Morning Tour: St. Mark’s Basilica & Gondola Ride in Venice

Venice, Italy

1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Explore our promoted experiences

Venice, Veneto

Enchanting Gondola Experience: 30 Minutes on the Grand Canal

from $81

Likely to Sell Out

Venice's Best: Basilica, Doge's Palace, Gondola & History Gallery

Venice, Veneto

4.7

(2,782)

Venice's Best: Basilica, Doge's Palace, Gondola & History Gallery

from $118

Likely to Sell Out

Explore the Canals on an Authentic Gondola Tour Venetian Dreams

Venice, Veneto

3.0

(10)

Explore the Canals on an Authentic Gondola Tour Venetian Dreams

from $119

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

Combine two quintessential Venice experiences on this short and sweet sightseeing tour. First, glide down the Grand Canal on a traditional gondola ride and soak up the atmosphere of romantic Venice. Then, enjoy skip-the-line entrance and a guided tour of the magnificent St. Mark's Basilica.

Venice Gondola ride and St. Mark’s Basilica tour
Explore the canals of Venice on a romantic gondola ride
Enjoy a skip-the-line tour of St. Mark’s Basilica
Ideal tour for first-time visitors to Venice or those short on time

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
Classic 30 min gondola ride

Gratuities
The Gondola Ride is not guided
Pick up and drop off
Food or drinks
Entrance fee - Pala d'oro

€12.00 per person
Entrance fee - 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. -> St Marks Basilica: departure at 10.45 am (1 hour) -> Gondola ride: departure at 3.00 pm (30 min)

End point

Ateliers
Calle Larga XXII Marzo, 2091/b, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy
The combined tour ends in campo San Moisè

Operating hours
.10:45 am

Itinerary

Meet your guide in central Venice before your departure time and set out to explore the city's scenic canals. First, join a shared gondola tour with up to six people, and soak up the atmosphere of Venice on a romantic cruise through the historic center.

After your gondola tour, meet back up with your guide for the second part of your tour—a visit to the iconic St. Mark’s Basilica. Follow your guide to St. Mark’s Square to marvel at the cathedral’s magnificent Byzantine-era façade, then use your skip-the-line tickets to dodge the queues and head straight inside.

Inside, admire the lavish interiors, peek into the Treasury, and explore the remarkable Golden Basilica, once the private chapel of the Doges of Venice. After taking in the highlights of the basilica, your tour ends back in St. Mark’s Square.

Piazza San Marco

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Basilica di San Marco

50 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Ateliers

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women inside the St Mark's Basilica

Backpacks and large bags are NOT allowed inside the church
Check-in is 15 minutes prior to the booked tour start time
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)

Reviews

3.1

based on 7 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Beautiful sites, but difficult to understand guide

Kayla_G, May 2025

Our tour guide was very difficult to understand. We signed up for the English tour, and it was in English but I was only able to understand every few words. Our guide was very knowledgeable, but there was just a language barrier. Seeing inside the basilica and going into the museum and the exterior decks was cool. Your tour experience definitely depends on which guide you get.

Response from Host, May 2025

Hello Kayla, Thank you for your kind and thoughtful review. You kind feedback helps us improve our tours and experiences. We look forward to welcome you back in Venice. Sending kind regards, Team Venice Events

I learned a lot from the Golden...

Maria S, Dec 2017

I learned a lot from the Golden Basilica Tour. I only wish I could have spend more time in the basilica and gone to the top. We got to see Mozart's house during the Gondola tour! Was extraordinary.

The company running the tour was...

amcrook1, Nov 2017

The company running the tour was rude on the phone. I was late due to water bus.I met up with the group after the gondola ride to go in the church. Met up with the tour, the lady was very rude, men were nice. They put me on a later gondola ride. Hard to understand lady guiding church tour.

A little bit disorganize at the...

neilad_a, Sep 2017

A little bit disorganize at the beginning. but overall good. The guide excellent and very informative. Very good experience

Not a very good start, the guide was...

Debbie F, Sep 2017

Not a very good start, the guide was late to our meeting point. Really enjoyed the gondola ride, this is a must when in Venice. The tour of the Basilica was disappointing, not in the information given during it or the inside of the church, but the fact that there seemed to be too many tours happening at the same time and it did feel a bit rushed. We lost our place at one point as another tour had jumped in which resulted in two groups being mixed together. Was not given proper information as to where to meet afer the gondola ride, only to meet by the clock tower in St Marcs square. Not very well organised and could be better.

Not so good. First, the...

Benjamin S, Jul 2017

Not so good. First, the organization of the tour was poor. They didn't communicate very well with us where to go, gondola driver spent the whole trip on the phone and texting and was completely disinterested and the tour guide of st marks was incomprehensible. The city is amazing, as is the church