Dive into the power and glory of Venice two most iconic sights on this exclusive Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace walking tour. Our carefully planned private Venice tour will transport you back to the golden age of power that Venice wielded for centuries, shedding light on the gilded Basilica and the mighty Palace.

Private Venice Tour Overview

The elegant Piazza San Marco, the political and religious heart of the Floating City for over 1,000 years, is the starting point for this private Venice tour. Praised by Napoleon as the most beautiful drawing room in Europe, this spacious square is the only one in Venice to merit the title “piazza.” Its graceful Renaissance arches shelter some of the city’s most elegant shops and historic cafes.

Your guide will present the buildings in St. Mark’s Square, each of which had significance in the political, religious, and everyday lives of Venetians during the Empire. At the eastern end of the spacious piazza is the St. Mark’s Basilica, built in 1063. With its Byzantine style domes and its awe-inspiring gilded mosaics, the Basilica is a testament to Venice’s historical power as a sea-trading empire, and to its political links with both East and West.

St. Mark’s Basilica Skip the Line Tour

After learning about this famed square, get straight inside the Basilica where your guide will take you through the stories told in the sparkling mosaics. Unlike anything else in Italy, this Byzantine treasure trove includes golden mosaics, marbled inlaid floors, gem-encrusted altars and priceless works of art. Be awed by its beauty as your guide explains the art and the history in the Biblical scenes and spectacular architecture of Venice’s most illustrious masterpiece.

Doge's Palace Skip the Line Tour

Adjacent to the Basilica is the iconic palace of the city, residence of the Doge and seat of the Venetian government until Napoleon’s conquest in 1797. Today the Doge’s Palace houses myriad Renaissance masterpieces, including Tintoretto’s Paradiso, one of the largest paintings on canvas ever produced. The Doge’s Palace also contains the infamous Bridge of Sighs where prisoners took a last, wistful look of Venice before descending to the dank dungeons below.

Explore the treasures hidden inside as your guide leads to you to all the finest attractions that are accessible to the public. As you walk through the ornate rooms, your guide unveils secret stories of power and corruption including the tale of Marin Faliero, the only Doge to have been beheaded for treason whose portrait is covered by a black cloth. Marvel over ceilings frescoed by Tintoretto and discover the flattering works produced on demand by the masters of the time. 'Virtues of the Republic' in the Council Room was Veronese's rosy outlook on the state of his nation while 'The Triumph of Venice' in the Senate Hall was where Tintoretto paid his dues on a high ceiling.

In the Chamber of the Council of Ten, as you marvel over Veronese's 'Juno Bestowing Her Gifts on Venice,' your guide will point you in the direction of a dark corner, dwarfed by the vibrant masterpiece. This unassuming slot was where friends and foes condemned each other in the form of accusations - warranted or not - that were investigated and acted on with frightening brutality. Finally, walk through the Bridge of Sighs into the New Prisons where your guide will share why the bridge was given this nickname and how Casanova and generations of political and criminal prisoners spent their miserable last days before being executed.