Best of Venice Tour

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St. Mark's Basilica, St. Mark's Square, Doge's Palace

Pick-up, and skip-the-line tickets included!

Duration

about 3 hours

Skip-the-line tickets

Pick up at your hotel*

Flexible Starting time

Professional Guides

Activity level

moderate

St. Mark's Square

– St. Mark’s Basilica Tour
– Bell Tower (from outside)
– Procuratie (from outside)

Doge's Palace Tour

– Room of the Great Council
– Scala dei Giganti
– Scala d’Oro

The Prisons

– New Prisons
– Bridge of Sighs
– Cells of the prisoners

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Tour Description

Choose our Best of Venice Tour and enjoy the highlights of the most magical city with a private skip-the-line tour.

The ancient Republic of Venice is a unique and unforgettable place: its canals, amazing buildings, and romantic atmosphere make it a must-see place for everybody.

During our Best of Venice Tour, you will visit the most important sights in the lagoon: St. Mark’s Basilica, St. Mark’s Square, and the Doge’s Palace. Your private guide will lead you through the most fascinating areas of this charming city, and reveal the secrets of its most precious treasures.

1. St. Mark’s Basilica and Square

The tour begins in St. Mark’s Square, the heart of Venice.

Your guide will give you an engaging introduction to the history of the city, its legends and mysteries, and the development of St. Mark’s Square.

Then, you’ll enter the spectacular Basilica of St. Mark’s (with skip-the-line tickets), which is one of the most impressive churches in Italy.

St. Mark’s Basilica is where East and West meet, and where the Byzantine and Roman Catholic traditions merge to create something completely original.

You’ll learn about the history and architecture of this astonishing building, and admire its golden mosaics and elegant design.

Is the body of St. Mark the Evangelist really kept in the Basilica? And how did it get there? Take advantage of your private guide’s expert knowledge, and ask as many questions as you want!

2. The Doge’s Palace

Your Best of Venice Tour will continue with a visit to the Doge’s Palace, the residence of the city Rulers.

This impressive building is one of the masterpieces of Gothic architecture.

Your private guide will lead you through its marvelous rooms, where you can admire famous paintings by Tintoretto, Veronese, Tiziano, and other masters of the Venetian Renaissance.

The Doge’s Palace was not only the seat of Venetian power, but also a courthouse and a jail.

3. The Bridge of Sighs

On your way out, you will cross the famous Bridge of Sighs to reach the Prigioni Nuove (New Prisons).

Your guide will tell you the story of the most famous prisoner in the Doge’s Palace: Giacomo Casanova. The renowned Venetian seducer spent more than a year in the nearby “Piombi” prison. But he finally managed to escape through the roof, and leave the city on a gondola.

Don’t waste your time with a big group. Book our Venice Tour and enjoy a private tour with a guide who will be there just for you. Let us show you the best of Venice, and turn your vacation into an unforgettable experience.

And for the perfect ending to the day, why not go on a gondola ride after the tour? Just ask your guide for information.

IMPORTANT INFO!

Pick up is included only if you’re staying within the pick up area. If your hotel is not in the pick up area, let us know and we will find the best solution.

You MUST bring an ID, a passport or a driver’s license to enter the sights.

Your knees and shoulders must be covered to enter St. Mark’s

Pricing

440 € for 1 person
90 € per additional person

What's included

Skip-the-line tickets

Pick-up at your hotel

if within the pick-up area

Book now!

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October 2024

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Send us a message using the form below, contact us via

Whatsapp, or call us at +39 376 165 1457

Italian ArtVentures' Feedbacks

We were amazed by the service we received in Rome and even in Benevento. Giovanni went above and beyond to organize tours and transportation for our family of 15 traveling. Massimo was an incredible and knowledgeable tour guide in Rome. He made it fun for the kids and knew when to take a break. Provided water and an amazing lunch spot for us all. We still are talking about some of the stories he told us. Stefano met us at the train in Benevento and was only supposed to drive us through San Bartolomeo, my father's hometown. But he pulled up my father's and grandfather's genealogy and found some interesting facts that were amazing to find out. He printed and laminated it for us to take. It was an emotional day but such a wonderful part of the trip. The minibus was perfect for everyone to fit comfortably and head over to Almafi. Thank you Giovanni and your amazing staff for making this trip one of the most memorable trips ever!!!

Giovanni was so exceptional at his job that you left the trip feeling torn between wanting to tell the World and also keeping him a best kept secret. Everything that he had orchestrated happened, seamlessly for us as if he had choreographed the entire country of Italy to show up, act, behave on queue. I put together a lot of trips, all over the world, for a group of around 20 friends each adventure. As the chief coordinator, you are always a little concerned about third party tours and tour guides: will everyone show up, is this a scam, can they speak English? Giovanni had infinite patience answering my questions and provided so much detail about our adventure, that everyone knew what to expect ahead of time. He took into consideration everyone’s interest, abilities and aptitudes. We saw a side of Italy that felt intimate and entertaining. There are not enough stars in the galaxy to award him.

What a great experience for me and my family to have these private tours planned by Giovanni. We wanted a curated set of events during our time in Rome and Florence and Gio delivered such a wonderful set of activities to suit my husband and I and our two teenagers. Each of the four days was a memorable experience. Alex was so fantastic and I would recommend him highly- we had one our best meals with him just learning from him and having great conversation. Andres in Florence was a blast and incredibly connected to the history of the area, just a wealth of information so much so that we are definitely coming back to Florence to spend more time. Caterina walked us through the Roman ruins and the Colosseum which was awe inspiring. And, one of the best things we did which I highly recommend is a pasta making class with Romina. We learned to make two dishes with her and then ate the food we had prepared. Such a great way to spend our time connecting to Roma. Thank you Gio and to all our guides! We will cherish our memories made together.

Giovanni-thank you for a wonderful itinerary of guided visits to all the sights in Rome! We so appreciated the communication and detailed planning that ensured our visits to the Vatican/St. Peter's, Colosseum, Hadrian's Villa and Florence came off without a hitch.
Your guides are so friendly and knowledgeable. They made the history accessible and enriching.
You covered every detail, down to lunch reservations, business class train tickets and wonderful air-conditioned transportation with friendly drivers!
Thank you again for all the e-mails to develop a personalized itinerary for a special trip! We give you 5 1/2 stars on a 5 star scale!

I highly recommend Italian ArtVentures. We decided to use a private tour company, rather than the cruise ship excursions, and we were not disappointed. Giovanni was excellent at planning. We booked a tour in Rome and Pompeii. Giovanni was able to customize a tour that was special to us, so we could visit the LDS temple. Maria was our guide at the Vatican. She was fun, smart, and thoughtful. She translated for us as needed and was able to answer all of our questions. One major bonus of having a tour guide is skipping the line for St. Peter's Basilica. Our driver was awesome, traveling quickly and safely. The van was new, clean, and comfortable. We asked for a restaurant recommendation, and Giovanni made us reservations for Amalfi. It was incredible. The next day, we went to Pompeii with Stefano. He was fantastic. He made sure we saw the highlights and we avoided the crowds because of his expertise in the area. Booking was simple, communication was excellent, the cost was well worth what you get. This company is very professional. Totally awesome experience!

Truly outstanding experience visiting the Vatican with Maria! She was the perfect guide - knowledgable, smart, funny, passionate about the subject matter. She had a deep knowledge of the art, architecture, history, and the religious significance of the whole area, and gave us thoughtful, interesting commentary throughout our tour. Although she seemed to have a bottomless knowledge of everything, she also knew how to present the information in a way that was considered, insightful, and crucially, not too overwhelming for us. As we walked, she called attention to many things, some big, others details that could easily be missed. She was well prepared, but also brilliant at answering questions and flexible about following our interests. Several times she pointed out a small detail, then drew a connection back to it later in the tour. She knew the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, courtyard and Basilica like the back of her hand, steering us to less crowded routes and perfect viewing vantages. One of us is Catholic, and one of us loves art, and Maria brilliantly held both our interests throughout the tour. Highly Recommend!