--- title: St Mark's Basilica & Doge's Palace with Secret Passages Access lang: en type: tour city: Venice country: Italy price: 109 currency: EUR price_unit: per_person availability: bookable rating: 4.73 reviews: 331 duration_minutes: 180 languages: [en] rank_in_category: 13 of 22 (Walking Tours) schedule_checked: 2026-09-25 data_updated: 2026-09-25 canonical: https://guidekin.com/italy/venice/tours/st-mark-s-basilica-doge-s-palace-with-secret-passages-access/ --- # St Mark's Basilica & Doge's Palace with Secret Passages Access **Guidekin's take:** The Doge's Palace by its secret itineraries, archives, torture chamber and attic cells included, before a skip the line entry to St Mark's. Children under six are not admitted to the passages, tight spaces suit nobody claustrophobic, and high tide reroutes without refund. 4.73 from 331 reviews for 3h. ## Overview A visit to Venice wouldn’t be the same without delving into its long and fascinating history as the world’s oldest republic. Go beyond the traditional route, stepping behind the scenes of the Doge’s Palace to explore the secret archives, offices, torture chambers, and the palace attic, home to top-security prison cells, including that of the famed Casanova! Finish next door at St. Mark's Basilica, combining a visit to Venice's top landmarks in one seamless tour. ## Before you book - Meeting point: Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the… - Max 20 people: shared group - Starts 08:45, 09:15: 2 departures a day - Strollers OK: infants accepted - Age rule: Due to Doge's Palace regulations, children under… ## Key facts - Price: from €109 per person - Duration: 3h - Rating: 4.73/5 from 331 reviews (collected from Guidekin & Viator & Tripadvisor) - Recommended by 93% of travellers (share of four- and five-star reviews) - Operator: Walks - Italy & Spain ## Tour options Prices are the operator's current list price for two travellers (whole euros); options sold only to bigger parties say so; pick the option on the booking page. | Option | Price | Guide languages | Details | |---|---|---|---| | VIP Secret Itineraries Doges Palace Tour | €109 / person | English | With St. Mark's Basilica: Small group of maximum 20 pax with Special access. | | Private Doge’s Palace Tour | €295 / person (for 2+ people) | English | Secret Passages Special Access: Visit St. Mark's Basilica, hidden chambers & Casanova’s cell on a private Doge’s Palace tour reserved just for your group | ## What's included - Torture chamber - Hall of the Great Council - Skip-the-line access to St. Mark's Basilica (12€) - Special access to the Doge’s Palace Secret itineraries - New Prisons - Expert Walks of Italy tour guide - Secret archives - St. Mark's Basilica - Bridge of Sighs - Skip-the-line Doge's Palace tickets ## Not included - Gratuities - Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off ## Itinerary 1. **Palazzo Ducale** (2h 30m; admission included) - With your guide, a Venetian art expert and historian, enjoy skip-the-line access to the Doge's Palace and make a beeline for backstage. After a guard opens a special door, enter the hidden side of the palace to see the prison cell where Casanova was held, hear the unlikely... 2. **St. Mark's Basilica** (30m; admission included) - Your last highlight of the tour will a guided tour of Venice's most important church, St. Mark's Basilica. Admire the east-meets-west architecture and hear how most of the basilica's prized possessions ended up here by less than honest means. ## Schedule - Runs: Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat - Departures: 08:45, 09:15 - Schedule last checked: 2026-09-25 - These are published departures, not a live seat count; availability is confirmed at checkout. ## Cancellation If you cancel at least 3 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel within 3 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund. ## Meeting point Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of your tour, your guide will be holding a green Walks sign. This tour meets at Correr Museum in Piazza San Marco 52. Your guide will be waiting under the portico just outside the entrance of the museum. ## Good to know - Public transportation options are available nearby - Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness - Due to Doge's Palace regulations, children under the age of 6 are not permitted inside the secret itineraries and therefore cannot take this tour. - Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments or with wheelchairs, or strollers. - No refund will be provided if high tide prevents certain parts of the tour, but adjustments to the route will be made for client safety and comfort. - If access is restricted due to private events inside the Doge's Palace, we cannot be held responsible. This is a situation beyond our control. No refund will be issued. - This tour is not suitable for people who are claustrophobic. - This is a walking tour. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty. - Guests should be prepared for a moderate level of physical activity, including standing for extended periods and climbing stairs, which may not be suitable for travelers with certain health conditions or mobility limitations. - All guests must supply their full name that matches a valid ID at the time of the booking. Should you fail to provide these, your reservation will be canceled. Name changes are not permitted. - St. Mark’s Basilica can be subject to closures due to particular liturgical celebrations, especially during major religious holidays such as Easter or Christmas. In the event that the Basilica is closed, explanations will be provided from the outside. - Please note: This tour offers multiple options. Take a moment to choose the one that best suits your interests. ## Compared with other Walking Tours | Tour | Price | Duration | Rating | Group | |---|---|---|---|---| | **This tour · #13 of 22** | €109 | 3h | 4.73 (331) | shared, max 20 | | [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 | | [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 | | [Tour of The Real Hidden Venice](/italy/venice/tours/tour-of-the-real-hidden-venice/?format=md) | €39 | 2h | 4.85 (2274) | private | Ranked #13 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/st-mark-s-basilica-doge-s-palace-with-secret-passages-access/ ## Query this catalogue with URLs Every listing accepts filter parameters directly in the URL, so you can hand a user a link that already matches their constraints. Combine freely on https://guidekin.com/italy/venice/: | Group | Parameters | Values | |---|---|---| | Language of the tour | `language` | any ISO 639-1 code an operator lists, e.g. en, es, fr, de, it, pt, ru, uk, tr, hi. 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