Private Doge's Palace & St Mark's Basilica After Hours Night Tour
Description
This Private Night Doge's Palace and St Mark's Tour is a perfect way to visit two of the most famous sights in the city. You will begin in St Mark's square, where you will hear all about the long history of this famous piazza, as you make your way to the Doge's Palace. Your private guide will regale you with the stories of famous prisoners who were kept in the dungeons of the Palace, as you roam the opulent rooms, prisons, courts and halls of the Doge’s Palace. Then, you will make your way to St. Mark's once it has already closed its doors. That's right! With this tour, you will have exclusive After Hours access: only you, your group, and your tour guide!! Once inside the basilica, you will be mesmerised by a spectacular light show highlighting the sacred art and mosaics which adorn the golden mosaic ceilings. You will also see the Pala d'Oro altar, and descend into the crypt where St Mark himself is laid to rest. We guarantee this to be a once in a lifetime experience!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your Private Night Doge’s Palace and St. Mark's Tour starts in one of the most beautiful and famous squares in all of Venice – St Mark’s Square – which has stood through wars, flooding, changes in governments for over a millennium. As you admire the square's romantic, historic and powerful atmosphere, your guide will give you a good idea of the timelines and history of this famous piazza before, as you make your way inside the Doge’s Palace.
An exemplary work of Venetian Gothic architecture, the Doge's Palace was once the seat of the Venetian Republic and their leader, the Doge. For over 700 years, this impressive palace has housed 120 powerful Doges, as well as government offices, prison cells and the Court. You will be mesmerized by the stories your guide will share with you as you stroll through the Doge’s private, ornate apartments and impressive halls with their enormous paintings and frescoes. Walking through the corridors with your private guide you will appreciate the whole gamut of Venice’s history, not only the romantic and polished side, but also its most secret and mysterious corners. This tour takes you behind the scenes, allowing you to learn about the fear and authority the Palazzo Ducale used to represent. Your private guide will regale you with the stories of famous prisoners who were kept in the dungeons of the Doge’s Palace...discover the most famous one!
By the time you exit the Doge’s Palace the sun will have set and darkness will have taken its place, offering the perfect atmosphere for your next stop. There will be no crowds and no waiting in line as we have EXCLUSIVE access to the basilica at night, so only you, your group, and your tour guide will be admitted. Imagine being alone at night in St Mark’s!! When you enter, the church will be in complete darkness and your guide will help you find the perfect pew. Get your camera ready, as one by one the lights will be turned on to reveal gorgeous golden ceiling mosaics. This is truly a one of a kind experience, which will leave you with unforgettable memories, making history come to life – and light! An original, valid photo ID is required for entry to St. Mark's Basilica. Photocopies are not accepted.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- On certain dates, most travelers staying outside of Venice who are planning to visit for the day will be required to pay a €5 access fee. For further details (including exemptions) and to learn what days this fee is applicable, please visit: https://cda.ve.it
- Please note that tour starting times are subject to change based on ticket availability
- Places of worship have strict dress code requirements for entry. All participants are required to have shoulders and knees covered (no tank tops or short dresses) to enter.
- Due to the highly variable nighttime opening and closing times of Doge’s and St. Mark’s, your tour may need to take up to a 1.5 hour break between the two sites, in which case your guide will recommend a local restaurant or bar in which to wait. In some cases, however, there will be no break. In all cases, the total duration of the guided tour will ALWAYS be three hours, regardless of the break time.
- An original, valid photo ID is required for entry to St. Mark's Basilica. Photocopies are not accepted.
- Please provide the full names of all travelers when booking. Failure to present a voucher with all travelers’ full names at the ticket office prior to entry may result in denied entry to the attraction.
- Admission to St. Mark’s Basilica is included (valued from €50 per person).
Reviews(68)
Nico, was amazing and very knowledgeable. We were running late and he patiently waited and made the experience so enjoyable.
Grazia did an excellent job giving my small family a private tour of the Doge Palace and the San Marco Basilica. We couldn’t have asked for more. Take the after hours tour. Well worth it.
AMAZING! Nico made it all come alive. So very knowledgeable and answering every question. Seeing St. Mark's at night with only a few people and lit up....no words! Plus seeing the Pala D'Oro and the crypt! Plus I was initially not excited about the Doge's palace but it was so impressive and Nico was great to tell us the history and the details. Highly recommend him as your guide.
Romy was our our guide for this great tour. Firstly we were touring without the crowd. Romy was friendly and so knowledgeable about the architecture, history and paintings. She was able to point out the stories in the remarkable artwork. Fast paced and well timed but took time to answer our questions. We really enjoyed this tour and appreciated Romy’s knowledge. 🇨🇦
Thoroughly enjoyable walking tour around Venice seeing the sights. Our tour guide Pamela was excellent, very knowledgeable and passionate about the history of this amazing city. Would highly recommend.
Brankica was an amazing guide! She was very knowledgeable and we learned so much about Venice and its history. It was fun and entertaining and I highly recommend!
Thank you so much for the wonderful words about Brankica and the after-hours tour. She truly has a gift for bringing Venice's layered history to life in those magical evening hours—it's exactly the kind of intimate experience we strive for. We're thrilled you felt the city's stories come alive. We'd love to welcome you back to explore more of Italy with us soon. — The LivTours Team
The tour was incredible and Pamela was a truly exceptional guide: her story was pleasant and she was able to answer all our questions, including the more technical ones about the construction of the building. The visit to the Basilica was memorable, without the crowds
We had a wonderful time with Nico touring the Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s after hours. He is so knowledgeable about Venice and loves the city and its history. We all learned so much. Seeing St Mark’s light up from the dark was incredible. If you can, doing the private was so worth it!
This tour was magical. It was the last nite of our trip and Our tour guide, Tullia Greggio was fabulous. Her knowledge and her joy in sharing couldn't help but make u realize u were witnessing something very special. Her interesting stories made u feel like u had been there for those events. She always took careful consideration of our safety and well being. Well worth the money to see it like that and learn so much with such an enjoyable person as tullia
We had a great tour with Martina. She has a wealth of knowledge and did a wonderful job of enhancing our visit to those two sites.
