Venice In A Day with St Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace & Gondola Ride

Explore the hidden beauty and fascinating history of Venice on our small group walking tour

Your day starts as all great days in Venice do; with a stroll through the quiet back streets and bustling markets of the city. You’ll meet one of our expert local tour guides and max 18 other people for an intimate walking tour of the city.

Starting early, we get to the Rialto Bridge before the crowds descend, to admire its incredible marble architecture before moving on to the bustling Rialto market. The chefs and Mamas of the city are shopping for dinner around this time, so what better time for a stroll through the stalls, with your guide explaining what each strange fish or vegetable is, and how (and why) Venetian cuisine differs from the rest of Italy’s. Throughout your Venice tour they’ll give you tips on what to eat and where while you’re in town.

Our walking tour continues into the atmospheric neighborhoods of the city, across countless bridges and quiet piazzas. Along the way, you’ll see the childhood home of Marco Polo, the Venetian merchant who first spoke of China; duck inside San Giovanni Gristosomo to see paintings by Venetian masters Bellini and Sebastiano del Piombo; and discover how the “Church of Miracles” got its name – plus so much more!

Our walking tour consciously veers away from the beaten track, taking you to our favorite local spots; so you get a taste of the real Venice, as well as the big name attractions.

Enjoy a gondola ride along the Grand Canal and quieter back canals of Venice

We couldn’t say we were covering the best of Venice in a day if we didn’t include a gondola ride. After your walking tour, you’ll meet a local Venetian gondolier and your group will be split into different gondolas (max. six people per gondola) for a ride along the Grand Canal and into the quieter back canals of the city. Duck under little bridges, admire ornate palaces and watch the world go by as you sit back and enjoy that quintessential Venetian moment.

With independent Venice gondola rides costing around €80/hour, this half-hour ride, included in the price of your tour, is a bargain.

Discover the top two sights of Venice - St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace - on our skip-the-line tours

We’ll give you a break for lunch after your gondola ride and meet back at St. Mark’s Square for the next part of our adventure. With pre-reserved tickets to St. Mark’s Basilica, we’ll save time often wasted in long ticket lines. Inside, your guide will point out the features of this incredible church, explaining how its east-meets-west architecture came about; the shady means by which the relics of St. Mark came to rest here; and the details in the beautiful gold mosaics on the roof.

Our day doesn’t end there though. With pre-reserved, skip-the-line tickets to the Doge’s Palace, we’ll walk straight inside. It’s here that you’ll feel the most benefit for having a local tour guide. Home to some of the city’s most impressive artworks and architecture, Palazzo Ducale is so much more than something pretty to look at. Although it certainly is that, it’s also the historic heart of Venice; a repository for the best stories; from Casanova’s prison break to the Duke whose face was blacked out of every portrait and painting.

With our expert guides on hand to tell you all the juicy details, plus small groups so you can ask all the questions you want, your Doge’s Palace tour is guaranteed to be an unexpected highlight of your Venice visit.