Venice: St. Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace & Gondola Ride

Get a sense of the history, art, and culture of Venice on this full-day tour combining all the best experiences into one day. Enjoy a guided tour of St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace, take to the water on a gondola ride, and explore famous piazzas and hidden backstreets on a walking tour.

Your tour starts at ground level with a guided walking tour of the city's most famous and most interesting sights. See the Rialto Bridge and learn about Venice's food culture at the Rialto Fish Market.

Along the way hear tales of famous Venetians like Marco Polo as well as how Venice came to be—and how it survived against the odds. As your walking tour ends, take a gondola ride and cruise along the Grand Canal and into the quieter back canals of the city with a maximum of 5 people per vessel.

After a short break for a snack on your own, reconvene at St. Mark's Square. You'll enter St. Mark's Basilica to explore its stunning history, architecture, and art with your guide. Get up close to the beautiful gold mosaics with special first-floor access.

Then it's on to Venice's other top sight—the Doge's Palace. Skip the line with pre-reserved tickets and enjoy the benefit of having an expert local guide as you navigate council rooms, audience halls, and masterpieces by Veronese and Tintoretto.

Note: If you choose the 8:15am Venice In a Day tour when booking, your tour will not include a break for lunch and therefore has a duration of 4 hours, it also has a maximum group size of 25 people. If selected at time of booking, the Venice Express Half Day Option is another 4-hour expertly guided tour of Venice's highlights including St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace. A gondola ride is not included in the Venice Express Half Day Option.

Important: You must provide the following details for every guests in your party at the time of booking: first and last name. All guests must bring ID on the day of their tour as it is required to visit the St. Mark's Basilica.