Canal Grande (Grand Canal), Venice

Canal Grande (Grand Canal), Venice (must see)

Paris may have its Champs-Elysées, New York City its 5th Avenue, Rome its Via del Corso – but Venice, for uniqueness, tops them all with its Grand Canal ("Canal Grande"). This winding waterway, resembling an inverted S shape, traverses the city and is spanned by four bridges. Along its banks stand nearly 200 palaces, many of which were constructed between the 13th and 18th centuries. The grand aquatic thoroughfare is a bustling passage for motorboats, vaporetti (water buses), and the iconic gondolas.

Some of the most impressive buildings along the Grand Canal have been transformed into galleries and museums. Reflecting the Venetian Gothic architectural style, these structures were intended to showcase the opulence and artistic achievements of the Republic of Venice, with noble Venetian families having spared no expense in displaying their wealth. As most of these palaces stand directly on the water without walkways, the only way to appreciate their facades is from a boat, allowing for a journey free of potholes, traffic congestion, and traffic lights—quite literally the best mode to travel anyway!....

Stretching nearly four kilometers (or 2.5 miles) in length, the Grand Canal varies in width between 30 and 70 meters; it is, however, surprisingly shallow, with depths rarely exceeding 5 meters (16.5 feet).

The best way to explore the canal is by boarding vaporetto no. 1; though you'll have to be prepared to navigate the crowd and secure a seat anywhere on the exterior. The most coveted spots are at the bow, offering unobstructed views of the shimmering water.

If you'd rather rent a gondola for added romance, a word to the wise would be to schedule your ride during high tide so as to avoid encountering unsightly debris along the canal's edges, which low tide often exposes in detail. The gondoliers may even steer you into the quieter, narrower canals, where tranquility reigns and the only sounds you'll hear are the gentle lapping of water. In this serene atmosphere, you can fully appreciate the unique perspective offered by the gondola. In other words, if you're going to splurge on a tourist attraction, this is the one to choose.

It is also easy to get glimpses of the Grand Canal as you wander through the city's maze-like alleyways, granting you enchanting vistas of historic buildings, picturesque bridges, and the everyday rhythm of Venetian life.

Tip:
Investing in unlimited passes for 1 to 3 or 7 days for vaporettos is one of the wisest choices during your stay in Venice.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Venice. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Canal Grande (Grand Canal) on Map

Sight Name: Canal Grande (Grand Canal)
Sight Location: Venice, Italy (See walking tours in Venice)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark

Walking Tours in Venice, Italy

Create Your Own Walk in Venice

Create Your Own Walk in Venice

Creating your own self-guided walk in Venice is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Piazza San Marco Walking Tour

Piazza San Marco Walking Tour

All of Venice’s roads seem to run into Piazza San Marco – the commercial, religious, and political heart of the city. With a glowing reputation as one of the finest squares in the world and arguably one of Europe’s primary tourist attractions, it certainly has a lot to offer to visitors.

Start your exploration with a tour of the pink-and-white marble Palazzo Ducale, which takes you...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.6 Km or 0.4 Miles
Jewish Ghetto Tour

Jewish Ghetto Tour

Founded in 1516, the Jewish Ghetto in Venice was the oldest of its kind in all Europe. At the time, Venice received order from the Pope to expel all Jews from the city, but the Venetian government opted to lock them onto a small island in the district of Cannaregio. Since then this small area has been the center of Jewish life in Venice, with buildings rising vertically to accommodate the rising...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.4 Km or 0.2 Miles
Dorsoduro Walking Tour

Dorsoduro Walking Tour

One of the six districts of Venice, Dorsoduro’s name translates as “hard bridge” due to the area's relatively high terrain. Home to some of the city’s highest spots, it also comprises some of Venice’s most picturesque canals, historic locations and cultural venues, including the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute; the Gallerie dell’ Academia & the Ca’ Rezzonico – both...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Murano Island Walking Tour

Murano Island Walking Tour

Murano is often called the Glass Island, since it is home to the most impressive and renowned Venetian glass factories. The master craftsmen here have preserved their centuries-old techniques, and the island is full of shops where you can admire and purchase their adorable glass items. Some factories, such as Gino Mazzuccato’s, at the start of this self-guided walk, even have special showrooms...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Venice's Hidden Art Treasures

Venice's Hidden Art Treasures

Among the first things springing to mind when talking about Venice, apart from the canals and gondolas, of course, is Art and Architecture. Indeed, Venice is one of the few cities in the world where Art and Architecture have merged in a stunning multiplicity of forms. The city is even renowned for its unique (Venetian) pictorial school famed by the likes of Tintoretto, Titian, Veronese, Castagno...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
Casanova's Venice

Casanova's Venice

One of Venice's most famous personalities, Giacomo Casanova is remembered today as a womanizer, but was much more than that. Born in a family of theater actors in 1725, he came through as highly intellectual and very sharp from his very childhood, having become in his time an erudite scholar, a diplomat and spy, and a metropolitan ‘avant la lettre’, who frequented the high society and...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.5 Km or 2.8 Miles

Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip


15 Distinctively Italian Things to Buy in Venice

15 Distinctively Italian Things to Buy in Venice

Venice has been a tourist mecca for over a century now, with millions of visitors flocking in every year to see this unique place on the face of the Earth. Many, if not all, of these people seek to obtain something memorable as a token of their stay in this city. By far, not all of them know which...