Legendary Venice:
St. Mark's Basilica, terraces, and the Doge's Palace
Destination
Venice, Italy
Duration
3 hours
Tour size
Max 25
Language
English
Overview
St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace are the two buildings that made Venice. This St. Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace tour puts you inside both with skip-the-line access, exclusive terrace views, and a guide who has shaped their own telling of Venice's story.
- •Explore St. Mark's Basilica and the terrace, where the view stretches across the square, over the lagoon, and out to the islands
- •Stand face to face with the Triumphal Quadriga, original bronze horses from the 2nd or 3rd century BC that are the last of their kind
- •Walk the Doge’s Palace halls where the Republic's power was held, displayed, and sometimes violently lost
- •Cross the Bridge of Sighs from the inside like the prisoners on their way to the cells
What's included
- Skip-the-line ticket for St. Mark's Basilica
- Exclusive access to the St. Mark's Basilica terrace and museum
- Pre-reserved skip-the-line ticket for the Doge's Palace
- Early access to the Doge's Palace before public opening (8 AM tour only)
- Local English-speaking expert guide
- Headset
You will visit
- St. Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco)
- St. Mark's Basilica
- St. Mark's Basilica terraces (exclusive access)
- Original Triumphal Quadriga (the Horses of St. Mark) in the museum
- Doge's Palace
- Hall of the Great Council
- The Doge's apartments
- Bridge of Sighs
- New Prisons
Get a taste of Legendary Venice
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What to expect
St. Mark's Basilica: 86,000 square feet of gold above your head
Skip the line into a building that took Venice eight centuries to complete. Your guide will walk you beneath a ceiling of gold mosaic that seems to shift in the light, then tell you the story the Venetians told themselves about how it all began: an angelic prophecy and a stolen saint. Upstairs, in the museum that most visitors miss, you'll stand in front of the original bronze horses. Once gilded in gold, they were brought from Constantinople by the Venetians after the Fourth Crusade in 1204. Now, they are only sculptures of their kind still in existence.
The terrace: the square, the lagoon, and the bells
Explore far deeper than other groups, and step out onto the Basilica's terrace with special access. Here, you’ll see St. Mark's Square as the Doges saw it. The lagoon opens up beyond the Piazzetta, and if your timing is right, the clock tower's bronze figures strike the hour just below you.
"You feel the whole Republic in the Doge's Palace: the power, the paranoia, the prisons one bridge away. Then you walk into St. Mark's and it all turns to gold."
Giada,
WalksDevour guide
"Two hours sounds quick for Venice's two biggest sights, but with the lines skipped and a clear route, you actually see them properly instead of queuing all morning."
Mattia,
WalksDevour guide
Postcards from Venice
Legendary Venice
Legendary Venice
Legendary Venice
Legendary Venice
Legendary Venice
Legendary Venice
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Frequently asked questions
Our guides love answering your questions. Here are some things they’d like you to know before you arrive.
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