Lots of walking up and down stairs. Some of the areas that we walked were uneven surfaces or rough stones, so it was a little stressful trying not to fall and the stairs were a little strenuous, but I am 80 years old and have foot problems so I was very careful. The guide was excellent and the group was small enough that questions could be asked. The gondola ride was okay, but nothing special (no commentary or singing from the oarsman) All in all, it was well worth the money.

The guided tours in the Doge's Palace and in the basilica were great. We had a preferred entrance and only had to wait 10 minutes (instead of 1 hour). Our guide had a microphone with transfer to our headphones. So we could follow all the stories, even if we were not directly in the vicinity of the guide. The ladies should note that in the basilica the shoulders and the knees should be covered, otherwise they may not enter the basilica. Gondola ride - not recommended, mass transit. We had to wait an hour for a gondola to be assigned to us. There were 6 people placed. The gondolier was very rude. The gondola ride lasted only 15 minutes.

One visit not to be missed

Our guide was an amazing lovely lady who originated from Venice. She was so full of information about the Palace and Basilica, and its history. The architecture was delightful to see, as was the wall art, but what made it come to life was the stories and commentaries given by our guide. You are simply mesmerised by the beauty around you and fascinated by the way the buildings moved when you are stood in them. The gondola ride is a must just a shame it was went so quickly, maybe just a little longer. The only downside difficult to locate our tour guide under the blue clock face to start with, and then the gondola tour guide in the afternoon, once found never forgotten