Walking Tours

Walking Tour of Venice with Priority Entry to St. Marks Basilica

Duration

2 hrs 30 mins

Open today

12:00am - 11:59pm

Guided tour

Stroll around the streets of Venice for 3 hours with our exemplary guide escorting you through the throbbing parts of Serenissima Republic, recalling the charming past of this unique city. Along with the walking tour, gain special access to St. Mark's Basilica with guided commentary.

Walk the cobbled streets of Venice and discover the charisma of the city on foot.

Explore the city with a certified guide who will walk you through centuries of Venetian history

Walk by the lesser known San Marco Square, Santa Maria Formosa, Campo SS Giovanni E Paolo, Great School of Charity, Marco Polo's House and Malibran Theatre, Mercerie and Rialto.

Gain skip the line access to St Mark's Basilica

Indulge in a 1-hour guided tour of St Mark's Basilica (Exterior & Interior)

Shared guided walking tour with commentary by a qualified guide

Skip the line: Shared guided tour of the Basilica

Visit to the Basilica's terrace and St. Mark's Museum

Audio receiver devices included in groups over 10 people

These tickets can't be cancelled or rescheduled.

247 reviews
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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
Gillian T
Couple
Verified booking
Mar 2024
Monica our guide was brilliant... so enthusiastic and knowledgeable about her home of Venice. With radios even tho sometimes we had to be spread out in single file for the narrow alleys we could hear her clearly. She could answer any of our questions..we first did the walking tour approx hour and a half and short break before we did the tour of inside St Marks.. about an hour .. your ticket is well priced considering it includes the skip the line and an upstairs museum tour ... views from the roof spectacular! The meeting point is well explained and the Get your Guide app is a massive help .. reminders and directions... Highly recommend !
Crivellaro G
Couple
Verified booking
Oct 2023
We passed by quickly Nice view from the terrace
Vicki Y
Group
Verified booking
Oct 2023
Our guide was very knowledgeable and pleasant. The tour included a number of sites that we were not expecting to see which was a bonus. The Basilica is amazing and our guide's knowledge of the mosaics and the history was impressive.
Andres M
Couple
Verified booking
Aug 2023
The waking tour lasted more than expected. Although we planned to get everything a scheduled, me and my wife had to skip the access to the Basilica of Saint Mark because we needed to catch a train. It's a pitty because we traveled a long way from home just to miss the Basilica access which was supposed to be a priority one.
Trace C
Group
Verified booking
Jul 2023
Our tour guide was great! She shared so much information. She took her time so I never felt rushed. I loved the skip the line aspect.

Walk through the cobbled streets of Venice and discover fascinating structures blanketed in history adorning the Floating City.

Sights seen :

Basilica San Marco |

Palazzo Ducale |

Bell Tower |

Clock Tower |

Procuratie |

Campo Santa Maria Formosa |

Campo San Giovanni E Paolo |

Great School of Charity |

The Captains of fortune |

Marco Polo's House |

Malibran Theater |

Mercerie |

Rialto Market

The walking tour will end at around 10:30am, after which you will head towards one of the most majestic cathedrals in the world, St. Mark's Basilica at around 10:45am. Skip the line and walk into the cathedral escorted by your certified guide and explore this Byzantine masterpiece to its fullest.

From Monday to Saturday, the basilica guided tour includes a visit to the Terrace, where you will find the Horses of Saint Mark. These horses are a set of Byzantine bronze statues, originally part of a monument depicting a quadriga (a four-horse carriage used for chariot racing). At St. Mark’s Museum, admire objects of various kinds and origins belonging to the Basilica. The tour begins from the ground floor, and you will get to see the gold mosaics (the Basilica has 43,000 square feet of mosaics alone!). On Sundays, feast days, and in case of unplanned religious celebrations, the tour foresees the visit with direct access to the Terrace and to St. Mark's Museum situated on the first floor. On festivity days, the Holy Mass takes place on the ground floor, and it is possible to admire the mosaics partially from the first floor.

Important Information

This tour will not be operational in case of exceptionally high tide or in case of religious functions (in both these cases the visit can be postponed or a refund will be provided).

This is not a private tour and is to be shared with other guests not belonging to the same part.

If there is a high turnout or for reasons of high tide or security problems, the waiting time to access St. Mark’s Basilica may be slightly longer than expected. In such cases, please do line up and respect the instructions provided by the guide.

Timings

9am to 10:30am: Walking tour.

10:45am to 11:45am: St. Mark's Basilica.

The approximate duration of the tour is about 2.5 hours.

This tour is available from Monday to Saturday.

On Sunday, the visit will be done from the first floor of the Basilica with the visit to the terrace and the Saint mark’s Museum.

The tour does not operate on August 15th, November 1st, December 8th, December 25th, January 1st, January 6th, February 24th, and during unplanned religious celebrations or in the case of exceptionally high tide.

Dress Code

The Basilica is a house of worship and therefore, appropriate clothing is recommended (shorts and tank tops will not be allowed). Comfortable walking shoes are recommended.

Storage Facilities

For security reasons suitcases, backpacks or large bags are not allowed inside the Basilica. Prior to your visit, you must deposit them at the Ateneo San Basso (St. Mark’s Square- Calle san Basso). The storage service is free of charge.

Accessibility

This tour is not wheelchair accessible.

Restrictions

Photography and filming are prohibited inside the Basilica.

You will receive your mobile voucher via email shortly.

Please display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID to your tour guide.

If you have purchased reduced price tickets, please carry your valid photo ID proof for verification. Students must show their valid Student IDs.

Meeting Point

- Meet your tour guide in front of the Calle larga de l'Ascension

Address: Calle larga de l'Ascension, 30100 Venice, Metropolitan City of Venice, Italy.

Landmark: It's a brown wooden newsstand opposite the Ufficio Postale di Venezia (post office).

- Your guide will be waiting for you right next to this point with a yellow sign titled 'Meeting Point.'

Get Directions to the Meeting Point

Getting There

Arriving by Public Vaporetto

If you are taking line #1, get off at “San Marco Vallaresso”. If you are taking line #2, get off at “San Marco Giardinetti”. After you alight, walk to Saint Mark’s Square. Once here, look look for the Calle larga de l'Ascension opposite the post office. You'll find the board with 'Meeting Point' too.

Arriving by Private Watertaxi

Ask the driver to take you to the “Todaro” landing stage. Once you alight, walk to Saint Mark’s Square and look look for the Calle larga de l'Ascension opposite the post office. You'll find the board with 'Meeting Point' too.

Arriving on Foot

Calle larga de l'Ascension is located in Saint Mark’s Square and is opposite the post office.

Note: Late arrivals and people who miss their tour will be considered a no-show and will not be eligible for a refund.
The tour reservations have strict timings. If you arrive late for the meeting time, it will not be possible to join the group or reschedule, unless you pay for the activity again (subject to availability).