• Language:EnglishEn
  • Currency:USD  (US$)
  • Wishlist
  • Cart
  • Help
  • Log in
Skip to content
  • Italy
  • Veneto
  • Things to do in Venice
  • Doge's Palace
Guided tour

Doge's Palace & St. Mark's Basilica with Terrace Access Tour

4.7  / 5
6573 reviews
Activity provider:Bucintoro Viaggi
photo-gallery
photo-collagephoto-collagephoto-collagephoto-collage
Add to wishlist
Guided tour

Doge's Palace & St. Mark's Basilica with Terrace Access Tour

Activity provider:Bucintoro Viaggi
4.7  / 5
6573 reviews
Likely to sell out

From US$ 88.81 per person

Likely to sell out
Certified
Certified by GetYourGuide

Visit St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace on a group or private guided tour. See the Bridge of Sighs and New Prisons and, if the basilica is closed, the San Zaccaria Church or the Correr Museum.

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Reserve now & pay later
Keep your travel plans flexible — book your spot and pay nothing today.
Duration 3 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Live tour guide
French, Italian, German, Spanish, English
Private or small groups available

Experience

Highlights
  • Immerse yourself in the history of the Floating City with the help of your expert local guide
  • Miss the hordes with priority entrance for the Doge’s Palace
  • Choose from a private or shared group experience
  • See Venice’s Lagoon from the usually off-limits terrace at St. Mark’s Basilica
  • Hear anecdotes about how and why Venice was built on a lagoon in the 5th century and other fascinating facts
Full description

Delve deep into Venice’s history with a 3-hour guided tour of St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge's Palace, either as a private tour or shared group experience. Take in two of the city’s most important landmarks while discovering the history of the one-time mercantile capital of the Mediterranean.  Start by exploring St. Mark's Square with your guide before heading into the cathedral. From the first-floor terrace you’ll be able to admire views across the lagoon and see the famous bronze horses up close. Hear how they traveled all the way to Paris and back in Napoleon’s time.

St. Mark's Basilica sometimes closes to visitors without warning. If this happens, visit the Church of San Zaccaria or the Correr Museum instead, depending on availability. Take a tour of the beautifully ornate 15th-century church and its flooded crypt or learn about the art and history of Venice. Next, you’ll use the priority entrance to reach Doge's Palace, formerly the residence of the leader of the Republic of Venice. Enjoy visiting the Chamber of the Great Council and courtrooms among other things. Highlights include frescoes by Tintoretto and the Giants’ Staircase.  After this, cross the infamous Bridge of Sighs that links to the New Prisons. Learn how the bridge got its name and the purpose for its construction in the 17th century as you take in the amazing views of the canals. At the end of your tour, feel free to stay and explore the Doge’s Palace with tips from your guide.

Includes
  • Guided tour with expert guide
  • Priority entrance to the Doge's Palace
  • St. Mark's Basilica first floor and terrace access ticket
  • Church of San Zaccaria and its crypt entry or Correr Museum entry (if St. Mark's Basilica is closed)
Not suitable for
  • Wheelchair users

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

Meeting point may vary depending on the option booked.

Important information

What to bring

  • Passport or ID card

Not allowed

  • Luggage or large bags
  • Backpacks

Know before you go

  • People with mobility impairments should be aware that the stairs to the upper part of the Basilica (Museum and Terrace) are steep and at times uneven
  • Shared group and private options do not always offer the same languages. Please check all languages of interest to find your preferred option type
  • St. Mark's Basilica is sometimes closed to visitors at short notice. If this is the case, you will visit the 15th-century Church of San Zaccaria and its crypt or the Correr Museum to learn about the art and history of Venice
  • You are welcome to explore the Doge's Palace at leisure after the guided tour
  • The Doge's Palace is asking visitors over 13 years old to show their passport/ID
  • As St. Mark’s Basilica is a holy place, people are asked to wear clothing that covers the shoulders and knees
  • Backpacks or large bags are not allowed inside St. Mark's Basilica
Likely to sell out

From US$ 88.81 per person

Reserve now & pay later to book your spot and pay nothing today
Reserve now & pay later to book your spot and pay nothing today
  • Give this as a gift

Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.7 /5

based on 6573 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    4.9/5
  • Transportation
    5/5
  • Service
    4.8/5
  • Organization
    4.5/5

Filter

By star rating

Sort by:

Tour was well organised & planned. Learnt a lot about the history of Venice & the Doge’s to start with, before heading to the cathedral. Would have been great to have more time to explore the cathedral prior to heading to the terrace, as once in the terrace didn’t seem able to get back to the cathedral. Guide leaves you in the terrace to explore independently

Read more

September 25, 2023

H
Hannah – AustraliaVerified booking

Helpful?

Thoroughly enjoyed 3 hours being guided around the fabulous Doges Palace and stunning St Mark’s Basilica. We had Ilana ( maybe Elana) take us through the ancient halls and church and bring to life the majesty of it all. Beautifully articulated the past in a very contemporary way making it relatable and constantly interesting with details you would never know without a guide or some serious background reading. Elana was very knowledgeable and clearly proud to show off the wonder of the place and church. Given the guide must do this day in day out it felt genuinely enthusiastic and freshly delivered. Some people said they thought it was too long - yes it’s a while to stay on your feet but there was no queuing for entrance as we went through priority entrance lines to both the palace and the church and I could have happily gone on longer such was the commentary. Really was for us a highlight of our visit to Venice.

Read more

September 24, 2023

N
Neil – United KingdomVerified booking

Helpful?

We loved the tour. Our guide Elena was brilliant and very knowledgeable. She was very helpful as we had some mobility challenged folks on the tour and was able to ensure they saw everything. She also tried to help some people from another tour who were lost. Great guide!!!

Read more

September 24, 2023

J
James – AustraliaVerified booking

Helpful?

Product ID: 234117

  • Italy
  • Veneto
  • Things to do in Venice
  • Doge's Palace

Top Attractions in Venice

  • 1Saint Mark's Basilica
  • 2Marco Polo Airport
  • 3Teatro La Fenice
  • 4Venetian Lagoon
  • 5San Giorgio Maggiore
  • 6Piazza San Marco
  • 7Borges Labyrinth
  • 8Grand Canal
  • 9Correr Museum
  • 10Ca' Pesaro
  • 11Giorgio Cini Foundation
  • 12Peggy Guggenheim Collection
  • 13Bridge of Sighs
  • 14Vatican Chapels
  • 15Doge's Palace
  • 16Lido di Venezia
  • 17St. Mark's Campanile
  • 18Rialto Bridge
  • 19Piombi Prisons
  • 20New Prisons, Doge's Palace

Things to Do in Venice

  • 1Venice Activities
  • 2Venice Tours
  • 3Venice Summer activities
  • 4Venice Boats & yachts
  • 5Venice Night tours
  • 6Venice Outdoor activities
  • 7Venice Sightseeing
  • 8Venice Water activities
  • 9Venice Cruises & boat tours
  • 10Venice Architecture
  • 11Venice Culture & history
  • 12Venice Rainy-day activities
  • 13Venice Activities for couples
  • 14Venice Romance & special occasions
  • 15Venice Small group activities
  • 16Venice Transfers
  • 17Venice Private tours
  • 18Venice Wheelchair accessible
  • 19Venice Entry tickets
  • 20Venice Eco-certified

Cities in Italy

  • 1Rome
  • 2Florence
  • 3Milan
  • 4Naples
  • 5Pompei
  • 6Sorrento
  • 7Genoa
  • 8Verona
  • 9Pisa
  • 10Palermo
  • 11Como
  • 12Siena
  • 13Catania
  • 14Turin
  • 15Taormina
  • 16Palau
  • 17Polignano a Mare
  • 18Cala Gonone
  • 19La Spezia
  • 20La Maddalena

Top destinations

  • Paris
  • Rome
  • Amsterdam
  • London
  • Barcelona
  • Venice
  • Dubai
  • Florence
  • New York City
  • Budapest
  • Berlin
  • Prague
  • Lisbon
  • Milan
  • Reykjavik
  • Vienna
  • Edinburgh
  • Krakow
  • Marrakech
  • Madrid

Popular on GetYourGuide

  • Rome Culture & history
  • Paris Architecture
  • Rome Tours
  • Krakow Bus & minivan tours
  • Paris Theme & amusement parks
  • Reykjavik Bus & minivan tours
  • London Entry tickets
  • Venice Airport transfers
  • Amsterdam Cruises & boat tours
  • Amsterdam City cards
  • Paris Bus & minivan tours
  • Dubai Audio guides
  • Marrakech Bus & minivan tours
  • Florence Culture & history
  • Paris Audio guides
  • Rome Airport transfers
  • London Culture & history
  • Paris Tours
  • Paris Entry tickets
  • London Bus & minivan tours

Popular Attractions

  • Vatican Museums
  • Colosseum
  • Seine River
  • Sagrada Familia
  • Van Gogh Museum
  • The London Eye
  • Tower of London
  • Prague Castle
  • Alcázar of Seville
  • Seville Cathedral
  • 9/11 Memorial, NYC
  • Caminito del Rey
  • Edge
  • Top of the Rock Observation Deck
  • Pompeii
  • Underground Naples
  • Pantheon, Rome
  • Louvre Museum
  • Sainte-Chapelle
  • Empire State Building
Get it on Google PlayDownload on the App Store
  • Contact
  • Legal Notice
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies and Marketing Preferences
  • General Terms and Conditions
  • Information according to the Digital Services Act
  • Sitemap
  • Do not Sell or Share my Personal Information
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Blog
  • Press
  • Gift Cards
  • Magazine
  • Travel Guides
  • As a Supply Partner
  • As a Content Creator
  • As an Affiliate Partner
Paypal
Mastercard
Visa
Maestro
American Express
Jcb
Discover
Sofort
Klarna
Google Pay
Apple Pay
Bancontact

© 2008 – 2023 GetYourGuide. Made in Zurich & Berlin.

Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn