Venice Tour: Skip-Line St Mark’s & Gondola Ride

Duration3h

Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away

TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted

LanguagesEnglish

Group sizeUp to 20 travelers

Overview

A first-timer to Venice, or don’t know where to begin your explorations? Over the course of this tour, experience many of the city’s top highlights. See the Rialto Bridge, fish market, historic mansions, and a quirky bookshop on a city walk before admiring the shimmering gold mosaics inside St. Mark’s Basilica. Plus enjoy a relaxing gondola ride and explore areas of the city that many tour groups miss. If you're short on time or want an introduction to Venice in just 2.5 hours, select the Welcome to Venice Express option at time of booking. Note: This option does not include a gondola ride.

Options

Private - Welcome to Venice

Duration: 3 hours
With Gondola Ride: Learn the history of Venice, visit famous monuments, see St. Mark’s Basilica, and a gondola ride down the enchanting canals.

Welcome to Venice

Duration: 3 hours: Learn the history of Venice on a walking tour, skip-the-line access to St. Mark’s Basilica, and enjoy a gondola ride.

What's included

Famous local bookstore
Rialto Fish Market
Local English-speaking guide
Skip-the-line access to St. Mark's Basilica (12€)
Rialto Bridge
Expertly guided walking tour
Palazzo Grimani (exterior)
Gondola Ride (if option selected)
St. Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco)

Gratuities
Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off
Guide (during gondola ride)

What to expect

Mercati di Rialto
30m

Meet near the Rialto Bridge and learn why it was initially considered a very bad idea to build it. Take a quick look at the Rialto Fish Market to learn about the long fishing history of the city and its famous cuisine. Get a couple of restaurant recommendations from your local guide!
50m

Continue your walking tour to discover some of the city’s hidden gems. You'll learn what it is like to live on the island today as you meander through hidden alleyways. See a remarkable statue by Verocchio on the Campo San Giovanni and Paolo, where you will also see a variety of typical Venetian architectural styles.
Museo di Palazzo Grimani
Pass by

Pause to admire a unique mansion that belonged to a powerful Venetian family.
Libreria Acqua alta
10m

You'll learn what it is like to live on the island today as you meander through hidden alleyways, stopping along the way at a quirky Venetian bookstore with a stunning canal view and friendly resident cats. Your guide will wait outside, allowing you few minutes inside to explore on your own.
Basilica di San Marco
30m · Admission ticket included

With pre-reserved entry, you’ll bypass the often long lines and head inside this extraordinary church. Your expert guide will bring the basilica to life—revealing how its unique blend of eastern and western design came to be, uncovering the dramatic story of how St. Mark’s relics arrived in Venice, and helping you appreciate the shimmering gold mosaics that make this place unlike anywhere else in the world.
30m

Your guide will then leave you to enjoy a 30-minute (approximately) gondola ride with a professional gondolier. Limited to only 5 people per gondola, this experience will be both intimate and relaxing. Punt through the quieter canals of Venice as you relax and enjoy the city at its best! Note: the Welcome to Venice Express option does not include a gondola ride.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of your tour, your guide will be holding a yellow WalksDevour sign. This tour meets outside the entrance of the Church of San Giacometto at Campo San Giacomo di Rialto (also known as Campo San Giacometto).

End point

In St. Mark's Square.

Additional information

Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments or with wheelchairs, or strollers.
The Rialto Fish Market is closed on Sundays.
This is a walking tour. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty.
Large bags, trolleys and backpacks cannot be accommodated on this tour.
During times of high tides, flooding, or heavy rain, the gondola ride may be substituted for another experience.
The full names of all participants must be provided at the time of booking and must match the names on the ID/Passport. Name changes are not permitted.
Please note that a photo ID is required to visit the St. Marks Basilica. Failure to bring an ID can result in the security staff refusing your entrance to the monument.
St. Mark’s Basilica can be subject to closures due to particular liturgical celebrations, especially during major religious holidays such as Easter or Christmas. In the event that the Basilica is closed, explanations will be provided from the outside.
Please note: This tour offers multiple options. Take a moment to choose the one that best suits your interests.

Cancellation policy

If you cancel at least 3 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.<br>If you cancel within 3 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.

Reviews

4.6 (530)