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Guided Tours

Venice Icons: St. Mark’s Basilica & Doge’s Palace Skip-the-Line Guided Tour

A female guide giving directions to a tourist in front of St. Mark’s Basilica
Doge's Palace in Venice with gondola on canal in foreground.
Aerial view of St. Mark's Square and Royal Palace Museum in Venice, Italy.
Tourists gathered outside St Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy.

Explore two of Venice's most iconic attractions with priority access; St. Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace led by a professional guide.

    • Waltz into the Doge's Palace and St Mark's Basilica with your fast-track entry tickets, allowing you to skip the infamous queues.
    • Enjoy a 1.5 to 3-hour guided tour with an exemplary guide narrating interesting facts, important fragments of history, and gripping tales.
    • From the intricacy of the biblical sculptures of St. Mark's Basilica to the scary hallows and dingy prisons of Doge's Palace, this experience has it all.
    • Carry the exploratory spirit to museums of St. Mark's Square with access to the Royal Palace Museum and National Archeological Museum.
    • Fun fact: The National Archaeological Museum houses intriguing artifacts, like an ancient Roman toilet seat made of marble and Egyptian mummies!
    • Guided tour of St. Mark's Basilica & Doge's Palace with skip-the-line entry
    • Expert English, Italian, German, Spanish, or French-speaking guide
    • Headsets for groups of 10+ people

    Access to:

    • Correr Museum
    • Marciana Library
    • National Archeological Museum
    • Access to the Pala d'Oro (as per option selected)
  • You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

  • How do we collect reviews?

    4.3
    2,543 ratings
    5/5
    1.6K
    4/5
    609
    3/5
    138
    2/5
    81
    1/5
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    Guests from United States, United Kingdom, France and over 35 countries have loved this experience
    Juan Antonio Ortiz Lopez

    Juan

    4/5

    Mar, 2025

    The whole program was as planned, and I thought everything we visited was spectacular, and there was no waiting to enter the monuments.
    View original review in Spanish
    Paul Zardus

    Paul

    5/5

    Feb, 2025

    The tour of St Mark's Balsilica and the Doge's Place was an amazing experience, one of the highlights of my Venezia trip!! My guide was incredibly knowledgeable and so pleasant to be with that the time fly by!! There is so to observe and learn I could have spent the entire day with my guide!! Thank you!!
    Bradley Hosking

    Bradley

    5/5

    Feb, 2025

    The guide was fantastico! He made all the difference
    Michael OHarran

    Michael

    4/5

    Apr, 2025

    The prison tour and the arsenal room was a great part of the tour but the best part was the biblical mosaics in the church, just amazing. The tour helped point out details that could have otherwise been missed.
    Elodie LEGIVRE

    Elodie

    3/5

    Apr, 2025

    THE HEADPHONES DIDN'T WORK PROPERLY AND NO REPLACEMENTS WERE PROVIDED. THE GUIDE'S STRONG ITALIAN ACCENT FOR A TOUR IN FRENCH WAS PROBLEMATIC, AND SEVERAL PARTICIPANTS REGRETTED IT.
    View original review in French
  • With this tour, you will get to visit two of the most emblematic attractions of Venice; St. Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace with priority access and a tour guide.

    Politics of Doge's Palace

    The Doge's Palace is located in St Mark's Square and is one of the most fascinating and culturally rich monuments in Venice. Having been the seat of political and administrative power of the Venice Republic from its birth to its end, the Palazzo Ducale is a statement of the splendor of Venice. While you are here, devote all your attention to your guide as the halls and corridors of this building carry stories that will enthrall you no bound.

    Explore St. Mark's Basilica

    After the palace, walk into Venice’s most majestic cathedral; St Mark’s Basilica. Lay your eyes on masterpieces of Byzantine art, colorful marble installations, and shimmering gold mosaic art. Squinting your eyes when you enter the Basilica is only natural, thanks to the shimmering mosaics made with 24-carat gold leaves fused onto the back of the glass to exhibit divine light. Your tour guide is likely to conduct a session wherein you sit comfortably in a certain part of the church and he explains the biblical importance and peculiarities of this ancient basilica. Watch out for tales you may never have heard of before!

  • What's not allowed

    • For security reasons sacks, bags, or knapsacks are not allowed inside both Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica. You can deposit your belongings for free at Doge's Palace.

    St. Mark's Basilica

    • Strict dress code: All guests must wear clothing that covers their shoulders and knees to enter the basilica.

    • Keep your camera tucked away – photography is strictly not allowed at the venue.

    Doge's Palace

    • Shutterbugs, take note: Flash photography, tripods, selfie sticks, and any type of commercial photography is a no-go inside the venue.

    Accessibility

    • Both venues are wheelchair and pram/stroller accessible.

    St. Mark's Basilica

    • A ramp is available at the Porta del Fiori (Door of Flowers) entrance on the left-hand side of the basilica.

    • The Museum on the upper floor of the basilica is served by both a lift and stair lifts.

    Doge's Palace

    • Please note that the Secret Itineraries, Prisons and Armory are not wheelchair accessible.
    • Your voucher will be emailed to you instantly.
    • Please display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the meeting point.
    • Please arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes before the scheduled time of your tour to avoid any delays.

    Meeting point

    • Please check your final voucher for the meeting point details and specific instructions.

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