Guided tour

Venice: St. Mark’s Basilica & Doge's Palace Evening Tour

Activity provider: Walks of Italy
Guided tour

Venice: St. Mark’s Basilica & Doge's Palace Evening Tour

Activity provider: Walks of Italy

From US$ 149.03 per person

Explore St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge's Palaces in Venice on a 3-hour evening live guided tour. Discover hidden prisons, hear stories, and marvel at the gilt decorations of the Byzantine basilica.

About this activity

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Covid-19 precautions
Special health and safety measures are in place. Check your activity voucher once you book for full details.
Duration 3 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Skip the ticket line
Live tour guide
English

Experience

Itinerary
3 hours
  • Piazza San Marco

  • Doge's Palace

  • Chamber of the Great Council

  • Bridge of Sighs

  • New Prisons, Doge's Palace

  • Saint Mark's Basilica

  • Pala d'Oro

  • Piazza San Marco

Meeting point
Main stop
Highlights
  • Access St. Mark's Basilica after hours
  • See the lavish apartments and meeting halls of the Doge's Palace
  • Look at the Pala d’Oro altarpiece without the crowds
  • Hear stories about the dukes of the Venetian Empire
  • Walk across the Bridge of Sighs from the inside
Full description

Escape the crowds on a late afternoon guided tour of St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace, and discover 2 of the icons of Venice away from the crowds. Meet at the Correr Museum (Museo Correr) in St. Mark's square, under the portico just outside the entrance of the museum. Then, enter the Doge's Palace to learn more about the center of power during the Venetian Republic.

See the sumptuous apartments of the Venetian rulers, as well as the Hall of the Great Council with its stunning frescoes by Veronese and Tintoretto. Hear secret stories behind the art, such as why one doge in the painted series is covered by a black veil. Learn how the were dukes were elected, and what they did. Explore the massive armory and spooky prisons.

Cross the Bridge of Sighs on the inside, and hear why it is not quite as romantic as you might have thought! After a short break, continue to the Byzantine basilica of St. Mark's, and see its gilt decorations after the crowds have left for the day. A custodian of the cathedral will unlock its doors so that you can experience like only a doge could. Marvel at the gemstones of the Pala d’Oro altarpiece. Visit the crypt, where the bones of St. Mark are said to be kept. Admire mosaics in the soft glimmer of the evening light, and learn about Venetian art and history from your passionate guide.

Includes
  • Entry to St. Mark’s Basilica after closing
  • Entry to the Doge’s Palace
  • Live guide
  • Tour
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

Meet just outside the entrance of the Correr Museum on St. Mark's Square located on the opposite side of the Basilica. You will find the Correr Museum entrance underneath the portico. Your guide will be holding a sign that says "Walks."

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Important information

What to bring

  • Comfortable shoes

Not allowed

  • Luggage or large bags

Know before you go

  • Please remember that St. Mark's Basilica is a holy place and you must wear suitable clothes. Both men and women are asked to keep their shoulders and knees covered. Your tour operator cannot be held responsible for denied entry due to improper dress
  • The prisons and armory at the Doge's Palace are not wheelchair-accessible
  • This tour runs rain or shine. However, occasionally St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace are closed to the public without previous notice, due to high tides or particular festivities
  • There may be a break of up to 2 hours between your Doge’s Palace tour and your after hour visit due to changing closing times at Doge’s. In this case, your guide will provide bar/restaurant recommendations
  • This is a small group tour of 25 people or fewer
Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.8 /5

based on 138 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    4.9/5
  • Value for money
    4.6/5
  • Service
    4.9/5
  • Organization
    5/5

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Star rating:

This tour was worth.every.penny! Our guide was amazing and she had so much knowledge. I loved all of the information she shared and the at night illuminated St. Mark’s was so special it moved me to tears. What a beautiful experience and we enjoyed so much detail about Venice in viewing St. Mark’s.

October 11, 2022

This is the only way to visit the Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s Basilica. It was SO private…and so special at night. Our Venetian guide, Elena, was truly captivating as she shared her in-depth knowledge of the history of both places. It was great to have an hour between venues to grab a quick meal and a wine whilst soaking in the atmosphere and ambience of Sant Marco’s Square by night. If you want to avoid the crowds and have time to really take it all in, the extra money for this tour is totally worth it. It will be a highlight from our trip. Highly recommend. Thank you, Elena.

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September 26, 2022

We did the evening tour which allowed us to visit without the crowds. Definitely one of the best tours overall. Monica was able to communicate her passion of art history with us and she spoke English fluently. The tour began at 6PM with the visit of the Doge's palace. Following this visit, we were given a much needed hour dinner break before continuing the tour of the second half, the cathedral. We entered the cathedral in the dark and slowly the lights were turned on to a most spectacular look of the cathedral. During the break, we ate in the square where the cathedral and Doge palace are located. Overall well worth spending the extra euros for the evening tour!!

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September 23, 2022

Product ID: 53678