€ 980

Venice Orientation: St Mark Basilica and Doge with Gondola Ride

4.5 hours
Private Tour
Venice
First Time Visitor, Most Popular, Walking Tours

Venice Orientation: St Mark Basilica and Doge with Gondola Ride

A thorough introduction to Venice starting from St. Mark’s Square

Discover the enchanting beauty of Venice with a private walking tour that takes you through the city’s most iconic landmarks, combined with an unforgettable gondola ride. This exclusive experience is the perfect introduction to the Floating City, offering a deep dive into its rich history, stunning architecture, and unique culture.

Your journey begins in the heart of Venice at St. Mark’s Square, a breathtaking open space surrounded by architectural marvels. Visit the magnificent St. Mark’s Basilica, an extraordinary example of Byzantine architecture adorned with golden mosaics and intricate details that narrate centuries of history. Step inside to admire its opulent interiors, shimmering domes, and the priceless Pala d’Oro, a masterpiece of medieval craftsmanship.

Next, explore the legendary Doge’s Palace, once the political and administrative center of the Venetian Republic. Wander through its grand halls decorated with masterpieces by Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese, and learn about the powerful doges who ruled Venice for centuries. Cross the hauntingly beautiful Bridge of Sighs, where prisoners took their last glimpse of freedom before entering the dark dungeons.

As you continue your tour, stroll through Venice’s picturesque streets and charming hidden alleys, discovering lesser-known corners filled with history and local traditions. Your guide will share fascinating stories about the city’s rise as a maritime empire, its artistic legacy, and its unique way of life.

Conclude your experience with a serene gondola ride, gliding through Venice’s labyrinth of canals. Drift beneath historic bridges, past elegant palaces, and soak in the city’s romantic ambiance from the water. This private tour offers an immersive and personalized experience, allowing you to explore Venice at your own pace with the insights of a knowledgeable local guide.

1

St. Mark’s square

2

Doge’s Palace (inside)

3

Bridge of Sighs

4

The Prison

5

Basilica of St. Mark (inside)

6

Bell Tower

7

Clock-Tower

8

Fondaco dei Tedeschi

9

Grand Canal

10

Rialto bridge

11

Gondola ride (without the guide)

at Piazza San Marco under the two big columns San Marco and San Todaro https://goo.gl/maps/4B6TrgiHhbobR19n9:

Note: if you have an accommodation in the center of Venice, you can meet the guide at your accommodation

Venice Gongola

Venice Gongola

St Mark’s square in Venice, beautiful morning panorama, Italy

Wide shot of a person rowing a gondola on a river under The Bridge of Sighs in Venice, Italy

Worlds most beautiful square Piazza San Marco. Picture of the amazing historical square of San Marco in the lagoon city of stone Venice in Italy

St Mark clock tower in Venice

Water-traffic on Grand Canal in Venice

The Rialto Bridge in Venice on sunny summer day, Italy. Boat and people on the bridge a bit in motion blur!

Venice

Bridge over passing a canal surrounded by buildings

Street in Venice

EXCELLENT
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Based on 130 reviews
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Chynah Z profile picture
Chynah Z
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An absolutely amazing tour! Our tour of the Roman Forum and Colosseum with Yev was one of the highlights of our trip! Yev was incredibly knowledgeable, funny, personable, and engaging. He made the history fascinating and brought everything we were seeing to life. He was also incredibly patient with all of our questions, took the time to get some great group photos, and made the entire experience feel fun and personal. What truly set Yev apart was the care he showed toward my 78-year-old nana. He was so attentive to her throughout the tour, making sure she had plenty of opportunities to take breaks and easy access to water. He never made her feel rushed or like she was holding anyone back, and that meant so much to our family. Yev went above and beyond to make sure everyone had an incredible experience. We learned so much, laughed a lot, and made memories we’ll never forget. If you’re visiting Rome and considering a tour, book with Yev — you won’t regret it! 🇮🇹❤️
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Molli E
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Absolutely amazing! Guilia was absolutely amazing. Her wealth of knowledge was far beyond what we were expecting and it made everything we saw so much more meaningful. She was funny, kind, patient, and extremely well versed in Roman and world history. It was one of our most favorite days in Italy. Grazie mille!
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Michael M profile picture
Michael M
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Great Experience - Tour of Colosseum, Palatine Hill, St. Clemente Basilica Had a great tour and experience with Massimiliano! He was knowledgeable and personable. Took us to a quant, authentic restaurant for lunch... that was a bonus! Will definitely book with Crazy4Rome again in the future.
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Nikki G
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An Unforgettable Evening with Sonia & Lorenz We had the absolute pleasure of having Sonia and Lorenzo come to our VRBO in Italy to prepare a special dinner celebrating my in-laws’ 50th wedding anniversary, and they made the evening truly unforgettable. From start to finish, Sonia and Lorenzo were wonderful. They were warm, professional, incredibly accommodating, and clearly passionate about what they do. The food was absolutely incredible—each course was beautifully presented, fresh, authentic, and full of flavor. It felt like we had a five-star Italian restaurant right in our own home. What made the evening especially meaningful was the care and attention they put into the experience. This was a very special milestone for our family, and Sonia and Lorenzo helped make it feel even more memorable. Everything was handled so seamlessly, allowing us to simply relax, enjoy an amazing meal, and spend time together as a family. Everyone in our group absolutely loved the experience, and having Sonia and Lorenzo cook for us was truly one of the highlights of our trip to Italy. We cannot recommend them highly enough and would absolutely book them again the next time we are in Italy. Thank you, Sonia and Lorenzo, for helping us celebrate such a special occasion and for giving our family a memory we will always cherish! ❤️🇮🇹
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Nora B
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Amazing experience on a hot day! Although it was 100 degrees and we didn’t think we’d make it, Yevgeniyy was professional and passionate from beginning to end. He is extremely knowledgeable and explained every single detail to kids and adults. He knew short cuts and exactly where to go. Not a second was wasted. I would 100% use him again for any trip I’m Rome!
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Inken C profile picture
Inken C
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Fascinating time with Yev Yevgen was a wonderful guide! He was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, passionate and great at engaging my 12 and 14 year olds. We especially loved the underground portion of the Colosseum (fascinating and cool on a very hot July day). Highly recommend the guided experience as we learned a ton and didn’t have to wait in lines.
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Celine G profile picture
Celine G
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Our tour and tour guide were amazing! Our tour guide, Yevgen, was amazing! He was so knowledgeable, attentive to our needs and had a great sense of humor! Definitely recommend this company. It is our 2nd time using them and I have had great experiences both times.
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Celine G profile picture
Celine G
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Great tour & guide!! Amazing tour! Our tour guide Yevgen was so attentive, engaging, historically knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor! This was my 2nd tour with this company and when I come back, I will definitely use again!
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Kate R profile picture
Kate R
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Wonderful tour We requested for our tour to be in two languages (Italian and English), and they were able to accommodate our request. Matteo was amazing at switching between two languages as needed and had answers to absolutely all the questions. Definitely recommend for those who wish for a great experience.
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TLC
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Vatican Tour w/Tatyana Visited Vatican on a hot summer day. Our guide Tatiana was the perfect fit for that situation. She has 20 years of experience & it showed! She was able to move us through lines easily to get the tour started, knew all the shady spots to stand etc. Her love for the history of The Vatican shines through! What an incredibly passionate, knowledgable & beautiful person she is! We felt blessed to have her as our personal guide for the day!

Book Your Tour

Details

Admission Ticket: This tour includes the admission tickets.
Languages: English, Spanish, French, Russian, German, Portuguese, Dutch, Chinese, Japanese
Kids Friendly: The children are welcome. Please write me if there are kids in your family group.
Disable Friendly: The tour is disabled friendly. Please contact me if you need a wheelchair.
Dress Code: Only small bags/backpacks are permitted (size 40x35x15).

Destination

Start Time

at 9:30 AM

Duration

4.5 hours

Price

€ 630,00 private guide service per tour (fixed per group price: family, friends, colleagues...)

 + € 350,00 Gondola rides (fixed per group price: family, friends, colleagues... NOTE: max 5 people per Gondola)

 + € 65,00 skip the line ticket adult (per person price) or + € 45,00 skip the line ticket under 18 (per person price)

Included

Guiding Services, Admission Tickets, Private Tour, Skip the line Tickets

Not Included

Personal Expenses, Souvenirs, Food, Drinks, Snacks, Private Transportation, Public Transportation Tickets, Private driver, Private luxury car, Taxi, Private boat