St Mark's Basilica Tour with Pala d'Oro and Museum

A St Mark's Basilica tour with fast-track entry gets you inside without a wait and takes in the basilica, its museum and the terrace. A guide leads a small group, and audio headsets come with it. The whole visit lasts about an hour.

You enter through the Porta San Pietro, under the Dome of Genesis, and walk the lower level among the golden mosaics. Next comes the high altar, which holds the relics of Saint Mark, and right behind it the Pala d'Oro, a Gothic goldsmith's masterpiece famous for its beauty and state of preservation.

Then the route climbs:

• the Scala dei Foresti staircase up to the museum
• the mosaics seen close up, with Flemish and Medici tapestries, altar frontals and Persian carpets
• the Horses of St. Mark
• the Loggia dei Cavalli, a terrace with a panoramic view over St. Mark's Square

The visit ends on the terrace, high above the square. Souvenirs, optional gratuities for the guide and hotel transfers are not included.