Learn to drive a gondola in Venice ★

A gondola rowing lesson in Venice
A rowing lesson in Venice. (Photo courtesy of Carolyn Spencer Brown)

Be a gondolier for the day: Take rowing lessons in a bona-fide gondola or other classic Venetian boat

Ever wanted to take the stick and learn how to steer a gondola around the canals of Venice?

Several tour services teach you do just that: spend the afternoon taking gondola rowing lessons.

Well, OK, technically they all have you practice Venetian-style rowing in a gondoletto, or sandalo, which is a kind of Venetian boat that is a bit wider than a gondola—and hence more stable for learners—but you row exactly the same way, using a straight oar on a forcole and everything.

Godola rowing lessons in Venice

Venetian Rowing Lesson

During this private rowing lesson, you will participate in an authentic Venetian experience that few tourists get to try. In these 90 minutes of unforgettable fun, you will learn the basics of the voga alla veneta, the traditional Venetian rowing style, while at the same time having the opportunity to appreciate the historical and truly traditional aspects of Venice. You will feel just like a real gondolier as you stand up and row both at the prow and at the stern. You will first start by testing out the movement, without putting the craft in motion. Then you will traverse the gorgeous side canals of the Cannaregio district and, after you have become confident, daringly enter the open lagoon
Duration: 1.5 hours; Cost: $57–$64 per person
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Venice Gondola School: Learn How to Be a Gondolier

Meet your instructor in a quiet area of Venice, and then head to the waterside where your gondoletto is ready and waiting for you. More stable than traditional gondolas, gondoletti have been used for centuries to train the Venetian gondoliers. Hop aboard your gondoletto and discover the tricks to gently row, steer and stop on the open water...
Duration: 1.5 hours; Cost: $89 per person
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Other resources include rowvenice.com (same lessons as above at €80/$90 for one or two people, €120 for three, €140 for four), and canottierigiudecca.com (a local rowing club that offers 5 lessons for €30—though it's in a canoe, not a gondola).

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