Venice in a Day: St. Mark’s, Doge’s, Gondola and Murano & Burano
Description
Combine the best of Venice in one unforgettable day with iconic landmarks, unique cultural experiences, and time on the water. Skip the lines at St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace, glide through the canals on a traditional gondola ride, and explore the charming islands of Murano and Burano. Watch master artisans at work, stroll colorful streets, and enjoy a scenic cruise across the Venetian Lagoon. With a small group and expert guide, this seamless experience is the perfect way to see Venice’s highlights in a single day.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Skip the line and explore the former political heart of Venice, including its grand halls and chambers.
Enter the iconic basilica to admire its golden mosaics and learn about its history and significance.
Enjoy a traditional shared gondola ride through Venice’s canals.
After free time at your leisure for lunch (1h30), travel by boat across the lagoon to reach your first stop, Murano.
In Burano, see a lace-making demonstration and explore the colorful streets at your own pace.
Relax and enjoy scenic views as you cruise through the lagoon.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Due to St. Mark's Basilica security regulations, a PASSPORT OR VALID ID DOCUMENT IS MANDATORY to join this tour. It is your responsibility to ensure you have a valid document with you on tour. Passengers who fail to provide a valid proof of identity will be denied entry.
- The gondola ride is shared with other guests
- Please note that entry to St. Mark’s Basilica is subject to a strict dress code. Guests must ensure that their shoulders and knees are covered. Visitors who do not comply with these requirements may be refused entry.
- Please notice that in Doge's Palace Suitcases, trolleys and any bulky luggage are not permitted (any luggage whose sum of the three sides exceeds 1 linear meter, including handles, wheels and external pockets). Smaller but still bulky bags and backpacks, umbrellas and any other objects which, in the opinion of the security personnel, cannot be introduced into the exhibition areas, must be left in the cloakroom.
- Tour involves a full day with walking and boat travel. Not suitable for wheelchair users or guests with mobility impairments
- The Municipality of Venice has introduced an Access Fee that applies on specific dates. To avoid any inconvenience, we recommend checking the official guidelines and completing the necessary registration through the provided link before your visit. (https://cda.ve.it/en/ Official Link for Registration)
- Please be aware that some of the landmarks and monuments included in this tour may be subject to ongoing maintenance or restoration work. These activities, while essential for preservation, might result in limited access, temporary visual obstructions, or reduced photo opportunities
Reviews(107)
We had a wonderful experience in Rome, which made the contrast with our Venice experience even more disappointing. The Venice portion of our trip felt fragmented and was impacted by a series of subcontractor issues and communication failures. We were instructed to arrive at the meeting point at 8:45 AM, only to discover that the office did not open until 9:00 AM. After the staff arrived, they informed us that our guide had not checked in and attempted to contact them. Despite the staff's efforts and professionalism, our guide never appeared, and we spent approximately 90 minutes waiting in the office lobby while they tried to resolve the situation. Unfortunately, the disruptions continued throughout the day. The next segment of our tour also started late, further impacting our schedule and diminishing the overall experience. What should have been a seamless and enjoyable day in Venice instead became a series of delays, uncertainty, and missed opportunities. We appreciate the kindness and efforts of the local office staff, who did everything they could to assist us. However, the repeated breakdowns in coordination and communication among the tour providers significantly affected our experience and fell well short of the expectations established by the rest of the trip.
Dear Tim D, Thank you for your feedback. We are truly sorry for the repeated delays, the missing guide, and the communication breakdowns that disrupted your day in Venice, especially after such a wonderful experience in Rome. If you can please contact us directly with your booking number, we can investigate further to understand what happened.
We packed a lot in one day which was the plan and accomplished. It is a long day and a lot of walking so be ready. That said the over all cost while not cheap included long taxi rides that would have been very costly by themselves which made this easier and a better over all value. All 3 guides did a good job presenting and handing us off so that we were worry free for the day.
Great guides. Very informative. Lucia stood out as very knowledgeable and kept a good pace.
Iole Calabrese was an excellent tour guide and made our tour very interesting and kept it moving. She is very knowledgeable and speaks to insights about the places we visited. We would highly recommend her!!
This was a very good trip. Our guide Ellena was very knowledgeable and passionate about her job. The museum and palace were amazing and Ellena did a great job in describing everything.
Walking tour history with info about Marco Polo’s neighborhood, the Rialto bridge, then the basilica with stories of St. Marks bones, and the Doges rule made this an a plus trip! Murano glass blowing demonstration was enjoyable but Burano is no longer a place where they make lace. Quaint island and shopping.
We wanted to explore Venice outside the tourist beaten path. This tour did that for us! Yes, we got to skip the lines (a feature that pays for itself) but also had the talent and knowledge of our wonderful guide. We got to see streets and hear about history as only the locals know. Our guide’s knowledge and ability to communicate made the experience both informative and fulfilling. Wear your best walking shoes because after the morning excursion, you’ll travel by boat (about a 45 minute ride) to the islands of Murano (glass) and Burano (lace). The Murano glass studio caters to gallery quality glassworks (most items start at $100 or more but they have a gift shop of lesser priced objects.) Burano is a beautiful little island that is working to create a tourist trade. Note that only one “family” still makes lace items and they are very expensive. That being said, there are lots of lace items imported from elsewhere to buy as well as yummy restaurants, bakeries and gift shops. A fun way to spend an afternoon after a morning of historical buildings and cathedrals!
First time to Italy for all of us. Mose’ and Kristine were both excellent tour guides. Very knowledgeable with great energy throughout.
Venice is such a beautiful and fascinating city, especially this time of year. Cooler Weather , smaller crowds. Our Guide Mosul ( Moses) delivered an unforgettable morning with his knowledge , wit, and passion for this city
Great way to see Venice, Murano and Burano in one day. It was a long day but fun. Lara was a very good guide
