St. Mark's Basilica (Basilica di San Marco)

Mon - Sat 9:45am-5:00pm, Sun and holidays 2pm-4:30pm

Piazza San Marco, Venice, 30124

The basics

Popular and perpetually busy, St. Mark’s Basilica is the most famous monument in Venice. You can reserve skip-the-line tickets in advance, or book an after-hours tour for private evening access. While the exterior is visited on just about every city sightseeing tour, a guided tour is the best way to experience the interior, given the complexity of its art and architecture.

The basilica anchors St. Mark’s Square, so you can easily combine a tour of the church with a gondola ride and a Doge’s Palace tour.

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Venice: St Mark's Basilica After-Hours Tour with Optional Doge's Palace

798 Reviews

US$ 106.67 per adult

Traveler Favorite

St. Mark's Basillca, Doges Palace, and Romy! Perfect Combination!

We took the after hours St. Mark's Basilica tour with the Doges Palace. Romy was our guide and we felt like we were touring with a college professor. Her knowledge of art, architecture, and history was amazing. Her information about the city of Venice provided a background that made it all make sense. Many of the things we saw were indescribable between their beauty and the the historical significance. We were so lucky to get to see things beyond what the general admission people see. It took our breath away.

Pamela_C, Jun 2023

Why you are seeing this

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Recent reviews from experiences in Venice

Wonderful Venice

Anonymous, Jun 2023

Venice In a Day: Basilica San Marco, Doges Palace & Gondola ride

The day started badly as we could not find the meeting point. So obscure even Italians did not recognise it. However another tour guide sorted things out and we had a great day.

Wonderful

Geoff_C, Jun 2023

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

Our guide Tiziona was fantastico. Very informative, interesting, and professional. She was very considerate and friendly

Good start to Venice

ncdevlin, May 2023

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

The guide was very thorough and clear. I felt like I had a good understanding of Venice's history. The group saw many highlights with interesting explanations as to their significance.

Great guide!

Jackie_A, Jun 2023

Welcome to Venice Small Group Tour: Basilica San Marco & Gondola Ride

Enjoyed it all. Favorite was tour of San Marco with our wonderful tour guide, Nicco! He was knowledgeable as well as very personable and quite funny. It was a good experience.

This basilica is...

Kaitlyn_G, Jun 2023

Golden Basilica of San Marco: SKIP the Line Ticket & Audio-Guide

This basilica is absolutely amazing and the tour guide was so knowledgeable. The location was easy to find using Google maps and the information provided

Chaos

Peter_E, Jun 2023

Doge's Palace and St Mark's Basilica Tour

The guide was excellent when we finally found her. Each time that we went to the meeting point as requested they denied any knowledge of our arrangement. I telephoned the office 3 times. eventually the original meeting point said that we were on the list, absolute chaos.We were not the only people that had experienced this problem. Very unprofessional

Worth the money if just for the skip the line part especially in busy months

Tim_W, Jun 2023

Venice In a Day: Basilica San Marco, Doges Palace & Gondola ride

We scheduled this tour for 8 people on a Sunday. The meeting point is very easy to find. Our guide was very knowledgeable of the area. You need to know you will be doing a ton of walking other than the gondola ride. Doges Palace has a lot of steps so be prepared. If you schedule your tour on a Sunday you may only get to go to the Basilica later in the tour and only for a short time. This tour is definitely worth the price especially for the skip the line aspect.

Knowledgeable and personable guide

Ray_O, Jun 2023

Best Of Venice: Saint Mark's Basilica, Doges Palace with Guide and Gondola Ride

Very personable and knowledgeable guide. Great gondola ride. Excellence value. Only negative was it was advertised as being for 5 hours but only took 3 and a half.

DETAILED PASSIONATE TOUR - RECOMMENDED!

michellesargood, Jun 2023

Doge's Palace and St Mark's Basilica Tour

Our guide was fantastic!!!! She kept us all together & informed with the greatest of ease. Her knowledge was impressive and delivered with an approachable manner that enabled us all to feel included & informed. The passion she showed absolutely made the tour & I seriously recommend you book this tour, you won’t regret it! Five stars *****

Good solid tour and guide

John_T, Jun 2023

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

Guide was great. Informative but also had a personality. Skipped the line worked well once it opened. Hit on all major areas. The only thing to note is it was 25 people. I don’t consider that a small group but it actually wasn’t bad. We did have to use headsets. I’d book this again.

A great experience

jmoswald17, May 2023

Venice: St.Mark's Basilica & Doge's Palace Tour with Tickets

Very informative and informational! We had a great time! She kept a wonderful pace and took family pictures for us!

Good Tour, poorly organized.

Edward_K, May 2023

Venice Skip the line St Mark's Basilica tour

Tour guide, Veronica, was excellent. The Basilica was beautiful. However, the admin was terrible. There were at least a half dozen other tour operators meeting at the same place and all coordinated by a single person/entity. We only found out by accident that we had to sign in at a kiosk and get tickets to the Basilica. Then we had to go to the "coordinator" and find out our guides number. Not at all like other Viator tours. I rate it high only because the tour guide and the tour were.very good.

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Things to know before you go

The church has been rebuilt, expanded, and delicately restored over the centuries.
Like most churches in Italy, St. Mark’s Basilica requires visitors to wear appropriate clothing—no exposed shoulders, knees, or midriffs.
Large bags are not permitted in the basilica. Deposit any luggage at Ateneo di San Basso (in Piazzetta dei Leoncini).
Both St. Mark's Basilica and the nearby Doge's Palace are wheelchair accessible.

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How to get there

The cathedral is on the eastern end of the Piazza San Marco, adjacent to the Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace) along the Grand Canal. The nearest vaporetto (ferry) stop is San Marco–San Zaccaria.

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From Ca’ Rezzonico to Ca’ Pesaro, Venice is stuffed full with top museums.

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From St. Mark's Basilica to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice has world-class cultural institutions.

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When to get there

The basilica is most crowded at midday, so aim for a morning or late-afternoon visit. Summer is the busiest time, while Venice is relatively quiet from November through February (aside from the Christmas and New Year holidays, and during Carnival).

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The Pala d’Oro

St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome is famous for Michelangelo's Pietà and Florence’s Duomo is known for Brunelleschi’s dome, but St. Mark’s Basilica’s greatest treasure—the stunning Pala d'Oro—is older than even those masterpieces. This glittering gold and enamel altarpiece from 976 AD is considered one of the most important, refined examples of Byzantine enamel in the world.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

What are the nearest attractions to St. Mark's Basilica (Basilica di San Marco)?

Attractions near St. Mark's Basilica (Basilica di San Marco):

What else should I know about attractions in Venice?

As well as visiting the St. Mark's Basilica (Basilica di San Marco), check out these trip ideas to make the most of your visit:

St. Mark's Basilica (Basilica di San Marco)

The basics

Recent reviews from experiences in Venice

Things to know before you go

How to get there

Trip ideas

Cicchetti in Venice: What They Are and Where to Try Them

6 Must-See Venice Neighborhoods and How to Visit

Visiting Venice for the First Time? Here's What to See and Do

6 Must-See Museums in Venice and How to Visit

Top 5 Spots for Culture Lovers in Venice

Top Parks and Gardens in Venice

A Spooky City Guide to Venice

Where to Find the Best Views in Venice

Things to Do in Venice with Kids

Venice Gondola Rides and Canal Tours

How to Spend 2 Days in Venice

How to Spend 3 Days in Venice

Things to Do in Venice This Winter

Skip the Line at the Doge's Palace

Venice Gondola Tours with a Serenade

When to get there

The Pala d’Oro

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