Description
This St Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace guided tour starts outside, with your guide setting the scene on St. Mark's Square before you enter the basilica. Upstairs, the terrace gives a view over the lagoon and a close look at the famous bronze horses, along with the story of their journey to Paris and back in Napoleon's time.
If the basilica closes at short notice, the tour moves to the 15th-century Church of San Zaccaria and its flooded crypt, or to the Correr Museum, depending on availability. Next you use the priority entrance to the Doge's Palace, once the home of the head of the Republic of Venice. The route includes:
- the Chamber of the Great Council and the courtrooms
- frescoes by Tintoretto
- the Giants' Staircase
- the Bridge of Sighs, which leads to the New Prisons and was built in the 17th century
Your guide explains how the bridge got its name and how a city came to be built on a lagoon. Afterwards you can stay in the palace and explore on your own, using the guide's tips.
You choose between a shared group and a private tour; languages differ between the two, so check yours. The terrace stairs are steep and uneven, and the basilica asks for covered shoulders and knees and no large bags. Bring ID for the palace.