Venice Doge's Palace & St. Mark's Semi-Private Tour, Max 6 People
Description
Enjoy a comprehensive and engaging tour of Venice's two most famous sites, Saint Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace, in an intimate group of only 6 people. Savor the privileges of an intimate tour with skip-the-line access to one of the world's most famous basilicas and journey through Venice's most historical landmarks accompanied, all by a local, expert and professional guide. Highlights include the breathtaking views from the Bridge of Sighs, and the scary prisons of the Doge's Palace, its impressive Gun Room and magnificent Hall of Great Council.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your Doge's Palace and Saint Mark's Tour will begin in Saint Mark's square, where you will meet your guide and join your exclusively Small Group of MAX 6 people. Begin your adventure into two of Venice's most famous sites in this most iconic and picture perfect square, learning all about its architecture, history and anecdotes.
Your first official stop will be Saint Mark's Basilica. Enjoy exclusive and privileged skip the (long) line access, and enter straight into what is also known as the Golden Basilica. Here, your guide will show you and guide you through the interior of this incredible church, musing on its history, anecdotes, and the many eras it has seen in its hundreds of years of existence. You will surely be stunned by the thousands and thousands of square feet of pure golden mosaics that completely cover the basilica's interior. There is quite literally no other place like this! An original, valid photo ID is required for entry to St. Mark's Basilica. Photocopies are not accepted.
Exit the Basilica, and continue your tour by enjoying once again exclusive access to the Doge's Palace, seat of Venice's government for centuries. You will be amazed by the secret stories your guide shares as you walk through the Doge’s private, luxurious apartments and powerful halls such as the Hall of the Great Council. Continue to explore the palace with a visit to the scary, dark and gory prison. After seeing the impressive collection of weapons, you will then stop at the notorious Bridge of Sighs. Enjoy the view and snap some perfect pictures for your album at home.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders must be covered for both men and women. You may risk potential refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements.
- On certain dates, most travelers staying outside of Venice who are planning to visit for the day will be required to pay a €5 access fee. For further details (including exemptions) and to learn what days this fee is applicable, please visit: https://cda.ve.it
- Please note that tour starting times are subject to change based on ticket availability
- Each traveler must present a valid passport or ID document that matches the name provided at the time of booking for successful entry to St.Mark’s Basilica
- Please provide the full names of all travelers when booking. Failure to present a voucher with all travelers’ full names at the ticket office prior to entry may result in denied entry to the attraction.
- The ticket includes a cost to enter St. Mark’s Basilica valued at 30 EUR per person.
Reviews(223)
Great day with wonderful sites and a great guide in Shannon! Very informative and friendly!
Fantastic tour of the Palace and St. Marks. The knowledge of the political history and collection of artwork is unmatched. Understanding of the reasoning for why things we done a built in certain ways was fantastic.
Wonderful guide. Great tour. Secret itinerary tour was excellent.
Loved having a guide that grew up in America. It was great listening to the history she had learned and shared.
We were told we had to wear long pants even though the heat and humidity were oppressive. When my husband had to leave the tour because he was so hot in the Basilica he checked with a security guard who informed him he didn’t need long pants but longer shorts to just above the knee were acceptable when it was so hot out. So we paid for two tours and only one of us took the tour. My husband left after 15 minutes due to the heat and not feeling well. Iola was fine but took too much time in the church when it was so oppressively hot there. I feel we could have done it on own and been better off for a lot less money.
I can’t imagine a better tour of St. Mark’s and the Doge’s Palace. Our guide, Tullia, was fantastic. Tullia has two master’s degrees: one in art history, and one in medieval history. She is a highly personable, gifted, and engaging storyteller, and she clearly loves sharing her expertise and passion for art, architecture, and history with others. I appreciated that she carefully checked in with members of our small group to make sure all were comfortable with pacing, to ask if breaks would be helpful, etc. I wish Tullia could be my personal tour guide for all of my travels in Italy!
Our tour guide, Nico, was beyond fantastic. Did a semi-private tour which felt completely private! The length of the tour was just right, and he read his audience at all times. He knew art, history, religion and politics. Blended all the topics to bring these historical elements to life for us, and had a great sense of humor as well. Would highly recommend Nico for any tour in Venice or beyond.
One of my all-time favorite tours, ever. Our guide was passionate, knowledgeable, and so engaging — my only regret is booking something afterward, because she would have happily kept going and I didn’t want it to end! This tour completely transformed my understanding of Venice’s history and gave me fresh eyes for its stories and buildings. The small group made it feel personal and special. Please don’t skip this one!
Ottavia did an amazing job giving us all of the beautiful history of Venice!
We loved this tour! It was our family of 5 and we loved how easy it was to meet and the coordination of it all! Pamela was so knowledgeable and we loved learning Venice history together with her! She timed our restroom and drink breaks appropriately as it was a very hot day in Venice. Would definitely recommend!!
