St Mark's Basilica Tour: Explore Byzantine Art and Mosaics in the Heart of Venice
3.9
254 Ratings
Venezia
Immerse yourself in the beauty of St Mark's Basilica in Venice. Explore Byzantine art, marvel at the golden mosaics, and learn about the history and biblical scenes depicted in this majestic cathedral.
Duration: 1 hour
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Piazza San Marco - An official guide will provide you with a wealth of information regarding Saint Mark’s Square and then accompany you on a detailed tour of the Golden Basilica, once the private chapel of the Doge of Venice, the only one of its kind in Italy, thanks to the sumptuous golden mosaics and impressive marble inlay flooring.
  • Basilica di San Marco - During the tour you will be able to absorb the atmosphere whilst listening to your guide who will describe the biblical scenes represented throughout the building, together with history and particularities of this ancient Basilica.

Visit Saint Mark’s Basilica first floor museum and see the famous horses and admire Saint Mark’s Square from the Basilica’s terrace.

The tour lasts one hour and concludes outside the Basilica in Saint Mark’s Square.

What's Included
  • Personal audio system and headset for tour commentary
  • Access to Saint Mark’s Basilica museum and terrace
  • 1-hour guided walking tour of Saint Mark’s Square and Basilica
  • Local guide fluent in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish
  • Skip-the-line entry included
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Hotel pick up and drop off
  • Pala d’oro (€ 5,00)
Additional Information

Explore one of the globe’s most spectacular cathedrals, a remarkable example of Byzantine art nestled in the center of Venice.

An authorized guide will fill you in with a rich cache of knowledge about St Mark’s Square, followed by an in-depth exploration of the Golden Basilica. This monument, once the personal chapel of the Doge of Venice, is unique in Italy for its opulent golden mosaics and striking marble inlay floors. As you wander through, your guide will elucidate the biblical depictions scattered across the edifice and delve into the history and specifics of this venerable Basilica.

Take a trip to the museum on the first floor of Saint Mark’s Basilica, witness the renowned horses, and take in the bird’s-eye view of Saint Mark’s Square from the Basilica’s terrace.

The tour spans one hour, culminating outside the Basilica in Saint Mark’s Square.

  • Check-in is 15 minutes before the tour start time
  • Backpacks and large bags are not allowed inside the church
  • A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements
  • On very few occasions the Basilica may be closed due to high water, the tour will not be cancelled but the explanation of the Basilica will take place from the outside
  • On certain dates, most travelers staying outside of Venice who are planning to visit for the day will be required to pay a €5 access fee. For further details (including exemptions) and to learn what days this fee is applicable, please visit: https://cda.ve.it
Location
TU.RI.VE. Meeting Point
Calle larga de l'Ascension
15 min before in Calle larga de l’Ascension - 30124 next to the post office San Marco (opposite side of the Saint Marks Basilica). Look for the yellow sign "Meeting point" on the wooden kiosk and the Turive assistant.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
3.9
(254 Ratings)
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Sharon_r
May 30, 2024
Amazing place - Amazing trip. Meeting point worked as planned and guide was lovely and very informative. Bit of crackle on audio but with the amount of different audio's transmitting I'm not really surprised. We as a party of 8 were joined into a bigger party but not too big that you didn't feel really part of a small group.
Review provided by Viator
Spsigman
May 28, 2024
Visit St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice—wonderful tour - Excellent tour of St Mark’s Cathedral in Venice. Loved our tour guide. She was informative and interesting!! Highly recommend this skip the line tour!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jeffrey_p
May 26, 2024
Excellent tour. Beautiful basilica - Guide was very knowledgeable. Beautiful basilica. Loved Mark’s Square and hearing all the details of the area and the history.
Review provided by Viator
Levon_a
May 25, 2024
Saint Mark’s Basilica is... - Saint Mark’s Basilica is even more outstanding from inside than from outside. It has a spirit of miracle inherently built in its entire atmosphere and construction.
Review provided by Viator
Julia_h
Jun 6, 2024
Love walking right by the line - Best part was just getting to skip the line. A little boring but had some good info. The inside is magnificent and like nowhere else in the world.
Review provided by Viator
Lisa_c
Jun 5, 2024
St. Marks - Enjoyed our tour! Had a bit of trouble trying to find guide. They should be hold a sign! Guide was knowledgeable and friendly!
Review provided by Viator
Angie_n
Jun 7, 2024
So so - I was given am entrance ticket for the previous day rather than a ticket for the correct day. I was turned away. while the tour continued I had to go all tje way back to the meeting point and get the right ticket. Our guide did not seem to appreciate questions. Tour guides need to be better prepared for people with wheel chairs and walkers
Review provided by Viator
Ronaldc0856
May 27, 2024
Interesting - Our guide was fairly decent (most likely a former teacher), knew a lot. Loads of people, large group. Be prepared for many steep narrow steps. MEN NO SHORTS PLEASE, unless they touch bottom of knee!! Held us up.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sundeep_g
May 26, 2024
Tour company never got our reservation - They lost our reservation, we are ended up paying out of pocket at the site and never got compensated for the money we paid to Viator.
Review provided by Viator
Ariane_b
May 24, 2024
Having used a different... - Having used a different company to do the “skip the line” Doges Palace tour which was excellent we signed up to this tour. Unfortunately the link on the ticket for directions took us to the head office of the tour guide in Calle Larga San Marco NOT to the meeting point. I have no idea why and 2 days later it had been corrected. The lady in the office gave us directions to the actual meeting point but by then we had missed the tour. Obviously I can’t manufacture a link to an office if a company I don’t know so it def wasn’t our error but it meant we wasted our money. I would recommend Venice Tours instead. Their meeting point is at their office so nothing can go wrong.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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