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Legendary Venice St. Mark's Basilica with Terrace Access & Doge's Palace provided by Walks

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Legendary Venice St. Mark's Basilica with Terrace Access & Doge's Palace

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Legendary Venice St. Mark's Basilica with Terrace Access & Doge's Palace
4.5
905
By Walks
Book in advance
from
€85.00
per adult
Reserve now & pay later: Save your spot free of charge with flexible booking.
Recommended by 93% of travellers
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Full view
Tour snapshot
Guarantee entry to the often sold-out Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica
Duration:
3h
Taking Covid-19 safety measures
Group size:
25
Near public transportation
Ticket type:
Mobile
Free cancellation
  • Duration:
    3h
  • Taking Covid-19 safety measures
  • Group size:
    25
  • Near public transportation
  • Ticket type:
    Mobile
  • Free cancellation
About
Guarantee your entry into two of Venice’s star attractions on a skip-the-line tour of Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) and St. Mark’s Basilica (Basilica of San Marco). Save hours of waiting in line as you bypass queues often in advance of two hours and head straight inside the often sold-out monuments. Inside the legendary St. Mark's Basilica wander the mosaic-clad interior and peek into secret spaces, with exclusive access onto the balcony overlooking Piazza San Marco - reserved for only a chosen few!
Know before you go
  • Duration: 3h
  • Mobile tickets accepted
  • Instant confirmation
Cancellation policy
  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
Available languages
English
Highlights
  • Save hours waiting in line with skip-the-line entry to two top Venice attractions 
  • Enjoy special access to the first-floor terrace of St. Mark's Basilica 
  • Discover hidden details that are often missed when exploring alone
What to expect
Greet your guide in central Venice and head straight to your first stop, St. Mark’s Basilica (Basilica de San Marco) to bypass the long lines often in excess of two hours. Inside your guide reveals hidden details and leads you to the first-floor terrace not usually open to the general public. The next stop is Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale), where skip-the-line tickets allow you to avoid waiting in line once again. Visit the opulent Hall of Great Council, home to frescoes by the likes of Veronese and Tintoretto, and discover the palace’s dark history in the Armory and New Prisons. Your tour culminates with a walk across the Bridge of Sighs, where you bid your guide farewell.
Know before you go
  • Duration: 3h
  • Mobile tickets accepted
  • Instant confirmation
Available languages
English
Cancellation policy
  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
Highlights
  • Save hours waiting in line with skip-the-line entry to two top Venice attractions 
  • Enjoy special access to the first-floor terrace of St. Mark's Basilica 
  • Discover hidden details that are often missed when exploring alone
What to expect
Greet your guide in central Venice and head straight to your first stop, St. Mark’s Basilica (Basilica de San Marco) to bypass the long lines often in excess of two hours. Inside your guide reveals hidden details and leads you to the first-floor terrace not usually open to the general public. The next stop is Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale), where skip-the-line tickets allow you to avoid waiting in line once again. Visit the opulent Hall of Great Council, home to frescoes by the likes of Veronese and Tintoretto, and discover the palace’s dark history in the Armory and New Prisons. Your tour culminates with a walk across the Bridge of Sighs, where you bid your guide farewell.
Need help booking?
Call the number below and use the product code: 15693P8
Important information
Inclusions
  • Local English-speaking guide
  • Skip-the-line ticket for St. Mark's Basilica
  • Headsets when necessary
  • Exclusive access to the balcony of St. Mark's Basilica
  • Pre-reserved ticket to the Doge's Palace
  • Exclusive Early Entry to the Doge's Palace (8 AM only)
  • Entry/Admission - Basilica di San Marco
  • Entry/Admission - Doge's Palace
  • Entry/Admission - Ponte dei Sospiri
  • Guaranteed to skip the lines
Exclusions
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off
Duration
3h
Departure details
  • Museo Correr, P.za San Marco, 52, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy Correr Museum (Museo Correr) in Piazza San Marco. Meet under the portico just outside the entrance of the museum. Please note that the tour meeting time is 15 minutes prior to the start time. No refunds or re-bookings can be provided for late arrivals or no shows after tour commencement or departure
Additional information
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate guests with mobility impairments, wheelchairs or strollers on this tour.
  • Please remember that the basilica is a holy place and attire must be appropriate: Both men and women are asked to wear clothing that covers at least the shoulders and knees. Walks of Italy cannot be held responsible for denied entry due to improper dress. Backpacks are prohibited inside of St. Mark's Basilica.
  • Backpacks are prohibited inside St. Mark's Basilica.
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Walks complies with all local government regulations. You may need to wear a mask or provide proof of vaccination to enter certain venues. Please refer to Italy government guidelines for the most up to date information
  • Tour in English only
  • • St. Mark's Basilica can be subject to unforeseen closures due to liturgical celebrations or high tides. In this event, your guide will give the tour from the exterior of the Basilica or we will contact clients as soon as possible to arrange a suitable alternative.
  • Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travellers
Inclusions
  • Local English-speaking guide
  • Skip-the-line ticket for St. Mark's Basilica
  • Headsets when necessary
  • Exclusive access to the balcony of St. Mark's Basilica
  • Pre-reserved ticket to the Doge's Palace
  • Exclusive Early Entry to the Doge's Palace (8 AM only)
  • Entry/Admission - Basilica di San Marco
  • Entry/Admission - Doge's Palace
  • Entry/Admission - Ponte dei Sospiri
  • Guaranteed to skip the lines
Exclusions
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off
Departure details
  • Museo Correr, P.za San Marco, 52, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy Correr Museum (Museo Correr) in Piazza San Marco. Meet under the portico just outside the entrance of the museum. Please note that the tour meeting time is 15 minutes prior to the start time. No refunds or re-bookings can be provided for late arrivals or no shows after tour commencement or departure
Duration
3h
Return details
  • St. Mark's Square, Piazza San Marco, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy In St. Mark's Square.
Additional information
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate guests with mobility impairments, wheelchairs or strollers on this tour.
  • Please remember that the basilica is a holy place and attire must be appropriate: Both men and women are asked to wear clothing that covers at least the shoulders and knees. Walks of Italy cannot be held responsible for denied entry due to improper dress. Backpacks are prohibited inside of St. Mark's Basilica.
  • Backpacks are prohibited inside St. Mark's Basilica.
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Walks complies with all local government regulations. You may need to wear a mask or provide proof of vaccination to enter certain venues. Please refer to Italy government guidelines for the most up to date information
  • Tour in English only
  • • St. Mark's Basilica can be subject to unforeseen closures due to liturgical celebrations or high tides. In this event, your guide will give the tour from the exterior of the Basilica or we will contact clients as soon as possible to arrange a suitable alternative.
  • Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travellers
Travel safe during COVID-19
What you can expect during your visit
  • Face masks required for travellers in public areas
  • Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
  • Social distancing enforced throughout experience
What you can expect during your visit
  • Face masks required for travellers in public areas
  • Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
  • Social distancing enforced throughout experience
  • Face masks required for guides in public areas
Itinerary
  • You'll start at
    Museo Correr
    P.za San Marco, 52, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy
    Correr Museum (Museo Correr) in Piazza San Marco. Meet under the portico just outside the entrance of the museum. Please note that the tour meeting time is 15 minutes prior to the start time. No refunds or re-bookings can be provided for late arrivals or no shows after tour commencement or departure
    See address & details
  • 1
    Piazza San Marco
    Stop: 30 minutes
    See details
  • 2
    Basilica di San Marco
    Stop: 60 minutes - Admission included
    See details
  • 3
    Doge's Palace
    Stop: 60 minutes - Admission included
    See details
  • 4
    Ponte dei Sospiri
    Stop: 15 minutes - Admission included
    See details
  • You'll end at
    St. Mark's Square
    Piazza San Marco, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy
    In St. Mark's Square.
    See address & details
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4.5
905 reviews
Excellent
740
Very good
102
Average
24
Poor
13
Terrible
26
Ozagain
Bury St. Edmunds, UK89 contributions
If you 5ams one tour take this one!
Great tour definitely recommend to take the 8am tour if possible as the Doges Palace is empty at this point. Our guide gave just the right amount of detail, some interesting stuff but did not talk about every painting and every mosaic. Really good background on Venice and how it was run as well as history of the buildings. Good insight to life in Venice from a local guy who clearly loves his city. Audio system worked really well . Worth the money!
Written 5 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Mainemadness
12 contributions
Early morning, private tour is a must
Family
We had a unique experience to be the first inside Doge’s Palace before it opened to the public. The experience is amazing and an absolute luxury that avoided heavy crowned and long lines. We saw the beautiful halls, the prison and a unique walk across the bridge if sigs. By the time we went into St. Mark’s the line and the piazza was mobbed with people while we walked in and made our way through the entire church and the balcony for a lovely wrap up to our tour. If you’re willing to pay up and wake up early to avoid the crowds, this tour is highly recommended!
Written 18 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Quengasd
Summerville, SC14 contributions
A Must Do and See
Family
It was a little difficult to find the meeting place but that is the only slight challenge. Our guide, Giulia, was excellent. She was clearly passionate about the history. She was excited when we were able to make any connection to the history and art she was sharing with us. We definitely recommend doing a guided tour of these two sites bc our guide made everything we saw more meaningful.
There was also a special exhibit of modern art at the Doges Palace that was extraordinary. I’m so happy we were able to see this, and would encourage you to go the the Palace to see just this. The experience of seeing it was a punch in the gut with the war in Ukraine as a backdrop. Highly recommend seeing it if you can.
Written 12 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Frank J
Tarpon Springs, FL12 contributions
Very nice tour
Nice tour. Definitely helpful to skip the line. The lines were massive. Pamela was very knowledgeable and the tour size (12ish) was not too big to get some questions in. The basilica is truly mesmerizing as are the views of the square. The tour of the Doge palace is well worth it and I would recommend staying after the tour to wander and appreciate the richness and extravagance of the doges
Written 30 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Dana
Wauwatosa, WI2 contributions
Unforgettable tour
My husband and I did this tour the second day we were in Venice and we are so glad we did! The tour group was pretty big but we were all provided with headsets so we could hear the guide throughout the whole tour. Our guide, Susan, was fabulous! I can’t imagine this tour without her depth of knowledge and eloquent way of speaking. We did not feel the tour was rushed. We spent lots of time viewing the important sights and Susan was great about answering our questions. We were fortunate to see Anselm Kiefer’s exhibit in the Doge’s Palace and Susan walked us through that quite well. It’s was an unforgettable tour and a highlight of our visit to Venice!
Written 17 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Ara A
1 contribution
Excellent
Really fantastic experience with Sarah our tour guide. It was miserable weather and raining but she was incredibly energetic and expertly guided us through the crowds and history of the basilica and palace. Gave some great tips too about our stay in town and took up her recommendation to visit the bell tower, did not disappoint with beautiful views of the city! If i had one thing to change would be a little more time in the basilica to really just absorb the beauty of the place. But overall fantastic and money well spent!
Written 7 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Ed1304
Castel Frentano, Italy58 contributions
Expert guidance around beautiful buildings
I really enjoyed this tour. It’s difficult not to be impressed by St Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace, just looking from the outside so my expectations were pretty high to start with. However, Mosè really brought it alive. He seemed to have an interesting story or fact for just about everything we looked at. The mosaics inside and out St Mark’s are impressive just to look at but it is so much more worthwhile when you can follow the story they are meant to convey. I thought it was very well timed so that we arrived at the right place at the right time to observe the movement on the clock tower.

Nearly every room in the Doge’s Palace is simply splendid. I could have spend considerably longer in many of them simply admiring the paintings, but the huge works of Titian, Veronese and Tintoretto can become overwhelming without someone explaining why the were painted , what they represent and the politics behind their creation.

There is little point visiting Venice without touring these iconic buildings and when you do, having an expert who can explain and clarifying what you are looking it will make all the more enjoyable.
Written 30 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
KaiserC
7 contributions
Tour is good, but guide needs to speak up
Positives: You get into both buildings pretty quickly, the tour goes through the important spots so you don't waste time trying to navigate by yourself. There is a break after the Doge's Palace section of the tour, time for a bathroom/recharge. I'm glad that the tour concluded at the top of the Basilica, because we stayed there for a while and took pictures of St. Mark's Square from the terrace. If you're short on time and want to see the highlights of the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica, this tour is a good choice.

Negatives: The tour guide, while knowledgeable, was very soft-spoken. Headphones were provided to everyone in the group, but the tour guide often did not even speak into her microphone, so if I was not standing next to her it was almost impossible to hear what she was saying. Also, the tour unfortunately does not cover the prisons at the Doge's Palace.
Written 12 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Steve-Murray1985
7 contributions
Excellent tour, excellent value, excellent tour guide (Susan)
Fantastic Tour, Great value considering it involves zero queuing, the queues wrapped around the basilica in 30' sun so i'm pleased i booked this tour.

Susan was our tour guide, she was fantastic! My partner insisted I get on here and write this review as she was so grateful to Susan for the explanation and information as we went around the cathedral, the palace and the prison. I really enjoyed enjoyed the tour too, i'm less into art history and more into hearing stories of events gone by etc but Susan can really help you see some of the paintings in a way a non arty person might otherwise see them, and there is plenty of other history too! I learnt a lot.

I highly recommended this tour.
Written 21 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Zimbo999
United Kingdom32 contributions
Expensive and a bit too art-orientated
The guide was very knowledgeable and had excellent English. But she tilted her commentary in the Doge's Palace too much towards all the various artworks on display, with in-depth comment, analysis and interpretation of what the elements 'on canvas' meant or were meant to portray, i.e. she was telling us how to 'read' each painting - which became a bit of a bore after a while.

It's also an expensive tour based on what I saw of the actual ticket prices to get in the Basilica and Palace, you are paying a lot for the guide's time.
Written 29 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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By: Walks
2,082
X1701UAjacquelinep
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A definite 'must do' experience
Had a wonderful experience with Laura who took our group for the evening tour of the Doges Palace and St Mark's. V…
eoinc600
eoinc600
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Great tour covering everything Venice has to offer.
Brilliant tour. Our guide Roberta had an in-depth knowledge of the culture and history of Venice making for a very …
packingbags42
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Great tour by Nicolo
Great tour by Nicolo. He has such love and admiration for his home. He is what made the trip so memorable. We start…
Samuel W
Samuel W
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Nico - What a great guide
What a great experience! Thanks so much to Nico for taking us around and showing us the great history of Venice. He…
298hayleyg
298hayleyg
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St. Mark’s basilica was mind blowing
Ioli (spelling) was excellent! Very knowledgeable and a great sense of humor. Would highly recommend this tour. Av…
Julie I
Julie I
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St. Mark's at night...what a delight!
What a wonderful tour! St. Mark’s in the evening was magical. Our guide, Susan, was wonderful. We had all ages i…
WalkersAyr
WalkersAyr
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Tour guide led walking tour of Venice PLUS!!
Virginia our tour guide was very knowledgeable and could put across her facts in an easy to follow way and in a fun…
Mobile478142
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A must do
Well worth the money, tour guide Maria was very knowledgable, she made it a very enjoyable experience, her knowledg…
sjohn8364
sjohn8364
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Perfect perfect perfect
Guliano was the absolute best guide for this tour and we were so amazed by how much we learned, but had fun doing i…
anthony_conta
anthony_conta
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Good trip if you want to see things privately
Great guide and experience. Had a lovely time. Very in depth and informative. I did the St Marks tour only, and I d…
328chelseyv
328chelseyv
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Fantastic walking tour
This was a fantastic walking tour. Our guide Lole was wonderful and quick to answer any questions. The tour include…
291fawzys
291fawzys
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Rich experience
If you need a native tourist guide with excellent fluency in English , consider this tour . Have knowledge and fun …
Y9741QRmartinac
Y9741QRmartinac
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Venice is so beautiful!
Amazing tour with Nico! He did an amazing job at explaining all the important details about Venice. We truly had an…
Coastal663119
Coastal663119
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Tour was great because of our guide, Mose
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour in large part due to our wonderful guide, Mose. He was very knowledgeable and enth…
763aminal
763aminal
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Superb, very professionally run tour
We couldn’t have asked for a better full day tour of Venice than the one we received from Mose. We walked all arou…
Frequently Asked Questions about Legendary Venice St. Mark's Basilica with Terrace Access & Doge's Palace
Legendary Venice St. Mark's Basilica with Terrace Access & Doge's Palace price starts from €88.48. Discover and book Legendary Venice St. Mark's Basilica with Terrace Access & Doge's Palace on Tripadvisor
Legendary Venice St. Mark's Basilica with Terrace Access & Doge's Palace cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book Legendary Venice St. Mark's Basilica with Terrace Access & Doge's Palace on Tripadvisor
Legendary Venice St. Mark's Basilica with Terrace Access & Doge's Palace is hosted by Walks. Read reviews, discover additonal experiences or contact Walks on Tripadvisor. Discover and book Legendary Venice St. Mark's Basilica with Terrace Access & Doge's Palace on Tripadvisor