Venice

Venice in A Day: St Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace & Gondola Ride

Badge of ExcellenceVenice, Italy

Venice in a Day Tour with St Marks Doges Palace and Gondolas

6 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Discover several Venetian attractions in one itinerary with this full-day tour. Visit St. Mark’s Square, St. Mark’s Basilica, and the Rialto Bridge with an art historian guide leading the way. Stroll along Venice’s romantic canals and climb aboard a gondola for a scenic boat ride. After free time for lunch, skip the line for instant access into Doge’s Palace to see Casanova’s prison cell and walk across the Bridge of Sighs.

Maximize time in Venice with a comprehensive tour
Explore St. Mark’s Basilica with an art historian guide
Board a gondola for a scenic ride on the canals
Learn about the history of Doge’s Palace and see Casanova’s prison cell

What's Included

Skip the Line Entry & Guided Tour of St. Mark's Basilica
Visit the Famous Rialto Bridge & Market
30-Minute Venetian Gondola Ride
Skip the Line Entry & Guided Tour of the Doge's Palace
Professional Art Historian Guide
Small Group Size of Maximum 19

Hotel Pick Up / Drop Off
Food & Beverages
Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

St. Mark's Square
Piazza San Marco, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy
Please Arrive 10 Minutes Early. Your guide will meet you 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. A representative will be there holding a sign with ''The Tour Guy'' on it.

Start time

09:30 AM

End point

Doge's Palace
P.za San Marco, 1, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy

What To Expect

Piazza San Marco

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Basilica di San Marco

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Ponte di Rialto

25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Grand Canal

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Venice (Pass By)

Doge's Palace

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level

Since we will be entering a church, please make sure that your shoulders and knees are covered. Also, please refrain from bringing big back packs or bags, because they are not always allowed inside.
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
We regret that we are unable to accommodate guests with wheelchairs or any walking impairments that require special assistance on our group tours. We are also unable to accommodate strollers or baby carriages.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 19 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.
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

228 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 228 reviews

See Venice!

Donna_H, Apr 2024

Skipping the long lines, learning about Venice and it's history. The tour guide did walk a bit fast thus losing my partner in the crowds. A great deal of information that began to get tiresome especially in the Doge Palace. The gondola ride was a pleasant part of our day.

Buyer Beware

Evan_H, Apr 2024

For reference we went in April during the less peak season times compared to the high summer season. Overall, very disappointing. We stayed for the first two stages (palace + gondola ride). The organisers were very disorganised. We waited longer than needed only due to lack of good internal organisation skills rather than outside factors, (for example a 20 minute general background to Venice in the square when it could have been given In the que to the palace (you don’t skip the que, you are put in a “groups que”, there is a wait. The guide was repeating facts to fill the waiting time. Once inside the palace, we were rushed through just to make up time already lost In the que. Anytime we found an interesting piece of art work, the group would move on and there isn’t enough time to appreciate the palace or explore. It was very hurried and busy. I believe the tour is more suited to those who want to say “I was there” rather than those who want to learn and understand the history there.. On the gondola ride, you will be sharing with another couple. Just so the next purchaser is aware, they do not have the gondolas prebooked, you go as a group and they organise the booking there and then. We waited 40 min for all of us to get a boat. It would be quicker on your own in a less busy spot. This was a surprise to us, as it was not described on the ticket advertised. After the first two sections being such a disappointment we left and decided not to attend the afternoon.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

It sounds like you had a disappointing experience with the tour, especially with the disorganization and rushed pace. It's unfortunate that the waiting times and lack of time to appreciate the palace affected your overall enjoyment. Thank you for sharing your feedback and experience with us. I will contact our Venice team to understand what did not go right with your tour.

Venice in a Day

Scott_B, Apr 2024

We had a great time. Our guide was awesome and funny. Highly recommend this tour. You can see so much in one tour including a gondolas ride.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

It sounds like you had a fantastic time on your tour! Having an awesome and funny guide can really enhance the experience. And including a gondola ride must have added a touch of magic to the whole adventure. Thanks for the recommendation!

Informative, humorous and fun

Kimberly_W, Apr 2024

Marco was very informative and humorous. It was a good price for everything it was. Inside the tours marco was good at pointing out details and explaining everything. Walking through down getting the extra history was wonderful.

Our guide Ralph was...

Victoria_S, Apr 2024

Our guide Ralph was excellent!!! So fun and informative!! The wineries were delightful and really enjoyed the small group of 25 people.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Having a knowledgeable and engaging guide can truly elevate a wine tour experience. It sounds like Ralph made the tour not only informative but also enjoyable with his fun approach. And exploring wineries in a small group setting can make the experience even more intimate and memorable. Cheers to delightful wines and great company!

Educational tour with a great guide

Loretha_G, Apr 2024

Elena was our guide and she was absolutely fantastic!! She was very personable and extremely knowledgeable about all of the information she shared with us. The skip the line part of the tour was great as we entered part long lines of people waiting to get in on their own. The break between the church and the palace was just the perfect amount of time as it gave us time to eat and/explore shops in that area.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

It's fantastic to hear that you had such a wonderful experience with Elena as your guide! Her personable demeanor and extensive knowledge clearly made the tour enjoyable and informative for you. Skipping the lines is always a plus, especially when faced with long queues, and it's great that the timing of the break allowed you to relax, eat, and explore the area at your own pace. Thanks for sharing your positive feedback about the tour and Elena's guidance!

Girls trip

Heather_B, Apr 2024

Our guide (Grace) was very knowledgeable & made the whole experience very enjoyable. We were very lucky as we were a small group of 4 & had her all to ourselves. Would definitely recommend this tour. Well organised & a great way to skip queues to spend more time at each attraction.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

It sounds like you had an amazing experience with Grace as your guide! Being in a small group and having her expertise all to yourselves must have been a fantastic opportunity to fully immerse yourselves in the tour. Skipping the queues definitely helps maximize the time spent at each attraction, and it's great to hear that the tour was well-organized. Thanks for sharing your positive feedback and recommendation—I'm sure others will find it helpful when considering this tour!

Very good tour

Jennifer_M, Apr 2024

This tour was a great way to see the most key sights in Venice. The tour of St. Mark's was terrific, the gondola ride was really fun, and the tour of the art in the Doge's palace was spectacular. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable. I would say that the claim that this tour covers the Rialto bridge and marketplace is a bit of an overstatement. We didn't really do that other than to see the bridge from the shore.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

It sounds like you had a wonderful experience exploring the key sights of Venice! St. Mark's, the Doge's Palace, and the gondola ride are definitely highlights of any visit to the city. It's great to hear that your guide was knowledgeable and that you enjoyed the art in the Doge's Palace. Thank you for sharing your feedback about the Rialto bridge and marketplace – it's helpful to know that these aspects of the tour could be clearer in the description. Overall, it sounds like you had a memorable time in Venice!

Oustanding

Bruce_H, Apr 2024

It was all fantastic &Martines was a outstanding guide & a credit to your company,would recommend to anybody

St. Mark’s in one day

Cynthia_A, Apr 2024

Everything most esp the gondola ride and skip the lines.. our tour guide Ariana is very nice, she’s strategic in her route to avoid the crowd. Viator should not say in the reminder to bring passports for identification because it’s dangerous to have them stolen.

Wow…nice experience!!

Karolien_V, Apr 2024

Great guide and good organised day🙏🏼 everything was on time. We had time enough to have some lunch. The guide knew a lot of great history tales, you could ask everything🩷🙏🏼

Knowledgeable Tour guide

Christina_R, Mar 2024

Our guide was very knowledgeable and was an absolute delight! We were very lucky and only had to stand in cue a few minutes for Doge's and again at Basilica.

The Funny Guy

Corinna_R, Mar 2024

Our guide was amazing! He was funny and engaging. He really understands the history of Venice. The tour was so fun and we gained so much knowledge about Venice.

Educational and Varies

John_I, Mar 2024

Very informative guide with lots of detail. I liked the break for lunch that was given. And the Gondola ride was worth it.

very nice tour

Julia_A, Mar 2024

excellent tour . Our tour guide Marco was very knowledgeable and funny . great experience thank you 🙏🏻

Venice in a day

Michajlo_B, Mar 2024

Knowledgeable tour guide Roberta led us through all the sites and points of interest. She happily answered all questions and was also very humorous

Must-do tour for Venice!

Rhonda_V, Mar 2024

This tour is a must! We had a great time and our guide Mikayla who was very knowledgeable and kept a great pace.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

I'm delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour with Mikayla! It's wonderful to know that her knowledge and pacing made the experience enjoyable for you. Thank you for sharing your positive feedback, and we hope to welcome you back for another memorable tour soon!

Awe inspiring

Kevin_T, Mar 2024

The Museum, the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica were all fantastic ! Each had their own highlights and our guide Oscar made them come to life with stories and facts about them all.

Venice

Jeanette_F, Mar 2024

We had an amazing day Grazia the guide was so knowledgeable All organised brilliantly Would highly recommend this tour Basilica was so beautiful Doges palace also the Gondola ride was really good

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you for sharing your experience! We're thrilled to hear that you had an amazing day on the tour with Grazia as your guide. It's wonderful to know that Grazia's knowledge and expertise enhanced your visit to the Basilica, Doge's Palace, and the Gondola ride. We strive to organize our tours brilliantly and provide unforgettable experiences, so we're glad to hear that we succeeded in doing so for you. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we hope to welcome you back on another tour in the future!

This was the perfect tour to learn about Venice

Barbara_C, Feb 2024

Our tour director (Robbie) was so knowledgeable about the history of Venice! She also had a fantastic personality and made it fun to learn. Getting lost in Venice and exploring was our original plan, which we did for a day. However this tour (with a small group of travelers) really rounded out our experience and overall knowledge of the city. Highly recommend

Response from Host, Feb 2024

We're delighted to hear that Robbie provided you with such a fantastic and informative tour of Venice! It's wonderful that her knowledge and personality made the experience enjoyable and enriching for you. Exploring Venice on your own is undoubtedly an adventure, and we're thrilled that the tour complemented your exploration and deepened your understanding of the city. Thank you for recommending our tour, and we hope to welcome you back for more memorable experiences in the future!

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