Getting there
Finding the pier: from San Marco or Piazzale Roma to the Naval Museum
The boarding point is not the main tourist pontoons — here is exactly where it is, and how to reach it whichever part of Venice you are staying in.
See galleon dinner tickets on GetYourGuide ↗Getting to the pier
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Meeting point | Pier in front of the Museo Storico Navale, Castello |
| From San Marco | On foot through Castello, or vaporetto to Arsenale |
| From Piazzale Roma / the station | Vaporetto lines 1, 4.1 or 4.2 to the Arsenale stop |
| Landmark | Riva San Biasio, near the Venetian Arsenale |
| Not the same as | The Riva degli Schiavoni tourist-boat pontoons |
Where the pier actually is
The galleon boards from the pier directly in front of the Museo Storico Navale, Venice's naval history museum, on Riva San Biasio in the Castello sestiere, close to the Venetian Arsenal. It is a genuine working stretch of waterfront rather than the cluster of tourist-boat pontoons along the Riva degli Schiavoni that most day-cruise operators use — easy to walk past without noticing if you are not looking for it.
Walking from Piazza San Marco
From St Mark's Square, the pier is a walk of roughly fifteen to twenty minutes east through Castello, following the waterfront or cutting through the quieter streets behind it. It is a pleasant, low-key walk rather than a rushed one, but it is worth doing in daylight or with a map open the first time, since Castello's calli are less signposted than the main San Marco-to-Rialto route.
By vaporetto from anywhere else in Venice
The nearest stop is Arsenale, served by ACTV vaporetto lines 1, 4.1 and 4.2 — both run the length of the Grand Canal and along the city's northern edge, so most accommodation in Venice is one vaporetto ride away without a change. Check the current ACTV timetable for your evening, since frequency drops after dark.
From Piazzale Roma or the train station
If you are arriving from the mainland — off a train at Santa Lucia or a bus or car at Piazzale Roma — the same vaporetto lines (1, 4.1, 4.2) run from both stops to Arsenale, though the journey is longer than from San Marco. Build in extra time on your first evening in the city, since the boarding time is fixed and the galleon will not wait.
Arriving with time to spare
Because embarkation opens before the stated departure time, arriving a little early is normal and lets you find your table without rushing. There is little to do at the pier itself while you wait, so a slow walk through Castello beforehand — rather than a dash from a vaporetto stop — makes a better start to the evening.
Staying on the Lido, in Mestre, or on the mainland
Visitors based on the Lido need to add a vaporetto crossing to the main island before the walk or connecting boat to Arsenale, so allow extra time compared with staying in central Venice. Anyone based in Mestre or elsewhere on the mainland should treat the evening as a full round trip — into Venice by train or bus, out to Castello, and back again afterwards — rather than a quick add-on to a day already spent in the city.
Meeting your host, step by step
At the pier, look for the crew or a host checking names against the evening's booking list rather than a formal ticket booth — this is a small, single-boat operation, not a terminal with multiple queues. Have your booking confirmation ready on your phone, give your name, and you will be walked directly to your reserved table once the galleon is ready to board.