• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Experience the splendor of Venice like never before on a private tour that unveils the history and artistry of St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace. With a local art historian as your guide, skip the lines and delve into the heart of Venetian power and faith.

Destination

Venice, Italy

Category

Skip The Line Tours

Duration

3 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

العربية, English, Français, Italiano, Deutsch, Hrvatski, Српски, Español

Included

• Private Guide
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Skip The Line Tickets to St. Mark's Basilica - 24 EUR To be paid directly to the host
• Skip The Line Tickets to Doge's Palace - 30 EUR To be paid directly to the host
• In the event of unexpected closure of St. Mark's Basilica alternative visits to San Zaccaria Church or the Correr Museum are arranged

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 9 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at In Front of Caffe Florian, Venice - Venice to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Meetig Point

   In front of Caffè Florian - Venice

4. Explore Piazza San Marco

   Start with Context: Gather at the iconic Piazza San Marco, where your guide will provide an introduction to Venice’s historical and architectural landscape.

5. Priority Entry to St. Mark’s Basilica or Alternative Site

   Enter the basilica without delay, or visit San Zaccaria Church or the Correr Museum if the basilica is closed, allowing more time to appreciate the art and history with narratives that bring the past alive.

6. Exclusive Tour of the Doge’s Palace

   Inside the Seat of Power: Skip the regular line and explore the lavish rooms, artwork, and hidden corners of the Doge’s Palace, learning about its role in Venetian history.

7. Crossing the Bridge of Sighs

   A Historical Crossing: Walk through the Bridge of Sighs, experiencing the poignant route taken by prisoners going to the cells, and learn about its legendary name.

8. Optional Customization

   Tailor Your Experience: Based on your interests, choose to delve deeper into specific aspects of Venetian history, art, or architecture, or add a relaxing finish in a nearby café

9. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Antonio🇺🇸 United States

(About local Lucia Bondetti )

7 August 2025

Lucia was the most gracious, cheerful, knowledgeable guide tour ever!!!… You could not ask for a better one, more that a guide she treats you like an old cherished friend, always available and attentive of your needs, even before arriving to Venice and during yoir whole stay, she is always there for you, recommending places, making sure you find your way around and most importantly, that you enjoy Venice and learn about its amazing history at the same time… my whole family agreed that Lucia’s tour was the highlight of our trip to Venice, so, if you see her available do not hesitate… she is simply amazing!!!… Thank you so much Lucia!!!Simply Amazing!!!

Ken🇺🇸 United States

(About local Monica)

31 July 2025

Monica is the perfect your guide! Highly recommend Great experience

ROGER🇺🇸 United States

(About local Roko)

16 July 2025

Roko made our tour of Saint Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace in Venice absolutely unforgettable. His knowledge of the history and details was incredible—every corner had a story, and he shared it with such passion. He was super friendly, making everyone feel at ease, and answered every question we threw at him (well, except for ones about James Bond movies that were filmed in Venice, lol). Highly recommend Roko for an engaging, insightful experience! Thank you RokoHoward family

Nicole🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local rocco)

21 June 2025

Great skip the line tour seeing and listening to Venetian history in a fun way. So much history

david🇩🇪 Germany

(About local rocco)

19 June 2025

Rocco's tour of St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace in Venice was very informative and enjoyable. His explanations of the artwork, architecture, and room functions of both the church and the palace were highly contextualized from the perspective of the Doges of Venice, which helped us to imagine life during the times of the Doges. We appreciated how he navigated our small group through the palace amongst larger tour groups—we always felt like we were getting a personal tour and not lost in a crowd. The Doges' Perspective

Barbara

(About local Mina)

18 June 2025

Mina was a very informative guide for the ducal palace and the basilica. I learned so much more than I expected and learned some wonderful stories about St. Peter and St. Marc. My background is art and architectural history so Mina was the perfect person to lead us through the 2 sites. Great morning with a fun and really interesting person.Wonderful morning

Valerie

(About local rocco)

15 June 2025

If you want to see Venice through the eyes of someone who truly understands its soul, book a tour with Rocco. His expertise, warmth, and enthusiasm make this iconic city even more magical. His insights into the political intrigue and the city’s legal system added a whole new dimension to the experience. Rocco’s expert storytelling made the glittering mosaics and intricate altars even more impressive. He shared fascinating details about the religious motifs and the basilica’s unique architectural blend of Gothic and Byzantine styles, ensuring we appreciated every detail. Five stars without hesitation! Definitely a trip highlight for us!Unforgettable and just perfect!

Jennifer L🇺🇸 United States

(About local Federico)

14 June 2025

Federico provided my 19 year old daughter and I with an outstanding personalized tour of the Basilica and Palace. He shared the history and stories associated with this two locations to make the tour enjoyable, educational, and memorable. I highly recommend private tours with Federico. It’s saves you precious vacation time and makes the Basilica and Doge’s Palace approachable and understandable without feeling overwhelmed. Jennifer L. K. (United States)Dont miss this tour with Federico!

Mark🇺🇸 United States

(About local Lucia Bondetti )

6 June 2025

Lucia is a warm, knowledgeable and organized guide who tailored our tour to our requests. Her energy and enthusiasm made for a wonderful way to see major sites in beautiful Venezia.A beautiful experience

Graham🇺🇸 United States

(About local Federico)

28 May 2025

Federico was amazingly knowledgeable and entertaining and the palace and st marks visits were so much better with a guide) My only question was why we stood in line for 40 minutes listening to the history of Venice (which was super informative) when we could have paid a little extra for skip the line tickets and spent more time walking in the area for a history tour (unless of course that isn’t how skip the line works) Fun and informative

Dimitris🇬🇷 Greece

(About local Roko)

10 May 2025

Lisa🇺🇸 United States

(About local Mina)

5 May 2025

Mina is a great guide. Very knowledgeable. Very personable. We highly recommend his tour.Great tour!

Frances🇺🇸 United States

(About local Roko)

19 April 2025

1

Roko was very pleasant, knowledgeable about Venice history, and courteous to our concerns. We paid over $500 for the two of us to tour these two sights (entry is free) and received communication that “skip the line” tickets for the Basilica were sold out but we could still stand in line. We responded to the message with questions but received no response. We considered canceling the tours but the website instructions were circular with no clear instructions for cancellation and we didn’t want to lose our money. THEN the Basilica was closed in preparation for Easter! A tour company have been aware of this in advance.No St Marks Basilica

Cameron🇺🇸 United States

(About local Mina)

24 March 2025

Our tour with Mina was an absolute highlight of our time in Venice! He made three hours fly by with his incredible depth of knowledge, engaging storytelling, and well-paced approach. Even our 16-year-old, who isn’t always easily impressed, said this was one of the best parts of the trip. Mina didn’t just provide facts; he truly brought the history of St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace to life in a way that was both fascinating and accessible. He answered every question we had with ease, kept the tour flowing perfectly, and even shared great local recommendations, including a fantastic lunch spot and where to find the best spritz. If you're looking for a tour that is insightful, well-structured, and genuinely enjoyable, Mina is the one to book. We couldn’t recommend him more highly!History & storytelling perfectly combined!

r6fkjpj4nr🇺🇸 United States

(About local Elisabetta)

3 March 2025

We really enjoyed our time with Elisabetta. It was exactly as expected and even more. She is kind and knowledgeable guide Learned so much!!!

Mason🇺🇸 United States

(About local Lucia Bondetti )

26 February 2025

Lucia was an excellent guide. She is very knowledgeable as well as fun, enthusiastic and professional. We had fun exploring and learning about these important Venetian landmarks. Thanks Lucia!Palazzo Ducale and St. Marks Basilica

David🇫🇷 France

(About local Valentina)

22 February 2025

Valentina a su transmettre ses connaissances de la basilique et du palais, en nous captivant. C'est une jeune femme très sympathique et très compétente. Nous recommandons vivement ses services pour profiter à fond de la visite.Parfaite maîtrise de son sujet

David🇺🇸 United States

(About local Valentina)

29 December 2024

We were a family of five with young kids and Valentina made the tour very engaging for all ages. She was very patient and kind, and overall made the tour a great experience for everyone. Very knowledgeable and family friendly.

Benjamin🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Valerio)

25 November 2024

Wir hatten das große Glück, Valerio als unseren Städteführer zu haben – und es war einfach fantastisch! Die Führung war spannend und unglaublich lehrreich. Valerio hat es geschafft, uns die Stadt auf eine ganz besondere Weise näherzubringen. Besonders beeindruckt haben uns die vielen tollen Tipps und Empfehlungen für Sehenswürdigkeiten und ‘places to go’, die wir ohne ihn wahrscheinlich nie entdeckt hätten. Vielen Dank für diese unvergessliche Erfahrung, Valerio! Wir kommen definitiv wieder!Einfach Klasse

Annette

(About local Valerio)

6 November 2024

Wir haben Valeria für eine Führung durch den Dogenpalast gebucht. Er hat auf unsere Anfrage sofort reagiert und geantwortet. Valerio spricht ein sehr gutes Deutsch und ist auch super auf unsere Kinder eingegangen. Die Führung war interessant und mit vielen Zusatzinformationen gespickt. Wir können Valerio guten Gewissens weiterempfehlen !!!Top Führung

Cindy🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Lucia Bondetti )

25 September 2024

I can’t say enough wonderful things about our tour with Lucia. In the days leading up to the tour she shared suggestions on areas of Venice to visit, restaurants, and arranged for free private tour of a glass factory on Murano. She responded very quickly to all my questions, bought skip the line tickets well in advance, and confirmed our arrangements in advance so I wouldn’t worry. The tour itself exceeded our expectations. Her knowledge about the Basilica, Palace and history of Venice was impressive and so very interesting. Having a private tour is the way to go and trust me - you want to book in advance to make sure Lucia is available. You will be so thankful you did!Amazing Tour with Lucia!

Marc🇺🇸 United States

(About local Elisabetta)

30 August 2024

Elizabetta is an absolute diamond. Incredibly well informed, sweet, friendly, you really couldn’t ask for more. Fantastic

Maria🇺🇸 United States

(About local Federico)

29 July 2024

Dorothy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Elisabetta)

9 September 2025

Elisabetta was very responsive, on time and very knowledgeable. We really enjoyed her tour and learned a lot about Venetian history. She also added a couple of hidden gems that were delightful! At the end, she also gave us dinner recommendations that were great.Wonderful Experience!

Jennifer 🇨🇦 Canada

(About local rocco)

5 September 2025

Rocco was a wonderful guide. He was extremely knowledgeable and informative in an interesting way. He was kind, funny and a pleasure to spend time with. Would highly recommend Roco for a tour of Basilica St Marc and the Doge Palace. Rocco was terrific

Kim🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Roko)

19 August 2025

Rokko was very informative, friendly & professional. It was a great way to be able to explore Venice without a crowd. Rokko was a wealth of knowledgeable and our 3 hour tour was very enjoyable. I highly recommend Rokko.A great look at the otherside of Venice.

Andreas🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Monica)

19 August 2025

Wir waren zum ersten Mal in Venedig und Monica hat uns einen wunderbaren Überblick über die Highlights der Stadt und ihre Geschichte gegeben. Es hat Spaß gemacht und wir haben zudem viel erfahren und gelernt. Auch die vielen Anmerkungen zum Alltagsleben und die Tipps für Besucher fanden wir top. So stellt man sich einen Spaziergang mit einem Local vor! Danke Monica!Ein toller erster Tag in Venedig!

Richard

(About local Valerio)

18 August 2025

Valerio was a terrific guide who customized the experience for our small group and allowed us to see a great deal of Venice. In my view, absent a guide you will wander and not fully appreciate what you are seeing. Valerio was not only knowledgeable but managed to give us context and make all the arrangements necessary to see all of the important sites. He then gave us time on our own to explore but again providing the us the guidance as to how to get around and what to do and see. He was enormously helpful in arranging for great restaurants and ensuring we had great experiences there and the food at all of the establishments was excellent. I would highly advise using Valerio as he greatly enhanced our total experience both through his knowledge and making the arrangements to see a great deal of Venice and the islands of Murano and Burano. He also guide us to places to shop that were reputable. Venice is a marvelous city but crowded and absent someone to guide, would be, in my opinion, overwhelming. Valerio truly enhanced our entire experience and our entire little group was very appreciative of his knowledge and providing us an unforgettable experience. Outstanding experience

Henry

(About local Valerio)

13 August 2025

We met Valerio at the Murano Faro lighthouse with three other friendly participants. He began by providing an engaging historical overview before guiding us to an exclusive display of glass art and impressive chandeliers, showcasing the potential beyond vases and cups. Highlights included visiting a the Wave glas factory to watch authentic production (not a staged demo), followed by a lovely lampworking demo + workshop with Monica that contrasted nicely with our own technique background. Valerio also arranged a stop at the Effetre Murano factory we really wanted to see since we used to source our lamp working rods there and was super helpful with logistics before the trip and tips afterward. An awesome, memorable experience—highly recommended.Fantastic tour for glass lovers!

Laurent🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Mina)

29 July 2025

He did a wonderful job. It was perfect Just perfect

Sue🇺🇸 United States

(About local Lucia Bondetti )

23 July 2025

Lucia was a fantastic guide to Cannaregio and the Jewish ghetto. She clearly loves her city and she is extremely knowledgeable. We felt like we were visiting the neighborhood of a friend, getting to meet the people who live and work in the neighborhood and experience a completely different—and quieter!—side of Venice. We learned a lot. Lucia even helped us discover the perfect gift to bring home to our daughter. We will come back to Venice, and we will book with her again. Grazie mille, Lucia! A dopo!Wonderful afternoon in Cannaregio!

Charri

(About local Mina)

20 July 2025

Mina’s knowledge, friendliness and ability to tailor a tour to his group”s knowledge, age and capacities was much appreciated by our group. He is the best tour guide we have ever had in 30 years of travel 😊 we highly highly recommend Mina as a guide to Venice. Amazing experience

Stephanie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Elisabetta)

15 July 2025

Elisabetta met us where we were staying, the day we arrived in Venice. It was the perfect way to start our trip, we walked most of the city, learning bits of history along the way. We stopped at what became our favorite cafe of the trip - with the most delicious pastries and cappuccino. It felt like walking through the city with a friend, so relaxed and welcoming. Elisabetta gave us a wonderful restaurant recommendation, which ended up being one of our best meals on the trip. I feel like we hit the jackpot with Elisabetta, and couldn’t have asked for a better way to see Venice through a locals eyes. Our kids (10 & 8) enjoyed it, too! Thank you for such a great experience! Wonderful!

James🇱🇺 Luxembourg

(About local Mina)

13 July 2025

After being transferred to 3 different guides and them trying to negotiate a different time to what we requested, we were finally allocated Mina as our guide. And he did not disappoint!! He was incredibly knowledgeable, took us to all the popular tourist points but also took us down roads that were more local with less people. We tried some local food and he showed us where they sell the best Aperol! Thank you so much, Mina, for bringing Venice to life for me and my family!!

Stacie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Valentina)

12 July 2025

Valentina was very nice and personable. She had a mini-scavenger hunt for the kids as well. She was very knowledgeable about specific sites but I left the tour wishing I understood a little more about how all the sites we saw fit together to make up the story of Venice. Good Tour

Amanda🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Valentina)

8 July 2025

Valentina was a fantastic tour guide. Spending time with her orientating ourselves in the city was a great experience. We learnt so much. Thanks Valentina. Great tour guide

Krystal🇺🇸 United States

(About local Valerio)

7 July 2025

We had a fantastic off-the-beaten-path tour of Venice with Valerio, guiding our mixed group that included kids and grandparents. He was incredibly knowledgeable and engaging, tailoring the experience to our pace and interests. Valerio kept the kids curious and entertained, answered all our questions with enthusiasm, and was more than happy to make extra stops when we needed. His patience, warmth, and sense of fun made the tour a highlight of our trip. Highly recommend!Great, family-friendly guide

Randy and Jen🇺🇸 United States

(About local rocco)

3 July 2025

Rocco, was right on time for a very hot afternoon. Kept us in shade and told us amazing stories about popular and hidden spots in Venice. It was like having an afternoon with a professional historian, would highly recommend to everyone!Wonderul Hidden Gens Tour!

Erica

(About local rocco)

22 June 2025

Rocco was a great guide showing us the hidden areas of San Marco area of Venice. He was super flexible when we ran into some travel delays. Highly recommend!Knowledgeable and Accommodating Guide

Mike🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local rocco)

16 June 2025

A Cool Tour For Both Kids & Adults

Jill🇺🇸 United States

(About local Elisabetta)

14 June 2025

We had a marvelous tour with Elizabetta. She was knowledgeable, friendly and so helpful. We toured St Mark’s cathedral and the Doge palace. She included the perfect amount of facts and information. She went above and beyond helping to answer a phone call and translate information for us. Elizabetta was the best

Andrew🇺🇸 United States

(About local Valentina)

12 June 2025

Vera🇸🇰 Slovakia

(About local rocco)

11 June 2025

It was a great pleasure to have tour with Rocco! Very interesting, oriented and flexible guide!

Ann

(About local Valerio)

5 June 2025

Our day with Valerio was amazing! After meeting at the local fish market, we went to his home on murano to prepare a meal. It was delicious and so fun to feel like a local. Our tour of murano included stops to learn about glass blowing. Our daughter got to make her own glass bead and then we toured a glass showroom which was beautiful. Don’t hesitate to book this memorable tour- Valerio is outstanding!Amazing Day

Erin🇺🇸 United States

(About local Federico)

2 June 2025

Federico was a great tour guide for Venice! We have two kids ages 14 and 10 and they were interested and engaged in the tour. Federico kept the tour interesting and funny! He brought us to an amazing gelato place and gave us great ideas for after the tour. The 4 of us really enjoyed the day and learned so much. After The tour both of our kids said how much they loved the tour and that Federico was by far the best tour guide we have ever had! Fantastic tour of Venice!

Randy

(About local Valentina)

1 June 2025

Valentina created an amazing tour that were to spots we hadn't seen before. She was able to show us the quiet and charming spots of Venice. The information she shared was interesting and we had a delightful 3 hours with her. We would recommend her customized tours of Venice.Something new

Cornelia

(About local Valerio)

26 May 2025

Valerio macht den Spaziergang durch Canareggio und San Polo weit über die Brunetti-Informationen hinaus interessant. Wer weiß schon, wie die Hausnummern zustande kommen oder wo die Bestattungskirche aus dem Film "Wenn die Gondeln Trauer tragen" liegt? Die Restaurant Empfehlungen, die man noch zusätzlich bekommt, sind eine echte Empfehlung. Vielen Dank, Valerio!mehr als Brunetti ...

Edmund 🇺🇸 United States

(About local Roko)

11 May 2025

We had a great tour with Roko! He was very informative, made sure our needs were met, gave us recommendations & taught us a lot about Venice! Would recommend taking a tour with Roko to anyone interested in knowing more about the history of Venice! Wonderful tour!

Dolores🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Monica)

10 May 2025

Monica ist eine sehr versierte und menschlich,kulturell sehr kompetente Person, welche es versteht die Führung mit gutem Gespür den Bedürfnissen der Gruppe anzupassen. Ihre motivierenden und sehr interessanten Ausführungen und die vielen persönlichen Kontakte zu Menschen - auch abseits der üblichen touristischen Aktivitäten, macht eine Führung mit ihr zum kostbaren Erlebnis dieser Stadt! Venedig mit ihr zu entdecken war ein highlight dieser Reise 👌🏻Aussergewöhnliche. Venedig Tour mit Monica

Andrea🇺🇸 United States

(About local Roko)

6 May 2025

Roko made our visit to Doges Palace extra special. He was very informative and engaging and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with him. I will recommend Roko to anyone who is visiting Venice. Excellent tour of Venice with Roko