All Venice Tours

Legendary Venice: St. Mark's Basilica & Doge's Palace Tour

6723 reviews

3 hours

Max 25

Walks Venezia Legendary Venice Giulia Verdinelli 003

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 2771 Walks’ customer ratings

Overall rating

4.7 /5

2771 reviews

Rating summary by category

Guide

4.8/5

Guest Support

4.7/5

Latest reviews

Excellent

We had a wonderful experience with Allesandro as our tour guide. He is incredibly knowledgeable, friendly and we learned so much. I highly recommend.

Tripadvisor customer · Cruiser33889518113 · Mar 29, 2026

Excellent

Excellent guide (Nico). Very informative and a good sense of humour. Really enjoyed the tour.

Tripadvisor customer · Susan · Mar 29, 2026

Excellent

Excellent tour! Julia is knowledgeable and so engaging

Tripadvisor customer · Julie · Mar 29, 2026

Excellent

Fabulous your. Alessandro was pleasant and informative

Tripadvisor customer · Happiness05130209425 · Mar 29, 2026

Excellent

Alessandro was brilliant, very informative and engaging - thank you!!

Tripadvisor customer · Anna · Mar 29, 2026

Verified rating

4.7 /5

based on 2771 Walks’ customer ratings

Guide

4.8/5

Guest Support

4.7/5

Total guest reviews

: 6723 guest reviews

Excellent 5763

Great 786

Good 113

Average 47

Poor 14

Latest reviews

Great

Very interesting and informative. The guide was very knowledgeable and very personable. I would recommend this tour..

Viator customer · katherine · Oct 04, 2025

Excellent

We were met by our guide promptly on time at the agreed location. The tour started at Piazza San Marco so it was easy to find. The tour guide, Marie-Therese, was super knowledgeable and engaging! She filled our tour with interesting facts about Venetian history so the 3 hours flew past really fast! Highly recommend it to anyone wishing to have a pleasant tour and learn something new along the way.

Viator customer · Evgenii · Oct 04, 2025

Excellent

Our host, Phillipe, was fantastic! Informative and entertaining. So much history and Phillipe included a lot of fun facts as well.

Tripadvisor customer · CB · Oct 03, 2025

Excellent

Loved this tour. Marie-Therese was knowledgeable and funny, making it a very entertaining but informative 3 hours that flew by very quickly. Definitely recommend.

Viator customer · Lindsay · Oct 03, 2025

Great

The history of the palace and the Basillica was fascinating but it was tiring due to the heat, perhaps a longer break between the two would be beneficial

GetYourGuide customer · John · United Kingdom · Oct 02, 2025

Excellent

Marina was an excellent guide with so much knowledge and very personable. It was very advantageous to see Doge’s palace before it was opened to the public. The length of the tour was excellent for 3 hrs.

Tripadvisor customer · Carol · Oct 02, 2025

Excellent

Marina was a WONDERFUL tour guide with a wealth of knowledge. She really enriched our visit to these places. Also, by taking the first tour of the morning, we missed the big crowds. It was a perfect experience.

Viator customer · Mallory · Oct 02, 2025

Excellent

Marina our tour guide was absolutely outstanding and she made this a remarkable experience with the details and information that she provided and was willing to answer all questions. Simply can’t say enough about her professionalism and the relaxed but highly organized manner in which she conducted this tour. Doge’s palace was absolutely remarkable, I personally had no idea it had such history and the palace, artwork and stories behind these were more than worth the admission cost. St Mark’s Basilica was great, but not a patch on Doge’s Palace or other Duomo’s that we have seen in Milano and Como. This was a brilliant tour. Ask for Marina!!

GetYourGuide customer · Paul · United States · Oct 01, 2025

Excellent

Tour well worth the money for the 0800 entrance. Our guide was very knowledgeable. Would book again.

GetYourGuide customer · Roberto · United States · Oct 01, 2025

Excellent

Early morning entry without the crowds

GetYourGuide customer · Donna · Australia · Oct 01, 2025

FAQs

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 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.

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'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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

You Can Also Experience These Similar Tours

Sam - 20170808 - VENICE - Secret Passages -0086

From $133

Likely to Sell Out

Doge’s Palace Secret Itineraries Tour with Casanova’s Cell, Bridge of Sighs & St. Mark's Basilica

Take a step off the normal tourist path on the Doge's Palace Secret Itineraries Tour: An all-access adventure into the rooms Venetian dukes tried to hide.