Guided Tours

Venice Half-Day Guided Tour with Gondola Ride

Name: Venice Half-Day Guided Tour with Gondola Ride
Start: 2026-05-26T09:30:00
End: 2026-05-26T12:30:00
Location: Venice

Tour guide explaining artwork to visitors inside Doge's Palace, Venice.

Interior view of St. Mark's Basilica with ornate golden mosaics and arches, Venice.

Tour group with guide outside Doge's Palace on Venice Full-Day Guided Tour.

Lady photographing Bridge of Sighs through ornate window grille in Venice.

Duration

3 hr

Open today

9:30am - 5:15pm

Free cancellation

Free cancellation up to 48 hours before the start of your experience

Book now, pay later

Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.

Guided tour

Immerse yourself in Venice with a half-day walking tour of secret locales, skip-the-line entry to 2 monuments, and a tranquil gondola ride.

Witness Venice's splendor on a half-day guided tour, covering key sights with an expert English-speaking guide.

With skip-the-line access, dive into learning about the golden grandeur of St. Mark's Basilica and the dark tales of Doge's Palace swiftly.

Savor the serenity of a 30-minute gondola ride through the city's enchanting canals, a quintessential Venetian experience.

Discover the city's hidden gems, from quiet backstreets to the bustling Rialto Market and the iconic Rialto Bridge, the oldest bridge across the Grand Canal.

Fun fact: A beautiful white limestone bridge passes over the Rio di Palazzo canal and connects the prison to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace, known as the Bridge of Sighs.

Half-day guided tour of Venice

Expert English or French-speaking guide

Guided tour of St. Mark’s Basilica with skip-the-line entry

Guided tour of Doge's Palace with skip-the-line entry

30-min gondola ride

You can cancel these tickets up to 48 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

16 reviews
How do we collect reviews?
These ratings include verified reviews from both Headout guests and our trusted partners who operate this experience locally. All reviews come from real travelers who've taken this experience.
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What our guests say
Alexis M
Family
Verified booking
Oct 2025
Our tour guide Natalia was AMAZING! So knowledgeable and nice. We were touring with our one year old who became a little fussy during the tour and she scooped her right up and was being so kind!
Alain D
Couple
Verified booking
Jun 2025
Very knowledgeable guide, jovial and experienced, magnificent historic site, full day, disappointed with the gondola tour, too many gondolas on the canal, extreme traffic and no narrative.
Renee T
Couple
Verified booking
5 days ago
Nicoline B
Couple
Verified booking
3 weeks ago
Cheryl T
Couple
Verified booking
Mar 2025
We had a ton of trouble finding the office to meet our guide. Google maps wasn't working well and we just kept going in circles around St Mark's Square. We asked military, regular police, and other shop owners for help but ended up finding the office 30 minutes after our tour departed for the Basilica. Thankfully, we were able to catch up to our party in the Basilica. For whatever reason, when going through the Doge Palace, those of us who were going on the gondola ride, had to leave the group and return on our own later to see the rest of the tour. The timing seemed to be too tight. The guide was great, but the timing was just off for the whole day. When we went on the gondola, the gondolier spent the whole time yelling at the other gondoliers and joking with them. It was like a bad Disneyland ride. We were one gondola after another just making a circle back to the meeting point. I think the only thing that was pointed out to us was where Mozart had stayed.

The splendors of Venice in a day

An enchanting journey unfolds as you immerse in the rich streets and bubbling culture of Venice. Begin at Piazza San Marco and skip the lines at the famous St. Mark's Basilica where your local guide is set to reveal its intriguing tales. Admire the intricate details of this ‘Church of Gold’ as your guide narrates the historical events of its fiery destruction and rebuilding in the 10th century. This was once the Doge's private chapel before becoming the city's cathedral, a grandeur you're sure to sense.

Secret corners and serene waterways

Meander through labyrinthine alleys, discovering hidden gems only locals know en route to the iconic Rialto Bridge. Follow your guide through the lively Rialto Market, a gastronomic hotspot that has satisfied appetites for a staggering 7 centuries! Next, gear up for the exclusive quintessential gondola ride. Glide through idyllic canals and soak in the city's charm from a unique perspective.

A palace and a prison

After a brief break to grab your lunch, head on over to Doge’s Palace. The day's exploration culminates with a guided tour of this Gothic masterpiece, once the heart of political intrigue and power. Traverse the eerie Bridge of Sighs, which offered prisoners their last glimpse of Venetian beauty before their incarceration.

Itinerary

St. Mark’s Basilica

Rialto Bridge and Market

Venetian gondola ride

Lunch break

Doge's Palace

What to bring

It’s recommended to wear comfortable walking shoes.

Please note that for entry into St. Mark’s Basilica, knees and shoulders must be covered for all guests.

What's not allowed

Due to security reasons, luggage and big bags are not allowed inside the Basilica and Doge's Palace.

Each gondola can accommodate a maximum of 5 people; the seat on board cannot be chosen, but will be assigned by the gondolier depending on the guests' weight.

Pets are not allowed on board the gondola.

Accessibility

The tour is stroller and pram accessible.

Your voucher will be emailed to you instantly.

Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the meeting point.

Please arrive at the meeting point 15 mins before the scheduled time of your tour to avoid any delays.

Meeting point

Please check your final voucher for the meeting point details and specific instructions.