St. Mark's Basilica: Exclusive Night Tour Revealing the Majestic Church of Gold
4.5
16 Ratings
Venezia
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • It is the city’s main public square and contains its most famous buildings such as St Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace.
  • On our night tour of St. Mark’s, you’ll meet your guide in beautiful St. Mark’s Square, for centuries the spiritual and political centre of Venice - the Doge’s palace also stands silent watch over the piazza. To start our tour, your guide will explain the significance of the square to the history and geography of the city - for good reason Napoleon described the Piazza as the ‘drawing room of Europe,’ and the elegant cafes that line the square, including Caffe Quadri and famous Caffe Florian, have lost none of their old-world charm.

During our time in the piazza we’ll learn about some of the other highlights on show here, including the stunning Torre dell’Orologio - a Renaissance clock tower decorated with fabulous sculptures, as well as St. Mark’s Campanile, the soaring 12th-century brick bell tower that is still the tallest building in Venice.

What's Included
  • Exclusive night entrance to St. Mark’s Basilica
  • Headsets (for groups of 6 or more)
  • Expert, English-Speaking Guide
  • All fees and/or taxes
What's Not Included
  • Transportation to and from the meeting and end points
  • Food and beverages
  • Gratuities (optional)
Additional Information

From the public square, we’ll utilize a unique entrance to the basilica that’s solely designated for those participating in the exclusive night tour of St. Mark’s. Needless to say, queues won’t be a part of our experience. Since we’ll be visiting post-operational hours, initially the sanctuary will be covered in darkness. However, as the lights are gradually turned on, the grandeur of St. Mark’s Basilica will become evident in its full splendor. The basilica’s shimmering mosaics cover an extensive area of more than 4,000 square meters, and this staggering golden spectacle justifiably earned St. Mark’s the alias of the Church of Gold.

During our excursion, your knowledgeable guide will introduce you to the intricate symbolism of these mosaics, provide insights into their creation, and discuss the significant impact they had on medieval art history. The discussion will span from the earliest mosaics, produced in the 11th-century, to the pinnacle of medieval craftsmanship in the 1200s, and even include designs conceived by Renaissance and Mannerist maestros such as Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese.

  • 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.
  • As this is a walking tour through various areas of the city centre, comfortable walking shoes and a bottle of water are strongly recommended.
  • Please ensure you arrive 10 minutes early and at the right meeting point as we cannot wait for late arrivals.
  • Please advise during the booking process if any travelers have mobility concerns so that we can best accommodate you.
  • Availability of timed entrances to St. Mark’s Basilica is limited and tour start time may vary between 7:00pm and 9:30pm. We recommend flexibility when booking this tour as the start time may change.
  • 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
Museo Correr
Piazza San Marco
You will meet your guide in front of the Correr Museum located at the west end of the Piazza di San Marco.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.5
(16 Ratings)
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Arthur_w
Jun 18, 2024
Amazing and unique experience! - Amazing and unique experience! Book early! Great way to see the church in a crowded and in a quiet way.
Review provided by Viator
Tnfowler
Jun 1, 2024
Venice- St Marks Square - Saint Marks Square and the Basilica were just amazing. Basilica is a historical beauty and the square has a lot to offer. We sat at a table and had wine and light snacks and people watched. So relaxing especially with the music. If you go out of the square into the side streets there is wonderful little restaurants and pubs with great food.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Piersy2020
Oct 2, 2023
the only way to go! - this is the best way to see st marks. no crowds, quiet, light show, great guide (emanuel). fantastic access the only way to go!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stephen_w
Sep 13, 2023
Worthwhile - Beautiful at night and our tour guide was knowledgeable and passionate about the history of the Basilica She was very knowledgeable
Review provided by Viator
Sheryl_b
Aug 22, 2023
Must see in Venice - Place was amazing and got to spend time at each part of it. Guide was very knowledgeable about history and was able to answer all questions
Review provided by Viator
Tonia
Aug 17, 2023
Incredible evening tour of St Marks Basilica - Our tour guide Beatrice was incredible. She was friendly and took the time to make sure our questions were answered before we moved to the next item. Her commentary was engaging and you could tell she was truly passionate about the subject. My nephews and I were very pleased with the tour and how excited she was to share her experience and knowledge with us. I’ve been to Venice before but this was my first evening tour of St Marks. I highly recommend this tour as it is after hours, has limited guests and is much more personal.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
F7107almelaniek
May 18, 2024
St. Mark's after hours - Our guide Hazel was extremely knowledgeable. We received a tour of St Mark's basilica with access to beautiful artwork and artifacts which I'm sure is not available during daytime hours. Hazel did an amazing job of calling our attention to certain features and explaining the chronology of various styles and placing them in historical context. The only reason I'm not giving this tour a 5 is that the description and length of time seemed to change between the time I booked it and the time we went. I seem to remember catacombs being included when we booked and that the tour would be 2 hours or perhaps longer. We did not see catacombs and the tour was 1.5 hours. We were exhausted anyway so we didn't mind. Not sure what happened with the catacombs. It would be nice to notify customers beforehand if you're going to change the itinerary.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Irene_c
Oct 3, 2023
Lack of crowds.... - Lack of crowds. Personal attention to details by the guide. Limited number of people in the group. Con: did not bring his laser pointer.
Review provided by Viator
Roxanne_r
Aug 14, 2023
Great Guide - Gabriella, our tour guide, was absolutely amazing! She was so knowledgeable and friendly - her passion for the subject was evident and it made the entire experience enjoyable. The only downside was that the headset provided by the tour company was full of static, making it difficult for us to hear her. Luckily, we were a small group so we all decided to ditch the head sets and Gabriella just projected her a voice so we could all hear. Thank you Gabriella for sharing your city's rich history with us!
Review provided by Viator
Theresa_n
Sep 19, 2023
Boring - Im sorry to say we found this tour a bit boring, it was an audio tour and our guide was very monotone. The inside of the Basilica was beautiful inside, but I wish we had just wandered around ourselves
Review provided by Viator
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1 Adult
July 2024
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