Venice Highlights: St. Mark's Basilica, Doges Palace, and Gondola Ride Adventure

Experience the best of Venice in just 3.5 hours with a tour of St. Mark’s Basilica, Doges Palace, and a gondola ride. Skip the lines and explore the highlights before enjoying the rest of your day in Venice.

Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Basilica di San Marco - We provide the skip the line tickets, so walk right past the long queue and go right on inside. During November through March, St. Mark’s Basilica does not offer skip the line entry because lines are generally non-existent.
  • Doge’s Palace - As you explore the Doge’s Palace, you’ll hear about the wild ways of the…
What's Included
  • Skip-the-line access to Doge’s Palace
  • Small-group tour with a maximum of 20 guests
  • Guided by a professional art historian
  • Admission to St. Mark’s Basilica
  • Venetian Gondola ride experience
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

If your visit to Venice is brief and you would rather use your time indulging in local cuisine, shopping, and relaxation, there’s a way to maximize your experience. Many people only spend a short while in Venice, so time optimization is key if you plan on exploring the major sights. Embark on a 3.5-hour tour to see the best of Venice, still leaving you…

Location
Colonna di San Todaro
Piazza San Marco
Please Arrive 15 Minutes Early. Between the two big columns in St. Mark’s Square (columns of San Marco and San Teodoro) located on the south side of the square, near the canal. Your guide will be holding a "The Tour Guy" sign.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.5
(608 Ratings)
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Jamie_q
Jun 6, 2025
Our tour guide was... - Our tour guide was excellent! 3 1/2 hrs was a great amount of time for the tour. The only thing I would have liked better is if every small group within the big group had their own gondola ride.
Review provided by Viator
Seaside34696821481
Jun 5, 2025
Great way to see major sites in Venice! - This tour was fantastic! We were short on time in Venice and this allowed us to see two major landmarks and take a gondola ride. Our guide, Iole, was a native of Venice and incredibly knowledgeable about the sites we visited. Her warmth and humor added to the experience. Important to note that gondolas seat 5 people. Our family of three was paired with another couple for the gondola ride as part of this tour. If you want a private gondola ride I would suggest booking a different experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Seth_w
Jun 4, 2025
Great tour - Great way to experience the Doge's palace and see Saint Mark's, and the gondola ride was an awesome way to end it and experience something truly unique to Venice! Tour guide was very nice and very informative!
Review provided by Viator
Hayley
Jun 3, 2025
Great trip - Really good tour, very knowledgeable guide who looked after her group well, thanks Rita 😊 the balance of time in each venue was well planned, easy to book with good communication, we would recommend this trip 😄
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shannon_h
Jun 2, 2025
Loved this tour. The tour... - Loved this tour. The tour guide was so informative and the sites were beautiful. Such a bonus to have the gondola ride at the end!
Review provided by Viator
Anita_h
Jun 1, 2025
The palace and basilica... - The palace and basilica are beautiful. There are a lot of stairs, so ask for the lift if you need it.
Review provided by Viator
Susan_t
May 31, 2025
Fantastic Tour! - This tour was amazing! Octavia was so knowledgeable and we learned so much from her. She has a great sense of humor as well! It was great that our tickets allowed us to skip the lined. I highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Viator
Jenni_h
May 31, 2025
Great tour! - Our tour guide, Felipe (sp?) was fantastic. He was considerate, really knew his stuff, and thoroughly kept our attention the whole time! We learned so much. It was a wonderful experience!
Review provided by Viator
Yvettelashay_p
May 30, 2025
This experience was very... - This experience was very well organized & led by a knowledgeable guide! I felt as though I learned so much more than those who chose to visit these locations on their own. Very glad I chose this tour & gondola ride!
Review provided by Viator
Richard_g
May 30, 2025
Seeing beauty and history unfold - We were blown away by the scale and the beauty of the tour. Also, the immense amount of knowledge that the Tour Guide could communicate. The history of the art also discussing customs and the political nature of the times. No test on Monday but so well worth going.
Review provided by Viator
From $80
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).