St. Mark's Basilica & Doge's Palace Guided Tour with Gondola Ride
Description
This tour pairs Venice’s two most important landmarks with a 30-minute shared gondola ride. Use timed entry tickets to enter St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace with an expert guide. Learn fascinating details as you explore, from the basilica’s mosaics to the palace’s political history and prison passages. Finally, board a shared gondola, for a classic and memorable Venetian experience.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Use time entry to tickets to enter St. Mark’s Basilica, go through the required security line, then spend about 20 minutes inside with your expert guide. Admire gold mosaics, domes, and marble floors while your guide explains how Venice’s seafaring empire shaped this sacred landmark.
Move from St. Mark's across the square to the Doge's Palace. Follow your guide inside with time entry tickets, skipping the general admissions line. As you explore the Doge’s Palace, learn about the wild ways of the Venetian Republic under the rule of elected magistrates. This tour not only showcases the interior of this ornate palace, but also goes in depth about the crime and legal system that was once in place in the city of Venice. Admire classic works of Venetian art and visit Doge’s Palace’s main sights, such as the Grand Staircase and the Bridge of Sighs.
Following your guided tour of the Doges Palace, your guide will introduce you to some other highlights surrounding St. Marks Square like the stunning bell tower (exterior visit) and adorning portico's surrounding the square. Then take a 20-minute break to grab a snack and relax.
Lastly, join a quintessential Venice activity, a gondola ride! Left in the care of a trusted gondolier, enjoy the beauty of Venice from the water. Glide through the panoramic canals in a shared gondola, each boat accommodating up to 5 participants.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Knees and shoulders must be covered for both men and women to enter St. Mark’s Basilica; entry may be refused otherwise. Please avoid wearing sandals, hats, shorts, skirts, or tops that expose your shoulders.
- A valid government-issued ID is required for entrance to St. Mark's Basilica. The name on your ticket (entered at check-out) must match the name on your ID, or you may be refused entry.
Reviews(1,148)
We were in Venice for a day. The tour was probably too much. It would have been better to have more free time. However, our guide, Rita, was very knowledgeable,. We saw and learned a lot.
So amazing! We had a family of 22 and Valentina handled us beautifully. Kept multiple little kids involved and made sure to check in for if we needed breaks. She really made Venice feel so special and got across the rich history. Amazing!!
The tour was the perfect length and our tour guide, Marco, was very knowledgeable! He was witty and took the right amount of time explaining things.
We did this tour as a package with the afternoon doing the Murano Burano boat trip. In a word, Fantastic. It was a bit expensive but well worth the money. Our guide Sylvia was brilliant. Kept us informed and entertained all that morning. We went to the Doges palace across bridge of sighs to the prisons as well. The trip into the St Marks Basilica was stunning. No waiting in huge lines. Inside is breathtaking and the church holds the bones of St Mark one of the apostles who wrote the one of the New Testament. To cap morning off a proper Gondola ride which lasted half an hour. In the afternoon we took a boat to Murano which is world famous for its glass making. Watched the men make the glass. Then after this took a trip to Burano island and bought famous biscuits. When we got back we both said it was best day we had in a long long time. If you in Venice this is a must.
Tickets and check in terrible and finding the right location was difficult and people not helpful to start
Our guide Annachiara was very well-informed and passionate about the tour. You could tell she truly cared about the art and its history. We all enjoyed the tour so much as the structure of it accommodated the heat and the walking. We were able to have a great lunch break before heading to the Doges Palace!
Our Guide, Kiara, was excellent. She was clearly knowledgeable and presented the information in an engaging way. The tour was informative, but not too long and kept my young adults engaged.
very great tour thank you Sylvia
Our guide was Grazia, and she was inviting and fun! Our group 20-ish people. It didn’t feel that big, though, and she answered our questions. In the winding halls of the Doge, our ear pieces lost service so I missed a lot of the information about the Bridge of Sighs since I was at the back. The buildings are unbelievable, St Mark’s especially. Our tour had the gondola ride included and it made it so easy! I recommend!
It was worth the price, a lot of fun. The tour guide was amazing! And kept your attention span going for a very long time. Every moment was special. I recommend.
