Doge's Palace and Saint Mark's After Hours Small Group Tour
Overview
Perfect for all ages and history levels. Book this incredible experience today!
Inclusions
- Small Group of ONLY 6 people MAX
- Exclusive After Hours entrance to Saint Mark's Basilica
- Professional Local Expert Guide
- Night tour of the Doge's Palace and Bridge of Sighs
- Entry/Admission - Basilica di San Marco
- Entry/Admission - Ponte dei Sospiri
- Entry/Admission - Doge's Palace
What to expect
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Piazza San Marco, 31024 Venice Italy
You and your small group will meet your guide in one of Italy’s most famous piazzas – St Mark’s Square – noted for its charming, Italian-Gothic beauty just off the shores of the canal. This very square began to gain cultural relevance over 1000 years ago with its first chapel construction in 819 AD.
Your LivItaly tour guide will tell you just how this square came to importance and the inspiration for St Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s palace which create its majestic backdrop. Learn about the cultural influences which have contributed to the architectural beauty of the surrounding buildings – Eastern and Venentian Gothic.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Doge's Palace, Piazza San Marco, 1, 30124 Venice Italy
Your guide will then take you to the Doge’s Palace, originally built as a 10th century fortress and later transformed into a palazzo under Doge Sebastiano Ziani. The palace expanded so much throughout time that it eventually even reached the side walls of St Mark’s Basilica. Learn about the amazing color-changing facade of the Doge’s Palace and why it changes color from day to night.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Ponte dei Sospiri, Piazza San Marco, 1, 30100 Venice Italy
Your tour will also take you to the famous Bridge of Sighs, a last sight for prisoners on their march towards imprisonment, known as one of their last and most memorable views of the beautiful Venetian lagoon. A sight worth remembering even today.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Basilica di San Marco, San Marco, 328, 30124 Venice Italy
As your Doge's Palace tour ends, you will make your way to Saint Mark's Basilica, the gates of which will have already closed for all other visitors, but will reopen EXCLUSIVELY for us. As you walk in you will be surprised by the darkness within the basilica, but sit on the pews and get ready for a spectacular slow illumination of the prestigious ceiling mosaics – a light show privy only to night visitors. The mosaics depict stories from the Old Testament, images of Noah, Adam and Moses. Learn how according to some scholars, these mosaics replicate the miniatures of ancient medieval manuscripts of the Bible – a historic narrative above, all illuminated to create an ambiance which is absolutely unforgettable.
One of the perks of this tour is being able to see the Pala D’oro ancient altar piece up close, an act that is seemingly impossible during hurried daytime crowds. Admire the craftsmanship of gold and silver metal work as well as the 1300 pearls and 1900 gem stones that adorn it.
Our guests will also get to see the crypts where noble Venetians have been laid to rest. Learn how the crypt was moved in the 16th century to avoid flood damage and how it was sealed off for over two centuries only to be reopened in the 19th century.
But the best part of it all is clearly the fact that you and your group will be completely alone in the basilica for the portion of your tour – a once in a lifetime experience reserved exclusively for our guests.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour operates within current local COVID-19 protocol. We are not responsible for any persons who do not adhere to regulations, and in said circumstances will result in loss of the tour without refund.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
Cancellation
Great tour with Marie!!!! Very personable and gave insider tips about Venice. Loved it! Highly recommend
Great tour with Marie!!!! Very personable and gave insider tips about Venice. Loved it! Highly recommendOur guide Marie was exceptional! We went on a tour with our teenage daughter and son. Marie found ways to engage both with stories that made the history Venice engaging and relevant.
Our guide Marie was exceptional! We went on a tour with our teenage daughter and son. Marie found ways to engage both with stories that made the history Venice engaging and relevant.Our guide Nico was amazing! Incredibly knowledgeable about the history of the doges palace and basilica!
Our guide Nico was amazing! Incredibly knowledgeable about the history of the doges palace and basilica!We had an amazing tour. Our guide was so knowledgeable and interesting that it was very clear that she loved her job. We would recommend this tour. It was worth the price.
We had an amazing tour. Our guide was so knowledgeable and interesting that it was very clear that she loved her job. We would recommend this tour. It was worth the price.We really enjoyed the after hours tour of Saint Mark's and Doge's Palace. Sabrina was a very knowledgable guide and obviously loved these sites (especially Saint Mark's Cathedral. Seeing the Cathedral lit up at night was absolutely beautiful. We were worried about the timing of this tour (5 pm me...
We really enjoyed the after hours tour of Saint Mark's and Doge's Palace. Sabrina was a very knowledgable guide and obviously loved these sites (especially Saint Mark's Cathedral. Seeing the Cathedral lit up at night was absolutely beautiful. We were worried about the timing of this tour (5 pm meeting time) as it was scheduled to be four hours and we like to have our dinner. No worries. We toured Doge's Palace and then had a little over an hour for a meal break before we started the Cathedral tour. Being at St Mark's Square, there were plenty of restaurants to choose from. We followed Sabrina's advice and went a few streets off the Square where we had a delicious dinner at a little restaurant. Highly recommend this tour and LivItaly.I went on 2 tours with Nico in Venice in July 2023. The first was an evening tour of the Doge’s Palace and the second was a nighttime tour of Church of San Marco. The tour of the Doge’s Palace was after most other tourists had left the building and the tour of San Marco was when the church was cl...
I went on 2 tours with Nico in Venice in July 2023. The first was an evening tour of the Doge’s Palace and the second was a nighttime tour of Church of San Marco. The tour of the Doge’s Palace was after most other tourists had left the building and the tour of San Marco was when the church was closed to visitors except for a few semi private tour groups. This made both our tours feel like they were private tours with only us in the buildings. Both tours were fabulous and exceeded my high expectations. We visited some areas not normally seen by large tour groups. Nico is a very friendly personable person who, because of his vast knowledge and experience, was able to explain in an entertaining way, the history of Venice and how these two buildings fitted into the economic and political life of the Republic through the centuries. Nico had lots of stories to tell that ensured everyone was kept interested during the tours. In short Nico is a great guide