For visitors with only a short time in Venice who want to get a real taste of the city by wandering its streets and piazzas, or for anyone who wants to get orientated for a longer visit, this tour is your best bet. Follow your guide as they lead you down narrow alleyways and across broad piazzas, pointing out the highlights of the city and some little-known gems. We’ll cut out all the queues so that in only two hours we’ll have time to see all the top hits, leaving you with the rest of your visit to eat, explore and revisit the sites that captured your heart.
Our tour starts with one of the most memorable sights in Venice and one you are sure to have spotted on a dozen postcards already – the Rialto bridge. A favorite of many, this vast marble beauty ran far beyond budget but even Venetians can’t help but admit that when the sunlight dances on its smooth stone and its reflection shines in the water below, it’s worth every penny. We’ll stop by Marco Polo’s house and hear about the Venetian son who went to sea one day and came back with stories of China and a world in the East that few had ever seen. And as the saying goes – when in Venice do as the Venetians do. We’ll take time out to visit some of the city’s loveliest piazzas where locals carry out their daily lives in the shadow of spectacular architecture.
Just as we started with a pop we’ll end our tour with a bang, visiting Piazza San Marco – the number one sight in Venice. We’ll stand in front of the impressive Doge’s Palace where Venice’s famous lover and writer, Casanova, was held in an attic prison before he managed to escape.
Then it’s on to the main event – the stunning Basilica San Marco. Marvel at the diversity of Venetian culture as your guide points out the spots where eastern architecture and western design have blended to create a structure with an onion dome that could only have been thought up in Venice. In a rare extended tour of the Basilica you’ll hear about how St. Mark’s remains arrived here illegally and see all sorts of treasures, molded in this very city or plundered during the crusades. The 11th century mosaics are a highlight and one of the few treasures to have survived all the flooding and burning endured by St. Mark’s.
Our tour doesn’t end at the dome though. With our special access tickets we have more time to explore downstairs but, even more excitingly, we also have access to the wonderful first floor terraces. Napoleon once called Piazza San Marco “the finest drawing room in all Europe” – see what you think with this spectacular view over the whole square while the sunlight warms your skin and music floats up from the orchestras below.
Sites visited:
Grand Canal - view from Rialto bridge
Rialto Bridge
Marco Polo’s house (from outside)
Campo SS Giovanni e Paolo
Campo SM Formosa
Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs) - Outside Visit
Columns of San Marco and the Lion of Venice
Skip the Line access at Basilica San Marco*
Terrace of St. Mark’s Basilica*
If Doge’s Palace option is selected: Doge’s Palace inside visit
*We advise our clients that St. Mark's Basilica is subject to closure without notice. When this occurs, we are happy to offer customers an extended tour of the Basilica from outside and of St. Mark's Square. While we undertake to tell tour groups ahead of time if there are any planned disruptions to Basilica opening hours, this is not always possible and in these cases we are unable to provide refunds or discounts.
