If you’re in Venice for a short stay and want to hit the essentials without spending your morning in ticket lines, book this tour. You'll enter St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace with timed entry for a fascinating guided tour, walk along hidden canals, see the Rialto Bridge, then unwind on a 30-minute shared gondola ride. With time for lunch built in, it’s a clean, complete plan.
Experience the Venice you imagined
Expert, English-speaking guide
Tickets and tour of St. Mark’s Basilica
Tickets and tour of Doge’s Palace
Venice walking tour
30-minute shared gondola ride
Guide tips
Lunch
Meet your guide at St. Mark's Square
Your day begins between the two columns on the lagoon side of St. Mark’s Square. As your guide sets the scene, you’ll learn how this city rose from muddy islands into a maritime empire, and what lies ahead for your full Venetian experience.
Enter St. Mark’s Basilica
Use your pre-reserved tickets to skip the ticket line and step into Venice’s landmark church. Study the gold mosaics and domes while your guide explains relic legends and the city’s rise through trade.
Walk Venice’s backstreets and see the Rialto Bridge
Follow your guide through Venice’s narrow calli, quiet bridges, and tucked-away courtyards that most visitors walk right past. Along the way, pause to see the Rialto Bridge.
Sightsee on a 30-minute shared gondola ride
Swap cobblestones for water as you board a shared gondola with others from your group. Drift through slender side canals, then float into the Grand Canal for the postcard views you came to Venice for.
Free Time for Lunch
After your gondola ride, take a break for lunch of your choosing. Your guide will point out nearby favorites for pizza, panini, or traditional cicchetti. Lunch isn’t included, but you'll have 60 to 90 minutes to eat before meeting back up with the group.
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!
Tue, 17 Feb 2026
...
...
4.95
393 Ratings
5
377
4
14
3
2
2
0
1
0
Jodie H.
Verified Review
February 06, 2026
Good tour, nice walk of the area
Jerry B.
Verified Review
January 07, 2026
Silvia was our guide, she was very informative and keep us moving to so we had time to see all she had planned.
She first took us to the Cathedral, where she gave us a great tour of it with plenty of history.
After that we went walking towards the Realto Bridge and along the way telling us about the area.
We then went for the Gondola ride, 5 people per gondola so it will not be private. It was good, taking on to the main canal and back.
The we had a time for quick lunch on our own.
And after lunch a tour of the Doge Palace
Overall a really good tour and time
Daniel S.
Verified Review
December 18, 2025
Perfect day in Venice
Erin W.
Verified Review
November 24, 2025
We booked this tour last minute, and I'm so glad we did as we learned so much about Venice than we would have just roaming around. Marco was very funny and informative- he managed to keep our two teenagers engaged the whole time.
Douglas P.
Verified Review
November 17, 2025
Excellent Tour
Joseph P.
Verified Review
November 14, 2025
Martina was our tour guide and provided a comprehensive history of Venice and took us to see all the main tourist sites and beauty of Venice. It was nice to also get a gondola ride included. Recomend this tour.
David D.
Verified Review
November 07, 2025
James C.
Verified Review
November 07, 2025
Great tour!
William C.
Verified Review
October 28, 2025
This was a great way to spend our day in Venice. Our tour guide, Giuliano was funny and knowledgeable. The gondola ride was lots of fun and the museum & cathedral were amazing. We had a great time!
Great
Isuri V.
Verified Review
October 26, 2025
Great and informative. The Tour Guide was a bit hard to find, and the entire tour got a bit tiring, but we still saw a lot of incredible architecture and churches. The best part is the Gondola ride.
Kathy M.
Verified Review
October 23, 2025
Marco with The Tour Guy is Awesome!
William H.
Verified Review
October 23, 2025
We have now used The Tour Guy several times on our trip and absolutely love the way their folks do a great job explaining the little details of these beautiful sites. Marco was tremendous and his dry humor was hilarious! Thanks so much for a wonderful tour ♥️
John C.
Verified Review
October 18, 2025
Nicole S.
Verified Review
October 16, 2025
Annita C.
Verified Review
October 16, 2025
beverly N.
Verified Review
October 16, 2025
Nancy M.
Verified Review
October 15, 2025
Murray S.
Verified Review
October 12, 2025
Lovely Day with Key Sites
Eileen W.
Verified Review
October 11, 2025
Saw the amazing basilica, had gondola ride, and toured inside the Doge palace. Well organized and good guide. Would recommend.
Peter M.
Verified Review
October 08, 2025
Very informative and interesting tour!
Angela H.
Verified Review
October 08, 2025
We really enjoyed Marco! He was funny and a very knowledgeable and seasoned guide. We learned information that we would have never picked up on our own. The gondola ride was lovely, peaceful and delightful. Would highly recommend this tour.
Wonderful Experience.
Michael P.
Verified Review
October 07, 2025
Our tour with Giovanna was great. From our introduction throughout the day, we had a great time, our questions were answered passionately and we had so many surprise facts from someone who had so much personal history with Venice. The tour was very personal and we even saw her at the train station as we were departing the next day, she ran up to us to wish us safe travels!
Marco was an excellent tour guide
John F.
Verified Review
October 02, 2025
Marco was our tour guide around Venice and he was our favorite tour guide ever! So knowledgeable and funny. Learned a ton.
Such history…
Karen B.
Verified Review
October 01, 2025
Thoroughly enjoyed this tour. Our guide Paola was very knowledgeable about Venice’s history and had answers for all the questions asked. The gondola ride was fun. Enjoyed seeing Venice from a different perspective.
Great tour
Gary L.
Verified Review
September 28, 2025
Great guide. This tour highlights the must see items in Venice and the gondola ride was fun.
