See the wonders of Venice's St. Mark's Basilica without the crowds during this after-hours, small-group tour. Learn about the basilica's famed mosaics from your guide and explore the crypt below the church to see where St. Mark's remains are said to lie. Upgrade at time of booking to see the Doge's Palace after the basilica and wander the former home of the Venetian Republic's government.

After-hours tour of St. Mark's Basilica with upgrade to be chose at time of the booking to the St. Mark's with Doge's Palace option
Enjoy evening access to St. Mark's Basilica, a historical Venice attraction
Admire valuable treasures such as the Pala d’Oro, without the crowds
Visit the crypt where the remains of St. Mark are believed to lie
Upgrade at time of booking to visit the Doge's Palace after St. Mark’s Basilica
Explore the Doge's apartments and cross the famous Bridge of Sighs
Small-group tour limited to 25 people for personal attention from a guide

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

With this tour, bypass daytime crowds and upgrade at time of booking to see the Doge's Palace.

What's Included

Professional guide
After-hours St. Mark’s Basilica tickets
Doge’s Palace tickets (only if option with Doge Palace purchased at time of booking)
Small groups of 25 people or fewer

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Museo Correr
P.za San Marco, 52, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy
Correr Museum (Museo Correr) in Piazza San Marco. Meet under the portico just outside the entrance of the museum. Your guide will be holding a Walks sign.

End point

St. Mark's Square
Piazza San Marco, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy
St. Mark's Square

What To Expect

Escape the large crowds, beginning your tour by meeting up with your small group at St. Mark's Basilica. Being an after-hours tour, enjoy receiving personalized attention from your guide and avoid jostling through hordes of other visitors as you explore.

Traverse the mosaic-covered basilica while listening to historical tales. Then, delve into the crypt below the building, rumored to be the final resting place of St. Mark.

If you want to upgrade your experience, at time of booking you have the opportunity to include a visit to Doge's Palace the former hub of Venetian governance by choosing the St. Mark's with Doge's Palace option.

Spend your time leisurely discovering these locations in a calm atmosphere until the tour comes to an end.

Piazza San Marco (Pass By)

Basilica di San Marco

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Doge's Palace

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Bridge of Sighs

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Torre dell'Orologio (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
This tour is in English.
This is a walking tour. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty.
The tour meeting time is 15 minutes prior to the start time. No refunds can be provided for late arrivals or no-shows.
If you cannot join your tour at the last minute (running late, etc), please contact us. We may be able to reschedule your tour with a small amendment fee depending on availability.

Due to the religious nature of St. Mark's Basilica, all individuals regardless of gender must cover their shoulders and knees. You can bring extra covering (scarves, etc) to put on just before entering St. Mark's. Walks cannot be held responsible for those denied entry.
Sites visited during this tour are subject to occasional closures due to holy observances, high tides, and/or flooding. If a site closes, your guide will tour the exterior of the site. If time permits, we will reach out to you prior to your tour. For last-minute closures, modifications may be communicated at the tour start time.
Large bags and backpacks cannot be brought into St. Mark's Basilica.
On certain days there may be a short break between the visit to the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica (never more than one hour and only when the St. Mark's with Doge's Palace option is selected at time of booking). This may extend the overall length of the tour.
Walks comply with all local government regulations. Please refer to Italy government guidelines for the most up to date information
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 25 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 good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

1,022 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 1,022 reviews

Wonderful tour - wonderful guide - Beautiful church

April_C, Apr 2024

We thoroughly enjoyed this after hour tour with Nico. It was breathtaking to see St Mark’s after all the crowds are gone. You just can’t describe the beauty of seeing the church lit up at night. Nico did an excellent job with all of the information and questions our group had. Hands down the prettiest church I’ve been in. This is the only way to see it - after hours!

Exceptional

John_S, Apr 2024

To tour the Doge and Basilica with no crowds and an excellent guide was an exceptional experience, unparalleled in 50 years of travel. Worth every penny and more!

A must-take tour!

Francisco_L, Apr 2024

Our guide, Roberta, is an art historian, a connoisseur of architecture and a fountain of valuable information! Fantastic. Being in the Palace and Basilica without the crowds was an amazing experience. Just be aware that the tour is long!

Take a tour with Grazia

Merry_L, Apr 2024

Grazia was a great guide despite the cold rain. She was very informative, friendly, and funny!! Getting to see the church at night was incredible.

Excellent small tour

Kenneth_P, Apr 2024

The tour was great with a small number of people. Our tour guide Paola was excellent and was very knowledgeable.

Night tour delight without crowds… a peaceful spiritual experience

Diana_I, Apr 2024

Seeing the lit up Byzantine artwork in St. Mark’s Basilica at night…. Quite beautiful and spiritual…., Also, being able to tour Doges’ Palace without large crowds ( we had the place to ourselves, a group of twenty so ) after hours was wonderfully peaceful… Grazia was a very knowledgeable guide with a good sense of humor… just wish the tour could be possibly shortened by thirty minutes

Huge WOW factors!

Paul_V, Apr 2024

The tour round the Palace was remarkable and the knowledge and detail that Iole, our guide, was excellent. The building was awe inspiring and left us with a vision of medieval Venice at its zenith. Then onto the cathedral which somehow managed to blow us away with the big reveal of the ornate ceiling, going from dark to illumination. Wow!

This is an unforgettable...

Susan_R, Mar 2024

This is an unforgettable experience. I highly recommend it. We had friends that were to tired and stayed behind and after seeing our pics and retelling our experience they wished they had gone.

Unbeatable, atmospheric experience

Susan_C, Mar 2024

This was one of the most rewarding tours I've ever taken. Seeing these two iconic places after hours with few if no other groups or visitors was magical . Our guide was fantastic...knowledgeable, enthusiastic and attentive to each one of us individually...a group that included a babe in arms, a couple of geriatrics (us!) and a plucky woman on crutches. To hear so much of the history of the Venice Republic while in the empty rooms where it took place was simply awesome. Specjal, special, special!!!

Memorable event

John_P, Mar 2024

Our tour guide was the best. Visiting with a small group and without the crowds made it memorable. Just the right amount of time spent in both without it feeling like it was to short

One sparkling vista after another

Lauri_J, Feb 2024

What a stunning tour of St Mark’s! The effect of the lighting on the beautiful mosaics that cover the church was breathtaking. And being the only group in the Basilica just added to magic. We had the time to really feel the space and its beauty as we wandered the various spaces including the original building below the current Basilica. The guide was quite knowledgeable of the history of the Basilica making it interesting.

Top notch

Vad_Y, Feb 2024

Absolutely spectacular. Francesca was great and funny. Would do this over and over again. Best in Venice

Mosaics of San Marco at night.

Yuliya_A, Feb 2024

Our guide Mark was very good, professional and entertaining, with vast knowledge and Venetian sense of humor. He was as spectacular as the precious mosaics lit specially for us. The experience that should not be missed!

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

Karl_W, Jan 2024

Fantastic tour - after hours, up close and personal without any crowds. Excellent tour and I learned a lot!!

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Dear Karl, Thank you so much for such kind words! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your time on tour and learned lots of interesting information. It will be nice to welcome you again 😉 Best, Andrii Walks & Devour Tours

The exclusive access to...

Bruce_M, Jan 2024

The exclusive access to St Mark’s basilica and the very professional commentary given by Romy. Expert in her field and fluent in delivery in English.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Dear Bruce, Thank you so much for your feedback! We are thrilled to know that you enjoyed the exclusive access to Saint Mark's Basilica and were fond of Romy's comments and insights. It's our goal to provide unique and detailed experiences for the guests! We are looking forward to welcoming you back for more enriching journeys in the future. Sincerely, Andrii Walks & Devour Tours

Saint Mark’s Basilica at Night

Helen_H, Jan 2024

The night tour with Romy was a definite highlight of our trip to Venice. Romy was very knowledgeable and made sure that the evening was special. I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Venice - it is definitely the best way to see the basilica

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Dear Helen_H, We are thrilled to know that your time on tour with Romy is worth calling the highlight of the trip to Venice! Thank you so much for the recommendation. It's truly appreciated ❤️ We are looking forward to welcoming you back. Regards, Andrii Walks & Devour Tours

Breathtaking experience

Ivan_C, Dec 2023

The lighting if the cathedral, the visit of the ancient church, the artristy of the mosaics, along with the great explanations of the guide.

Exceptional! Highly Recommend!!

Rashid_B, Dec 2023

Exceptional experience with an excellent guide!! One of the highlights of my Italian vacation was this evening tour. There is nothing like being in the church with all the lights shining.

Exceptional experience

PaulCharlesAllen, Nov 2023

Exceptional experience, with a very good guide. A real highlight of our stay in Venice. Book it if you can.

Amazing ! Must do !!

Michelle_L, Nov 2023

18 day trip, Nico was the best guide for our whole trip. Lots of history explained, access and views to places most don’t get to see. Nico had to deal with some staff issues trying to hurry us along and he just took care of us for a full and great tour. His knowledge of dates, authors, and history are the reasons you go with a guide!!!

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