Doge's Palace & St. Mark's Basilica Guided Tour with Gondola Ride

St. Mark's Basilica Tour

Walk your way to the entrance of the Cathedral, and skip the line at the entrance to the cathedral. Inside this Golden Basilica, the guide with explains to you the famous fact about the incredible golden mosaics and the masterpieces of Byzantine art which you’ll be awed by! Byzantine arts are a unique artwork in Italy and mosaics are found in the church’s atrium, you’ll have the pleasure to savour beautiful gold mosaics and marble inlays of the floors, while the guide will show you the represented biblical scenes from the Old Testaments, the history and the particularities of this ancient basilica.

The guide will also point out a treasury view which is a splendour of religious art collections over the centuries, where you’ll admire the altarpiece of Pala d’Oro an exquisite example of Byzantine art with its thousands of gems and precious stones.

Doge's Palace Guided Tour

Once you are inside the Doge's Palace you'll be introduced to the features of the palace and the history of the Republic of Venice. In the grand rooms, you’ll see hundreds of artistic masterpieces and as you explore the hallways, you’ll see the magnificent golden staircase with Byzantine and Oriental architecture masterpieces collided on the walls. The guide will escort you and point out some of the most famous works of Tintoretto, Veronese, and other important artists’ artwork for you to admire.

Next, you’ll have access to the armoury which contains a vast collection of armaments and weapons from different periods. Then, you’ll discover the legendary Bridge of Sighs which is connected to the prison from the Doges Palace. Finally, feel the anguish of the prisoners, who after crossing the bridge entered into the darkness as you'll cross the Bridge of Sighs, peeking out at the crowds below for the last time just like the prisoners in the 18th century.

45 Minutes Gondola Ride

Start your Gondola Ride by boarding from the gondola station Bacino Orseolo, located behind Piazza San Marco. Be lulled by the gentle sway of the lagoon as you move deeper into the minor canals, and coast past lesser-known areas to see quaint corners and majestic palaces from a new perspective. The tour continues until it reaches the Grand Canal by travelling along the smaller, more picturesque canals, such as Rio dei Barcaroli, where Mozart's home is, and Rio dell'Ovo.

From there, on the right you will see the magnificence of the Rialto Bridge, which is the oldest bridge across the canal and is regarded as a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture and engineering. On the left, you will see important buildings such as Ca' Farsetti, the seat of the city hall, and Palazzo Grimani, the largest building with a view of the Grand Canal and the seat of the Court of Appeal.

The tour continues to Rio San Luca where you can see Ponte del Teatro, the bridge between the façade of the church of San Luca and that of the Rossini cinema, and Ponte di San Paternian, the bridge connects Campo Manin to Calle San Paternian. There you will see Palazzo Manin, the residence of the last Doge of Venice Ludovico Manin, which is now the Bank of Italy's headquarters.

This 45 minutes gondola tour will end again at the same boarding point, it’ll be a hassle-free and not overwhelming tour to discover this enchanted city with our Gondola tour.

Meet your guide in front of the Colonna di San Marco in Piazzetta S. Marco, 30124 Venezia.

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Please be present at all meeting points 15 minutes before departure time in order to avoid any delay