Venice in A Day: St Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace & Gondola Ride
Overview
If you want to make sure you cover the highlights of Venice, this full day tour is your best choice. If you’re only spending a few days in Venice, covering the best attractions in a single day is a smart idea. That way, you can spend the remainder of your time in Venice sipping Prosecco by the canals. This tour includes stops at St Mark’s Basilica and Square, the Rialto Bridge, Doge’s Palace (including Casanova’s prison cell), a half hour gondola ride and plenty of hidden gems along the way. A lunch break is scheduled into the tour - we would never let you go hungry in Italy!
Inclusions
- Skip the Line Entry & Guided Tour of St. Mark's Basilica
- Visit the Famous Rialto Bridge & Market
- 30-Minute Venetian Gondola Ride
- Skip the Line Entry & Guided Tour of the Doge's Palace
- Professional Art Historian Guide
- Small Group Size of Maximum 19
- Entry/Admission - Basilica di San Marco
- Entry/Admission - Doge's Palace
What to expect
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Piazza San Marco, 31024 Venice Italy
Meet our Guide
Your Venice in a Day Tour begins in St. Mark’s Square, Venice’s central public plaza. Your guide will teach you the history of this iconic piazza, home to St. Mark’s Basilica.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Basilica di San Marco, San Marco, 328, 30124 Venice Italy
Guided Tour of St Marks Basilica
Known as “The Church of Gold”, St. Mark’s Basilica’s elaborate design features gold mosaics and marble slabs. Skip the line during the busy summer months and learn about the basilica’s storied history during a guided tour of the stunning Basilica.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Ponte di Rialto, Ruga degli Orefici (Rialto) San Polo, 30125 Venice Italy
Rialto Bridge & Neighborhood
After your visit to the basilica your journey continues into the hidden back alleyways of Venice, guided by a knowledgeable local.
You'll Immerse yourself in the history and legends surrounding the iconic Rialto Bridge, a magnificent architectural gem that spans the Grand Canal. As you cross this historic bridge, you'll venture into the bustling Rialto neighborhood, brimming with charm and character.
Learn fascinating anecdotes and tales about the bridge's significance while taking in the enchanting ambiance of this popular district.
Duration: 25 minutes
Stop At: Grand Canal, 30100 Venice, Metropolitan City of Venice, Italy
30 Minute Gondola Ride
When experiencing Venice, you absolutely must ride a gondola. We’ve included this experience in our Venice in a Day tour. As the first part of the tour concludes, your tour guide will bring you to a trusted Venice gondolier who will take you on a scenic cruise down Venice’s beautiful canals. After experiencing this bucket list moment, you’ll break for lunch.
Duration: 30 minutes
Pass By: Venice, Venice, Veneto
Free time for Lunch
Following your enchanting Gondola Ride, take a moment to bask in the magic of this unforgettable experience. Allow the memories of gliding through the Venetian canals to synchronize within you as you enjoy a leisurely period of free time for a delightful lunch.
Stop At: Doge's Palace, Piazza San Marco, 1, 30124 Venice Italy
Guided Tour of the Doge's Palace
After lunch, explore the fascinating Doge's Palace, or "Duke's Palace." This Palace used to be the home of Venice's public administration. At the same time, it operated as a prison, where some of Venice's criminals saw their last days.
Explore the fascinating artwork of the Doge's Palace, and get a glimpse of the famous Bridge of Sighs, the bridge that connects Doge's Palace to its prison.
Even though your tour will conclude after visiting the Doges Palace, your guide will be happy to advise on how to get back to your accommodation, or perhaps advice where to enjoy some local food & a spritz!
Duration: 2 hours
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Piazza San Marco, 31024 Venice Italy
Meet our Guide
Your Venice in a Day Tour begins in St. Mark’s Square, Venice’s central public plaza. Your guide will teach you the history of this iconic piazza, home to St. Mark’s Basilica.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Basilica di San Marco, San Marco, 328, 30124 Venice Italy
Guided Tour of St Marks Basilica
Known as “The Church of Gold”, St. Mark’s Basilica’s elaborate design features gold mosaics and marble slabs. Skip the line during the busy summer months and learn about the basilica’s storied history during a guided tour of the stunning Basilica.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Ponte di Rialto, Ruga degli Orefici (Rialto) San Polo, 30125 Venice Italy
Rialto Bridge & Neighborhood
After your visit to the basilica your journey continues into the hidden back alleyways of Venice, guided by a knowledgeable local.
You'll Immerse yourself in the history and legends surrounding the iconic Rialto Bridge, a magnificent architectural gem that spans the Grand Canal. As you cross this historic bridge, you'll venture into the bustling Rialto neighborhood, brimming with charm and character.
Learn fascinating anecdotes and tales about the bridge's significance while taking in the enchanting ambiance of this popular district.
Duration: 25 minutes
Stop At: Grand Canal, 30100 Venice, Metropolitan City of Venice, Italy
30 Minute Gondola Ride
When experiencing Venice, you absolutely must ride a gondola. We’ve included this experience in our Venice in a Day tour. As the first part of the tour concludes, your tour guide will bring you to a trusted Venice gondolier who will take you on a scenic cruise down Venice’s beautiful canals. After experiencing this bucket list moment, you’ll break for lunch.
Duration: 30 minutes
Pass By: Venice, Venice, Veneto
Free time for Lunch
Following your enchanting Gondola Ride, take a moment to bask in the magic of this unforgettable experience. Allow the memories of gliding through the Venetian canals to synchronize within you as you enjoy a leisurely period of free time for a delightful lunch.
Stop At: Doge's Palace, Piazza San Marco, 1, 30124 Venice Italy
Guided Tour of the Doge's Palace
After lunch, explore the fascinating Doge's Palace, or "Duke's Palace." This Palace used to be the home of Venice's public administration. At the same time, it operated as a prison, where some of Venice's criminals saw their last days.
Explore the fascinating artwork of the Doge's Palace, and get a glimpse of the famous Bridge of Sighs, the bridge that connects Doge's Palace to its prison.
Even though your tour will conclude after visiting the Doges Palace, your guide will be happy to advise on how to get back to your accommodation, or perhaps advice where to enjoy some local food & a spritz!
Duration: 2 hours
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Since we will be entering a church, please make sure that your shoulders and knees are covered. Also, please refrain from bringing big back packs or bags, because they are not always allowed inside.
- Near public transportation
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- We regret that we are unable to accommodate guests with wheelchairs or any walking impairments that require special assistance on our group tours. We are also unable to accommodate strollers or baby carriages.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 19 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
Larry_R
October 2023
Tour and guide were excellent. Guide provided a wealth of information about the local points of interest.
Tour and guide were excellent. Guide provided a wealth of information about the local points of interest.micheleaM7787CB
October 2023
The weather was terrible and multiple groups were milling around trying to find their tour. I missed connecting with the guide and after it was apparent he left without me, he wouldn’t respond so I could catch up. The only resolution he offered was for me to purchase another tour the next day.
The weather was terrible and multiple groups were milling around trying to find their tour. I missed connecting with the guide and after it was apparent he left without me, he wouldn’t respond so I could catch up. The only resolution he offered was for me to purchase another tour the next day.Jsallc
October 2023
Customer service is terrible. We fought our way through bad weather, thick crowds, and even stopped crowds only to find that the Tour had already left. We attempted to contact the Tour operator with no success. So we called via Tour customer service and was connected to an operator we could barel...
Customer service is terrible. We fought our way through bad weather, thick crowds, and even stopped crowds only to find that the Tour had already left. We attempted to contact the Tour operator with no success. So we called via Tour customer service and was connected to an operator we could barely understand. we even attempted to contact the tour guide to be able to catch up to them somewhere along the route, but he never responded. The only option we were offered was to purchase the next days tour at full price. We will not use this guide, nor Viator again .Joya_C
October 2023
Guide was very informative and entertaining!!very interesting and a wealth of knowledge. Would highly reccomend!
Guide was very informative and entertaining!!very interesting and a wealth of knowledge. Would highly reccomend!Rick_L
October 2023
The tour of St. Marcos Bascilla and Doge’s Palace was fantastic. Our tour guide Marco was great and kept the energy up in the group. I would have given 5 stars except the gondola ride did not meet my expectations. Our group was 18 people and we were paired in groups of 4. The gondola has a ...
The tour of St. Marcos Bascilla and Doge’s Palace was fantastic. Our tour guide Marco was great and kept the energy up in the group. I would have given 5 stars except the gondola ride did not meet my expectations. Our group was 18 people and we were paired in groups of 4. The gondola has a nice bench seat for two people and then two small chairs for the other two people. We got stuck in those small uncomfortable chairs. It was not “30” minutes as described, but is was training and the weather was rough.D7026JKandrewb
October 2023
Guide was very sweet and insightful, we were able to see the big items on our list here in Venice freeing up the other days for exploring
Guide was very sweet and insightful, we were able to see the big items on our list here in Venice freeing up the other days for exploring