--- title: "Venice: St Mark's Basilica After-Hours Tour with Optional Doge's Palace" lang: en type: tour city: Venice country: Italy price: 129 currency: EUR price_unit: per_person availability: bookable rating: 4.69 reviews: 1586 duration_minutes: 75 duration_max_minutes: 210 languages: [en] guidekin_pick: After closing time? rank_in_category: 14 of 25 (Doge's Palace & St Mark's Tours) schedule_checked: 2026-10-03 data_updated: 2026-10-12 canonical: https://guidekin.com/italy/venice/tours/venice-st-mark-s-basilica-after-hours-tour-with-optional-doge-s-palace/ --- # Venice: St Mark's Basilica After-Hours Tour with Optional Doge's Palace **Guidekin's take:** St Mark's Basilica after closing time, with the mosaics, the Byzantine altarpiece and the crypt seen without the daytime crowds. A tier adds late access to the Doge's Palace and the Bridge of Sighs; full names must match ID, high tide can reroute without refund, and hotel pickup is not included. 4.69 from 1586 reviews at €129 per person. **After closing time?:** Choose St Mark's standalone after hours at €129 per person: mosaics and crypt, English only; names must match ID. 4.69, 1586 reviews. Trade-off: Tide reroutes and site closures are not refunded. (last checked September 22, 2026) In our comparison: #14 of 25 in Doge's Palace & St Mark's Tours, by rating weighted by review volume (table below). ## Overview Enjoy the luxury of avoiding the crowds and explore St Mark’s Basilica on an after-hours tour. Include an optional visit to Doge's Palace (if selected at the time of booking). Inside St Mark’s Basilica, admire treasured mosaics and a Byzantine altarpiece, and then follow your guide into the crypt where St Mark himself is believed to rest. Upgrade for late access to the Doge’s Palace by selecting the upgrade option at time of booking. With this option learn about the Higher Council Hall, the Doge's apartments, and the Bridge of Sighs as you explore. Please note that there may be a break of up to 1 hour between your Doge’s Palace tour and your exclusive After Hour Visit, due to temporary earlier closing time at the Doge’s Palace. Your guide in this case will provide bar/restaurant recommendations ## Before you book - Meeting point: Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the… - Entry ticket included: skip the ticket desk - 6 start times: between 18:00 and 21:45 - Strollers OK: infants accepted - Children from €119: ages 2 to 14 **Pickup:** No hotel pickup: everyone meets at the start point ## Key facts - Price: from €129 per person for the St Mark's Basilica standalone option; other options up to €295 - Duration: 1h 15m–3h 30m - Rating: 4.69/5 from 1586 reviews (collected from Guidekin & Viator & Tripadvisor) - Operator: Walks - Italy & Spain - Group: Shared tour · private option available - Guide languages: English - Tickets: Admission included - Start times: 18:00, 19:45, 20:15, 20:45, 21:15, 21:45 - Booking: Instant confirmation, mobile ticket - Price checked on Viator: 2026-10-03 ## Reviews 4.69 from 1586 ratings on Guidekin, Viator & Tripadvisor. 92% of ratings with a star breakdown are 4 or 5 stars: 1460 of 1586. - 5 stars: 1374 (87%) - 4 stars: 86 (5%) - 3 stars: 41 (3%) - 2 stars: 18 (1%) - 1 star: 67 (4%) ### What reviewers say Reviewers praise the quieter access and illuminated mosaics; some find the commentary too fast to follow. **Praised:** - Quieter evening access with fewer crowds inside the basilica - Seeing the gold mosaics illuminated during the evening visit - Detailed explanations linking Venetian history, art, politics and religion - Engaging storytelling, humour and guides willing to answer questions **Complaints:** - Some find the commentary too fast to follow, while others describe clear explanations - The combined palace and basilica visit can make for a long evening Written by Guidekin from the 100 most recent English reviews on Viator & Tripadvisor (2026-05-29 to 2026-10-03); last checked 2026-10-04. ## 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 | |---|---|---|---| | St Mark's Basilica standalone | €129 / person | English | Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes St. Mark's Basilica standalone: This tour visits St. Mark's Basilica after hours and does not include the Doge's Palace. | | St. Mark's with Doge's Palace | €179 / person | English | This tour visits St. Mark's Basilica after-hours and includes the Doge's Palace. Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes | | Private - St. Mark's Basilica | €295 / person (for 2+ people) | English | Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes St. Mark's Basilica Standalone: This tour visits St. Mark's Basilica after hours and does not include the Doge's Palace. | ## What's included - Local English-speaking guide - Bridge of Sighs (only if option with Doge Palace selected) - Bell Tower in St. Mark's Square (exterior) - Exclusive access ticket for St. Mark's Basilica (after closing) - Doge’s Palace (only if option with Doge Palace selected) - Marciana Library (exterior) - Pala d’Oro Altarpiece - St. Mark's Crypt - Expertly guided walking tour - Doge’s Palace tickets (only if option with Doge Palace purchased at time of booking) - €25 ## Not included - Gratuities - Hotel pickup and drop-off ## Itinerary 1. **Piazza San Marco** (pass by, no stop) 2. **Exterior view & Photo stop** (pass by, no stop) 3. **Basilica di San Marco** (30m; admission included) - , Veneto The best way to see St Mark's Basilica is without the crowds. Inside, take a deep breath. You’re experiencing St. Mark’s empty! No standing elbow-to-elbow with other tourists, no seeing the church as if through a strobe light from hundreds of popping flashbulbs, no... 4. **Palazzo Ducale** (2h; admission included) - The Doge Palace visit is included only when selecting the St. Mark's with Doge's Palace option at time of booking. Upgrade for late access to the Doge’s Palace by selecting the upgrade option at time of booking. With this option visit the armory, New Prisons and incredible... 5. **Torre dell'Orologio** (pass by, no stop) - The Torre d'Orologio is included with the Doge Palace option only. 6. **The Bridge of sights visit is included with the Doge Palace option only** (15m) - On this guided tour you’ll have the opportunity to explore the massive armory, and the spooky prisons. Finish with a visit inside the Bridge of Sighs, where your guide will tell you why it’s not quite as romantic as you thought. ## Schedule - Runs: Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun - Departures: 18:00, 19:45, 20:15, 20:45, 21:15, 21:45 - Schedule last checked: 2026-10-03 - 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. Map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJ1a1MDdexfkcR2H65Jv-LxhI Ends: St. Mark's Square ## Good to know - Public transportation options are available nearby - Suitable for all physical fitness levels - 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 St. Mark's Basilica and/or Doge's Palace, we cannot be held responsible. This is a situation beyond our control. No refund will be issued. - This is a walking tour. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty. - 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. - Please note: This tour offers multiple options. Take a moment to choose the one that best suits your interests. ## Compared with other Doge's Palace & St Mark's Tours | Tour | Price | Duration | Rating | Group | |---|---|---|---|---| | **This tour · #14 of 25** | €129 | 1h 15m–3h 30m | 4.69 (1586) | shared | | [Venice Deluxe Tour](/italy/venice/tours/venice-deluxe-tour/?format=md) | €220 | 3h | 4.98 (825) | shared | | [Private or Semi Doge's Palace & Saint Mark's Basilica Guided Tour](/italy/venice/tours/private-or-semi-doge-s-palace-saint-mark-s-basilica-guided-tour/?format=md) | €199 | 2h 30m | 4.97 (431) | private | | [Venice Doge's Palace & St. Mark's Semi-Private Tour, Max 6 People](/italy/venice/tours/venice-doge-s-palace-st-mark-s-semi-private-tour-max-6-people/?format=md) | €189 | 2h 30m | 4.96 (248) | shared | Ranked #14 of 25 in Doge's Palace & St Mark's Tours by Guidekin score (rating weighted by review volume). Prices here run from €12 to €580, median €103; typical length 3h. 3 of 25 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/doge-palace-st-marks-tours/?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/venice-st-mark-s-basilica-after-hours-tour-with-optional-doge-s-palace/ Filters, the full catalogue and the URL contract for this city: https://guidekin.com/italy/venice/?format=md