--- title: "Best of Venice Private Tour: St. Mark's Doge Palace Gondola Ride" lang: en type: tour city: Venice country: Italy price: 450 currency: EUR price_unit: per_person availability: bookable rating: 4.94 reviews: 130 duration_minutes: 270 languages: [pt, en, it, fr, es] free_cancellation: "true" rank_in_category: 4 of 22 (Walking Tours) schedule_checked: 2026-10-03 data_updated: 2026-11-03 canonical: https://guidekin.com/italy/venice/tours/best-of-venice-private-tour-st-mark-s-doge-palace-gondola-ride/ --- # Best of Venice Private Tour: St. Mark's Doge Palace Gondola Ride **Guidekin's take:** A private day with an expert guide that strings together skip the line entry to St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace, the prisons, the Bridge of Sighs and a gondola ride. Knees and shoulders covered and an original photo ID for the basilica, no photos inside, food and tips extra; the order can follow your wishes. 4.94 from 130 reviews. In our comparison: #4 of 22 in Walking Tours, by rating weighted by review volume (table below). ## Overview Enjoy an exclusive tour of Venice with a private expert guide, and make the most of this incredible city and see all of the highlights. Begin in Saint Mark's Square for a perfect view of Saint Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace, the private chapel of the dukes of Venice until the 19th century. Get privileged access, and skip the long lines to enter the grand basilica and enjoy up-close views of the golden mosaics. Then skip the lines to the Doge's Palace to travel through 7 centuries of history as you see the palace prisons and court rooms, and stop on the Bridge of Sighs to see the last view of Venice that prisoners saw before they were locked in their cells. Your guide will then give recommendations for lunch, and after a short break continue your tour. Walk to the covered Rialto Bridge and discover the house where Marco Polo once lived. Go to the Renaissance church of the Campo Santa Maria Formosa, where you will end your perfect day true Venetian style in a private gondola ride ## Before you book - Meeting point: In front of Chiesa di San Giacomo in… - Entry ticket included: skip the ticket desk - Min. 2 to book: not for solo travellers - Starts 09:00, 10:00: 2 departures a day - Food not included: bring or buy your own - Children from €199: ages 3 to 17 **Pickup:** No hotel pickup: everyone meets at the start point ## Key facts - Price: from €450 per person - Duration: 4h 30m - Rating: 4.94/5 from 130 reviews (collected from Guidekin & Viator & Tripadvisor) - Free cancellation (see policy below) - Operator: LivTours - Minimum booking: 2 travellers at this price - Group: Private tour, your party only - Guide languages: Portuguese, English, Italian, French, Spanish - Tickets: Admission included - Start times: 09:00, 10:00 - Booking: Instant confirmation, mobile ticket - Price checked on Viator: 2026-10-03 ## Reviews 4.94 from 130 ratings on Guidekin, Viator & Tripadvisor. 98% of ratings with a star breakdown are 4 or 5 stars: 128 of 130. - 5 stars: 124 (95%) - 4 stars: 4 (3%) - 3 stars: 2 (2%) - 2 stars: 0 (0%) - 1 star: 0 (0%) ### What reviewers say Reviewers praise the guides' knowledge and flexibility; some felt rushed during parts of the experience. **Praised:** - Clear explanations of Venice's history, art and culture - Tours tailored to travellers' interests and family needs - Guides who keep children and teenagers engaged - Skipping entry queues at the main sights - Gondola rides enjoyed as a way to finish the tour **Complaints:** - Some praised the relaxed pace while others felt rushed during parts of the experience - A few felt the experience fell short of expectations for the cost Written by Guidekin from the 100 most recent English reviews on Viator & Tripadvisor (2024-04-06 to 2026-09-29); last checked 2026-10-04. ## What's included - Skip the line tickets to St Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace - Doges Prison - Hall of the Great Council - Private Expert Local Guide - Marco Polo’s house - Campo Santa Maria Formosa - Bridge of Sighs - 30 minute private gondola ride - Rialto bridge ## Not included - Food and drinks - Gratuities (optional) ## Itinerary 1. **Piazza San Marco** (15m) - Your experience of Venice begins in the iconic St Mark's square where you will also meet your guide. 2. **Basilica di San Marco** (1h; admission included) - Next, skip the long lines and enter this beautiful and ornate basilica as your guide provides you with anecdotes of its history. An original, valid photo ID is required for entry to St. Mark's Basilica. Photocopies are not accepted. 3. **Palazzo Ducale** (2h 30m; admission included) - Next make your way to the Doge's Palace again with VIP entry, the political center of Venice. Your expert guide will share the secrets of the private hidden apartments, and you will see impressive halls such as the Hall of Great Council. The tour takes a more sinister turn as... 4. **Campo Santa Maria Formosa** (30m; admission included) - Your guide will escort you to your very own private gondola ride - the best way to complete a day in Venice! They will ensure you will have everything you need before embarking on a relaxing journey through the canals on your gondola. ## Schedule - Runs: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat - Departures: 09:00, 10:00 - Schedule last checked: 2026-10-03 - These are published departures, not a live seat count; availability is confirmed at checkout. ## Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time. ## Meeting point In front of Chiesa di San Giacomo in Campo San Giacomo di Rialto. Your guide will be holding a LivTours sign. Map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJE-gXt9uxfkcRjSyeJkS95lk ## Good to know - Public transportation options are available nearby - Suitable for all physical fitness levels - On certain dates, most travelers staying outside of Venice who are planning to visit for the day will be required to pay a €5 access fee. For further details (including exemptions) and to learn what days this fee is applicable, please visit: https://cda.ve.it - Offered in: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian. Please specify under “Additional notes” if you wish to book the tour in a language other than English. - Places of worship have strict dress code requirements for entry. All participants are required to have shoulders and knees covered (no tank tops or short dresses) to enter. - There is no photography allowed in St Marks basilica. - The itinerary described above is a suggested order of the various experiences. These may vary according to your personal requests or preferred starting time. - An original, valid photo ID is required for entry to St. Mark's Basilica. Photocopies are not accepted. - Please provide the full names of all travelers when booking. Failure to present a voucher with all travelers’ full names at the ticket office prior to entry may result in denied entry to the attraction. - The ticket includes a cost to enter St. Mark’s Basilica valued at 30 EUR per person. ## Cost for your party | People | Total | Per person | |---|---|---| | 2 | €900 | €450 | | 4 | €1436 | €359 | | 6 | €1914 | €319 | Cheapest option for that party size from the operator's current price tiers; the calendar shows the exact figure for your date. Shared tours in Walking Tours start at €14 per person. ## Compared with other Walking Tours | Tour | Price | Duration | Rating | Group | |---|---|---|---|---| | **This tour · #4 of 22** | €450 | 4h 30m | 4.94 (130) | private | | [Gondola Ride with Private Walking Tour in Venice](/italy/venice/tours/gondola-ride-with-private-walking-tour-in-venice/?format=md) | €79 | 3h | 4.95 (325) | private | | [Tour of The Real Hidden Venice](/italy/venice/tours/tour-of-the-real-hidden-venice/?format=md) | €39 | 2h | 4.86 (2299) | private | | [Venice: Commissario Brunetti Walking Tour for Donna Leon Fans](/italy/venice/tours/venice-commissario-brunetti-walking-tour-for-donna-leon-fans/?format=md) | €83 | 2h | 4.93 (178) | shared | Ranked #4 of 22 in Walking Tours by Guidekin score (rating weighted by review volume). Prices here run from €14 to €450, median €90; typical length 2h 30m. 9 of 22 are private. Figures are live from the tour cards; the rubric is our handpicked set, not the whole market. Full list: https://guidekin.com/italy/venice/walking-tours-venice/?format=md ## More in Venice - All Venice tours: https://guidekin.com/italy/venice/?format=md - This page as HTML: https://guidekin.com/italy/venice/tours/best-of-venice-private-tour-st-mark-s-doge-palace-gondola-ride/ Filters, the full catalogue and the URL contract for this city: https://guidekin.com/italy/venice/?format=md