Along with iconic architecture and replicas of famous structures in Venice, Italy, the newly Venetian in 1999 also introduced a facsimile of one of the Italian city’s most famous attractions—its gondolas. The Las Vegas version was a motorized version which wound its way throughout a number of indoor and outdoor water routes around The Venetian and The Grand Canal Shoppes. Singing gondoliers added that feel of not quite being in the desert environment.
Those same routes operate for thousands of visitors every year, with gondolas gliding past replicas of St. Mark’s Square, the Rialto bridge and dozens of quaint shopfronts while listening to opera performed live.
The attraction is as big a draw for romantic couples as it is for guests who want to experience a little of that Italian flavor without traveling to Italy. And of course, it's one of the most Vegas-defining experiences there is, right up there with the Fountains of Bellagio among the destinations almost everyone puts on their to-do list.
Today, when you think of The Venetian in Vegas, the first thing that often comes to mind is the gondolas, and it’s an attraction the guests return to year after year.
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