See Venice’s most famous landmarks in one unforgettable morning or afternoon! Skip the lines at St. Mark’s Basilica, a 1,000-year-old masterpiece filled with gold mosaics, and wander through the Doge’s Palace, where centuries of Venetian rulers once made their most crucial political and judicial decisions. Then, relax and sightsee on a small-group gondola ride. With an expert local guide leading the way, this is the ultimate, stress-free way to experience the best of Venice in just a few hours.
What's included
Doges, domes, and canals in one go
Expert English-speaking guide
Timed-entry ticket at St. Mark’s Basilica
Timed-entry ticket at the Doge’s Palace
Guided tour of St. Mark’s Basilica & Doge’s Palace
30-minute shared gondola ride
Guide tips
Itinerary
Your tour begins in St. Mark's Square
Meet your guide in St. Mark’s Square. The exact location will be listed on your booking voucher. You guide will be holding a red "The Tour Guy" sign or flag, awaiting your arrival.
Step inside St. Mark’s Basilica
Skip the long ticket lines and spend about 20 minutes inside St. Mark’s Basilica. Admire gold mosaics, domes, and marble floors while your guide explains how Venice’s seafaring empire shaped this sacred landmark.
Explore the Doge’s Palace
Steps away from the basilica, enter the Doge’s Palace. Get ready to learn all about power and politics. Skip the lines and follow your guide through lavish chambers where Venice’s leaders ruled with unmatched ambition.
Cross the Bridge of Sighs and enter the prisons
Follow the corridor across the famous Bridge of Sighs and hear the legend behind its name. Then descend into the palace prisons and dungeon, where cramped cells reveal punishments, plots, and Casanova’s escape story.
Take a quick break before your gondola ride
After the touring the Doge's Palace, take a 20-minute break to sit down, use the restroom, or grab a quick snack nearby.
For Reference Only. Itineraries are subject to change
Select participants and date
Start times are in the product’s local time
Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance!
Fri, 29 May 2026
Meeting and drop-off point
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Important Details
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4.96
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St. Mark’s, Doge Palace, gondola ride.
Lori A.
Verified Review
May 27, 2026
Excellent tour. Wonderful guide and gondolier. Would highly recommend.
Great the tour!
Debra Y.
Verified Review
May 26, 2026
This was the perfect tour for an introduction for important sights in Venice.
Great Tour!
Robert W.
Verified Review
May 26, 2026
We have a fun experience learning about Venice and the Doge Palace
Marco was superb.
Ed B.
Verified Review
May 25, 2026
Marco had an enjoyable, relaxed style of presenting the information. We were never in a rush and he didn’t rush through everything. Provided fantastic “backstory” information and pointed it out in the artwork as we were looking at it. Lived his type of presentation.
Peri
Peri A.
Verified Review
May 25, 2026
Rita, our tour guide, was excellent! Great experience learning about the history of Venice through the tour
Ariana said THE BEST :)
Salar S.
Verified Review
May 24, 2026
Had a wonderful tour with Ariana and The Tour Guy team. She was a great story teller with vast knowledge and passion for the city. Highly recommend this experience if it’s your first time is Venice.
Thank you Ariana and team 🙏
St Marks Basilica and Doge Palace half day tour with Gondola Ride
Scott M.
Verified Review
May 23, 2026
Group Tour Managed Well
christine J.
Verified Review
May 23, 2026
16 people on a tour in a crowded city can be difficult at times. Our guide paced the tour well and took care of the needs of the group as well as handled the numerous historical questions with ease. We hit the highlights and had time for a coffee stop. The instructions for where to meet were very clear and the team was well organized once we checked in. Would recommend.
St Mark's Basilica/Doge's Palace/Gondola Ride
Ryan C.
Verified Review
May 23, 2026
Great tour of the highlights of Venice. The Gondola ride in particular offers great value for money and was a wonderful experience. The guide was knowledgeable, professional and friendly throughout.
St. Mark’s Basilica & Doge’s Palace Half-Day Tour with
Carl F.
Verified Review
May 23, 2026
Learned so much!
Kim P.
Verified Review
May 21, 2026
We had a great tour guide who shared so much and we learned things about Venice, the culture and history of Doge’s palace we would not have on our own
Amazing Historical Tour and Phillipe was a 10!
Traci P.
Verified Review
May 20, 2026
Such an informative tour with little fun facts from Phillipe. I will always book these historical tours with The Tour Guy! Small group, excellent guide, interesting facts and "did deep info".
Carmine C.
Verified Review
May 19, 2026
Must Do Tour of Venice
Mark H.
Verified Review
May 17, 2026
This tour was incredible from start to finish! We found Tour Guy through YouTube, and it exceeded every expectation. Walking through the Doge’s Palace was breathtaking—the history, grandeur, and intricate details are not to be missed. St. Mark’s Basilica was equally stunning, especially the interior, which is an absolute must-see. Even the gondola ride was a highlight, and we enjoyed it despite the rainy weather.
Phillipo, our guide, was exceptional. His deep knowledge, sense of humor, and professionalism made the tour engaging and easy to follow for everyone. He shared fascinating insights with clarity and passion, all while navigating the weather and making sure we stayed as comfortable as possible.
We are so grateful to Phillipo for an unforgettable, detailed tour that we will cherish forever. If you have the chance to take a tour with him, don’t hesitate—this is one of the best ways to experience Venice!
Fantastic tour!
Marie-Therese W.
Verified Review
May 17, 2026
Great way to see these two sites and learn so much about the history of Venice.
Great experience & Tour Guide
Tiffany B.
Verified Review
May 16, 2026
Loved everything about this tour! Giuliano was so knowledgeable and so fun. The tour does have a lot of steps in the palace. Beware, because we watch a lot of people not be able to finish the tour because of their mobility issues. We highly recommend the floor.
Christopher M.
Verified Review
May 16, 2026
Wonderful trip
Paul G.
Verified Review
May 16, 2026
Marco our tour guide was excellent
Informative knowledgeable and great sense of humour
Efficient and informative
Philip A.
Verified Review
May 15, 2026
Priority entrance helped us maximize our experience in the shortest possible time. Our Guide was well informed and had a sense of humor. On a dreary rainy day, it was well that we could spend our time touring instead of standing in line partially getting rained upon.
St'Mark's Basilica Tour
Carlos A.
Verified Review
May 15, 2026
The tour was great! There was a lot of good information throughout the entire experience, and the tour guide was fantastic. Very knowledgeable, engaging, and made the tour enjoyable from start to finish. Highly recommend!
A great tour!
Stacey M.
Verified Review
May 13, 2026
Roberta was a great tour guide! She is so personable and knowledgeable in the history of Venice. We enjoyed the tour!
Odile M.
Verified Review
May 12, 2026
Wonderful tour. Felipo was amazing. Great sense of humor, which made it fun too.
Our tour guide was THE BEST!!!
Lisa M.
Verified Review
May 12, 2026
The tour was well organized. We were provided excellent information. Our tour guide was the best ‘Filippo.!!! ‘ knowledgeable kind well organized
Outstanding, Promoted Learning
Charles K.
Verified Review
May 11, 2026
I learned so much history and how it influenced and helped to form the US goverment..... this history should be part of American history the concepts that formed the development of the US was not a new concept....
Great Tour! The tour guide was very knowledgeable and proud of Venetian culture!
Cheryl T.
Verified Review
May 11, 2026
Great tour and tour guide! The tour was very informative of the history of Venice and it's culture! The Basilica had lots of artwork on the walls and ceilings that was explained by the tour guide! She got an approval applause after the tour before she left us to go on the gondola ride! She was so good at her job! you can tell she was very passionate and loved her job!
