Guided Tours

St. Mark's Basilica Skip-the-Line Guided Tour

Name: St. Mark's Basilica Skip-the-Line Guided Tour
Start: 2025-03-12T11:00:00
End: 2025-03-12T12:00:00
Location: Venice

Tour guide with tourists at St. Mark's Basilica, Venice, skip-the-line tickets.

St. Mark's Basilica exterior with ornate domes and arches in Venice, Italy.

Mosaic detail inside St. Mark's Basilica, Venice, showcasing intricate religious artwork.

Head into the most visited site in Venice, St Mark's Basilica renowned for its Byzantine art and rich biblical importance.

Highlights

Discover St. Mark's Basilica on this concise guided tour with skip-the-line entry, ensuring an efficient exploration of this iconic landmark.
Gaze at golden mosaics and celestial chapels beneath the basilica's towering domes, and opt for an aerial view of Venice from its terrace.
Explore the treasures of St. Mark's Museum, from intricate gold tesserae to royal fabrics like the Doge's red velvet.
Personalize your experience with expert guides fluent in English, Italian, German, French, or Spanish, and select between 45-minute or 1-hour tour options.
Get access to high altar retable of the Basilica di San Marco, the Pala d'Oro with an English or Spanish-speaking guide once you upgrade.

Inclusions

45-min or 1-hour guided tour of St. Mark's Basilica with skip-the-line entry
Expert English, Spanish, German, Italian or French-speaking guide
Headsets for groups of 10+ people
Access to St. Mark's Museum (optional)
Access to the basilica terraces (optional)
Access to Pala d'Oro with a Spanish or English-speaking guide (optional)

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

Reviews

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4.1

3K ratings

5/5

1.6K

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796

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228

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Guy

4/5

Dec, 2024

Skipping the line. But we didn't like waiting for the start time which was pushed ahead. Other than that...loved our guide.

Clara

5/5

Nov, 2024

The tour guide was great. Very knowledgeable of history and art. Walked us through the cathedral and dome at a great pace. Given the number of stairs to climb to the top she was very clear so people could decide to continue or not. I did it and appreciate she guided us through steep and narrow stairs very smoothly.

Philip

5/5

Nov, 2024

The ticketing experience was straightforward, and easy to access. The tour operators were friendly and efficient. The guide was fantastic, really knowledgeable, interesting and passionate about the city, and the basilica. It was an all round great experience.

Carlo

5/5

Oct, 2024

It was a lovely experience and. We learned a lot. The host was very knowledgeable and passionate about the rich history of the basilica. She provided us with plenty of time to explore the basilica. It was amazing to know the rich history and the spectacular gold mosaics of the basilica. It was more magical when they turned on the lights of the ceiling of the basilica. We were lucky to witness it during that time because she said that lights are turned on just only for one hour per day to conserve the mosaics and their splendor. This is a must place. You need to see it and explore it. You should book your tour around 11:30-12:30 to witness the ceiling with the lights on. It's more magical that way.

David

5/5

Oct, 2024

Denise was a wonderful Guide and extremely knowledgeable. We enjoyed the tour and feel that we walked away very well educated.

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Your experience

This guided tour of St Mark's Basilica will be nothing short of exhilarating. Indulge in the seamless synthesis of Venetian art with unique Byzantine and Romanesque elements in the form of gleaming golden mosaics, marble inlays, and precious pearls and stones.

From Monday to Saturday, the basilica guided tour includes a visit to the Terrace, where you will find the Horses of Saint Mark. Dating back to classical antiquity, these horses, also known as the Triumphal Quadriga, are a set of Byzantine bronze statues, originally part of a monument depicting a quadriga (a four-horse carriage used for chariot racing). At St. Mark’s Museum, you can admire objects of various kinds and origins belonging to the Basilica. The tour begins from the ground floor, and you will get to see the gold mosaics (the Basilica has 43,000 square feet of mosaic alone!). On Sundays, feast days, and in case of unplanned religious celebrations, the tour foresees the visit with direct access to the Terrace and to St. Mark's Museum situated on the first floor. On festivity days, the Holy Mass takes place on the ground floor, and it is possible to admire the mosaics partially from the first floor.

Know before you go

What's not allowed

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.
Keep in mind luggage and large bags are not allowed on this experience. Pack wisely!

Accessibility

This experience is wheelchair and pram/stroller accessible.
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.

My tickets

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.