Venice Skip the Line Saint Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace Private Tour
From $308.32
Price varies by group size
Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance. Learn more
Safety measures
3 hours (approx.)
Offered in: English and 7 more
Overview
Experience the grandeur and history of Venice on this private tour of St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace. Admire the shimmering mosaics and golden altars of the city’s most famous cathedral, and see masterpieces by Titian and Tintoretto as you wander through the lavish chambers of the Venetian Republic’s one-time rulers. Skip the long lines at both attractions with priority access (from April to October), so you don't waste a minute of precious vacation time.
- Explore two of Venice's most famous attractions with an art historian guide
- Discover the private apartments, government chambers, and prison of the Doge's Palace
- Skip the long lines with priority access (April to October)
- Private guide for a more personalized experience
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Take your pick of four daily tour times to suit your sightseeing schedule, and meet your private guide at either at your hotel or St. Mark's Square in the heart of the city. If meeting at your hotel, your guide escorts you to St. Mark's Square by walking or taxi (own expense), depending on hotel location. En route to the square, learn about the history and significance of Venice’s grand public piazza, which is home to some of the city's most iconic and important monuments.
Make your way to the opulent, Italo-Byzantine exterior of St. Mark’s Basilica, and bypass the long entrance lines with priority access. Marvel at the cathedral’s intricate, gold-plated mosaics and glittering altars while your guide shares the history and symbolism of their religious motifs.
Continue on to the nearby Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale), once again skipping the line. Hear stories and scandals of the powerful doges who once ruled over the Venetian Republic as you make your way through former government chambers and private apartments. Admire rich historic furnishings and paintings by Italian masters like Tintoretto, Titian, and Veronese, and then experience the palace’s darker side as you cross the notorious Bridge of Sighs into the prison complex.
After emerging back into the daylight, you can continue exploring St. Mark's Square on your own or return to your original departure point with your guide.
Make your way to the opulent, Italo-Byzantine exterior of St. Mark’s Basilica, and bypass the long entrance lines with priority access. Marvel at the cathedral’s intricate, gold-plated mosaics and glittering altars while your guide shares the history and symbolism of their religious motifs.
Continue on to the nearby Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale), once again skipping the line. Hear stories and scandals of the powerful doges who once ruled over the Venetian Republic as you make your way through former government chambers and private apartments. Admire rich historic furnishings and paintings by Italian masters like Tintoretto, Titian, and Veronese, and then experience the palace’s darker side as you cross the notorious Bridge of Sighs into the prison complex.
After emerging back into the daylight, you can continue exploring St. Mark's Square on your own or return to your original departure point with your guide.
Itinerary
skip the line entrance to the basilica, visit to the Pala Oro : the only example in the world of Gothic goldsmith's work of considerable size that has remained intact, The Museum and The Marcian quadriga with the four horses which can be reached along the exhibition of a series of stone fragments and capitals from the late antique and mid-Byzantine era.
The four horses, until 1977 on the loggia of the Basilica of San Marco, after restoration, were replaced by reproductions and admitted to the museum in 1982 for conservation reasons.
Duration: 1 hour
Admission Ticket Included
the former site of the Venetian government, and have a preferential entrance into the building. Here your professional guide will walk you through important institutional rooms of the Doge’s Palace, where you will see the masterpieces painted by Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese.
Duration: 1 hour
Admission Ticket Included
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Traveler Tips
- "Skip the line was key especially in the hot and humid weather." See review
- "I was so glad I had opted for a private tour - worth the money." See review
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Venice Skip the Line Saint Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace Private Tour
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