Venice: St. Mark's Basilica Optional Tour With Doge's Palace

The communication in the days prior to the tour was conflicting and frustrating. Visitors saying the tour began at 10:30 and the tour leader was telling us 11:00. We rushed to arrive 15 minutes early, 10:15, as Viator instructed and stood around wondering if we were at the correct location. Tried communicating through the app, but received no response. Not a pleasant experience. When the guide arrived, she did an outstanding job. Very knowledgeable and pleasant. Help to offset our prior frustration.

No opportunities to sit during any of the tour. It was an hot day and the crowds were overwhelming. Would be nice to have a water break.

Guide was hard to hear and difficult to understand her English. She was full of information and asked how we were doing but it was simply too difficult to follow along. You should invest in better radios and ear pieces. The glass blowing at the end was simply an extortion and felt sleezy. I would not recommend this tour.

Very disappointed. Guide was good and engaging but everything else very poor. We waited 30 mins from the meeting time to set up then we hurried up in Doge’s place. Glass visit is completely unnecessary- waste of time. Worst of everything was VERY confusing ticketing process. We ended up paying good money for the tour but we were td St Mark’s was not included at the door. When we look at our online ticket under what is included St Mark’s is listed hence we were shocked.

Excellent tour. Everything was on time, very professional and our tour guide was amazing, he was clearly passionate about his subject and it showed. He was very considerate with the whole group. There are lots of steps in the palace, someone older or who has difficulty walking might struggle. That said my very fit 84 year old mother coped fine with one little sit down.

80% of the tour was spent inside Doge’s Palace, 10% in St. Mark’s Basilica, and the last 10% at the glass factory. In Doge’s Palaces they have QR codes that you can scan that gives you a free audio guide in different sections at your own pace, so that would’ve been good enough. Our tour guide had a very thick Italian accent so we could barely understand what he was saying, the headsets were very annoying to keep on, and one of them died halfway through the tour. We have been doing guided tours all throughout Europe and this was our least favorite. I think it’s better to save your money on this one and just see the places on your own. (Unless you really care about Venetian history)

This was an excellent tour, not good for people with mobility issues as there is lots of walking and steps. It was very interesting to hear the history and engineering that went into building the basilica and venice as a whole. The tour was very good and we would recommend it.

The Basilica is an impressive structure with spectacular Byzantine mosaics, definitely worth a visit. Doge’s Palace is another spectacular building that showcases Venice’s democratic past and colonization by Napoleon with monumental frescoes and still-working, centuries-old clocks. The tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable. Her heavy Italian accent takes some getting used to, but isn’t a major obstacle. The tour ends at the nearby glass factory, where there is glass-blowing demonstration and a selection of breathtakingly beautiful glass pieces for sale that are beyond the budget of most tourists.

Poor English, talked fast didn't engaged tourists ..........................!!!!!!!!@@@@@•..........

Our tour guide was so lovely and knowledgeable. She brought Venice to life. Loved the glass factory at the end too!

Guide Chira was great. She had a wealth of knowledge and we really enjoyed it. The only reason for not a 5 star was that it felt rushed and also it was difficult to keep site of her. A flag or something would have helped. Glass factory was ok, but would have preferred not going there, if we could have had more time in other places. The prison part was interesting, but very rushed, and did not get time to linger, due to time constraints. Thank you.

St Marks Bascilica was beautiful unbelievable gold mosaics. Would have liked to have been able to be up by the alter for closer look at St Marc’s tomb but needed another ticket for that. Doge palace had alot of ornate pictures but only saw the areas of offices. Cool to see the bridge of sighs from inside. Was suppose to see glass blowing which was disappointing but they were not working most likely as it was on Sunday was offered tickets to a different museum with artifacts but did not go. Tour guide note Venice requires a pass and if you are staying at a hotel close by that is included. FYI : Water taxi is a cheaper way to get around and the stop S. Marco. You get tickets at the drop off point of taxi and go to number 1 Tour guide was enthusiastic about Venice and did a good job.

Beautiful can’t miss stops but it was NOT 2 hours and set our day back. Parts of the Doge’s Palace were rushed while others took too long. The glass blowing factory is very short and a gimmick to get you in the shop to purchase.

Giovani was very experienced. He was explaining the history very well. The additional details in Doge palace would be helpful. The glass factory tour was avoidable

A very informative tour, all the sites are definitely worth seeing. We would not have learned as much without having a local guide. The glass factory at the end was a wonderful experience as well!

Do not overpay for this 'tour,' the only tour part was the Doge's palace, and they got the tickets for that and the St. Mark's, but gave no tour or St. Mark's. They did not even point the way. The 'Glass' tour was a scam. It was a 4 min demonstration and a scheme to sell expensive glass to a captive audience. The blue flag person was not a guide. No local help was given either. Save money and just buy your own tickets.

Fantastic tour, our guide was very knowledgeable.

I am writing to formally follow up on my recent experience with Viator and the Barcelona Tour company in Venice. This situation significantly impacted my travel plans. I want to clarify several points regarding the missed tour: - Communication: Neither the tour guide nor the company reached out to me. I had to initiate multiple calls to customer service. Despite customer service attempting to contact the guide three times, she never responded. - Arrival: I was at the meeting point on time. I have time-stamped photos taken 30 minutes before the scheduled start verifying my location. I followed the meeting instructions exactly as provided on my Viator voucher. - Tour Changes: The tour time was shifted from 10:30 AM to 11:45 AM. I adjusted my entire day to accommodate this change, yet the tour was still not fulfilled. This was my only opportunity to visit these landmarks, and the failure of the tour company to hold up their end of the agreement has ruined the experience. I request that TripAdvisor or Viator address this issue. I look forward to your response regarding how this will be resolved.

The experience was phenomenal. They were very organized and Virginia our tour guide was excellent and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend 👍

Very good tour. Tour guide excellent

Pur guide Savina was super nice, the Basilica is stunning and the information was clear. I would really recomend it this tour!

Incredible experience! We enjoyed skipping the long lines and exploring St Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace with a knowledgeable guide — the history and architecture were fascinating. The visit to the glass factory added a fun and unique touch to the day. Really worth it if you want a smooth, enriching way to see Venice’s highlights!

Our guide was fantastic. He shared so many stories and details that helped us appreciate the Basilica's splendid architecture and mosaics even more. The Doge's Palace is also rich in history and its splendid rooms. But what fascinated us most was the visit to the Murano glass factory, where I bought it and a beautiful souvenir . I recommend this tour for a truly authentic Venice experience.

We had a great time visiting St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace, both were absolutely stunning. Our guide Rebecca was super nice and answered all our curious questions, and the host made everything easy and well organized. The glass factory demonstration was also a highlight. Watching the artisan at work was fascinating. So glad we did this tour!

Venezia is breathtaking and having a guided tour was perfect choice! We entered Saint Mark’s Basilica with a guide and enjoyed the whole experience. I was with my little brother so I can say the tour is also kid friendly. It was easy to find the meeting point. The customer service was very professional. What I like the most was our guide! You could tell he loves his job. He answered all the questions and also sometimes was making little jokes so kids were also attentive and enjoyed the tour.

This tour was well organized and very enjoyable. St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace were stunning, and the guide provided clear and interesting explanations. The glass factory visit was a nice extra and fun to watch. Everything ran smoothly. Highly recommended for a first visit to Venice!

Tour guide must be knowledgable but was an arrogant person. His interaction with people(us) was kind of insensitive. I was disappointed with the experience me and my family got after paying so much money.

It's a beautiful tour, with highly qualified guides (ours was an art history teacher. To avoid during Easter because there are too many people and this creates problems.

Sabina has been great, very pleasant and you could tell she knew a lot about the history of Venice. It has been very pleasant and we have learned a lot for her. Thank you.

Nothing to say, wonderful experience! My girlfriend was enchanted by St. Mark's Basilica, the guide Cinzia was very good and very kind, we really enjoyed with this agency in fact we booked with them to visit the Colosseum and the Vatican in Rome! super satisfied!

Two really interesting hours, congratulations to the guide who was able to entertain us without boring us for the duration of the visit. My favorite part was seeing with my own eyes the glass processing. Recommended really.

The tour was a very good way to get to know some of the most important places in Venice in one visit. It began at St. Mark’s Basilica, where the guide clearly explained the history, mosaics and religious importance of the place. The visit is relatively short, but enough to appreciate its artistic richness and understand why it is one of the symbols of the city. Then continue to the Doge's Palace, which is certainly one of the strongest points of the tour. The rooms are impressive and the guide’s explanations help you understand the political power that Venice had for centuries. The passage through the Bridge of Sighs adds a special touch to the visit. The last part of the tour includes a stop at a glass factory, where Murano’s glass work is demonstrated. It is interesting to see the artisan process, although this part may feel a bit more touristy and commercial compared to the other sites. As a point to improve, the tour can feel somewhat hasty, especially in St. Mark's Basilica, due to the large number of visitors and the limited time inside. Still, the tour is well organized and allows you to make the most of the time. Overall, it is a recommended tour for first-time visitors who want an overview of its history, art and traditions in a few hours.

A fantastic tour! Savina guide was super fun and quite nice to listen to, she understood all the information, apart from making us super friendly photos. I highly recommend it, with my friends we had a great time

I did this tour with my family and we loved it. We came from Peru and it was a perfect way to get to know Venice. The Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica are stunning, and the stories told in each place make the experience unique. Everything was very well organized and the service provided was excellent. We leave very happy and definitely recommend it.