Gratitude and genuine appreciation are the foundation of a unique corporate culture— And bringing them to light is a sign of true greatness. There are achievements in one’s professional life for which a few words in a meeting or a certificate simply aren’t enough.

If you truly want to honor a long-time employee or an exceptional achievement, you need a setting that reflects that significance. With its timeless elegance, Venice offers the perfect setting for a tribute that will be remembered for a lifetime.

More Than Just a Gondola Ride – A Monument to Appreciation

This event is designed for people who are looking for something special. We leave nothing to chance to ensure that this „thank-you moment“ is perfectly staged:

The Production: We'll coordinate the exact time when the banner will be visible to your employees.
The pleasure: A chilled bottle of top-quality Prosecco is ready to toast to life and your employees.
Eternity: While your employees are experiencing this emotional moment, we’ll capture the scene with professional photos. That way, you can share in the emotion in their eyes even from a distance.

Where Recognition Becomes a Lasting Monument

Outstanding achievements deserve a setting that highlights their significance. An exceptional career or an employee’s decades of loyalty cannot be summed up in mere words or a certificate—they deserve a gesture that expresses respect and the highest regard.

As an employer, turn your gratitude into a memory that extends far beyond the workplace. Give your top performers this exclusive experience as a visible token of your appreciation, and let them experience the City of Dreams from a perspective as unique as their contribution to your company’s success.

This experience—whether as a planned tribute or as a surprise during your employees’ Adriatic vacation—creates an emotional bond with the company that lasts far beyond the day itself. It is the highest form of corporate appreciation, wrapped in the timeless elegance of a Venetian tradition. Don’t just say thank you. Let the most beautiful city in the world convey your appreciation.

Here's what your employees can expect at this exclusive awards ceremony:

Highest recognition: A festive reception to honor an impressive body of work.
Exclusivity & Style: A chilled bottle of top-quality Prosecco on board to toast our shared successes and the future.
Documented Appreciation: Professional photography services that capture the pride and joy of your employees in high-quality images—a testament to your company’s true culture.
Peace-of-Mind Guarantee: Discreet, personalized on-site support that ensures everything runs completely smoothly, so your employees can feel like honored guests.

Trust the original for this recognition

For over 20 years, we (Venice.com) have been organizing these very special, emotional gondola rides—we „invented,“ so to speak, this concept of personal messages on the water. As the official sales platform, we work directly with the Venice Gondoliers’ Consortium. Each ride is officially conducted on behalf of the gondoliers with the utmost discretion and dignity.

Rely on our decades of experience to ensure that this moment of gratitude is as perfect, as sincere, and as moving as your employees deserve.

The Excellence Package: The Highest Recognition for Your Top Performers

Say „thank you“ in a way that goes beyond the ordinary and highlights the importance of teamwork. We’ve created a package that honors your employees’ performance and loyalty with style, discretion, and the utmost appreciation:

On-site, personalized event management: We will discreetly escort your employees to the dock and, with professional tact and sensitivity, ensure that everything runs smoothly and in a manner befitting your company’s image.
Exclusive 30-minute private ride: In the relaxed atmosphere of a private gondola, your employees can enjoy the Venetian scenery in complete privacy. Our guarantee: During this moment of recognition, the group (up to 5 people) will have the gondola all to themselves—no other guests will interrupt this exclusive corporate event.
A toast to our shared success: With a bottle of select, premium Prosecco, you can raise a toast with your employees to your company’s achievements, your strong teamwork, and its future.
Documenting Appreciation: We capture the pride and joy of this special moment in professional photographs. You’ll receive high-quality photos of the entire tour as a lasting memento of your unique corporate culture.
The Grand Production (The Climax): We’ll create a custom banner featuring your personalized message. When the banner unfurls before your employees’ eyes during the ride, a gondola ride becomes an unforgettable tribute to your company’s appreciation.

An unforgettable token of appreciation:
The element of surprise

Imagine this: Your employees glide through the quiet, hidden canals of Venice in a magnificent gondola. They enjoy the exclusive tranquility, the magnificent backdrop of the palazzi, and the gentle glide across the water. But the real highlight of this special experience awaits at one of the city’s most picturesque bridges.

There, a striking banner suddenly unfolds, displaying your very own personal message: „Thank you for your exceptional dedication! Enjoy this break in the City of Dreams—you’ve more than earned it. Your Management.“

Imagine the pride and joy on your employees’ faces as the gondola glides silently under the bridge and, completely unexpectedly, a public monument honoring them awaits them there.

The masterful production: We’ll display a festive banner featuring your message of thanks at a strategically selected bridge along the route. It’s that one magical moment of recognition that makes time stand still and will be remembered forever as a powerful testament to your corporate culture.
Our exclusive service for you: We are lending you a stylishly designed standard banner with a heartfelt message of appreciation for the duration of this special tribute drive.

Your very own Appreciation

Would you like to express your gratitude in an even more personal and heartfelt way? We can make that happen and give your feelings a unique form.

For an additional charge of €60.00, we'll have our partner print shop here in Venice a truly one-of-a-kind piece make for you.

Custom Design: Whether it's your employees' names, a special date, or a very personal phrase unique to your company—you alone decide on the words that will move your employees to tears.
A lasting document: Unlike a rental banner, this custom banner is yours to keep after the ride. It’s a precious memento of a long-standing relationship that your employees can take home as a lasting keepsake.
Important note for your planning: To ensure we can prepare this high-quality print here in Venice with the care it deserves, we need about 4 business days' notice. Just get in touch with us—we'll take care of every detail of your gift.

The perfect way to say thank you:
A Tour Through the Beating Heart of Venice

An event of this magnitude should be a completely stress-free highlight—a moment free from hustle and bustle, from searching, and from compromises. Thanks to our direct and long-standing connections with the most experienced gondoliers in the heart of Venice, we guarantee an experience as smooth as the water flowing through the canals.

Peace of mind for you and your Employees: We select the best docking spot each day based on current conditions and our expert judgment. This way, we avoid any unnecessary disruption, and your employees can fully focus on the beauty of the moment. You’ll receive the exact, easily accessible starting point conveniently via email in advance.

Our Guarantees for Your Tour:

The result: A masterfully organized, deeply moving surprise that is absolutely worthy of your employees' hard work.

A prestigious setting: The tour takes place in the elegant San Marco neighborhood. The starting point is just a few minutes’ easy walk from the famous St. Mark’s Square—very easy to reach.

The best of both worlds: The route takes you both along the majestic Grand Canal with its magnificent buildings and through the enchanting, quiet, and deeply romantic side canals, where time seems to stand still.

Time for deep emotions: The gondoliers guarantee a ride lasting about 30 minutes—the perfect amount of time to raise a glass to life and let your mind wander.

The perfect staging: We carefully select a picturesque bridge along the route to display your message on the banner in a way that is both effective and surprising.

Your eyes on the ground: While your employees enjoy the cruise, we’ll discreetly follow them from the shore and capture the best moments in a series of professional photos.

Space in the gondola: Who will accompany your employees on this journey?

A moment so full of appreciation and gratitude deserves an intimate, private setting. To ensure that your employees’ experience on the water remains completely safe, relaxed, and dignified, we work closely with the gondoliers to ensure exclusive occupancy, guaranteeing the highest level of comfort.

Important information to help you plan your trip:

The Ultimate in Exclusivity: To ensure the gondola’s safety and a peaceful ride on the water, a maximum of 5 people may board. This leaves plenty of room for emotions to unfold—and for perfect photos.
Our experience: For over 20 years, we’ve been providing truly special gondola rides. We know that a „thank you“ means the most when shared with those closest to you. That’s why we strictly adhere to the gondoliers’ policy: the 5-person capacity is mandatory to ensure the safety and comfort of your guests at all times.
Comfort for Connoisseurs: The official limit of 5 people per table is a major advantage for your event. It guarantees your employees more freedom of movement, a better view of the magnificent backdrop, and ensures that the photos of the surprise come out harmonious and undisturbed.
The only exception for the family: One toddler (up to 2 years old) may also ride on an adult's lap without affecting the official passenger count for this special event.

A sense of security from the very first second: Your start to the experience

A gondola ride intended as a heartfelt thank-you must be completely relaxing from the very first second. Peace of mind and safety are our top priorities. That’s why we leave nothing to chance when planning your experience in the heart of Venice—so your employees know they’re in the best of hands right from the start.

Our Location Guarantee for a Respectful Experience:

Right in the heart of the splendor: The tour is guaranteed to take place in the prestigious San Marco district, where Venice is at its most beautiful.
No waiting, just anticipation: As an experienced local partner, we are in direct contact with all major docking stations. For your desired date, we’ll select the exact consortium that guarantees an available gondola. That way, the boat will be waiting for your employees—not the other way around. A stress-free arrival is the first step toward a successful gift.

Arrive and Enjoy: Your First Few Meters on the Water

For many guests, the moment they step aboard is a very special—and sometimes even exciting—one. A gondola is an elegant yet vibrant work of art on the water that deserves your full attention.

A safe start with a helping hand: We take the time your employees need. After boarding, we give them a moment to get settled in the gondola. It’s completely normal for the ride to sway gently at first while everyone is finding their seats. We make sure everyone feels safe and secure.
A gentle start to deep emotions: To allow your employees to focus on this emotional moment in peace, the route deliberately takes them through quiet, romantic, and serene canals at the start.
Pure Harmony: Enjoy the dreamy atmosphere far from the hustle and bustle before the journey takes you to Venice’s magnificent facades. It’s the perfect, quiet moment for the first tears to well up and a quiet, heartfelt „thank you.“.

The Goosebumps Moment: A Big Surprise for Your Employees

As the gondola glides silently through the narrow waterways, the emotional climax of this journey gently draws near. It is that magical moment when time seems to stand still—an experience that will be etched deeply into the hearts of everyone involved.

A scene of gratitude straight out of a movie: Suddenly, the gondolier steers the boat around the corner of a picturesque house, and a small, idyllic bridge appears right before your employees’ eyes. There, festively and prominently displayed, awaits your personal message of appreciation: a banner visible from afar bearing your very own words of thanks.

We showcase your appreciation

To ensure that this highly emotional moment goes off without a hitch and the surprise has its full impact, we handle all the logistics with the utmost discretion:

Give the gift of pure emotion: There is hardly a more beautiful way to express gratitude for a lifetime of work than with this exclusive gesture set against the timeless backdrop of Venice.

To be arranged individually: We’ll work with you in advance to finalize the text for the banner. Nothing makes a deeper impression than seeing your employees’ own names on the banner—a sign that this gift was created just for them.

Custom Manufacturing: We'll have the banner made for you—high-quality, elegant, and perfectly suited to the significance of the occasion.

Precise placement: At exactly the agreed-upon time, we’ll make sure the banner is in place at the right bridge, under which you and your employees will glide smoothly.

The Magic of Venice: An Exclusive Privilege for Your Top Performers

In Venice’s narrow, historic canals, a setting unfolds that seems tailor-made for this heartfelt expression of gratitude. It is the quiet, atmospheric moments that make this cruise so unforgettable for your employees.

Venetian charm: With a little luck, another gondola carrying musicians and singers will glide past your employees at the same time. When the timeless melodies of „O Sole Mio,“ „Volare,“ or „Che sarà“ echo off the historic walls, your message of gratitude will reach a whole new, deeply moving level.
Your Personal Concert of Thanks: Would you like to have music exclusively for your employees’ gondola ride? We can make it happen! From a private singer who’ll perform your employees’ favorite songs to special musical accompaniment—we’ll make almost any wish come true for this special day.

A Moment for Eternity

When the gentle lapping of the water meets the wistful Italian melodies, a very special feeling arises: you find yourself wishing the world would stop turning for just a moment.

This “thank-you” gondola ride is much more than just a gift—it’s a promise that the appreciation for the years spent together will never be forgotten. It’s the assurance that this moment of appreciation will live on forever in your employees’ fondest memories.

The perfect lighting for special moments: Your keepsake photos

A gondola ride through Venice takes you deep into the heart of the city, through narrow, romantic canals—often just two meters wide and flanked by majestic, towering palazzi. One factor is crucial for taking photos: the light.

Why the time of day matters for your photos: As experts in on-site photography, we know that the lower the sun gets, the more challenging it becomes for the equipment to capture emotions in sharp images. At dusk, cameras must open the aperture wide and extend the exposure time. However, since the gondola is always moving gently, this often leads to unwanted camera shake in low light. Yet we want every smile and every tear of emotion to shine brilliantly in your photos.

Our recommendation for a heartfelt thank-you:

Optimal lighting conditions: To ensure that the photos of this special day turn out as vibrant and sharp as the moment itself, we strongly recommend that you plan your trip during daylight hours.
Easy navigation: The lighting conditions in Venice are the same as those at your home. When planning, simply use the twilight in your hometown as a guide.
Good to know: Please also note that gondoliers in Venice charge an official nighttime surcharge of €20.00 starting at 7:00 p.m.

So, to choose your exclusive gift, please select a date on late morning or early afternoon. This way, we guarantee not only a truly perfect ride, but also crystal-clear photos that perfectly capture our appreciation for your employees.

Timing is everything: With the sunset in view

To ensure that the photos from this deeply emotional day turn out beautifully, we should base our planning entirely on the natural light of the lagoon. That’s why we’ve compiled the exact times of sunset in Venice for you.

The experts at sonnenverlauf.de provide the following guidelines for Venice:

21.12 – 16:30:34
21.01 – 17:02:19
21.02 – 17:46:53

21.03 – 18:24:53
21.04 – 20:04:57
21.05 – 20:41:37

21.06 – 21:03:13
21.07 – 20:51:17
21.08 – 20:08:13

21.09 – 19:10:21
21.10 – 18:15:13
21.11 – 16:35:23

Important Note from Experts: Please be sure to plan your gondola ride well ahead of the times listed above. Since Venice is made up of tall palazzi and narrow alleys, the light there fades abruptly as soon as the sun touches the horizon. Daylight is your best ally for sharp, brilliant photos.

Plan Your Gift with Foresight

Use these settings to ensure the best possible image quality for your message of thanks. Also keep in mind that the gondoliers’ official evening rate applies starting at 7:00 p.m. So, taking an earlier ride in the bright afternoon light not only saves you money but, above all, guarantees the quality of the photos—which you’ll still be looking at with pride decades from now.

Plan with Peace of Mind: Your Trip in Any Weather

Venice has its own unique, mystical charm no matter the weather. Generally speaking, gondoliers take their guests on tours through the lagoon city all year round. Should the skies not be clear on your employees’ special day, we offer you maximum flexibility and clear, warm alternatives—so your surprise is sure to be a success.

Your Options When It Rains – With Care and Consideration:

The atmospheric experience: You decide to set out on the ride despite a light rain shower. With an umbrella or a handy rain cape, the ride through the glistening canals becomes a particularly intimate and atmospheric experience.
Flexible scheduling: We’ll keep a close eye on the weather forecast for you. Often, all it takes is postponing the gondola ride by one or two hours to wait out a rain shower and help your employees board the gondola without getting their feet wet.
A Heartfelt Rescheduling: If the forecast and your travel plans allow, we can often move this special event up or back by a full day.
Guaranteed Cancellation: If the conditions are absolutely unsuitable for a festive occasion, you are, of course, free to cancel the trip in a timely manner.

Our Experience for Your Gift

For over 20 years, we’ve found thoughtful solutions for nearly every weather condition. We maintain constant, close contact with our gondoliers and personally ensure that your message of gratitude is a success—even when it’s raining. Trust in our experience—we won’t leave you and your employees out in the rain.

A Worry-Free Way to Say „Thank You“:
Here's how easily we can plan your thank-you gift

The photo shows the bridge with the banner. Copyright: Engelbert Steinbach

We want everything to be perfectly prepared for this special day of gratitude. Our experience shows that prompt coordination is the surest way to ensure a completely stress-free surprise for your employees.

Two ways to enjoy your perfect ride:

The Fast Track for the Determined: Many of our customers want to secure their gift right away. They book the trip, send us the text they’d like on the banner, and complete the payment. In this case, we pull out all the stops and take care of everything within a few days—ensuring that your special event is firmly and securely marked on the calendar.
The Personal Consultation Process: If you're still unsure about the date, time, or exact wording for your thank-you message, we'd be happy to take the time to answer your questions. Keep in mind, however, that the sooner we finalize the details, the more relaxed you'll be as you look forward to the event.

An important note regarding the timing of your gift

While our deep roots in Venice mean we can almost always guarantee a date and an available gondola for your event, there is one external factor we must consider together: the skill of the print shop.

Production time: The specialized company here in Venice that produces our custom banners to the highest quality standards requires approximately. 4 business days' lead time.
Safe Procedure: To ensure quality, we process your individual print order immediately after we receive your payment.
Our advice: To ensure that your personalized banner is hung on the bridge on time, we recommend booking early. That way, we can work together to create the necessary buffer so you can surprise your employees without any time pressure and with maximum impact.

An exclusive toast to our shared success

A glass of Prosecco is simply a must for such a deeply moving occasion as your thank-you trip. It’s a symbol of joy and appreciation that makes this moment complete. That’s why a bottle of high-quality, carefully selected Prosecco is already included as a standard part of your all-inclusive price.

Your special privilege as a guest of Venedig.com: Local gondoliers are officially prohibited from selling alcoholic beverages directly. However, since we are with Venice.com As an officially authorized partner, we have the privilege of providing you and your employees with this bottle to take along on your trip. This allows you to enjoy the benefits of an exclusive, all-inclusive service that fully complies with all of Venice’s official requirements and relieves you of any organizational concerns.

Since your well-being and your individual preferences are important to us, we naturally also offer a first-class non-alcoholic alternative We have it ready for you. Please feel free to discuss this with us in advance.

Safety and style for your loved ones: To ensure safety on the Venetian canals at all times and eliminate any risk to your employees, glass drinking vessels are strictly prohibited on board. We therefore provide you with high-quality, crystal-clear glasses so you can toast your time together and express your heartfelt „thank you“ in style and safety.

Your all-inclusive package for an unforgettable „thank you“:
All-inclusive for €245.00

We want you, as the gift-giver, to be able to focus entirely on the sparkle in your employees’ eyes. Your gift should be a source of pure joy—for the recipients and for you as well. That’s why our thank-you offer is a truly comprehensive package, crafted with both heart and mind, with absolutely no hidden costs:

Professional organization & perfect on-site support: We handle the entire process behind the scenes, including personalized support and safe, gentle onboarding assistance for your employees.
Exclusive Private Gondola Ride: Enjoy about 30 minutes of pure Venetian magic. Our guarantee: During this deeply emotional moment, the gondola will be exclusively for you and your colleagues (up to 5 people).
A festive toast to the employees: A bottle of top-quality Prosecco is already perfectly chilled and waiting on board to celebrate this moment in style.
Memories to Last a Lifetime: We discreetly follow the procession from the shore to capture the most touching moments and the surprise in professional photos. We’ll then conveniently send these to you by mail (on a CD by default, or digitally upon request) so the joy can live on at home.
Her message of thanks: Our lovingly designed standard banner, featuring heartfelt words of thanks, is already hanging on the bridge, turning this ride into a declaration of love you’ll never forget.
Professional processing with proper invoicing for businesses.

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The photos we take during the gondola ride are intended solely as your personal keepsakes. We guarantee that these photos will be sent only to you and will not be used by us for promotional purposes or posted on social media platforms.

An Extraordinary Employee Recognition Ceremony

More Than Just a Gondola Ride – A Monument to Appreciation