Best of Venice Tour including walking tour,Doge’s Palace & St Mark’s Basilica Skip-the-line

At St. Mark's Square see the Basilica, Bell and Clock tower and more as your guide tells you the fascinating stories behind these buildings. Move on to explore the dynamic Campo Santa Maria Formosa with its splendid Gothic Palaces.

Learn about the renowned trade schools of Venice which laid the foundations of the great mercantile empire at the Scuola di San Marco. The sights with enriching historical narrations enlighten you on how illustrious Venetians, the likes of Marco Polo, and more common citizens made this stone city a lively and magical place. Walk by Marco Polo's House and enjoy tales of this legendary globe-trotting Venetian. Praise the Church of San Giovanni e Paolo, known as the Pantheon of Venice.

Next, you will walk to the Doge's Palace for your tour of what is arguably Venice’s most important building, the Doge's Palace, the seat of the Government for centuries. See the lavish chambers and enter areas that were closed to everyone but a few trusted men of the republic. See the Chancellors Office where secret documents were kept and the Torture Chamber where enemies of the state would be tortured before the state inquisitors. You will also see the "I Piombi" Prisons, where among others, Casanova was imprisoned.

After the palace visit, enjoy a guided tour of the interior of St. Mark's Basilica, the greatest of Venice’s monuments. Built in the 9th century, this huge Basilica (or Cathedral) is one of the world’s best examples of Byzantine architecture. Marvel at the stunning golden ceiling mosaics telling the story of the Gospels over an expanse of 8,000 square meters. View the incredible San Marco Treasury – a vast assemblage of gold, silver, glass and other precious materials.

Save your greatest admiration for the Basilica’s most precious possession – the eye-popping Pala d'Oro, an exquisite altar screen made from hundreds of pieces of enamel stuck onto gold leaf and enriched with all kinds of gems: sapphires, garnets, pearls, emeralds, amethysts, rubies, agate and topaz.

Your tour ends at St Mark’s Square.