Legendary Venice: St. Mark's Basilica & Doge's Palace Tour
3 hours
Max 25
Why take this tour?
Highlights
- Enjoy a truly VIP experience in and around the famed St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco).
- 8 am time slot only: Take advantage of early access to the Doge's Palace before it opens to the public, a VIP experience arranged specially for our groups.
- Skip the long lines and earn privileged access into St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace.
- Drink in the surrounding views over Venice with exclusive access to the terraces of St. Mark's Basilica.
- Let an expert local guide lead you through Venice's opulent history and culture—subjects they truly have a passion for.
- Marvel at mosaics of gold, frescoes by Veronese and Tintoretto, and masterpieces around every turn.
- Traverse the Bridge of Sighs, the Doge's apartments, the Armory, and the New Prisons.
- Sites Visited
- St. Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco)
- St. Mark's Basilica
- St. Mark's Basilica terraces (exclusive access)
- Bell Tower in St. Mark's Square (exterior)
- Marciana Library (exterior)
- Doge’s Palace
- New Prisons
- Bridge of Sighs
- Tour Includes
- Local English-speaking guide
- Skip-the-line ticket for St. Mark's Basilica (St. Mark's Basilica + Museum 24€)
- Exclusive access to the balcony of St. Mark's Basilica
- Pre-reserved ticket to the Doge's Palace (25€)
- Headset (when necessary)
Immerse yourself in centuries of Venetian lore.
Book Now
Verified Customer reviews
Verified ratings
4.7 /5
based on 2809 Walks’ customer ratingsOverall rating
4.7 /5
2809 reviewsRating summary by category
Latest reviews
Excellent
Elena was a great guide, she was engaging and peppered the tour with anecdotes that brought the history to life
Verified · Danson · Singapore · Male · Jun 07, 2026 Excellent
My husband and I enjoyed a fantastic Legendary Venice: St Marks and Doge's Palace tour yesterday. Eleanora (our guide for our group of 9) explained the history of both St Marks and the Doge's as we wandered through each, happily answered any questions with a smile and was extremely passionate and proud about her job and these iconic Venice treasures. We had a group of older people, yet Eleanora seemed to know just how to pace our tour, giving us enough time to stop, take photos and answer questions, without rushing us along. Can highly recommend.
Verified · Debra · Australia · Female · Jun 07, 2026 Excellent
Excellent tour. Our guide was amazing.
GetYourGuide customer · Michael · Jun 07, 2026 Excellent
Our guide Chiara made our experience of Saint Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace exceptional. Chiara was very friendly, informative. She was able to share her knowledge in an easily understandable way leaving us satisfied with our choice. I would highly recommend her for any tour and would use her again without question.
GetYourGuide customer · Brian · Jun 07, 2026 Excellent
Paola was very knowledgeable, presented so much information. Paola is a very good guide.
Tripadvisor customer · Paulette · Jun 07, 2026
Reviews from our guests
Legendary Venice: St. Mark's Basilica & Doge's Palace Tour
Verified rating
4.7 /5
based on 2809 Walks’ customer ratingsTotal guest reviews
:
7071
guest reviews
Excellent 6092
Great 805
Good 113
Average 47
Poor 14
Latest reviews
Excellent
Elena was a great guide, she was engaging and peppered the tour with anecdotes that brought the history to life
Verified · Danson · Singapore · Male · 35 - 44 years · Jun 07, 2026 Excellent
My husband and I enjoyed a fantastic Legendary Venice: St Marks and Doge's Palace tour yesterday. Eleanora (our guide for our group of 9) explained the history of both St Marks and the Doge's as we wandered through each, happily answered any questions with a smile and was extremely passionate and proud about her job and these iconic Venice treasures. We had a group of older people, yet Eleanora seemed to know just how to pace our tour, giving us enough time to stop, take photos and answer questions, without rushing us along. Can highly recommend.
Verified · Debra · Australia · Female · 65 - 74 years · Jun 07, 2026 Excellent
Excellent tour. Our guide was amazing.
GetYourGuide customer · Michael · Jun 07, 2026 Excellent
Our guide Chiara made our experience of Saint Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace exceptional. Chiara was very friendly, informative. She was able to share her knowledge in an easily understandable way leaving us satisfied with our choice. I would highly recommend her for any tour and would use her again without question.
GetYourGuide customer · Brian · Jun 07, 2026 Excellent
Our guide Frederico was a fantastic story teller, and he kept the attention of the group the entire time. We really enjoyed it!
Tripadvisor customer · Tiffany · Jun 07, 2026 Excellent
We had Virginia as our guide and she was very knowledgeable and interesting. We learned so much from her. We highly recommend this tour!
Tripadvisor customer · mary · Jun 07, 2026 Excellent
Paola was very knowledgeable, presented so much information. Paola is a very good guide.
Tripadvisor customer · Paulette · Jun 07, 2026 Excellent
Tour guide was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed the tour
GetYourGuide customer · Dawn · Jun 06, 2026 Excellent
It was a long walking tour, but very informative. Such a beautiful place!
GetYourGuide customer · Shalanne · Jun 06, 2026 Excellent
Chiara was very interesting and gave a good tour.
Tripadvisor customer · sallysreilly · Jun 06, 2026FAQs
Can I take a bag with me into St. Mark's Basilica?
You can only take small bags into St. Mark's. Anything bigger than a purse - backpacks or luggage - is prohibited. There is no coat check either, so do not bring any large bags with you.
Do I need to bring my passport/ID with me?
Yes! All guests (including children) must bring a government-issued ID/passport on the day of their tour. Failure to bring an ID can result in the security staff refusing your entrance to the monument. The full names of all participants are required at the time of booking and must match the names on their ID/passport. Name changes are not permitted.
What's so special about the 8:00 am tour time?
The 8:00 AM tour time offer a unique and exclusive benefit - enter St. Mark's Basilica before it opens! With just your small group you enter through a side door and spend time alone in the Basilica. A truly once-in-a-lifetime experience, and created for Walks guests only. The 8:00 AM tour time is the only time with this special access, although the later times are also skip-the-line!
Is this tour accessible to people in wheelchairs?
Unfortunately the terrace of St. Mark's Basilica, the prisons, and the armory of the Doge's Palace are not wheelchair-accessible, meaning we can't accept wheelchair user on this tour. For those interested in wheelchair friendly tours in Venice, please contact our Customer Care team at [email protected].
What can I bring with me on this tour?
St. Mark's Basilica has very tight rules about what you can and cannot bring inside. Anything bigger than a purse - including backpacks or luggage - is NOT allowed inside the Basilica. There is no coat check either, so do not bring any bags larger than a purse with you.
What happens if there's a private event at the Doge's Palace and/or St. Mark's Basilica?
On rare occasions access may be restricted due to private events inside the Doge's Palace and/or St. Mark's Basilica. Unfortunately this is a situation beyond our control. Our tour guides will make modifications to ensure you still have an excellent experience, but no refunds will be issued. We appreciate your understanding.
Does St. Mark's Basilica have a dress code?
Yes. Because it is a holy place, St. Mark's Basilica insists that both men and women wear clothing that covers their shoulders and knees. They can and will refuse entry to anyone who does not meet this standard and we can't do anything about it, so come prepared.
What's the cancellation policy for my St. Mark's Basilica tour?
This experience is refundable up to 7 days before your tour. Thank you for understanding.
Do guests always see the sights on this tour in the same order?
No. Sometimes the tour runs in reverser order. However, we never take any sights out of the itinerary so you are always going to see St. Mark's Basilica, St. Mark’s Square, Doge’s Palace (general access rooms), New Prisons, and Bridge of Sighs.
Will the tour route be modified in the event of high tide/"acqua alta"?
If the local municipality restricts access due to high tide and there are no walkways available, it is the client’s responsibility to bring appropriate footwear (e.g., boots). The guide will modify the itinerary to include alternate dry paths whenever possible.
No refund will be provided if high tide prevents certain parts of the tour, but adjustments to the route will be made for client safety and comfort.
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