Museums & culture in Venice
In a nutshell
A Byzantine basilica glittering with golden mosaics, in St Mark's Square.
Rating & popularity
#7 of 8
in our Venice guide
Visit duration
1 h
Book ahead
Tourist load through the year
Best months: Oct
A Byzantine basilica glittering with golden mosaics, in St Mark's Square.
Strict dress code: cover shoulders and knees. Queues are long, so book a timed entry.
A skip-the-line ticket or guided visit.
Related tours, tickets & activities
2,651 2 h
Our Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica tour is perfect for visitors with only a limited time in Venice, who want to get a true taste of the city. In just a few hours we take you to the most famous sites of the city, seeing the Rialto Bridge and venturing inside St, Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace.
270 2 h 30 min
Discover the heart of Venice by visiting its two most iconic landmarks: St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace. Admire the Basilica's stunning Byzantine architecture, over 8,000 square meters of golden mosaics, exquisite marble floors, and priceless treasures. Visit the St. Mark's Museum, home to the original Horses of St. Mark, then enjoy breathtaking views over St. Mark's Square and the Venetian Lagoon from the panoramic terrace. Continue to the magnificent Doge's Palace, once the residence of the Doge and the political center of the Venetian Republic. Explore its grand halls, artistic masterpieces, and elegant chambers before crossing the legendary Bridge of Sighs into the historic New Prisons, where you'll discover fascinating stories of Venetian justice and the famous escape of Giacomo Casanova.
15,855 3 h
A holiday in Rome without visiting the Vatican is like a day at the beach without swimming in the sea. See the best of the Vatican museums and gain direct entrance with skip-the-line access to the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, while our excellent guides entertain you with stories that go with each masterpiece. This budget-friendly tour is the best value for money for travelers that are interested in 1) seeing the museum’s highlights 2) meeting a new friend or two through your group and 3) skipping the lines (trust us, with over 6 million tourist spilling into the museum every year, you'll want it!) Disclaimer: you will be entering the Vatican museum during one of the busiest times of the day. While the tour provides skip-the-line access, the crowds in the museum vary from day to day and some delay with security can be expected (it would be misleading for other tour operators to not tell you this!)
339 1 h
Discover one of the world’s most majestic cathedrals, a true masterpiece of Byzantine art in the heart of Venice. An official guide will provide you with a wealth of information regarding St 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. 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. The tour lasts one hour and concludes outside the Basilica in Saint Mark's Square.
745 6 h
This Venice tour is built for travelers who want the city’s major sights and quieter corners in one efficient day. Pre-reserved tickets help simplify entry for St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace, two of Venice’s most important landmarks, while your guide connects the city’s golden mosaics, maritime power, council halls, and old prisons into one clear story. Between the headline sites, you’ll follow narrow lanes and tucked-away courtyards toward the Rialto Bridge, seeing a side of Venice many visitors miss when they stay only in St. Mark’s Square. The experience also includes a 30-minute shared gondola ride, so you see Venice from the canals as well as on foot. With timed-entry tickets, a guided walking route, and free time for lunch, this tour gives you a practical, well-paced way to cover Venice’s essential sights in a single day.
Prices and availability are confirmed with our booking partner when you book.
Other tickets and tours for the same sights
1 h
A skip-the-line ticket or guided visit.
Prices and availability are confirmed with our booking partner. We may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
The seat of Venetian power for centuries, a Gothic palace of grand council halls, golden staircases and enormous paintings, linked to the old prison by the Bridge of Sighs. Next door, St Mark's Basilica is covered in Byzantine mosaics, and the Campanile (bell tower) has the best view over the roofs.
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A 30-minute gondola ride through the back canals is the classic Venice experience, and the quieter side canals are far better than the Grand Canal itself, where it is busy with boats. Gondoliers have to pass an exam and many are the sons of gondoliers.
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Three islands in the lagoon: Murano, where the glassmakers moved in 1291, Burano, with its rainbow-coloured houses and handmade lace, and Torcello, the quiet earliest settlement, with a cathedral covered in Byzantine mosaics.
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