Real Venetian Kayak - Tour of Venice Canals with a local guide

Perfect activity for me and my 6 year old son. Fun way to explore the waterways. It was a bonus that it got us to the Jewish quarter for some additional history and sightseeing in an otherwise far place for kid. Nav was a great guide.

It was a really good experience kayaking around the canals of Venice. Our young guide was very informative and got the balance right with stopping to rest and find out more about the area but gave us plenty of time to paddle. I would say that our small group was quite experienced so I thought it was best to go in the double kayak with the guide. I didn’t want to hold up the group with limited experience although felt confident to do it on my own. So if you’ve never kayaked before bear that in mind in case the rest have lots of experience. Overall well worth the money and a memorable experience.

I want to start this review with the following caveat: If you have kayaked or paddleboarded before, this is NOT the same. The canals have a noticeable current, plus the constant passing of boats or gondolas makes it a bit nerve-racking, and it's easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged. Now - don't let that stop you! I had a wonderful time. There were only 3 people in our tour, plus the guide, and I will be honest, none of us were that skilled in our kayaking abilities (on a calm, crystal lake, fine, but this was not that). It was amazing seeing the city from the water level, and we kayaked through some narrow canals that were not busy, which was fun. We kayaked through some rather busy canals, which was a bit intimidating, but I got the hang of it. The others on our tour - not so much. The guide had to paddle back several times to help sort them out. I knew the experience was not going to be leisurely, but I wasn't fully prepared. I think this tour is best with a group of people you know. It is a small enough tour that 3-4 people max is best. I felt bad for the other two on my tour and could see them get more and more discouraged. Bottom line - would I do this again...ABSOLUTELY. Now that I know what to expect, I would wear better pants (they will get wet) and make sure to book with people that had the same skill set as me. I would highly recommend it, but be honest with yourself. If you've kayaked 2 times in your life on a calm pond, be prepared for some mental and physical challenges. If you kayak once a week on a busy river, this will be a walk in the park!