the waterfront.
Boarding points at a glance
| Cruise | Pier |
|---|---|
| Shared gondola ride from St Mark's | Calle Larga Ascensione (Poste Italiane) · Open pier on the map |
| Shared gondola ride under the Bridge of Sighs | Campo San Zaccaria 4683/G · Open pier on the map |
| Private gondola ride from Santa Maria del Giglio | Campo Santa Maria del Giglio · Open pier on the map |
| One-hour Venice boat trip | Riva degli Schiavoni 4142 (Presidio Militare Cornoldi) · Open pier on the map |
| Murano and Burano boat trip | Riva degli Schiavoni (Caserma Cornoldi) / Santa Lucia (Ponte della Costituzione) |
| Venetian galleon dinner cruise | Riva San Biasio (Museo Storico Navale) · Open pier on the map |