Such a hidden gem. We loved our romantic gondola ride with the most fabulous Gondolier. He told us a lot about the area, funny stories of other rides, and sang several beautiful songs. An experience we will always remember!! Thank you!!!

We took the gondola ride on a Sunday morning - it was bright and sunny - nice day to see the lake and enjoy the beauty! We went because our son has read and heard about gondolas in Italy and we wanted to give him the experience. The person on the gondola was very helpful giving us tips about what to see in Oakland that might be interesting for our son - he even sang two songs!

Gondola Servizio is a hidden gem in the bay area .... loved that it was comfortable, and slow, and sweet, and we made it romantic ...brought a blanket, food to share, and my partner.... beautiful during sunset and our Gondola guide had a beautiful voice and sang in Italian ....

This a favorite place to bring visitors—no one expects to find a beautiful, authentic Venetian experience on the shores of Lake Merritt! Whether it's a romantic sunset cruise for two, or—in our most recent experience—a delightful pre-lunch cruise for four old friends, this is a terrific way to explore Oakland from the water, with gentle waves lapping against your gondola's hull, wild birds flying overhead, your expert gondolier singing softly in Italian, in his smart striped shirt and straw hat. Highly recommended—buon viaggio!

A planned, customized limo tour included a stop at Gondola Servizio. Making an online reservation was very simple. Our group began with (4) ladies and then increased by (2). Gave a phone call the day before (8/7/2017) and received a very helpful and calm voice on the other end of the all, reassuring me that our group of (6) will be accommodated at our 4:30 p.m. Our limo driver was well aware of our need to be on time to our gondola reservation (from the Jelly Belly factory), and during our ride down, I received a reminder phone call from our gondolier, Ehvin(sp.) and our limo driver assured our group that we would be their on time. Bedecked in what looked like a traditional gondolier garb from Venice, Ehrin greeted us and assured us ladies of the safety of the vessel, as well as of its authenticity (coming from Venice in 1997). He gave us a relaxing ride and calming experience on Lake Merritt (despite some funny, albiet sometimes loud jocularity by some of the ladies); Ehvin stood his ground (or gondola)!. He is a well-trained singer and vocalized two Italian arias and we ladies could not help but imagine and be swooned. We opted for the 30-minute package and it was the right length and the scenery/information was enjoyable. Since returning home and posting our experience on Facebook, everyone is commenting / asking about Gondola Servizio. I reported to them that it is not a secret and that it is very much an entertaining, enjoyable and memorable experience. For somethinig different to do, not in SFO, across in the east bay, I highly recommend Gondola Servizio. Their packages run up to 10:00 p.m. and Ehvin assured our group, a night time visit provides an even more memorable experience!