Venice Best in a Day: Private Tour with St. Mark's & Doge Palace

Experience the best of Venice on a private day tour with skip-the-line access to top attractions and a memorable gondola ride. Explore Saint Mark’s Square, visit Saint Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace, and discover hidden gems like the Rialto Bridge and Marco Polo’s house.

Duration: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Piazza San Marco - Your experience of Venice begins in the iconic St Mark’s square where you will also meet your guide.
  • Basilica di San Marco - Next, skip the long lines and enter this beautiful and ornate basilica as your guide provides you with anecdotes of its history.
  • Doge’s Palace - Next make your way to the Doge’s Palace again with VIP entry, the political center of Venice. Your expert guide will share the secrets of the private hidden apartments, and you will see impressive halls such as the Hall of Great Council. The tour takes a more sinister turn as you visit the prison, as well as an extensive private weapons collection. Upon exiting, you will stop at the notorious Bridge of Sighs.

After this visit, your guide will provide you with some great recommendations to stop to eat and have refreshments before continuing on your tour.

The rest of the day will be spent on foot exploring the narrow winding streets to unexpected squares and bridges. Visit the Rialto bridge and see Marco Polo’s house before stopping in Campo Santa Maria Formosa for your private gondola ride.

  • Campo Santa Maria Formosa - Your guide will escort you to your very own private gondola ride - the best way to complete a day in Venice! They will ensure you will have everything you need before embarking on a relaxing journey through the canals on your gondola.
What's Included
  • Priority access to St Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace
  • Exclusive private gondola ride
  • Guided tour with a local expert
What's Not Included
  • food and drinks
  • gratuities (optional)
Additional Information

Embark on a special excursion of Venice with a personal specialist guide, and fully experience this extraordinary city and its main attractions. Start in the Saint Mark’s Square for a brilliant view of Saint Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace, the personal sanctuary of the Venetian dukes until the 1800s. Enjoy exclusive entry, and bypass the long queues to step into the majestic basilica where you can appreciate the golden mosaics up close. Then head over to the Doge’s Palace, skipping the lines, to explore 700 years of history as you observe the palace prisons, court rooms, and take a moment at the Bridge of Sighs to witness the last view of Venice that detainees would have seen before being taken to their cells. Your guide will offer suggestions for lunch, and post a brief intermission, the tour will proceed. Stroll over to the enclosed Rialto Bridge and visit the residence where Marco Polo once lived. Proceed to the Renaissance-era church of the Campo Santa Maria Formosa, where you will round off your idyllic day in true Venetian fashion with a private gondola ride.

  • 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
Location
Chiesa di San Giacomo di Rialto
Campo San Giacomo di Rialto
In front of Chiesa di San Giacomo in Campo San Giacomo di Rialto. Your guide will be holding a LivTours sign.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(56 Ratings)
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Michael_o
Aug 11, 2024
Venice in a Day - Great tour! Our tour guide was wonderful and we learned so much about Venice from her. My fiance and I had a private Venice in a day tour. Would highly recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Scott
Aug 10, 2024
Great way to see and understand Venice. This is a must if you visit this wonderful place. - Roberta was a fantastic guide. She left no stone unturned. Took great care to answer all of our questions. Was very interesting as well.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sherrie_f
Aug 4, 2024
Truly was the best of Venice! - Had a wonderful although hot and humid tour in Venice. Pamela did an amazing job balancing sites, crowds and heat. She had a seventh sense in how to find shortest lines, best pictures of our group and pleasant coming off areas. With only two days to spend Bernadette and Pamela were top. guides and we will return to the states with much love and appreciation of Venice.
Review provided by Viator
K9904mterinb
Jul 30, 2024
A Tour Well Worth The Time and Money - My husband and I really looked forward to this tour ever since we had started planning our vacation (and visit) to Venice two years ago. Unfortunately, my husband wasn't feeling great so I ended up going alone. I have to say, my guide Tulia was a delight and very informative about the history of Venice as well as Saint Mark's Basilica and the Doges Palace. As Tulia explained the history behind each setting, I was awe-inspired. Venice is definitely a place for history, culture and art buffs alike. I enjoyed this tour immensely which showed me some very intimate views of Venice that you wouldn't be able to see if you were part of a group tour or just by yourself. Because the tour started mid-morning, I was able to skip the crowds because I already had skip the line tickets. However, the crowds did start to pick up around 11 AM to 12 PM so beware the time you go to Saint Mark's Square. I would also say the highlight of the tour was the gondola ride. I was able to see a fair amount of Venice's bridges such as the Bridge of Sighs as well as the lesser known side waterways and smaller bridges that seem to appear as their own unique characters of this tour. I really loved seeing the palazzos and old homes that have stood the test of time. So, my final piece of advice: purchase this tour and ask for Tulia. You won't regret it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Daniel_r
Jul 27, 2024
Great experience! - Matteo was absolutely awesome!! Very knowledgeable and personable. He told us that he was a true Venice native so that made our experience even more authentic and memorable. Would definitely recommend him and this tour, especially if it’s your first time in Venice.
Review provided by Viator
955carlajeanm
Jul 23, 2024
Wonderful Family Tour - Tullia was amazing! She was very informative and tailored our tour to our needs. We learned a lot of information from her and she was patient with the grandparent and kids! We would definitely recommend her for tours. Fabulous!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jodi_b
Jul 14, 2024
Manuela is fabulous!!! - Manuela is fantastic! Lovely morning exploring history and hidden treasures of Venice. A ‘Must Do’ when in Venice!
Review provided by Viator
Casedogg21
Jul 13, 2024
Loved Venice with Nikko! - Loved having Nikko as our guide! So friendly and knowledgeable and great with our kids! We had a great time eating lunch at a nice place he recommended and loved the whole tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Capetowngirlca
Jun 29, 2024
Amazing private tour with Romy - Romy was excellent! She brought the history of Venice to life with a good balance between facts and anecdotes. The tour covered far more of Venice than we expected so we are canceling a different tour that we had scheduled for another day. So glad that we de used to do a private tour for our family rather than joining a group. Absolutely worth the money. Thanks, Romy!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lisa_s
Jun 29, 2024
Highly recommend! - Sarah was awesome! Private tours are the best in this case. You learn the details, can customize your pace and not feel like you are rushing through checking boxes.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
2 Adult
September 2024
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