Doge's Palace & St. Mark's Basilica Tour and tickets

This four-hour tour covers Venice's religious and political centre in one sequence. The guide begins around St.

Mark's Square and takes you into the basilica, including the upper-level areas and terrace, and explains the story of its bronze horses. Priority access then leads into Doge's Palace, where the council chambers, decorated rooms and Giants' Staircase show how the republic governed, before the route crosses the Bridge of Sighs into the New Prisons.

Shared and private formats are offered, and reviewers praise guides who adapt pace and humour to the group. If the basilica closes unexpectedly, a substitute visit may be offered.