Water activity

Venice: Doge's Palace & Basilica Tour with Optional Gondola

4.7 / 5

163 reviews

Activity provider: City Wonders Ltd.
    Add to wishlist
    Water activity

    Venice: Doge's Palace & Basilica Tour with Optional Gondola

    Activity provider: City Wonders Ltd.
    Likely to sell out
    Likely to sell out

    From US$ 77.18 per person

    Skip the long lines to enjoy fast-track entry to the Doge’s Palace in Venice and discover a magnificent combination of Byzantine, Gothic, and Renaissance architecture. Later, explore the magnificent St. Mark's Basilica.

    About this activity

    Free cancellation
    Cancel up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund
    Covid-19 precautions
    Special health and safety measures apply. Learn more
    Reserve now & pay later
    Keep your travel plans flexible—book your spot and pay nothing today. Learn more
    Duration 2 hours
    Check availability to see starting times.
    Skip the ticket line
    Live tour guide
    English

    Experience

    Highlights
    • Benefit from skip-the-line entry to St. Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace
    • Admire the stunning mosaics of St. Mark's Basilica
    • Marvel at masterpieces from artists such as Tintoretto and Veronese
    • Upgrade your experience with a 30-minute gondola ride
    • Enjoy an intimate, small group tour with a maximum of 15 participants
    Full description
    This 3.5-hour walking tour takes you to two of Venice's most iconic highlights, with a few secret gems thrown in for good measure. With skip-the-line access to the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s, you will cut out the long waiting times, and whisk from one highlight to the next. Enjoy a tour of St. Mark's Basilica, and marvel at the diversity of Venetian culture as your guide points out where eastern architecture and western design combine. In a rare extended tour, learn how St. Mark’s remains arrived illegally, and see countless treasures, some made in Venice and others plundered during the Crusades. Finally, tour the Doge’s Palace, where Casanova was held in an attic prison before his escape. Admire ceiling frescoes by Tintoretto and paintings by Veronese in the exquisite rooms.
    Includes
    • Skip-the-line access to St. Mark’s Basilica
    • Skip-the-line-access and entrance to the Doge’s Palace
    • Local expert guide
    • Headsets where necessary
    • Gondola tour, if option selected
    • Hotel pick-up and drop-off
    • Gratuities
    Not suitable for
    • Wheelchair users
    Covid-19 precautions
    Safety measures in place
    • The number of visitors is limited to reduce crowds
    Traveler requirements
    • You are required to bring and wear a mask
    • You will receive a mandatory temperature check
    • All participants are required to bring and wear FFP2 masks. Blue surgical masks will not be accepted

    Select participants and date

    Participants

    Date

    Meeting point

    Meet next to Ponte della Paglia, the bridge with the view of the Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs). You can find the bridge in front of Doge's Palace, facing the lagoon. GPS Coordinates are 45.433538 , 12.340747". Late arrivals or no-shows are not eligible for a refund.

    Open in Google Maps ⟶
    Important information

    Not allowed

    • Baby strollers
    • Luggage or large bags
    • Non-folding wheelchairs
    • Tripods
    • Umbrellas

    Know before you go

    • Until further notice, entrance inside St. Mark’s Basilica is not possible due to ongoing restoration work. Tours will visit the basilica's Terrace and its Museum instead
    • This tour involves a fair amount of walking and steep staircases
    • Entrance into churches requires appropriate dress. Shoulders and knees must be covered. Entry may be refused due to improper dress
    • Please do not bring large bags, tripods, non-collapsible umbrellas, or backpacks on this tour. They are not permitted in St. Mark’s Basilica and must be checked into the luggage storage area off-site. You may miss a portion of the tour for this procedure.
    • Please note, the Gondola ride (if selected) is a shared experience. This means that you might enjoy the ride with other customers
    • Government-imposed COVID restrictions for entering countries and venues (e.g. booster shot, negative COVID test, vaccine certificate with a QR code) may change at short notice
    Customer reviews

    Overall rating

    4.7 /5

    based on 163 reviews

    Review summary

    • Guide
      4.9/5
    • Transportation
      4.6/5
    • Value for money
      4.4/5
    • Safety
      4.8/5

    Sort by:

    Traveler type:

    Star rating:

    The meeting point was not on the bridge as indicated on voucher and app. Eventually we found the tour guide but many people were late trying to find her. Tour guide was amazing! Also you should be clear that backpacks are not allowed. Information says large bags not allowed so we were surprised with normal small backpacks were not allowed.

    Read more

    June 17, 2022

    P
    Paula – United States Verified booking

    Helpful?

    Sandra was a very good tour guide. She gave us a lot of interesting information about the culture, the history, the drawings and the painters. Only that we could not go to the cathedral San Marco that was a pity. Without that I would not have booked the tour. Thanks to Sandra that we got some information about the Mosaics anyhow.

    June 4, 2022

    B
    Brigitte – Switzerland Verified booking

    Helpful?

    Our Guide was very knowledgeable. I especially thought it good we were using head sets to hear our guide, especially with us all wearing masks, it'ssometimes hard to hear. Having a head set allows you to hear the information the guide is talking about, without necessarily having to stand right with the guide, one can walk around and enjoy the sites at a closer range.

    Read more

    May 4, 2022

    G
    GetYourGuide traveler – Germany Verified booking

    Helpful?

    Product ID: 20426