This tour is the perfect pick for time-tight travelers visiting Venice. Save yourself the hassle of booking tickets and waiting in long lines and opt for this convenient one-day itinerary instead. As well as skip-the-line admission and guided tours of St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace, the trip also includes a scenic gondola ride and visits to Murano and Burano to watch glass-blowing and lace-making demonstrations.

Check off Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica in a day
Maximize time in Venice with skip-the-line tickets
Take part in an essential Venice experience—a gondola ride
Guide explains the Venetian Gothic architectural features

What's Included

Skip-the-Line Entry and Guided tour of St Marks Basilica
Skip-the-line Entry and Guided tour of the Doge’s Palace
Round Trip Transportation to/from Murano & Burano Island
30 Minute Gondola Ride
Glass Blowing Demonstration
Lace Making Demonstration
Free Time to Explore both Islands
Professional, English Speaking Guide
Small-group size, maximum 20 participants

Food and drinks
Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

P.za San Marco, 3, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy
Please Arrive 15 Minutes Early. Between the two big columns in St. Mark’s Square (columns of San Marco & San Teodoro) located on the south side of the square, near the canal. Your guide will be holding a "The Tour Guy" sign.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Basilica di San Marco

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Doge's Palace

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Venice

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Murano

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Burano

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate

Please refrain from bringing big back packs or bags, because they are not allowed inside.
Children under the age of 8 are not allowed inside the Secret itineraries for security reasons.
The remainder of the itinerary is spent walking from one place to the next alongside the guide and travelling to the next site
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
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

254 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 254 reviews

Great highlights of Venice.

Lorraine_W, Apr 2024

Marco was an excellent guide for our morning at the Palace and Cathedral. So knowledgeable and humorous. Cecelia was engaging and a good guide for Murano and Burano. The gondola was a special treat and must do in Venice. The whole day ran smoothly and was well organised. It gives a good overview of Venice highlights in a day. Good value for money.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

It sounds like you had a fantastic day exploring Venice with Marco and Cecelia as your guides! Marco's expertise and humor must have made the visit to the Palace and Cathedral enjoyable and informative, while Cecelia's engaging commentary likely added to the charm of Murano and Burano. And what better way to experience Venice than with a gondola ride? I'm glad to hear that the day ran smoothly and that you found the tour to be good value for money. Thanks for sharing your positive experience!

Huge Disappointment

Christina_C, Apr 2024

Upon arrival we were told they had our reservation scheduled for the following day, and after checking the tickets on the phone, confirmation emails and all other places they could think to have me look it up, they finally said that I was right and it was supposed to be that day. They were finally able to accommodate us. We went on the boat ride to Murano and Burano first and it was fantastic with a great guide. We got an email part way through the morning saying the afternoon was canceled due to closures and that we would get a refund for half of our reservation. None of the sites were closed and we did everything on our own that afternoon without the group and for much less money. It was a complete scam and headache from the start with this group.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hi Christina, Can you please send us your Booking Reference Number. The only order I can find that matches this tour based on your name is from a service back in March 2023. Please send email to support@thetourguy.com and subject ATTN Craig, and please include booking reference number or more information that can help us locate your booking.

Great Places, mixed reviews to the tour guides.

Martha_C, Apr 2024

The places we visited were wonderful, unfortunately the tour guide for the first part of the tour (St Marks, Doges Palace,) was terrible, not only did not guided us and explained to us what we were looking at or visiting, she mentioned that some pieces were boring and not worthy of explanation or even viewing. The gondola ride was great. The second tour guide who took us to Murano and Burano was the best, we had a wonderful time learning not only about Murano and Burano but other islands, and only for her, her explanations, kindness and energy we are giving this tour 4 stars.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

It sounds like you had a mixed experience with your tour guides. While the first guide's lack of guidance and negative comments must have been disappointing, it's great to hear that the second guide for the Murano and Burano part of the tour made up for it with her knowledge, kindness, and enthusiasm. Thank you for sharing your feedback!

Great tour!

kkracher35, Apr 2024

We had limited time in Venice This was the perfect way to see all the tourist spots. Our guides were excellent

Loved it!

alicia_p, Apr 2024

Loved the tour and got to see Murano and Burano!! The church was beyond amazing. The history behind Doges palace was very interesting!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Exploring Murano and Burano sounds like a delightful experience, especially with the opportunity to see the stunning church and learn about the intriguing history of Doge's Palace. It's wonderful that you enjoyed the tour!

Good itinerary!

Natasha_W, Apr 2024

The itinerary is nice. We have enough time to see the doges palace and st marks. Wish we had more time in Burano as it is a beautiful island and we only had 1 hour to explore. But sadly the guide is a bit repetitive. Wish we had better guide.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

It sounds like you enjoyed the itinerary of the tour, particularly the visits to the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's, but felt that the guide's presentation could have been improved. It's understandable to want a guide who keeps the information fresh and engaging throughout the tour. Hopefully, despite the repetitive nature of the guide's commentary, you were still able to appreciate the beauty of Burano and make the most of your time there. Thank you for sharing your feedback!

Venice in a Day

Shane_W, Apr 2024

We did the whole day tour, 9 hours. The first part, the Doge Palace and St Mark’s was quite interesting. Our guide was very knowledgeable and easy to understand. The second part, Burano and Morano, was a 4 out of 10. The guides were friendly and helpful but the presentations were quite basic and short and didn’t have any time to explore the island. Felt rushed.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

It sounds like you had a bit of a mixed experience with the whole day tour. The first part, exploring the Doge Palace and St. Mark's, seems to have been enjoyable with a knowledgeable guide. However, it's unfortunate that the second part, visiting Burano and Murano, felt rushed and lacking in depth. It's important for tour operators to strike a balance between providing comprehensive information and allowing enough time for exploration. Your feedback is valuable and can help improve the tour experience for future participants. If you have any other questions or need further assistance, feel free to let me know!

A busy, enjoyable and memorable morning in Venice

Helen_M, Apr 2024

Enjoyable tour with an excellent and well-informed guide. A great way to see the main sights and to get your bearings.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for sharing your feedback! I'm delighted to hear that you found the tour enjoyable and that your guide provided excellent and well-informed commentary. It's fantastic that the tour helped you get your bearings and explore the main sights more effectively. If you have any further comments or if there's anything else I can assist you with, please feel free to let me know!

Suzana was terrible. Luis was fantastic.

Kirran_A, Apr 2024

This was a two part tour with Suzana and Luis. The first part comprised of a ferry ride to two islands. This is where Suzana took us to a glass making factory. Unfortunately, Suzana has to be one of the worst tour guides I’ve experienced. Her English was not up to par. She kept asking us to translate verbiage. Something that should take a few seconds to explain took 5 minutes. The problem with that is the language barrier left a lot of guests to fall asleep. She did a poor job teaching knowledge about the water and the islands. I have to say don’t waste your money on the first half. We purchased an English speaking tour and found a broken Italian/English guide. The second half of the tour was fantastic. Luis was full of knowledge and life. Everyone including myself was engaged in everything he said. He was fluent in English, but also had a great personality. The second half of the tour is a must do. You can purchase them separately.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

I'm sorry to hear about your mixed experience with the two-part tour and the disappointing aspects of the first half with Suzana. It's frustrating when language barriers and communication issues detract from the enjoyment of the tour. It's important for tour guides to be fluent and clear in the language they are guiding in to ensure all guests have a fulfilling experience. On the bright side, it's great to hear that the second half of the tour with Luis was fantastic and that he was engaging and knowledgeable. It's wonderful when a guide can captivate the attention of all guests and make the experience enjoyable. Thank you for sharing your feedback and highlighting the difference between the two parts of the tour. This can be valuable information for out team in Venice.

Unacceptable and unbelievable experience

ChungYan_C, Apr 2024

When we arrived at the meeting point, we were told that they did not receive our information due to overbooking on viator. Since the tour is full, they cannot accommodate us. Since this was already the last day we spent in venice, we did not have any other options. The tour guide mentioned this is not uncommon and they have other people experience similar issues earlier today. We tried requesting a refund on viator but were told they were “unable to offer a refund” with no explanation.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

We are sorry that you had to experience the booking error caused by Viator and that you had to miss the first part of the tour. I did see our team was able to get you on the second portion of the tour to see Murano and Burano. I have also noted the team has reached out to Viator to expedite your partial refund too. We are sorry that you had to miss the first experience.

Fabulous Venice in a Day

Jean_B, Apr 2024

Loved glass showroom dodge palace and Venice in general. All the guides were informative, kind & helpful

Response from Host, Apr 2024

It sounds like you had a fantastic experience exploring Venice, especially the glass showroom at the Doge's Palace! Having informative, kind, and helpful guides surely enhanced your visit and made it even more enjoyable. Venice is such a beautiful and unique city, and it's great to hear that you had a positive experience with the guides. Thanks for sharing your feedback!

Beautiful experience

Ruth_R, Apr 2024

Had a great time, very informative and interesting information regarding Venice. I learned a lot about Venice that I had no idea about

Response from Host, Apr 2024

It sounds like you had a wonderful time exploring Venice and learning about its history and culture! Discovering new and interesting information about a city can make the experience even more enriching. Thank you for sharing your positive feedback!

Great tour

Sandra_W, Apr 2024

Well organized, informative and enjoyable. Guides were excellent Good experience More than I could do alone in a single day

Response from Host, Apr 2024

It sounds like the tour exceeded your expectations and provided a comprehensive experience of the destinations you visited. Having knowledgeable guides can truly enhance the exploration of new places. If you have any more tours planned or need further assistance, feel free to reach out.

Beautiful Venice

Joy_P, Mar 2024

Great way to see Venice in a day. Our tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable, has lived on Venice all of her life. Our morning tour was Doges Palace, St. Marks and a gondola ride. The gondola ride was fun and longer than I expected. After a break in the square for lunch on our own we took the boat tour to the two islands. Burano was lovely, quite a surprise.

Excellent tour with Nico

Angela_O, Mar 2024

Nico, our guide was interesting and engaging. He had a great depth of local knowledge that he was happy to share with us. He had a good sense of humour and communicated effectively with the whole group

Nice trip worthy of money...

Nitin_J, Mar 2024

Nice trip worthy of money and time. Enjoyable trip. Gondola ride was good. Palace , Venice History was good

Worth the price!

Leonor_R, Mar 2024

Had an amazing time. This tour is definitely worth it. You learn pretty much the history of Venice in 1 day which I think is very efficient. We were not made to wait in lines we just walked right in. Our tour guide Philipo was very detailed and informative. This ticket also included a quick gondola ride which was around 20 minutes max. Then later our tour guide Nicole took us to the Murano and burano islands which was really cool to see the glass making and the lace making. It was quick but a nice experience. You also had a little bit of time to explore Burano island which gave us time to look through gift shops and other stores. Overall very worth it and I highly recommend to learn all about Venice in a day. Didn’t feel tired and not that much walking! It was very nice!

Not enough time, group too big.

Janelle_S, Mar 2024

We signed up for a tour of 18 or less. We ended up with 22 in our group. It was hard for us to stay together and see what our guide was talking about in the Palace and St Marks. In the afternoon we were told where and when to meet for the Murano and Burano tour. We met at 1:15 and our guide was late, people in the group were late. We walked 10 to get the water taxi to be told we had to wait for another group. We again signed up for a small group of max 18. There was 52 people on the tour. The Murano glass blowing demonstration was approximately 10 then you were let go to shop in the glass shop for 50 minutes. In Burano we skipped the lace demo and chose to take walk around for the 50 minutes we were given. The tour was not what was described. Tour guides need to be on time.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We apologize for the inconvenience you experienced with the group size exceeding the advertised limit and the delays during the tour. We understand how frustrating it can be when expectations are not met. Your comments will be shared with our team to ensure better organization and adherence to tour descriptions in the future. We appreciate your understanding and hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a more satisfactory experience in the future.

Great day trip

Reni_R, Mar 2024

Great experience - Phillipe was amazing as the guide for Doge's Palace and the Basilica. Daria and Nicola were wonderful for the boat trips to Murano & Burano.

Worth visiting!

Raul_L, Mar 2024

Everything was amazing! The tour guide was engaging she showed her true love for the city and it was expressed very well in her knowledge of the history and location.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

We're thrilled to hear that you had an amazing experience on the tour! Our guides are truly passionate about the cities they explore, and it's wonderful to hear that their love for the city and its history shone through during your tour. Thank you for choosing our tour, and we hope to see you again on another adventure soon!

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