St Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace and its prisons with a guide and timed entry, then a shared gondola. One booking for a first morning in Venice.
- Free cancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours before the start, with a full refund
- DurationAbout 3.5 hours; up to 9.5 hours with the Murano and Burano option
- Starting timesTimes show for your date when you check availability; the operator says tour times can change
- LanguagesEnglish
Doge's Palace tickets come with a guide, St Mark's Basilica and a gondola ride on this tour, which costs $151 per person and lasts about 3.5 hours. It is the best-rated gondola combo among the Venice listings this site compared, at 4.7 from 726 reviews. You meet in St Mark's Square, enter the basilica and the Doge's Palace with timed tickets, cross the Bridge of Sighs inside the prisons, and finish with a shared 30-minute gondola ride for up to five people per boat. Bought alone, the Doge's Palace ticket costs €35 at the door, or €30 online at least 30 days ahead. The guide speaks English, and a full-day option adds Murano and Burano.
Book a Gondola RideKey facts
doge's palace and gondola combo- Duration
- About 3.5 hours; up to 9.5 hours with the Murano and Burano option
- Starts
- Times show for your date when you check availability; the operator says tour times can change
- Meeting point
- St Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco 3)
- Price
- $151 per person
- Entry ticket included
- Yes
- Languages
- English
- Group size
- Up to 25 people on the walking tour; up to 5 per gondola
- Accessibility
- Not wheelchair accessible and not suitable for guests with mobility issues
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start, with a full refund
Included
- ✓ English-speaking guide
- ✓ Timed entry ticket and guided tour of St Mark's Basilica (the listing values the ticket at €12 per person)
- ✓ Timed entry ticket and guided tour of the Doge's Palace
- ✓ 30-minute shared gondola ride, up to 5 people per boat
- ✓ Glass-blowing and lace-making demonstrations, if you choose the full-day option
- ✓ Round-trip boat to Murano and Burano, if you choose the full-day option
Not included
- ✗ Food and drinks
- ✗ Tips for the guide
- ✗ Luggage or large bags, strollers, shorts, short skirts and sleeveless shirts
Meeting point
P.za San Marco, 3, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy — The tour meets in St Mark's Square; the listing has two meeting points, set by the option you book, and your confirmation gives the exact spot. Bring a passport or ID card: the name on your ticket must match it to enter the basilica.
How do you get tickets to the Doge's Palace?
You can buy Doge's Palace tickets from the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, which runs the palace, or as part of a guided tour like this one. The official St Mark's Square Museums ticket costs €35 (about $39) at the standard rate, €30 (about $33) online if you buy at least 30 days ahead, and €15 reduced. It also covers the Museo Correr, the National Archaeological Museum and the monumental rooms of the Marciana Library, but no guide. This tour includes timed entry to the palace and to St Mark's Basilica, an English-speaking guide in both, and a gondola ride, for $151 per person.
Is the combo worth it against buying each part?
Bought separately, the three parts cost about €92 (about $103) per person for a couple and about €70 (about $77) per person for a group of four. That counts the €35 palace ticket, the €12 basilica ticket the listing quotes, and your share of a whole gondola at the official €90 day fare. The tour costs $151, so you pay roughly $48 to $74 per person for the guide, the timed entries and a gondola arranged for you. Note one difference: on the tour the gondola is shared, up to five per boat, so a couple may ride with strangers. Bought alone, the €90 gondola is yours.
The itinerary, stop by stop
The listing sets the order. You meet in St Mark's Square for about 10 minutes of sights, with a photo stop at the bell tower. Then comes a guided visit of St Mark's Basilica, about 20 minutes inside. The Doge's Palace follows, for about 75 minutes, ending with the New Prisons and the Bridge of Sighs, which you cross on foot. After a 20-minute break for a snack, the guide walks you a few blocks to the gondolier for a shared ride of about 30 minutes, which counts boarding and getting off. The gondolier does not guide. The full-day option then adds a private boat to Murano for glass-blowing and Burano for lace-making.
Dress code, ID and security checks
St Mark's Basilica refuses entry to anyone, men or women, whose knees and shoulders are not covered, and the listing bans shorts, short skirts and sleeveless shirts on the tour. The basilica also checks a government-issued ID, and the name you enter at checkout must match it, so book under the names on your passports. Every site has a security check, which can mean a short wait. Luggage, large bags and strollers are not allowed, and the tour is not suitable for wheelchair users or guests with mobility issues. The operator says tour times can shift, so keep the day flexible.
St Mark's Basilica tickets on their own
If you only want the basilica, the listing values its timed entry at €12 per person. This tour is for travelers who want the basilica and the palace together with a guide; the basilica is about 20 minutes of it. For the area around both, read our San Marco neighborhood guide, and for where this fits in a day or two in the city, see the Venice itinerary.
How it compares with the other combos
Two other listings mix the same sights with a gondola. A 4.5-hour tour of the basilica and the palace with the gondola as an option costs $129 per person. A group tour of St Mark's, the Doge's Palace and Rialto with a gondola starts at $44 per person, but that price is for its 30-minute gondola-only option; the full combination costs more. If you only want to see the Bridge of Sighs from the water, the Bridge of Sighs gondola ride costs $44 per person.
| Item | On this tour | Bought separately |
|---|---|---|
| Doge's Palace entry | Timed entry, guided 75 minutes | €35 standard, €30 online 30+ days ahead (about $39 / $33), no guide |
| St Mark's Basilica entry | Timed entry, guided | €12 per the listing (about $13) |
| Gondola ride | Shared, about 30 minutes, up to 5 per boat | €90 by day for the whole boat (about $100) |
| Guide | English, all morning | Not included |
| Total per person | $151 | about $103 for a couple, about $77 in a group of four |
What reviewers consistently say
- All 10 of the most recent reviews (June to October 2026) give 5 stars.
- 9 of the 10 praise the guide, often by name, for knowledge or storytelling.
- 3 of the 10 single out the gondola ride as a highlight.
- 2 of the 10 took the full-day option with Murano and Burano; 1 found the afternoon weaker than the morning.
- 1 of the 10 had trouble hearing the guide when the microphone cut out.
Who should not book this
- Couples who want a gondola to themselves
- Wheelchair users, guests with mobility issues, and families with strollers
- Travelers who only want the Doge's Palace and are happy without a guide
- Anyone who cannot cover knees and shoulders or show ID matching the booking
-
Venice: St. Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace & Gondola Ride
$129Basilica and palace with skip-the-line entry in 4.5 hours, with the gondola as an option; rated 4.7 from 106 reviews.
Check availability -
Venice: St. Mark's, Doge's Palace, Rialto, and Gondola Tour
$44Adds a walk to Rialto; the starting price is for the gondola-only option, and the full tour costs more. Rated 4.7 from 408 reviews.
Check availability
How to book
Choose the half-day tour or the full-day option with Murano and Burano, and enter every traveler's name exactly as on their passport or ID. Dress with knees and shoulders covered. Meet in St Mark's Square at the spot on your confirmation. You can reserve now and pay later, and cancel for free up to 24 hours before. This site may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
This site may earn a commission on bookings at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked questions
How much are Doge's Palace tickets?
The official St Mark's Square Museums ticket, which includes the Doge's Palace, costs €35, or €30 online at least 30 days ahead, and €15 reduced. This guided tour with the basilica and a gondola costs $151 per person.
Does this tour include St Mark's Basilica?
Yes, with timed entry and a guide. The visit inside lasts about 20 minutes. Knees and shoulders must be covered and you need ID matching your booking.
Is the gondola ride private?
No. It is shared, up to five people per boat, and lasts about 25 to 30 minutes including boarding. The gondolier does not guide.
Do you walk across the Bridge of Sighs?
Yes. The Doge's Palace part of the tour includes the New Prisons and the Bridge of Sighs, which links the palace to them.
How long is the tour?
About 3.5 hours, including a 20-minute break. The full-day option with Murano and Burano runs up to 9.5 hours.
Is the tour wheelchair accessible?
No. The operator says it is not wheelchair accessible or suitable for guests with mobility issues, and strollers are not allowed.
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