Exclusive Afternoon Tour of St. Mark's Basilica in Venice

Recommended by 93% of travelers

Venice, Italy

1 hour (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Embark on a detailed tour of Saint Mark's Square in Venice when you book this afternoon guided tour. Visit the Golden Basilica to marvel at its Byzantine architecture filled with golden mosaics and marble flooring. Your guide provides information on its history and describes the biblical scenes represented around the building as you walk around the chapel.

Learn about the role of the Basilica in Venice's history
Skip the lines and crowds with your live guide
Entrance fees are included for your convenience
Enjoy an in-depth tour of Venice's Golden Basilica

What's Included

Pre-reserved tickets for St. Mark's Basilica (€12)
Skip the line entrance and guided tour to the Saint Marks Basilica
Live tour commentary provided in English, French, Spanish or German
Professional local guide
Personal audio system and headset for tour commentary
The tickets for the Basilica allow you to visit (within 6 months) the following sites:
Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta (Torcello), Sacrestia della Basilica della Salute
Pinacoteca Manfrediniana, Madonna dell'orto - S. Alvise, S. Andrea de la Zirada, S. Antonin
S. Beneto, S. Fantin, S. Felice, S. Giacomo dell’Orio, S. Giobbe, S. Giovanni elemosinario
S. Giovanni in Bragora, S. Marcuola, S. Maria dei Miracoli, S. Maria del Carmelo vulgo Carmini
S.Luca, S. Maria del Giglio, S. Maria del Rosario vulgo Gesuati, S. Maria Formosa
S. Martino di Castello, S. Marziale, S. Pietro di Castello, S. Polo, S. Samuele, S. Sebastiano
S. Simeon Piccolo, S. Sofia, S. Stae, S. Stefano, S. Trovaso
Santuario di Lucia - SS. Redentore, The Human Safety Net

Optional gratuities
Hotel pick up and drop off
Entrance fee - Pala d'oro

€12.00 per person
Museum and Loggia dei Cavalli on the 1st floor

€12.00 per person

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

TU.RI.VE. Meeting Point
Calle larga de l'Ascension, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy
15 min before in Calle larga de l’Ascension - 30124 (behind the Correr museum on the opposite side of the Saint Marks Basilica).Look for the TURIVE assistant next to the post office San Marco.

End point

Piazzetta dei Leoncini, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy

Operating hours
.2:45 pm

Itinerary

Meet your guide and group next to the post office in Saint Mark’s Square 15 minutes before your start time.

Begin by looking around Saint Mark's Square, learning about the origins of Venice through your guide's commentary. Enter the Basilica without waiting in any lines or pushing past any crowds. There will be a maximum of six small groups in the Basilica with you.

Visit areas not usually open to the public, such as the crypt. Learn about the intricate artworks including the 43,000 square feet (3,995 square meters) of golden mosaics throughout the building.

Learn about the chapel's rich history as you walk around.

TU.RI.VE. Meeting Point (Pass By)

Piazza San Marco

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Basilica di San Marco

40 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
Check-in is 15 minutes prior to the booked tour start time
This activity is not wheelchair accessible

Shoulders and knees must be covered in the Basilica
Backpacks are not allowed inside the Basilica
The tour will take place rain or shine
On certain dates, most travelers staying outside of Venice who are planning to visit for the day will be required to pay a €5 access fee. For further details (including exemptions) and to learn what days this fee is applicable, please visit: https://cda.ve.it
Please provide the full names of all travelers when booking. Failure to present a voucher with all travelers’ full names at the ticket office prior to entry may result in denied entry to the attraction.
Each traveler must present a valid passport or ID document that matches the name provided at the time of booking for successful entry to St. Mark’s Basilica.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 3 days in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.7

based on 42 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Amazing

Diana_D, Oct 2024

Very informative. Saw items that I wasn’t expecting to see. Our tour guide was interesting to listen to, giving an abundant amount of information.

Response from Host, Oct 2024

Hello Diana, thank you for your kind and honest review. We are grateful you could join us for our tour. We hope to welcome you back again in the future. Sending kind regards, Team Venice Events

Meh

David_E, Oct 2024

Meh ... We were able to quickly and lately book this tour. It was an hour long, the guide was courteous, but unfortunately the day was rainy, and dreary, which made the basilica extremely busy and loud. There was ongoing construction causing noise in the basilica, the guide spike softly, and the English was not understandable. It was dark and crowded. It just wasn't a good experience. Could have skipped it, but now know what the inside of the basilica looks like. In summary, the day was dreary, getting into the basilica was overcomplicated and overrun, the basilica was too dark, and crowded to really appreciate, plus the guide wasn't understandable.

Response from Host, Oct 2024

Hello, Thank you for your kind and honest review. Your kind feedback helps understand how our suppliers can improve their offerings. We often deliver this feedback to our suppliers in effort to improve every day the quality of the tours that are offered. Unfortunately, we have no control how the weather will be especially in October. Also the crowd size can be very random. Thank you again and sending kind regards, Team Venice Events

I love Venice!

Anne_L, Sep 2024

So informative from a local… our tour guide’s love of the city and culture of Venice was palpable… what a great tour!

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Dear Anne, thank you for your kind and honest review. We are grateful you could join us for our tour. We hope to welcome you back again in the future. Sending kind regards, Team Venice Events

just okay

Elena_K, May 2024

It was okay, neither good nor bad. Of course the basilica is fabulous and must be visited. The guide was acceptable but not great.

small group tour with evening access to St Marks Basilica

PeckMin_T, Dec 2019

Fantastic experience! We were fortunate to have Iole as our guide. She was very knowledgeable and made all the history come alive - my kids who are not history buffs were enthralled (that says a lot) and she always made it a point to include them! Totally recommend! Best guide we encountered and the most interesting tour of our stay in Venice.

Response from Host, Dec 2019

Dear Guest, Thank you for your review. We are really happy to see that you enjoyed our Basilica after hours tour and we look forward to see you again.

St Mark’s Basilica Evening Tour

foster19571, Jul 2019

Highly recommend this tour as so very special. Very different to the day tour as it’s a very small group and the experience of sitting in the dark quietly and the lights coming on gradually to expose the spectacular ceilings is something to experience. Very special tour.

Response from Host, Aug 2019

Dear guest, thank you for your awesome review. We are really pleased to see that you had a great experience with us and we look forward to seeing you again.

Night Tour

Global33403293831, Jun 2019

This was a fantastic tour. We also went to the regular day tour to St Marks. There was not an overlap and each covered different areas. Overall the evening tour was best but that could have been because we had such a terrific guide. Highly recommend

Response from Host, Jun 2019

Dear guest, thank you for you good review. We are really happy that you had a great tour in Venice, and we look forward to seeing you again.

Amazing

cshep25, Sep 2018

History lesson: Our guide was absolutely amazing. Andrea's was fluent on the history of San Marco's and he shared it. He told us of some of the obscure details. FascinatingThank you

enriching and moving experience

Bonnie A, Sep 2018

It was such a pleasure to see this beautiful Basilica is a quiet peaceful and informed manner. We had time to sit and meditate as the lights were slowly brought up and could see the altar up close.

Amazing experience

LReego, Sep 2018

This is the best way to see St. Mark's Basilica! You get to go slowly through the church and spend almost an hour seeing the incredible art. Our guide was fantastic and we learned so much about the church that we would never have known or appreciated. Worth every penny.

Small group tour with evening access to St Marks

Michele_H, Jul 2018

Seeing the Basilica in the evening was very special and very beautiful, the lighting made the mosaics more beautiful if that is possible. We went back in the day time to see the museum. Our tour guide was great and very informative.

This is the best tour I have ever...

Vince_F, Jul 2018

This is the best tour I have ever been on! Our guide was an architect and this made the tour even more special. We had toured St. Mark's last fall during the day, but this was beyond our expectations. Seeing the Basilica at night was amazing and we felt privileged to be there. It is by far worth the price. You will not be disappointed!

Don't miss this ...

Nim_S, Jun 2018

Our third visit to Venice and our first to St Marks as we could never face the crowds. I read a blog post about this tour and thought it sounded amazing and it was. I can't recommend it highly enough if you want to see the beauty of the building and learn about its history. Our guide Andrea was superb. I would skip the gondola ride and do this tour everytime if you are on a budget.

Escape the crowds. I'd recommend this to everyone

Nim_S, Jun 2018

This was our 3Rd visit to Venice. We did the Doges Palace on the first visit but always avoided ST. Marks as it just looked like wall to wall people. A blogger friend of mind recommended this ttour and although pricey it is such a treat and privilege to be able to see inside this unique building. When the guides turn the lights on to see the ceiling mosaics I was awestruck. I'm lucky enough to have travelled extensively over the years and done many tours so am not always easily wowed but I really would suggest you skip the expensive gondolas get in with the locals on the water buses and spend your money on this tour. Our guide, Andrea, was engaging and educational and I came away feeling I understood not only the basilica better but Venice in general too.

This was a life-changing experience...

Eric M, Mar 2018

This was a life-changing experience. We enjoyed St. Mark's in a way that very few people do...alone! It was quiet, majestic, and spiritually moving, and our guide was awesome. I can't recommend this tour enough. We even got to go down to the catacombs below, which very few people were able to do.

Very good tour, we were a group of...

Stephen K, Jan 2018

Very good tour, we were a group of about 15 who had St. Mark's completely to ourselves. Portico, main church, alter, Pala d'Oro and crypt were included. No rush with a well informed guide.

definitely recommend this tour as it...

adam f, Nov 2017

definitely recommend this tour as it is so much better to see the basilica after hours and without huge crowds

LOVED this tour with Moises. He was...

Prk33, Nov 2017

LOVED this tour with Moises. He was so well informed and interesting. The Basilica was amazing when it was all lit up! This is a must do when in Venice, I wouldn't miss seeing this!

It was very interesting. The guide...

Bruce O, Nov 2017

It was very interesting. The guide knew his information and was very personable. Everyone in the small group seeemed pleased.

This was the highlight of our 5 day...

Lorraine T, Oct 2017

This was the highlight of our 5 day trip to Venice. It was not cheap but after reading other reviews which had also awarded it 5 stars we decided to book as we thought it would be a memorable experience - which it was. We spent about half an hour outside as it was a beautiful evening, with Andrea our guide talking about various aspects of the Basilica and St Marks Square and then we entered the Basilica. This was spectacular, amazing and magical. There was only one other small group there but hardly noticeable as we didn't cross each other's paths. The moment when the lights slowly came on and the mosaics were revealed was amazing. The tour lasted one and a half hours and Andrea was a very knowledgeable guide full of interesting and amusing stories. I feel privileged to have been there in the evening without all the crowds and wouldn't hesitate to recommmend this tour to others.

This was a great tour. The guide...

Louis_S, Oct 2017

This was a great tour. The guide knew all about the special golden altar board. She pointed out important mosaics. We only had about 12 people in the tour and she could answer all our questions. The church is Roman Catholic but the design and style follows the Greek Style Architecture. Venice was a strong City State many of the important artifacts bronze horses, St. Marks Relics, etc. were taken from the Eastern Mediterranean.

One of the highlights of our week in...

Carl T, Sep 2017

One of the highlights of our week in Venice. The guide's passion for the history of the Basilica was evident. Her detailed narrative about the frescos on the façade as well as the artwork and the architectural features both inside and outside the Basilica was educational and insightful.. We were the only group in the Basilica this evening and the caretakers provided an enlightening presentation inside the Basilica. This is the only way to see the Basilica. If you only do one tour in Venice, this should be the one.

This was wonderful!!!! The guide was...

Martha_H, Sep 2017

This was wonderful!!!! The guide was amazing...I'm sorry but I've forgotten his name. He was enthusiastic, prepared, and made this very special for our group. The evening tour was amazing!!!! Another tour, I HIGHLY recommend. The Basilica was stunning as the lights were turned on. We came home wanting to read more about the history of Venice. Please try to figure out by looking at our reservation to find the name of the wonderful young man that made this tour so special. Thank you!!!

It a was a small group, not rushed at...

Ognian P, Aug 2017

It a was a small group, not rushed at all and with an amazing guide

Our tour guide was very...

Gerard P, Aug 2017

Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and could answer any of our questions. It was such a treat to be the only group in the basilica after hours.....and have those beautiful golden mosaics illuminated. Breathtaking.

Thought this tour was 10 out of 10...

Robyn B, Jul 2017

Thought this tour was 10 out of 10 for information regarding St Marks. The guide knows every little thing about this place, who knowledge is second to none. This place was more spectacular than the Sistine Chapel and going at night there are no people!!! We sat in this place and watched as the place was lit up and admired the view, we were in there for ages and nobody hurries you along. Best value for money for any tour we did whilst in Europe. The tour company does need a better description as to where to meet your guide, ie: by the lion statues to the left of St Marks.

Awesome tour, Adrianna was pleasant...

Stuart L, Jun 2017

Awesome tour, Adrianna was pleasant and a mountain of information, Was awesome to see the basilica after hours away from the crowds. Highly recommended.

This tour was well worth the money...

Ray M, Jun 2017

This tour was well worth the money. Their was no one else in Saint Mark's but our group and we got to see some areas that are normally not available to the public. Our guide knew the guard on duty so we got some extras that not even this tour usually gets to do.

Amazing last tour of the evening...

ELIZABETHU_S, May 2017

Amazing last tour of the evening! Stunning,stunning cathedral. Gold mosaics everywhere glowing in the evening illumination. Nice, knowledgeable tour guide. Very worthwhile

Likely to Sell Out