The Black Swan Gondola Company - Gondola Rides

This was such a fun experience! You can bring food & drinks which make the experience even better. I went with a friend I hadn't seen in a while, and it was the perfect atmosphere to catch up while enjoying the views, food, and music. Highly recommend for ANY occasion!

I surprised my husband with a Black Swan Gondola experience as a Christmas gift. We had a lovely time! Mason, our gondolier, was informative and delightful - sharing interesting tidbits about Lake San Marcos and the wildlife we encountered. We topped off our evening by enjoying a delicious meal at Amalfi. Overall, a very enjoyable time. Highly recommend.

I drove from Phoenix, Arizona with my Fiancée to visit Black Swan Gondola for to propose. Black Swan Gondola is the best. They made our experience super great and easy! The actual cruise had the best scenery I’ve ever seen in my life. Plus she said yes! my future wife loved it as well! The hospitality of the crew was second to none. And even when I needed to add on blankets after my reservation was already placed, Black Swan was more than happy and willing to help accommodate any changes I needed. Can’t recommend this place enough for a proposal or even just a date night.

Top Notch way to start your night with a Sunset Cruise, then off to dinner at Amalfi! Spectacular views, stories of the history of gondola's and relaxation at its finest ! Hospitality is premier ! We will tell all our friends, and thanks for making my Birthday awesome ! Drew is the Best!

Had an amazing time on the Gondola ride. Planned on proposing to my girlfriend and Drew made the whole experience easy and fun. My girlfriend and now fiancé can’t stop talking about how perfect the day was. Thank you for making our day so much more special than it already was. We will be back for sure!

Our friend surprised us with this and what a wonderful experience it was. We had drinks at the bar first and then started our gondola ride. Our gondolier was awesome and even sang for us. What a treat in the middle of San Diego. Also these are authentic gondolas that have been shipped in from Italy!! How cool is that.

100/10 If I could give more stars I would.

I found this company while I was on the wild search of how I could pop the big question to my fiancee after dating for over 8 years. I wanted the experience to be special just to show her how much I care and love her. My ultimate end goal was to get a photographer and videographer while doing this process, so the memories could last for a lifetime. I had originally planned two other ideas which did not fall through due to photographers being booked on that day, too many people in the area, or COVID-19 restrictions. I know now why those all failed and were led to this amazing place.

Then I found this Holy Grail called Black Swan Gondola that offered exactly what I was looking for plus more. I did some digging on their social media, which is extremely active, and saw the videos posted on their YouTube channel and fell in love while shedding a few tears watching other engagement videos. The location looked beautiful, and the theme seemed Intimate and Romantic.

I reached out for some details and left a message as I'm sure they currently had other clients for reservations. Drew called back the same day promptly and answered all my questions with ease. He then set me up for a reservation where I opted in for the "message in a bottle" engagement style with professionally edited photos and drone footage turned into a video of the moment. There were even some extra goodies such as a bouquet of roses for my fiancee, a charming necklace in the bottle /w the message, a thick blanket, and a fresh copy of the message after the amazing experience.

Before our arrival Drew was very discreet in his approach to contacting me so no surprises were ruined for that special day. We arrived on April 1st, 2022 which was also, my fiancee's birthday. We arrived a little early so he flagged me over and filled me in on the details then greeted himself to my fiancee after we talked. He was super warm, welcoming, and polite to my fiancee when he introduced himself. He suggested that we go to the Italian restaurant by the bar while they finished up on some final preparations which are located right next to the dock we pulled out from (but far enough away for those with significant others who have wondering eyes.)

My Fiancee still had no idea what was going on which was great! When the time came, Drew was our gondolier and made the experience all worthwhile. He handed her the roses and helped us on the gondola. He gave us some history lessons, talked about the area, black swans and birds, and possed for the random photos taken on our phones. Drew was alive and his vibe was astonishing. The whole experience lasted about one hour.

After It was all said and done, It could not have turned out any more perfect than it did. Drew and his staff were above and beyond what I expected. And the memory will last a lifetime. I 100% recommend this place to everyone no matter what the occasion is. It's a hidden gem in San Marcos and an experience that everyone should know about. Thank you guys once again and we will for sure be heading back in the future!

The gondola ride was so peaceful and relaxing! We enjoyed some drinks for our anniversary and our gondelier was amazing!

Peaceful and relaxing gondola ride.We saw black swans gliding magnificently in the lake,along with ducks ,coots and egrets.We enjoyed the cheery waves from the residents of the surrounding houses.

8/21/2021 I brought my fiance for his Birthday he was hesitant at first but was very pleased once we got going. It was priceless when that message in the bottle popped out of know where. My cruiser was very professional and Informative and the music was great and the Blanket is very heavy worth every pennie and it's a bonus when you stay at the Lakehouse everything is walking distance everything was ☆☆☆☆☆👍🏾

Celebrated 14 years together, 13 years married by enjoying a night cruise under the full Aries moon. It was absolutely lovely! We are obsessed with Venice and aim to try any Venetian style gondola experience we can. This was the best we've done in the US! The ones at the Venetian in Vegas are really nice with the singers but the ride is so short! The black swans are magical as well. Great to celebrate your love or to enjoy with loved ones or friends. Lots of options. And grab a meal and cocktails at the Amalfi - what a wonderful combo for a mini escape to that feels like Italy right here in San Diego. Ciao, bella!

Truly a wonderful experience. We went on the Enchanted Evening Experience and it was amazing. Specifically chose a night with clear skies and a full moon. Mason was exceptional! He sang and provided great insight about the area. For those concerned about COVID, this is the perfect experience and date night night activity. Lastly, we added the cozy blanket to our package and it is of amazing quality and very warm. Definitely going back, probably around Christmas since the lights would be awesome reflecting on the water - and we’ll ask for Mason so he can sing some Christmas Carols.

The absolute best gift to give someone. Very unique experience on a beautiful lake. The surrounding hills and homes are beautiful to look at, the ability to bring your own drinks, or order to go from the nearby outside bar, makes this date activity that much better. Me and my Girlfriend would recommend highly to anyone tip toe-ing around the idea. The message in a bottle gets an A+. Thanks for the time. Shout out, (K)Conner our gondolier.

We LOVED our gondola ride! We've done one in Newport Beach and one in Venice, Italy - - and, actually, I liked this one the best. Fun to be on the lake, see the houses, you can bring food/drink aboard, the gondolier was friendly, the weather/ride was great. We were with our adult daughter/boyfriend - it was their first time, and they loved it. Highly recommend them for a special occasion, visitors, or just because! We went last Fall and hope to go again some time. Keep up the great work!!!

It was a fun, relaxing and enjoyable sunset gondola ride. Connor was very personable and knowledgeable about the lake and it’s history— I highly recommend this experience!!

We had a lovely gondola ride around the lake. Our gondolier, Mason, made sure we were comfortable and provided some history and information about the area. I'd happily recommend Black Swan Gondola if you are visiting Lake San Marcos.

Totally awesome. Took the 715pm ride. Our guide was Conner and he made the trip memorable...he even sang for my wife amd I. Want to impress your significant other....this will do it!!!!

We booked the sunset gondola. It was very peaceful on the lake and Alex was great! He took lots of pictures for us and he had nice music to listen to. It was a great experience. A gem in San Marcos.

We had such a relaxing time to celebrate my husband's birthday. The Gondala driver was awesome and informative. We will definitely do this again

This experience is absolutely one that I regret not trying out earlier! What a great idea to have a gondola ride next to an authentic Italian restaurant!! Our gondolier's name was Mason, and I'm only name dropping because my family thinks he deserves a raise! Not only was he very friendly and professional but he also knew more about the local area than you would expect from most tour guides! Don't miss out on this unique opportunity, it's definitely worth it!