Venice In a Day St Mark's Doges Palace Gondola Ride and City Tour
Recommended by 95% of travelers
Venice, Italy
- 4 to 6 hours (approx.)
- Group discounts
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Venice is home to hundreds of attractions, making it difficult to cover the highlights in limited time. Ideal for first-time visitors, this full-day tour of Venice checks off top sights. Stroll across the Rialto Bridge and browse the lively Rialto fish market, then hop aboard a traditional gondola for a romantic cruise along the Grand Canal. Finally, visit St. Marks's Basilica and enjoy skip-the-line entrance to the grandiose Doge's Palace.
- Soak up local life on a walking tour of Venice’s colorful neighborhoods and the Rialto markets
- Check off all of Venice's top attractions in just one day
- Skip the lines and explore the magnificent Doge’s Palace on a tour
- Learn more about Venice history and culture than you could alone
What's Included
- Skip-the-line ticket for St. Mark's Basilica (12€)
- Pre-reserved ticket to the Doge's Palace (25€)
- Gondola Ride (Venice Express Half Day Option excluded)
- Guided Walk of the back streets of Venice
- Bridge of Sighs
- Rialto Bridge
- Rialto Fish Market
- New Prisons
- House of Marco Polo ( exterior)
- Local English-speaking guide
- Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Chiesa di San Giacomo di RialtoC.po San Giacomo, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy
Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of your tour, your guide will be holding a green Walks sign. This tour meets outside the entrance of the Church of San Giacometto at Campo San Giacomo di Rialto 255, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy.
End point
- St. Mark's SquarePiazza San Marco, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy
St. Mark's Square
Itinerary
Meet up with your guide and small group to emark on your adventure. The group size is limited to 20 people, so you don't have to worry about large crowds.
Start by strolling across Rialto Bridge as you take in the sights. Make your way to the bustling Rialto markets and stop at the fish market, learning about the history from your guide.
Next, be swept away on a romantic gondola ride along the Grand Canal. As you drift leisurely through the water, let Venice's charm and beauty enchant you before arriving at St. Mark's Basilica for a guided tour.
Finally, enjoy skip-the-line access at Doge's Palace before the tour comes to a close.
Start by strolling across Rialto Bridge as you take in the sights. Make your way to the bustling Rialto markets and stop at the fish market, learning about the history from your guide.
Next, be swept away on a romantic gondola ride along the Grand Canal. As you drift leisurely through the water, let Venice's charm and beauty enchant you before arriving at St. Mark's Basilica for a guided tour.
Finally, enjoy skip-the-line access at Doge's Palace before the tour comes to a close.
1
Ponte di Rialto
1 hour 45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Rialto Market (Pass By)
Marco Polo's House (Pass By)
2
Canal Grande
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Venice
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Basilica di San Marco
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
5
Palazzo Ducale
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Bridge Of Sighs (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments or with wheelchairs, or strollers.
- If access is restricted due to private events inside St. Mark's Basilica and/or Doge's Palace, we cannot be held responsible. This is a situation beyond our control. No refund will be issued.
- In case of unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather (heavy rain, strong wind, high tide) conditions that prevent the gondola ride from taking place or any operational or safety reasons beyond our control it may be substituted for another experience, but no refund will be provided.
- Due to the religious nature of sites on this tour, all individuals (regardless of gender) must cover their shoulders and knees. It is acceptable to bring extra coverings to put on just before entering a holy site. Walks cannot be responsible for anyone denied entry.
- All guests must supply their full name that matches a valid ID at the time of the booking. Should you fail to provide these, your reservation will be canceled. Name changes are not permitted.
- Venice Express Option: Gondola is not included.
- 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.
- 8:30am tour is limited to 20 people and includes a lunch break on your own, while the 8:15am tour does not include a lunch break (shorter duration of 4 hours) and a maximum of 25 people in your group.
- 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.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 3 days in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.8
based on 4,478 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Mary_S, Jul 2026
Excellent tour! Guillano was informative and very attentive to everyone on the tour. I highly recommend this tour.
Jennifer_M, Jul 2026
Michele was wonderful! He was very knowledgeable but it's a lot of walking and no AC in the palace or basilica.... I think this part could be condensed.
Joe_S, Jul 2026
So for a 4-6 hour tour, really only saw the major sites in St Marks square. The guide felt compelled to give us a history lesson at every turn, usually while standing still, rather than showing us sites. I ultimately left the tour once inside Doges, just could not take it anymore.
So if you’re interested in being immersed in all sorts of little known facts, rather than being lead to lots interesting sites, this is the tour for you, otherwise look elsewhere.
Charles_T, Jul 2026
Nico led us on an amazing journey back in time from Venice's early days to the present. A must for history and architectural buffs.
David_N, Jul 2026
Easy to find meeting point, very friendly coordinators checked us in. Moses was our guide he was excellent. He knew Venice inside out and had was enthusiastic and informative guiding us on the walking tour from Ponte di Rialto area to Piazza San Marco. The tour within the Basilica and Palazzo Ducale was a good mix of history as well as explanation of why they were designed in the way they were. The gondola ride in the middle was a highlight. Great tour to see the main attractions of Venice.
Thank you Moses for an excellent tour!
Ileana_S, Jul 2026
Nico was a great guide. He was knowledgeable, and made the time fly with fun facts and important historical context. Great tour!
Kirsten_M, Jul 2026
This tour was amazing! Nico was such a great tour guide and did amazing on our tour. He was very knowledgeable and funny!
Calise_A, Jul 2026
Great tour to get to see all the best parts of Venice! Easy, skip the line was hassle free and worth it! Niko was amazing! Very knowledgeable and kind!
Malik_F, Jul 2026
Great introduction to venice. Covered lots of the history - political, archeological, religious, and cultural. Walked over a large area but wasn’t too strenuous. Suitable content and length for families but also a bit expensive for a family. Highlight was the Gondola ride and the guide was great - thanks Michele.
Michelle_J, Jul 2026
Michele was an excellent tour guide. We had one day in Venice and his tour provided a great tour to learn about Venice and explore the important landmarks. He also was very pleasant and easy to understand.
Stacy_P, Jul 2026
An exceptional tour. Our guide was knowledgeable and personable! A great way to see the sights and learn about the history of this beautiful city. Was well paced, and the guide demonstrated sensitivity regarding the heat conditions.
Siobhan_W, Jul 2026
A brilliant way to see the highlights of Venice and understand the history and workings of the city over the ages. Nicole was an amazing guide and had great depth of knowledge and passion to make the day very enjoyable for everyone. Nicole was a lovely person and we couldn't have had a better guide! Nicole really added to our enjoyment and value of the day. Thank you!
Ken_K, Jul 2026
Martina was wonderful! She was very knowledgeable about the history of the buildings and area. Our friends, who had visited the city before, learned so much more, including our high school history teacher. We enjoyed roaming the city and getting a true sense of Venice.
Julie_T, Jul 2026
This was a great, fast paced way to see everything you need to see in Venice in just over 4 hours!! Alex was great, extremely knowledgable (he was previously a Hugh school history teacher, so knows how to keep your attention!!), funny and chatty.
Nagoya_H, Jul 2026
This tour was awesome! Great way to see all the important stops all in one. Lots of pictures worthy stops along the way.
Anna_B, Jul 2026
This tour was ok. The Gondola ride was by far the best part. The tour guide was knowledgeable but perhaps shared too much information to keep most guests engaged.
Ron_D, Jul 2026
Marie was a very knowledgeable and fun guide. Very informative. The gondola ride and St Marks were the highlights of the tour. Good way to get a feel for the city before exploring.
Keith_V, Jul 2026
Our guide, Denise, made this the best experience we possible could have imagined! She was incredibly knowledgable and blended lots of humor into her “presentation”. She helped answer any and all questions that our group presented. The tour of the palace is incredible and learning all the history of the rooms was fascinating.
Robert_M, Jul 2026
A very enjoyable and informative tour with Michael learning about past and contemporary Venice. The tour covered many of the recognizable points of interest, learning back stories about how these shaped Venice politically and culturally. Michael presented a relaxed, informed, entertaining commentary during the tour holding our interest the entire time. This was the fourth tour on our trip and the one we enjoyed the most.
This had nothing to do with the guide or tour company but the group was held up waiting for the same couple to join the group three times during the tour. Be respectful of schedules. .
Becca_W, Jul 2026
This was a great tour worth the time and money. Mateo was our guide, and besides being very knowledgeable in historical facts, he also included fun facts from a local's perspective, was very personable and funny, offered restaurant recommendations when asked, answered all of our questions, and was mindful of the excessive heat and took steps to ensure everyone in our group was safe.
Tara_M, Jul 2026
This was a really brilliant experience to see the main sights of Venice in a comfortable, summarised tour.
I felt it was excellent value for money, as the gondola ride itself would have cost a lot on its own but it’s included in this tour, plus tickets to the main sights and a brilliant tour guide.
Our guide was really friendly, accommodating and educational, we learnt a lot about Venice and it was the perfect addition to our limited time here.
Thank you!
Dalis_L, Jul 2026
Our tour guide Kiara, was incredible. She really was an expert on the history of Venice. The tour itself was so fun and informative, it was like peeling back the layers of time. I would even do the tour again in the future!
prakash_p, Jul 2026
It's been an awesome experience! Our guide, Kiara, truly did justice to this tour. In just a couple of hours, she helped us experience the true essence of Venice. The tour was well-organized, engaging, and absolutely mesmerizing. It gave us everything we hoped for and made our visit truly memorable.
David_B, Jul 2026
Excellent and highly recommend!!! Tour guide was very accommodating and knowledgeable! Gondola ride was very scenic and relaxing!
Lisa_B, Jul 2026
Roberta was ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC !!! Cannot say enough about how terrific her tour was - so knowledgeable, passionate about her job & architecture, pleasant, helpful !! Highest recommendations for this tour and her skills as a tour guide !
Mark_R, Jul 2026
Comprehensive and organized tour of the city. We saw all the main sites and had sufficient time to appreciate each one.
Mike_B, Jul 2026
Roberta was enthusiastic and thoughtful in her engagement of all participants, while also demonstrating careful respect to her fellow Venezians. We learned so much from our tour!
Ergun_U, Jul 2026
Overall experience was good. It was well organized and our tour guide knew her staff. It was hog day. She made sure we stayed in shade.
Jo_C, Jul 2026
A wonderful tour guide who was a local so could give lots of authentic information in a fun interactive way. The day ran very smoothly and enjoyed every single minute. No complaints 10/10
Barbara_A, Jul 2026
The Viator description is very misleading as the tour doesn’t include a gondola ride as the title of the tour suggests. We were told that Viator can’t fix the title of the tour, so be aware that there is no gondola ride.
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