Kayaking Venetian Lagoon: Remote islands & shallow channels

Paddle past egrets and herons to islands only kayaks can reach

Kayak the Venetian Lagoon in a two-hour paddle through shallow channels, sandbanks and remote islands off the main tourist routes. You navigate where mass tourism cannot reach: past wading birds, across oases of peace, and to Torcello, the first Venetian settlement 1,500 years ago. A live guide leads the way in English, Spanish or Italian.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each3 stops

1. Venetian Lagoonpassing by
2. Burano15m
3. Venice Islandspassing by

Explore Venetian Lagoon and Islands

• Kayak through Venetian Lagoon
• Visit rowing academy in Burano
• Discover Torcello island history

The experience

The kayak's flat bottom and rowing propulsion let you cross shallows that larger boats cannot enter, opening access to the lagoon's most isolated corners. You'll paddle through ghebi (the narrow channels that cut through sandbanks) wandering among egrets and herons in a natural setting that feels untouched. Torcello sits in the northeast corner of the lagoon, now mostly vegetable gardens and a few dozen residents, but once the center of Venetian civilization when the Roman bishop of Altino fled there in 638 to escape barbarian invasion. The island's quiet streets and history make it a stark contrast to the crowded main islands.

The route takes you off the classic tourist paths to discover what the operator calls oases of peace: deserted islands and quiet water where nothing or no one passes. You'll have time to photograph the scenery, sit with the silence, or simply paddle and watch the landscape shift from water to land. The tour includes a stop at the rowing academy in Burano, where Venetian rowing traditions have been taught for centuries and where champions of the historic regatta still train. You can see and touch the boats used in that tradition (the gondola, sandolo and mascareta) each one built for a different kind of water and purpose.

What’s included

Your tour includes a live guide who speaks English, Spanish or Italian and leads the paddle through the lagoon and the stop at the rowing academy in Burano.

Before you book

Lasts 2h, runs every day at 09:00, from € 40 per person, with a live guide in English, Spanish and Italian, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (10 to 70 years) · Under 10: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Italian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on site€ 30

Prices and times updated 6 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by filippo quintavalle

Is this one for you?Two hours is short enough to fit before or after other plans in Venice, but long enough to paddle into the quiet corners of the lagoon and reach Torcello. If you want a full day of island-hopping or time to linger on each stop, a longer excursion would serve you better.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Italian.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What islands will I paddle past or visit on this kayaking trip?

Torcello is the main stop, an island in the northeast corner of the lagoon that was the first major Venetian settlement. You'll also paddle through the shallow channels and sandbanks of the wider lagoon, passing remote islands that only kayaks can reach because of their shallow water and narrow access routes.

Can I kayak the Venetian Lagoon if I've never paddled before?

Yes. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels, and the flat bottom of a kayak makes it stable in the shallow water. The guide leads the way and controls the pace, so beginners can manage the two-hour paddle.

Why is the kayak better than a boat tour for exploring the lagoon?

A kayak's flat bottom and rowing propulsion let it cross the shallow ghebi and sandbanks where larger tour boats cannot go. That access is what makes it possible to reach the remote, deserted islands and quiet corners of the lagoon away from mass tourism routes.

What is the rowing academy in Burano, and will I have time to explore it?

The rowing academy is where the art of Venetian rowing has been taught for centuries, and where champions of Venice's historic regatta train. The tour includes a stop there so you can see and touch the traditional boats (gondolas, sandolos and mascaretas), and learn about the rowing techniques passed down through generations.