Bridge of Sighs Venice 2026: How to See It and Pass Under It

TL;DR: You can see the Bridge of Sighs in three ways. Free: stand on the Ponte della Paglia, the waterfront bridge beside the Doge’s Palace, for the classic view of its south side. Inside: the Doge’s Palace museum route walks you through the bridge into the New Prisons. Underneath: a gondola on the Rio di Palazzo; a shared ride that passes beneath it cost from $44 a person at our 27 October 2026 check, or hire a private gondola at the city fare of €90 for 30 minutes by day, €110 for 35 minutes from 19:00. The bridge, in white Istrian stone, was built at the start of the 1600s, and its name dates from the 19th century.

What is the Bridge of Sighs?

The Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri) is a small, enclosed stone bridge over the Rio di Palazzo, a canal just behind St Mark’s Square. It links the Doge’s Palace to the New Prison across the water.

Some key facts, from Wikipedia and the Doge’s Palace museum:

• Architect: Antonio Contin, nephew and pupil of Antonio da Ponte, who designed the Rialto Bridge.
• Material: white Istrian limestone.
• Date: at the start of the 17th century. Wikipedia dates it to about 1600–1603; the Doge’s Palace museum gives 1614.
• Windows: two on each side, filled with stone openwork.
• Inside: two separate corridors run side by side. One linked the prisons to the courts and magistrates’ rooms; the other linked them to the state lawyers’ rooms and the visiting room.

Why is it called the Bridge of Sighs?

The name is a Romantic invention of the 19th century. Lord Byron gave it its English form. The idea is that prisoners crossing from the courtroom to the cells sighed as they caught a last glimpse of Venice through the small windows.

The famous lovers’ legend is even newer. In the 1979 film A Little Romance, a character says that a couple who kiss in a gondola under the bridge at sunset, as the church bells ring, will be in love forever. It is a film story, not a Venetian tradition, but it made the bridge a favourite with couples. See our list of the most romantic things to do in Venice.

How can you see the Bridge of Sighs?

There are three ways to see the Bridge of Sighs, from free to paid.

1. From the Ponte della Paglia (free)

Walk from St Mark’s Square to the waterfront, past the Doge’s Palace. The first bridge along the water is the Ponte della Paglia. From it you look up the Rio di Palazzo straight at the south side of the Bridge of Sighs. This is the classic photo. Find it on Google Maps. It is part of our San Marco neighbourhood guide.

2. From the inside, at the Doge’s Palace (ticket)

The official Doge’s Palace route takes you down a short staircase from the Sala del Magistrato alle Leggi into one of the bridge’s corridors and on into the New Prisons. Visitors use the corridor that once served the prisons. You need a Doge’s Palace ticket, or a tour that includes it. A guided Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s tour with a gondola ride includes a stop at the Bridge of Sighs and the New Prisons; it cost from $151 a person at our last check. From inside, you look out through the same stone windows the prisoners did.

3. From a gondola underneath (paid)

The Rio di Palazzo runs under the bridge, so gondolas can pass beneath it. This is the view most people picture. More on that below.

Gondola rides under the Bridge of Sighs

You have two options for a gondola ride under the Bridge of Sighs.

Book a shared ride. The Bridge of Sighs gondola ride we compare passes beneath the bridge and through St Mark’s Basin and smaller canals. At our 27 October 2026 check it cost from $44 a person, lasted about 45 minutes in total and had a 4.12 rating from 2,560 reviews. It starts with a short introduction and a VR film about Venice before the 30-minute ride. Reviewers often describe the canals as peaceful, while some say the time in the gondola was shorter than they expected. Check-in is at an office just off the Riva degli Schiavoni, a short walk from the bridge.

Hire a private gondola. At a gondola station you pay the city fare for the whole boat: €90 (about $100) for 30 minutes from 09:00 to 19:00, or €110 (about $123) for 35 minutes from 19:00. Routes depend on the station, so ask the gondolier before you board whether the ride passes under the Bridge of Sighs. Full fare details are on our gondola ride price page.

Which is better? For one person, the shared seat costs less than half the day fare; for two, it is a little cheaper than a private boat. For a group of four or five, the private boat at €90 is better value and the ride is yours alone. Compare gondola rides to see every option.