Exclusive Alone In St. Mark's & Doge's Palace Tour
614 reviews
3.5 hours
Max 25
Why take this tour?
Highlights
Private access to St. Mark's Basilica after hours, only for Walks groups - no crowds, no lines!
Experience being inside St.Mark's Basilica like almost no one else… Alone! Illuminated mosaics are even more breathtaking at night.
Enter the Doge's Palace after closing time - on this tour you will see Venice's most famous sites in the best possible way!
Explore both centres of Venice's power: church and politics!
Enjoy the intimacy of our small groups with your enthusiastic, English-speaking guide.
Sites Visited
St. Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco)
St. Mark's Basilica
St. Mark's Crypt
Pala d’Oro Altarpiece
Bell Tower in St. Mark's Square (exterior)
Clock Tower on St. Mark's Basilica (exterior)
Marciana Library (exterior)
Doge’s Palace
New Prisons
Bridge of Sighs
Tour Includes
Local English-speaking guide
Expertly guided walking tour
Exclusive access ticket for St. Mark's Basilica (after closing)
After-closing ticket to the Doge's Palace
Headset
Take a flashlight! Explore both St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace after-hours.
Book Now
Total Customer Reviews: 614
Verified Ratings
4.8/5
based on 614 Walks’ customer ratings
Rating summary by category
Guide
4.8/5
Guest Support
4.7/5
Latest reviews
Excellent
This tour was amazing. It offered a very unique experience. We were practically alone both Doges Palace & St Marc’s basilica. Seeing the mosaics lit up at night in the basilica was magical. Niccolo our tour guide was incredible. He had so much knowledge of the history of Venice and of both sites. I felt that I would not have enjoyed the sites as much visiting alone. For us. It was worth every penny
Verified·Gaby·Jul 23, 2024·Canada·Male·45 to 54 years
Great
Great tour. Thoroughly enjoyed our guide, Paolo. She was a wealth of information and didn't just give facts but told stories to bring the sites to life. Just wished the logistics of the tour could have been done in 2 or 2.5 hours instead of 3.5 hours.
Verified·Richard·Jul 18, 2024·USA·Male·55 to 64 years
Great
Visiting both of these sites after hours is a definite privilege, especially St. Marks.
Verified·Richard·Jul 07, 2024·USA·Male·55 to 64 years
Excellent
Elena was an excellent, informative and engaging guide. We learned so much from her and enjoyed the small group experience in Doges Palace and St Mark's. Highly recommend!
Verified·Karen·Jun 28, 2024·USA·Female·45 to 54 years
Excellent
Great tour, wonderful guide Iole. Very interesting, I wasn’t bored for a minute. Liked the break in between two visits, we pais a visit at Caffe Florian and had a walk at St.Mark’s Square, witch was a great extra. The after hours experience was a real trekt, worth every Penny.
Verified·Hilde·May 15, 2024·Belgium·Female·55 to 64 years
Reviews from our guests
Exclusive Alone In St. Mark's & Doge's Palace Tour
of Walks customers highly recommend this tour to friends or family
Verified rating
4.8/5
614 Walks’ customer ratings
Guide4.8/5
Guest Support
4.7/5
Guest reviews
614
total guest reviews
Excellent51273.4%
Great8313.5%
Good122%
Average30.5%
Poor40.7%
Latest reviews
Excellent
This tour was amazing. It offered a very unique experience. We were practically alone both Doges Palace & St Marc’s basilica. Seeing the mosaics lit up at night in the basilica was magical. Niccolo our tour guide was incredible. He had so much knowledge of the history of Venice and of both sites. I felt that I would not have enjoyed the sites as much visiting alone. For us. It was worth every penny
Verified·Gaby·Jul 23, 2024·Canada·Male·45 to 54 years
Great
Great tour. Thoroughly enjoyed our guide, Paolo. She was a wealth of information and didn't just give facts but told stories to bring the sites to life. Just wished the logistics of the tour could have been done in 2 or 2.5 hours instead of 3.5 hours.
Verified·Richard·Jul 18, 2024·USA·Male·55 to 64 years
Great
Visiting both of these sites after hours is a definite privilege, especially St. Marks.
Verified·Richard·Jul 07, 2024·USA·Male·55 to 64 years
Excellent
Elena was an excellent, informative and engaging guide. We learned so much from her and enjoyed the small group experience in Doges Palace and St Mark's. Highly recommend!
Verified·Karen·Jun 28, 2024·USA·Female·45 to 54 years
Excellent
Great tour, wonderful guide Iole. Very interesting, I wasn’t bored for a minute. Liked the break in between two visits, we pais a visit at Caffe Florian and had a walk at St.Mark’s Square, witch was a great extra. The after hours experience was a real trekt, worth every Penny.
Verified·Hilde·May 15, 2024·Belgium·Female·55 to 64 years
Excellent
Great way to avoid the crowds and we loved our guide!
Verified·Juli·May 05, 2024·USA·Female·45 to 54 years
Great
Both of our tours with Devour and Walks were excellent. Tour guides very friendly and knowledgeable.
Verified·Caroline·May 05, 2024·USA·Female·55 to 64 years
Excellent
When you visit Venice for the first time you are confronted by people on mass - many of them following a tour guide waving a flag aloft so the group can follow without being lost. As an independant outdoorsman from rural Australia - used to doing my own thing - I thought joining such a group would be a sign I had descended into Hades. This tour was at the end of a European Holiday and when I saw how many people gathered at the meeting point - my heart sank. However when my guide introduced herself her ability to communicate her knowledge of the Dogues Palace was an art form in itself. Her skills as an orator was an art form in itself. Can give the highest recommendation for the guide our group had. M Stewart - Australia
Verified·Maxwell·Apr 10, 2024·Australia·Male·65 to 74 years
Excellent
This was absolutely the highlight of our trip. Having been through St. Marks Basilica and Dodge's Palace during peak season previously, this experience felt unreal. We are so thankful to our Guide and Walks for providing this incredible experience that we will never forget. Highly recommend.
Verified·Laura·Feb 06, 2024·USA·Female·25 to 34 years
Excellent
Excellent tour. Elena was extremely knowledgable. She was able to answer all of our questions, and she was humorous. I would say she's one of the two best tour guides we have had throughout our 25 years of traveling abroad. The tour was extensive and covered everything that we needed to know about Venice, the Doge's palace, and the Basilica. It also included areas that no other tour groups or people are allowed to see. What a wonderful experience. We will be booking with them again when we travel to other places.
Verified·Chao-I·Jan 30, 2024·USA·Female·55 to 64 years
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.
Is this tour wheelchair accessible?
No. Unfortunately, due to site restrictions we cannot accommodate wheelchairs on this tour. If you use a wheelchair and book this tour by accident, we are happy to offer you credit for a future tour that is wheelchair accessible anywhere in the world, or a full refund.
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 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.
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.
Are there any breaks on this tour?
During this tour there is a short break (15 to 30 minutes) in between visiting the Doge's Palace and entering St. Mark's Basilica.
Explore St. Mark's Basilica after closing time and spend an enchanting, intimate evening getting to know one of the world's most unique churches with an expert guide.
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.