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Venice Culture & history

Our most recommended Venice Culture & history

Venice: Doge's Palace Reserved Entry Ticket

1. Venice: Doge's Palace Reserved Entry Ticket

Skip the ticket line to Doge's Palace in Venice, a historic landmark that served as the seat of Venetian political power for centuries, with this reserved entry ticket. Admire its Gothic architecture. Also get entry to the Museo Correr, National Archeological Museum, and Marciana Library. Enter the Doge's Palace to explore the seat of a 1000-year republic and travel back in time to the Middle Ages. Relive the anguish of the prisoners as they crossed the Bridge of Sighs. Admire the palace's impressive structure and ornamentation, from its 14th and 15th-century original foundations to the significant Renaissance and opulent Mannerist adjunctions. Marvel at the rich details of the magnificent gold staircase and spectacular works of art. Also, enjoy entry to the Museo Correr on St. Mark's Square, a building that was originally designed as a residence for Napoleon, and later became the Venetian residence of the King of Italy.

Doge's Palace & St. Mark's Basilica with Terrace Access Tour

2. Doge's Palace & St. Mark's Basilica with Terrace Access Tour

Delve deep into Venice’s history with a 3-hour guided tour of St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge's Palace, either as a private tour or shared group experience. Take in two of the city’s most important landmarks while discovering the history of the one-time mercantile capital of the Mediterranean.  Start by exploring St. Mark's Square with your guide before heading into the cathedral. From the first-floor terrace you’ll be able to admire views across the lagoon and see the famous bronze horses up close. Hear how they traveled all the way to Paris and back in Napoleon’s time. St. Mark's Basilica sometimes closes to visitors without warning. If this happens, visit the Church of San Zaccaria or the Correr Museum instead, depending on availability. Take a tour of the beautifully ornate 15th-century church and its flooded crypt or learn about the art and history of Venice. Next, you’ll use the priority entrance to reach Doge's Palace, formerly the residence of the leader of the Republic of Venice. Enjoy visiting the Chamber of the Great Council and courtrooms among other things. Highlights include frescoes by Tintoretto and the Giants’ Staircase.  After this, cross the infamous Bridge of Sighs that links to the New Prisons. Learn how the bridge got its name and the purpose for its construction in the 17th century as you take in the amazing views of the canals. At the end of your tour, feel free to stay and explore the Doge’s Palace with tips from your guide.

Venice: St. Mark's Basilica Fast-Track Entry and Audio Guide

3. Venice: St. Mark's Basilica Fast-Track Entry and Audio Guide

Save time during your visit to Venice with a skip-the-line ticket to the popular St. Mark’s Basilica. Admire the hundreds of golden mosaics in the Basilica and learn details about the byzantine art inside with your audio guide. Download your audio guide to your mobile device and head to St. Mark’s Basilica to begin your tour. Breeze past the long lines and put in your headphones. Explore the five-domes and an array of artworks. Hear legends and stories surrounding this church which has stood for almost a 1,000 years.  Witness the dazzling effect of the 43,000 square feet of mosaics in the church. Take in the stunning marble inlay work on the floors. Soak up the atmosphere in the building that dominates St. Mark’s Square. 

Venice: Highlights Tour, St. Mark's Basilica & Doge's Palace

4. Venice: Highlights Tour, St. Mark's Basilica & Doge's Palace

Experience the best of Venice on a small group guided tour that visits two of the city's most iconic landmarks, the Basilica of St. Mark and the Doge's Palace. Skip the long queues with pre-reserved tickets included and enjoy the splendor of these Venetian treasures at your own pace. Start your tour at St. Mark's Square. Admire the Clock Tower and Marble Lions before entering the Basilica with your guide. Marvel at the golden mosaics and opulent design, and learn how it is a symbol of Venetian power and wealth. Next, explore the Doge's Palace, a Gothic masterpiece that was once the seat of the Venetian government. Learn about the life of the ruling Venetian Doges and the 14th-century sculptors who worked on the palace.  Enjoy stunning views across the lagoon as you stroll through this world-famous landmark. Learn about the extraordinary story of Casanova and the significance of the Bridge of Sighs, as well as the Old and New Prisons. Once your tour concludes, continue your exploration of Venetian history and culture with your included entry to the Correr Museum, National Archeological Museum, and Biblioteca Marciana.

Venice Doge's Palace & St Mark's Basilica Skip-the-Line Tour

5. Venice Doge's Palace & St Mark's Basilica Skip-the-Line Tour

Set off on a guided walking tour of St. Mark’s Square, the Doge's Palace, and St Mark's Basilica with skip-the-line entry. Meet your guide at St. Mark’s Square and head for Doge's Palace, the extraordinary palace that served as the seat of Venetian political power for centuries. Enter the splendid rooms, with hundreds of painted masterpieces. Explore where the Duke and his Council controlled the fate of a 1,000-year republic and admire the details of the medieval gold staircase. See the famous Bridge of Sighs. Enter the notorious Venetian prison that held Giacomo Casanova. Visit St Mark’s Basilica and enjoy a guided tour of this Byzantine masterpiece, with its beautiful gold mosaics and marble floor inlays. See the treasure and the terrace of the Basilica of St.Mark's

Venice: St Mark's Basilica Tour with Skip-the-Line Ticket

6. Venice: St Mark's Basilica Tour with Skip-the-Line Ticket

Take a fascinating guided tour through the Golden Basilica of Saint Mark, with its famous golden mosaics. Skip the line and enter the majestic church with an expert guide who will narrate the history of this byzantine artwork and its meaning. You will be stunned in front of the five domes decorated by renowned artists. Discover the Saint Mark Treasury, a magnificent collection of relics and precious items collected along the centuries. Also, from the terraces, enjoy the view of St. Mark's Square, the heart of Venice, and the quadriga of St. Mark. Then, use the mobile app to discover the 5 districts of Venice with their best attractions and squares. Listen to the audio narration of the city’s highlights, with more than 120 points of interest including the glorious La Fenice Theater, Rialto Bridge, the Jewish Ghetto, the Arsenale, the majestic Accademia Bridge, and much more.

Venice: Doge’s Palace Skip-The-Line Live Guided Tour

7. Venice: Doge’s Palace Skip-The-Line Live Guided Tour

Visit Doge's Palace with an expert guide and tour its extraordinary rooms. Together with your expert guide, you will be escorted inside the palace where you can admire artistic masterpieces created by the most famous painters and sculptors of that time. Tiepolo and Tiziano make up only a few of the many artists that decorated this palace. Be stunned in front of the golden staircases, the entrance of the rooms of the Doges, and the halls of power from where you can see the “Last Judgment” by Tintoretto, one of the greatest and largest paintings in the world. Visit the Old Royal Palace in St. Marks Square. Here you will discover the Venice lifestyle in the past; the rooms of Sissi (Empress of Austria) and the archaeological museum.

Venice: Four Seasons Concert Ticket at Vivaldi Church

8. Venice: Four Seasons Concert Ticket at Vivaldi Church

Delight your ears with a performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons by the "I Virtuosi Italiani" ensemble in the church of Santa Maria della Visitazione in Venice. Experience the emotion of listening to Vivaldi's music in the places where it was composed. it's sound, it's musical notes, it's the art of a great Baroque composer, but above all it's the energy of this place, Vivaldi's Church. It was here that Antonio Vivaldi spent forty years of his life and composed his magnificent works.  Enjoy inspired performances of the Four Seasons where in the music you can sense the reaping of the wheat, the grape harvest, the summer storms, the snow falling in winter, the warm fall colors, and the bright blossoming of flowers in springtime. Watch talented musicians play in the church where masters like Francesco Gasparini and Antonio Vivaldi trained the Daughters of the Choro to become virtuoso musicians that were renowned for their art all over Europe.

Venice: St. Mark’s Basilica with Terrace & Doge’s Palace

9. Venice: St. Mark’s Basilica with Terrace & Doge’s Palace

Combine the top two sights in Venice on one extraordinary tour led by a local guide. With pre-reserved tickets and skip-the-line access, head straight into St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace for a guided experience. Select the 8 AM tour to enjoy exclusive early entry to the Doge's Palace and have the door opened exclusively for your group an hour before the general public arrives. First, step inside Venice's most important church—St. Mark's Basilica—and gain a full appreciation for its east-meets-west architecture and breathtaking gold mosaics. In the company of a local guide, get up close with some of the basilica’s greatest treasures, such as the millennia-old Quadriga of four gold horses. Have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to admire beautiful views from the balcony over St. Mark's Square. At every step of the way, you’ll hear the fascinating story of how most of the basilica's prized possessions ended up here by less-than-honest means. The second stop on your itinerary is no less beautiful. The Palazzo Ducale, or Doge's Palace, was home to the doge, or duke, of Venice and his seat of government. Skip the long line with pre-reserved tickets and walk straight inside to explore huge council chambers, incredible audience rooms, and a stunning ballroom with larger-than-life works by renowned Venetian masters such as Veronese and Tintoretto. Hear the intriguing history of this building that housed the world's oldest republic—as well as its fascinating government and even an incarcerated Casanova. To finish your morning of discovery, walk in the footsteps of many a less-fortunate Venetian from centuries past. Head over the Bridge of Sighs from the inside and into the grim New Prisons—a stark yet fascinating contrast to the opulent halls and galleries that lie within the palace just across the narrow canal.

From Venice: Murano & Burano Islands Boat Tour

10. From Venice: Murano & Burano Islands Boat Tour

Escape the crowds of central Venice and catch a glimpse of what life in the city used to be like, as an island of artisans famous for their traditional craft skills, passed down from generation to generation. Your guide will keep you entertained on the short boat ride to the small island of Murano, famous for its glass making traditions. Find out the facinating story of Murano glassblowers and how their skills were so valued they were banned from leaving Venice on the threat of execution. Watch a craftsman in action and listen to a description of the process in English. Learn how silica sand becomes glass, and how the glass is given color. Afterwards, there will be time to browse the huge collection of glass art, and wander the island on your own. Cruise to the tiny island of Burano to see the brightly-painted houses huddled tightly together along streets and canals. Uncover Burano’s centuries-old lacemaking tradition as you visit a building where women still partake in this tradition of stitching lace. Your guide will explain the process of this dying art. Then, you can follow in the footsteps of Michelangelo and pick out your own keepsake. Or, wander the winding streets, sampling delicious cookies at local bakeries. Unlike other tours, this excursion intentionally omits Torcello to provide you with more time on Murano and Burano, and with less time on the boat or trekking inland.

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What people are saying about Venice

Overall rating

4.3 / 5

based on 15,659 reviews

Had to queue for two hours outside and too crowded inside.

Sadly our general admission ticket was for a Sunday but this was the only opportunity to attend. I have always wanted to visit Versailles but the two hour queue up meandering up and down the pavement in the hot sun was very unpleasant and by the time we entered I had lost interest. Once inside the queues continued and people were squashed against each other, and with the very warm conditions made it even more unpleasant. Too crowded, too hot and not the 'wow' factor palace that I had read so much about. Some of the palace was not even accessible, even more disappointing. There were a few moments of enjoyment, but only a few. I appreciate that it's a very popular tourist attraction and it's the summer season for tourism but I won't return.

Great tour! Seeing more of Venice rather than just the usual - the glass making part seemed more like a one stop to make money in the gift shop but Murano was beautiful and Torcello was delightful, such stunning places filled with life and character

Great experience, my guide Francesca was very informative and helpful and you could tell she had a real appreciation and love for the city and the things she was showing us, very worth it

This was a very nice concert, excellent musicians, combined with great sound within st Vidal church. A must do we can only recommend if you are in Venise !

Must do! Our guide was fantastic. She made the tour fun and easy to understand !