Venice In a Day: Basilica San Marco, Doges Palace & Gondola ride
4.5
LIKELY TO SELL OUT*
Venice In a Day: Basilica San Marco, Doges Palace & Gondola ride
By Walks of Italy
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About
If you’ve only got limited time in Venice, see the best of the City of Water in just one day during a full-day tour that visits St. Mark’s Basilica (Basilica of San Marco) and Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale), and includes a ride on the Grand Canal by traditional gondola. As well as getting the inside scoop on local history and culture, receive personalized attention in a small group limited to 20.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99, max of 20 per group
Duration: 6h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Highlights
- See the best of Venice in just one day on a full-day sightseeing tour
- A great introduction for first-time visitors
- Orient yourself without worrying about getting lost
- Benefit from the insider knowledge of your guide
- Skip-the-line ticket for St. Mark's Basilica
- Pre-reserved ticket to the Doge's Palace
- Gondola Ride
- Headset
- Local English-speaking guide
- Expertly guided walking tour
- Entry/Admission - Ponte di Rialto
- Entry/Admission - Canal Grande
- Entry/Admission - Basilica di San Marco
- Entry/Admission - Doge's Palace
- Guaranteed to skip the lines
What's not included- Gratuities
- Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off
- Lunch
- Start:
- Campo S. Giacomo di Rialto, 255, 30125 Venezia VE, ItalyPlease arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of your tour, your guide will be holding a green Walks sign. This tour meets outside the entrance of the Church of San Giacometto at Campo San Giacomo di Rialto 255, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy.
End:- Metropolitan City of Venice, ItalySt. Mark's Square
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 15693P31- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments or with wheelchairs, or strollers.
- If access is restricted due to private events inside St. Mark's Basilica and/or Doge's Palace, we cannot be held responsible. This is a situation beyond our control. No refund will be issued.
- In case of unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather (heavy rain, strong wind, high tide) conditions that prevent the gondola ride from taking place or any operational or safety reasons beyond our control it may be substituted for another experience, but no refund will be provided.
- This tour is in English.
- This is a walking tour. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 15693P31
From
€118.20
per adult
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Itinerary
- Campo S. Giacomo di Rialto, 255, 30125 Venezia VE, ItalyPlease arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of your tour, your guide will be holding a green Walks sign. This tour meets outside the entrance of the Church of San Giacometto at Campo San Giacomo di Rialto 255, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy.
- 1Pass byChiesa di Santa Maria dei MiracoliRialto MarketMarco Polo's House
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5Pass byBridge Of Sighs
- Metropolitan City of Venice, ItalySt. Mark's Square
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- 387marcip0 contributionsGreat tour!Great tour guide and small group! The Basilica and Doge Palace are beautiful. Really enjoyed the history of the buildingsWritten 6 December 2024
- 358LisaP0 contributionsGreat tour with Roberta!Roberta was the best ! Highly recommend. Very informative and positive , always smiling ! She was the best tour guide we had during our travelsWritten 29 November 2024
- P4110IEpilarr0 contributionsUnforgettable. A memory for your Life if you LOVE artThis has been one experience to remember for life. What a privilegie! I can not explain the emotion at San Marco by night, there are no words. You have to live It.Written 28 November 2024
- nolatransplant40 contributionsIncredible tourWe had an amazing time touring the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica with Alessandro! His enthusiasm and passion for Venice were contagious, and he sprinkled in so many little-known details. He made the whole experience so much richer and more memorable!Written 25 November 2024
- dkirkunc790 contributionsEnjoyable and informative tourEnjoyed the tour and had a great guide. She was local and knowledgeable. She answered all our questions and was able to get great access.Written 23 November 2024
- Leslie H0 contributionsBeautiful and HistoricalGuide was very knowledgeable abt Venetian history and all of the art we saw. Very informative and beautiful tour. We enjoyed it!Written 22 November 2024
- S7707CSrachelm0 contributionsThe full Venice experience!We had a great time on this tour! We were sure to schedule on a day that the Rialto fish market would be open and it didnt disappoint. Our guide Nico is local to Venice and gave us thorough detail on the history of Venice and was very interactive with all of our questions. The tour was about 2 hours of walking around Venice and seeing the main attractions, and ended with a 30 minute gondola ride!Written 20 November 2024
- ICarr200 contributionsTour of San Marco and the Doge's palaceWonderful guide for our tour - knowledgeable and very informative. Arrangements worked perfectly. Couldn't have been better.Written 19 November 2024
- Patti_K64590 contributionsBoth are Historical Highlights & must see in VeniceSt Marks Basilica is a short wait to get in but worth it to see ( Bring some euro coins to light a candle) but the Doge's Palace is a brutal line up so get their early. Both places will take up most of your day and so worthwhile to see and they are near the dock at St Mark's Square. The history you will learn at the Doge's Palace is amazing. Walking across the Bridge of Sigh's and looking down at the Canal is an interesting experience of where they walked Prisoners' across. We did both tours late dayWritten 15 November 2024
- Deborah C0 contributionsThe Doge's Palace and San Marco tour was excellentOur guide was excellent, organized and personable. He made sure to manage our access to each area so that we were never crowded and got to really enjoy our surroundings.Written 13 November 2024
- Karla B0 contributionsGreat tour! Elena rocks and definitely deserves 6/5* 😍5* Elena rocks 😍 We had a lovely day yesterday. The tout was well organised Elena was insightful, kind and funny. We particularly enjoy the Murano glass factory demo and the Burano sunset leisurely stroll down its main street... ❤️Written 11 November 2024
- WarrenDC0 contributionsA must do in VeniceRoberta C was an excellent guide; full of insights. She made the history of the palace and cathedral come alive. The tour is a must see if you're in venice, you skip the lines and get to see Venice through the centuriesWritten 10 November 2024
- Lifes2short4me0 contributionsAmazing access with a wonderful guide!The small group tour with Roberta was absolutely amazing! The access to St. Mark's Basilica at night is a very different experience than seeing it with 1,000 other people during the day and being moved along (I've done that too!). It's quiet, dramatic; and, when they slowly put the lights on as you sit in the dark, it's magical. The mosaics come to life and sparkle as you watch the basilica "wake up." That's a very nice touch. We were able to see the crypt and go behind the altar to see the famous Pala d'Oro altarpiece, which I was really looking forward to. It did not disappoint! Roberta was a fountain of knowledge and her English is wonderful. I didn't want the tour to end. Spend the money and do this!!Written 10 November 2024
- kerekeslajos050 contributionsThe most traditional cityThe Legendary Venice St. Mark's Basilica with Terrace Access & Doge's Palace tour was incredible! St. Mark’s Basilica is even more stunning in person, and having access to the terrace gave us breathtaking views of the city. The Doge's Palace was full of history and grandeur, with fascinating rooms and artwork. Our guide was engaging and insightful, making the experience even more special. This tour is a must for anyone visiting Venice—definitely worth the price!Written 10 November 2024
- John316210 contributionsSpectacular Tour!The perfect tour of St. Mark’s and the Doge’s Palace with Miss Sara as our fabulous guide from WALKS OF ITALY! Sara was so knowledgeable and easy to understand. The skip-the-line feature of this tour was perfect and so appreciated. Time is indeed precious. The sights here were over-the-top glorious. Beyond what a photo could capture. Such history. And we got to be there!! Thank you and bless you, dear Sara, for such a perfect tour.Written 8 November 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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4.5
763 reviews
Excellent
655
Very good
64
Average
21
Poor
5
Terrible
18
David V
San Antonio, Texas204 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
This was a wonderful tour! A beautiful walk around Venice where you see the town come alive in the morning and see how Venetians live! Venice is stunning and our tour guide Sarah gave us an amazing tour with the towns history and showed us the best spots to eat, drink, and relax. This is a must do tour! Basilica San Marco is gorgeous and truly a sight to behold, Doges Palace was also incredible and the best part of both is you go right in (the lines are veeery long). The gondola ride is also very nice, but you go in groups of 4, so if you want a private one you will need to go after the tour. A big shoutout to Sarah for making the tour amazing! Thank you!
Written 10 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kathie Z
Kansas CIty, MO4 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
First, the good: the gondola tour was wonderful! Next, the bad: when you get to the meeting point, there's a BUNCH of people. The lady hands you a sticker, but gives you no guidance whatsoever. Eventually you see people grouping up by sticker color and figure out you need to find the other people with your sticker color, BUT no one tells you where to get the audio headsets. Fortunately, another lady in my group told me where to go, and I was able to run over to get them and get back just before our guide started talking. Also, the earbuds are the cheapest, most painful they could have provided. Finally, the meh: everything else. I don't feel like this tour was anything I couldn't have done on my own. The guide didn't give us much interesting information (no kidding, at the seafood market she said, "They have fish, and squid, and shrimp, and oysters, and mussels" while just pointing them out). It was pretty dull, and I felt like we got way more out of just wandering the streets the night before. The St. Mark's tour was more of the same. At the Doge's Palace, about half of us just decided to turn in our headsets and go it alone. Not an awful tour, but we wouldn't do it again or recommend it to our friends.
Written 16 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear KathieZ_,
Thanks for writing us a review.
We are sorry to hear that some aspects of the tour did not meet your expectations.
Your comments have been taken into consideration and we will work towards improving the tour experience for future guests.
We apologize for the inconvenience you experienced with the meeting point and audio headsets, and we will make sure to provide clearer guidance to avoid similar issues.
Thank you for your support and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back for a better experience in the future.
If there is anything else you would like to address with us, feel free to contact us at feedback@walks.org.
Best regards,
Jhonas.
Written 30 January 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ed S
1 contribution
Aug 2019
We've been fortunate enough to explore many cities in various countries around the globe, and know full well that a good vacation becomes a great vacation when the guide you are depending upon is among the elite. Roberta is exactly that. She is an OUTSTANDING guide -- knowledgeable, articulate, insightful, personable, caring and totally committed to making your stay in her city memorable and delightful. We are indebted to Roberta for allowing us to see, taste and experience Venice as Venetians … and applaud Walks for providing us with such a talented tour guide.
Written 8 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi I5320KQeds
Thank you so much for your great review of our Venice in a Day tour, and our wonderful guide, Roberta. We truly appreciate your feedback!
We genuinely want all of our guests to have unforgettable experiences with us, and we couldn't do that without excellent, expert guides in our team. Thank you so much for your appreciation of Roberta, her hard work and her passion - it is terrific to hear!
We look forward to walking with you again on your next trip away.
Warmest regards,
The Walks Team
Written 9 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Shakirah M
95 contributions
This was the perfect tour if you're strapped for time and wish to immerse in the history, artistry and culture of Venice. Mose was a delight as he guided us through the narrow streets of the city, St Marks Cathedral and the Doge's Palace. Everything was well organised with clear communication. I also appreciated that the tour company adjusted the itinerary so we'd have the gondola ride in the morning since rain was anticipated in the late afternoon. The gondola ride can be an uneventful 30min ride but if the gondolier and other fellow passengers allow it, consider playing O Sole Mio on your phone at a moderate volume. We all enjoyed the experience even more.
Written 30 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul S
Taylor, MI53 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
This tour started in a small square that is basically at the base of one of the larger bridges in the city. Not sure why people in some reviews have a hard time finding it. We found our group and were handed our headsets to start the day. Our guide Pamela was a very bella and informative lady, she kept us entertained all day long. She answered so many questions and was very helpful to the entire group, very kind of her to consider the gentleman we had with a walker all day.
We started off wandering the tiny alleyways, learning many facts about the history and beauty of this amazing floating city. The roads are small and have many corners, I'd advise to stay close to your guide as your headset will cut off if you get too far behind and get buildings between you and the guide.
We stopped for a breakfast snack and cappucino at a lovely little shop, then walked and learned more. This city it so old and so gorgeous. We went on our gondola ride with another couple in our boat, but the waterways are so beautiful that it is an experience you won't forget. After the gondola we had about 90 minutes to find a bite to eat and we spent many Euros shopping in the little store that are everywhere!
After meeting back up we entered St. Marks basilica and it was just incredible. The ceiling could occupy hours just looking at the different mosaics. Leaving there we had a bathroom break then on into the Doge's Palace, a huge building with so much to see. The senate hall and the prison at the end of the tour were the best.
We loved our day in the heart of Venice, thank you Pamela for everything!!!
We started off wandering the tiny alleyways, learning many facts about the history and beauty of this amazing floating city. The roads are small and have many corners, I'd advise to stay close to your guide as your headset will cut off if you get too far behind and get buildings between you and the guide.
We stopped for a breakfast snack and cappucino at a lovely little shop, then walked and learned more. This city it so old and so gorgeous. We went on our gondola ride with another couple in our boat, but the waterways are so beautiful that it is an experience you won't forget. After the gondola we had about 90 minutes to find a bite to eat and we spent many Euros shopping in the little store that are everywhere!
After meeting back up we entered St. Marks basilica and it was just incredible. The ceiling could occupy hours just looking at the different mosaics. Leaving there we had a bathroom break then on into the Doge's Palace, a huge building with so much to see. The senate hall and the prison at the end of the tour were the best.
We loved our day in the heart of Venice, thank you Pamela for everything!!!
Written 1 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ecase999
Port Coquitlam, Canada3 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
We went on this tour just this past Tuesday (August 29th) and want to definitely recommend this tour - our guide Arianna was very informative, and we learned quite a bit about the history of Venice. And although it was raining for us in the morning, we were guided to areas where we could still enjoy and learn the sites and sounds of Venice. The included gondola ride, skip the line tickets for St. Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace are well worth the price of this tour. And we also liked the free time in the middle of the tour to pick a place for lunch (there were many options). We would recommend flat comfortable shoes, and also want to note that we had our kids with us (teens), and they enjoyed the tour as well. We had limited time in Venice, and this tour was well worth the money.
Written 2 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rachel B
Goldsboro, NC126 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
We truly enjoyed our tour of Venice with Francesca. It was obvious that she enjoyed sharing the historic city with visitors. One of the greatest things about this tour was the fact that they use headsets so we could always hear what was being said. We started early in the morning and were able to avoid large crowds for a few hours. We also didn't need to wait in lines (except at the WCs). The tour is a bit pricey but worth it to have a smaller group.
Written 28 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2015MamillaTours
Jerusalem, Israel10 contributions
Nov 2022
Iole was a great local Tour Guide who added a great value to my trip to Venice. She is Knowledgeable, kind, patient and she knows her stuff. Highly recommended to those who wants to visit as much as possible and get a feel to the city. I recommend this tour to everyone on the 1st day after their arrival, since it started at 08:30 and finished at 16:00 with a 2 hours lunch break (12:30-14:30).
Written 3 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rkl7491
Santa Monica, CA13 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Our guide, Mosé was very good, especially his tour of the Doge’s place,, but the gondola ride was completely forgettable and the tour of St. Marks never happened.. The gondola ride reminded me of the assembly line depicted on the old movie “Modern Times”, one boat right after another with no comments from the guide. Totally boring and I would have preferred an extra hour with our guide in some museum. The worst aspect of the tour, however, was that there was a high water condition - no surprise there as it was accurately forecast the day before and the city has portable platforms that they deploy to allow pedestrians to navigate the square when this happens. In this case, they refused to set up the platforms so we were unable to get into the basilica, a major part of the tour. We were told that they couldn’t/wouldn’t set up the platforms because they would then have to take them down to accommodate the Venice Marathon, which was scheduled for the next day. The bottom line was that we were sold a tour in which the tour of St. Marks was a major component even though the tour operator knew, or should have known that the combination of the high water and marathon would preclude access to the basilica during the afternoon window during which we were scheduled. No apologies, let alone refunds, have been forthcoming.
Written 22 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Rkl7491,
We appreciate your feedback regarding your recent experience on the Venice In a Day tour, and we are sorry to hear that it didn't meet your expectations.
I want to clarify the situation regarding the tour of St. Mark's Basilica.
Unfortunately, due to high tide and the preparations for the Venice Marathon, the ramps required for access to the basilica were removed, which prevented us from entering the site.
We understand that this was a significant component of the tour, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this caused.
Please know that we were not aware of this situation in advance, and it was beyond our control.
We fully acknowledge the frustration this may have caused and, as a result, we will be providing refunds to all affected guests.
If you have any further questions or need assistance with the refund process, please do not hesitate to contact us at feedback@walks.org.
We appreciate your understanding and hope you consider giving us another opportunity to provide you with a more enjoyable and fulfilling experience in the future.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
Best regards,
Jhonas.
Walks and Devour Tours.
Written 23 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sarah M
3 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
While the tour was a long day, it was a great way to view all the highlights if you are in Venice for just a day or two. Our guide was knowledgeable and entertaining as we walked along the old streets of Venice. We had a "smallish" group of I'd say about 15-20 people. If you have any mobility issues or aren't used to walking/standing much, I would not recommend this tour as there is ALOT of walking around Venice up an down stairs. Definitely a tour worth booking!
Written 6 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What time does this tour start? Also we will be coming from bologna wha is the best way to travel there to the meeting point. Where renting a car and didn’t know where we would park. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks we’re not going until September
Written 29 January 2024
Our tour was from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm, and we met near the Rialto Bridge. After you book the tour, you will get a link to contact your guide and work out the details, including the meeting point. A rental car is a waste of money in Venice since no automobiles are allowed in the city. I recommend you take a train from Bologna to the Piazzale Roma, Venice , then catch a water taxi to the station nearest the Rialto. Having a car would be a problem since parking is very limited at the Piazzle Roma. Venice is very walkable, and you can always take a water taxi if you don’t want to walk
Written 29 January 2024
Bonjour. Je voudrais savoir si le guide parle français !
Merci
Written 26 November 2023
No, she spoke Italian and English
Written 27 November 2023
Yes, I believe there were several language options when I signed up for the tour. Trip Advisor should have a list of options when you go to this particular tour for the details. It was an excellent way to enjoy Venice from top to bottom. They gave us time to get a quick morning snack and also a good amount of time to enjoy a lunch before touring the Basilica and Palace. Excellent tour.
Written 26 June 2023
Ours began at 8:30, lasting a couple of hours, ending the walking tour at the gondola station, where we broke into groups of 4 for our gondola ride. We had arranged to regroup at 1:00 for our tour of the basilica and palace.
Written 4 September 2022
Me interesa pero hubiera la oportunidad de que fuera en español ?
Written 23 August 2022
We are staying at hotel Danielli and would like to know how to get to start
Written 20 June 2022
We are staying at the hotel Danielli, how do we get to the starting point and how far is it?
Written 20 June 2022
Hello…it’s showing that you are sold out for Tuesday, June 21st, but I have a group of 10 that will only be in Venice that day. Is it possible for us to be contacted if space opens up? How can we contact you?
Written 14 June 2022
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.