Over 10 years experience guiding travelers
Find out why visitors love our tours!
Get a full refund if your tour is affected
Join your private guide and prepare to have your breath stolen by the architectural beauty, centuries of fascinating historic tales, and artistic wonders displayed on this special skip-the-line tour of St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace – the two most significant locations in all of Venice.
The tour begins with your private guide meeting you at St. Mark’s Square where you can follow in the footsteps of legendary figures such as Casanova and Napoleon, who once referred to the square as the ‘drawing room of Europe’ due to its rich history and the undeniable opulence and grandeur that envelops you on every side.
As official guides in Venice, we are able to offer skip the line access to the Basilica.
Dating back to the 11th Century, St Mark’s has been a symbol of the wealth, power, and status of Venice, and this is etched large into the architecture of the building with its ornate design and particular Italian Renaissance style flair – containing as it does, 43 thousand square feet of stunning mosaic.
Once inside your guide will be on hand to discuss the innumerable treasures, sculptures, and priceless artworks on display, including the ‘Triumphal Quadriga’ – the famous bronze horses of Saint Mark.
On your next stop, we will again skip the line as we enter the Doge’s Palace, found to the right of St. Mark’s, and distinguished by its white and rose-colored herringbone brick façade and highly stylized Gothic white stone arches that lend it a uniquely Venetian flavor.
The building served as the seat of the government and was the Doge’s residence (alongside serving as a prison and torture chamber!) until the Napoleonic invasion of 1797. Truly the heart and soul of Venice’s power throughout the years, your guide will revel in describing the scintillating tales of scandal and political intrigue that occurred within its walls throughout history.
The interior of the Palace is a feast for the eyes in every sense, and your tour guide will be with you to discuss the context, subject, and history behind the jaw-dropping galleries and frescos that adorn its walls, featuring works by world-renowned masters such as Titian, Veronese, and Tiepolo.
The tour culminates with you viewing the famous ‘Bridge of Sighs’ and exploring the interrogation quarters with your guide.
While there is plenty here to gaze upon for the uninitiated, you simply do not get the full experience and taste of what these structures mean to Venice and their place in history without a qualified and knowledgeable guide there to bring to life these tales to life.
Reserving your private tour with us means you will benefit from:
Our St. Mark’s Basilica & Doge’s Palace Tour meeting point is inbetween the columns of San Marco & San Todaro, St Mark’s Square (water side). Once you confirm your tour, your guide will be in touch to provide any further directions as well as offer additional transport and transfers if required.
Between the columns of San Marco & San Todaro, St Mark's Square
Giorgia will be your private licensed guide for this tour.
“I feel so lucky being a tour guide: it is the job I had dreamt about since teenage, perfectly mixing my two greatest passions at University: Art history and Foreign Languages! Venice is filled with fascinating details and traces of the past. To me, it feels like a gigantic “time machine” where every tour magically turns into a journey back in time: can’t wait to show you around it!”
Any questions about this private tour? Contact Giorgia below, she’s always happy to help.
Our tours are kept to small private groups to provide the best possible experience for our clients. As such we are able to customize our itineraries to suit your interests, needs, and requirements.
To discuss this tour or any changes you would like to make simply complete the form below.
Explore some of our other tours below, or contact our team to create your own bespoke private experience
Our friendly experts can help you craft the perfect private tour itinerary for your group, simply fill in the form below with as much information as possible, and your personal travel consultant will be in touch shortly to help:
Our friendly experts can help you craft the perfect private tour itinerary for your group, simply fill in the form below with as much information as possible, and your personal travel consultant will be in touch shortly to help:
