Legendary Venice: St. Mark's Basilica & Doge's Palace Tour
3 hours
Max 20
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 2758 Walks’ customer ratingsOverall rating
4.7 /5
2758 reviewsRating summary by category
Latest reviews
Excellent
Marie-Thérèse was fantastic! She made history come alive with such humor and energy that our whole group was laughing out loud while learning. Easily one of the best tours we’ve ever taken
Tripadvisor customer · Patricia · Sep 09, 2025 Excellent
Loved being the first and only group in the Doge!
GetYourGuide customer · United States · Sep 06, 2025 Excellent
Moses was the best guide we’ve had on our trip around Italy. He is very passionate about the history of Venice and it shows during the tour with all the information he gives you. You also get early access into the doges palace before opening so we had the entire palace to ourselves!! Highly recommend this tour and highly recommend Moses as a guide!
GetYourGuide customer · Joshua · Canada · Aug 30, 2025 Excellent
Very informative tour. We enjoyed touring St. Mark's Basilica and Doges Palace. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable.
Tripadvisor customer · Laurie · Aug 30, 2025 Excellent
This is the 2nd time I have done this tour. Fabulous tour overall. It was painful to be ready for an 8am tour, but well worth it because there were no crowds which meant great opportunities for viewing sites, artwork, and more and taking pictures. Grazia (the guide) was super: very informative and pleasant. Could pause a little here and there to allow space for questions. Headsets were not very comfortable and environmentally unfriendly, too. Went on another tour and they had better headsets. Regardless, this tour was very good.
Tripadvisor customer · Worlds_of_Wonder · Aug 29, 2025
Reviews from our guests
Legendary Venice: St. Mark's Basilica & Doge's Palace Tour
Verified rating
4.7 /5
based on 2758 Walks’ customer ratingsTotal guest reviews
:
4514
guest reviews
Excellent 3767
Great 573
Good 113
Average 47
Poor 14
Latest reviews
Excellent
Marie-Thérèse was fantastic! She made history come alive with such humor and energy that our whole group was laughing out loud while learning. Easily one of the best tours we’ve ever taken
Tripadvisor customer · Patricia · Sep 09, 2025 Excellent
Loved being the first and only group in the Doge!
GetYourGuide customer · United States · Sep 06, 2025 Excellent
Moses was the best guide we’ve had on our trip around Italy. He is very passionate about the history of Venice and it shows during the tour with all the information he gives you. You also get early access into the doges palace before opening so we had the entire palace to ourselves!! Highly recommend this tour and highly recommend Moses as a guide!
GetYourGuide customer · Joshua · Canada · Aug 30, 2025 Excellent
Very informative tour. We enjoyed touring St. Mark's Basilica and Doges Palace. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable.
Tripadvisor customer · Laurie · Aug 30, 2025 Excellent
This is the 2nd time I have done this tour. Fabulous tour overall. It was painful to be ready for an 8am tour, but well worth it because there were no crowds which meant great opportunities for viewing sites, artwork, and more and taking pictures. Grazia (the guide) was super: very informative and pleasant. Could pause a little here and there to allow space for questions. Headsets were not very comfortable and environmentally unfriendly, too. Went on another tour and they had better headsets. Regardless, this tour was very good.
Tripadvisor customer · Worlds_of_Wonder · Aug 29, 2025 Excellent
Mose was an amazing tour guide, very knowledgeable and funny. This was our favorite tour we did in Italy. Felt like it was the perfect amount of time to see everything.
Tripadvisor customer · Kelsey · Aug 27, 2025 Excellent
Our tour guide, Valentina S, was amazing. She was very informative and we left the tour knowing a lot about the history of Venice as well as st marks and doge.
GetYourGuide customer · Tania · New Zealand · Aug 21, 2025 Great
Overall.. very good experience. It was certainly in-depth with lots of info. Honestly.. information overload. Our guide was so immerse with history and details.. that at times the info felt overwhelming. She also did approx 30-minutes of Venice history “before” we got into St. Marks. I would say for history buffs - worth it. But.. if you are just looking for a general tour… be prepared for a history lesson (but no quiz).
GetYourGuide customer · Christopher · United States · Aug 20, 2025 Excellent
Valentina Stella is the guide to request! Valentina drew us into Venetian history and tradition with her stories and poised humor….we immediately booked the Doges castle tour with at Venice Tours so we could continue our tour with Valentina….5 stars for Valentina, thank you Venice Tours for a wonderful guided experience :)
Tripadvisor customer · Tiffany · Aug 19, 2025 Excellent
Great experience. Great guide. We have got a lot of information an fun.
GetYourGuide customer · Bogdan · Romania · Aug 15, 2025FAQs
What can I bring into the Doge's Palace?
You are permitted to enter the Doge's Palace with handbags and small backpacks. But any large backpacks or luggage are not permitted inside. You have to check them in the cloakroom.
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 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.
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.
Is this tour wheelchair accessible?
No. Unfortunately, due to site restrictions we cannot accommodate wheelchairs on this tour. Guests should be prepared for a moderate level of physical activity, including standing for extended periods and climbing stairs, which may not be suitable for travelers with certain health conditions or mobility limitations.
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.
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.
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 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.
Does the Doge's Palace accommodate wheelchair users?
The Doge’s Palace is not wheelchair-friendly. Some parts are accessible, but the Secret Rooms, Prisons, and Armory and not. Our route, in particular, is not wheelchair-friendly so we do not recommend that wheelchair users take this tour.
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].
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.
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!
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