The 15 Best St Mark’s Basilica & Gondola Combinations

1.Venice In a Day: St Mark’s, Doges Palace Gondola Ride & City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,588 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $124Our pick

Walk from Rialto Bridge to the fish market, ride a shared gondola through the Grand Canal and back canals, then tour St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace with an English-speaking guide. The 8:30am option lasts about six hours, includes a break, and limits the group to 20 people.

“What do you hope for on a tour? Your money’s worth, with interesting sites, and a knowledgable guide. Robbie/Roberta was exactly this, with the added flair of being an open, honest, engaging, and humorous local. If I could have Robbie as a guide everywhere, I would never stop traveling. In addition to detailed knowledge about the specified sites, she also provided insight to various random sites, answered any questions we had, and had intimate knowledge of the city in which she lives. The tour itself was very well organized with privileged access to the sites /activities mentioned. Our money was well spent.”

Check availability →The full write-up

2.Venice’s Best: Basilica, Doge’s Palace, Gondola & History Gallery

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,478 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $129

Spend about three and a half hours with a small English-speaking group exploring St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace, then ride a shared gondola through Venice’s canals. Guides such as Lucia, Valentina, Giada, and Alexander have led highly praised visits, while the included History Gallery adds a short virtual look at Venice’s past.

“The activity deviated from the program Description. The program says there is gandola Ride involved. But they did nor let us rode gandola. Very disappointed.”

Check availability →The full write-up

3.Best Of Venice: Saint Mark’s Basilica, Doges Palace with Guide and Gondola Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 800 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $125

Spend 3.5 hours with a local art historian exploring St. Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace, Piazza San Marco, and Venice’s canals. Guides such as Marco, Filippo, Elena, and Paula are praised for clear storytelling and humor. Entry tickets and a shared gondola ride are included, with groups capped at 20.

“Great tour. Very knowledgeable and fun guide. Your was well organized and saw all of the popular sites. The gondola ride was very nice as well. Marco was great.”

Check availability →The full write-up

4.St Mark’s, Doge’s Palace, with Murano and Burano & Gondola Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 753 reviews · 9 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $34Best value

Spend about 9.5 hours seeing Venice’s essential sights with an English-speaking guide. Visit St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace, ride a gondola, then take a private boat to Murano for glass blowing and Burano for lace and colorful streets. Guides such as Silvia, Marco, Filippo, and Alessia have earned praise for warm, lively storytelling.

“Alysa did the Murano and Burano portion of the tour. She was amazing. Attentive, knowledgeable and gave those in the tour their time and space to explore on their own. Philippo did the Doge and Basilica tour. Extremely knowledgeable with an amazing sense of humor.”

Check availability →The full write-up

5.Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s Tour with Gondola Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 677 reviews · 3.5 - 9.5 hours · from $46

See Venice’s gilded basilica and the grand halls of Doge’s Palace with an English-speaking guide, then take a 30-minute shared gondola ride for up to five people. Guides such as Marco, Grazia, Elena, and Nico are praised for clear stories and humor. Choose the longer option to add Murano glassmaking and Burano lace.

“This tour was fantastic. The guide was very informative about the history and complimented this with a friendly and entertaining personality.I would highly recommend if you want to see the sights and get a great local feel of the history of Venice”

Check availability →The full write-up

6.St. Mark’s Basilica Tour with Priority Entrance + Gondola

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 643 reviews · 45 min · from $69

Enter St. Mark’s Basilica through a priority entrance with an English-speaking local guide. In about 45 minutes, you’ll learn how Venice’s golden mosaics, symbols, and artworks tell the city’s story. Guides such as Lara, Rita, and Francesca are praised for clear explanations and humor. Add the optional gondola ride when booking.

“Lara was an excellent guide including sufficient historical context yet keeping the interest up and your moving. Highly recommended her!”

Check availability →The full write-up

7.Venice in A Day: St Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace & Gondola Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 591 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $148

Start at 9:30 in St. Mark’s Square with a small group of up to 19. An art historian guide leads you through St. Mark’s Basilica, Rialto’s lanes, and Doge’s Palace, with skip-the-line entry and a 30-minute gondola ride. Guides may include Marco, Rita, Marina, or other local experts.

“This was a fantastic tour. A great guide and only a few people on our tour. His knowledge was excellent. The basilica was brilliant as was the gondola ride. He went at a good pace. Do yourself a favour and go on this tour.”

Check availability →The full write-up

8.St. Mark’s Basilica Guided Tour with Venice Canals Gondola Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 467 reviews · from $80

Walk through Venice with an English-speaking guide, enter St. Mark’s Basilica with reserved access, and finish with a 30-minute shared gondola ride. You’ll see Rialto, Marco Polo’s former home, the Bridge of Sighs, Santa Maria della Salute, Fenice Opera House, and quiet canals near Santa Maria Formosa.

“My Guide, “Monica” was excellent! She was probably one of the best Guides I’ve ever had with Viator. You’ll love this tour!”

Check availability →The full write-up

9.Welcome to Venice Group Tour St. Mark’s Basilica & Gondola Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 435 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $81

Spend three hours exploring Venice with an English-speaking guide such as Alessandro, Roberta, Filippo, or Valentina. Walk from Rialto through Castello, visit Acqua Alta bookstore, enter St. Mark’s Basilica with reserved access, then ride a gondola for about 30 minutes. It is a brisk, useful first look at Venice for visitors short on time.

“Filippo made this tour a fun and truly enjoyable way to see and learn about Venice. He was both informative and funny and had a good knowledge of the history of the city. We definitely recommend this tour.”

Check availability →The full write-up

10.Venice’s Icons: Basilica, Doge Palace, Rialto & Optional Gondola

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 413 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $162

Start in St. Mark’s Square with a guide-led visit to St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace, then see the Bridge of Sighs and Rialto Bridge. Skip-the-line tickets, a Venice VR experience, museum access, and a shared gondola ride are included, with the Basilica terrace available as an option. Expect a group of up to 25.

“Great tour guide personalities . Very informative and pleasant. Great experience all around . Would recommend it to others.”

Check availability →The full write-up

11.St. Mark’s Basilica and Gondola Morning Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 351 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $99

Start at 10:45 with a multilingual guided visit to St. Mark’s Square and Basilica, including the terrace and advertised access to the famous horses. After several free hours, return at 3:00 for a 30-minute shared gondola ride. Bring your voucher twice, dress modestly, and leave large bags behind.

Check availability →The full write-up

12.St. Mark’s, Doge’s Palace, Rialto, and Gondola Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 320 reviews · 30 minutes - 6 hours · from $46

Join an English-speaking guide for Venice’s essential sights: timed entry to St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace, a walk to Rialto, and a 30-minute shared gondola ride. The full option lasts up to six hours, while a gondola-only choice takes 30 minutes. Guides such as Marco, Roberta, and Elena bring local stories and practical tips.

“Great tour with entertaining and informative guide. Well organized tour. We were able to skip the lines at both the Basilica di Marco and Doge's Palace. The guide included a great deal of insight to the history of Venice. The six hour tour included about two hours for lunch and free time.”

Check availability →The full write-up

13.St. Mark’s Basilica Guided Tour & Gondola Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 144 reviews · 3 hours · from $79

Spend three hours with an English-speaking local guide, walking from Rialto Market through quiet lanes, Campo San Giovanni e Paolo, and Libreria Acqua Alta before entering St. Mark’s Basilica with reserved access. Finish with a shared gondola ride for up to five people. Guides such as Roberta, Martina, and Filippo are known for lively local stories.

“Overall good value for money. The walk took a while to move from the meeting spot, and there was a 15 minute ‘break’ - which was dead time. Roberta appeared to be conflicted between her opinions about the effects of tourism in Venice (which she shared freely), and her role as guide to paying visitors. The shared gondola was great and took us on both the Grand Canal and a few of the smaller ones. This tour does NOT enter St Mark’s basilica, therefore the information on the Get Your Guide site about what you can wear is redundant.”

Check availability →The full write-up

14.St Mark’s Square & Rialto Walking Tour & Gondola

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 109 reviews · from $67

Walk Venice with a live guide through Rialto, Casanova’s House, Scala Contarini del Bovolo, and La Fenice, then take a shared gondola through smaller canals. Your ticket also includes the Gondola Gallery and an audio app with more than 200 points of interest. Guides speak English, Italian, Spanish, French, and German.

“The walking tour as excellent! We were introduced to really interesting sites as we negotiated through the winding streets into areas we would not otherwise have traveled. It was magical! The gondola ride was everything I had hoped for! Through the canals, out into the open water. Wonderful views of Venice from the water. Best of all, it was the best bargain!!”

Check availability →The full write-up

15.Best of Venice Private Tour: St. Mark’s Doge Palace Gondola Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 98 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $544

Spend 4.5 hours with a private guide exploring St. Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace, the Bridge of Sighs, Rialto, and Marco Polo’s house. Guides such as Marie, Pamela, Nico, and Matteo tailor the pace and add local stories. Priority entry saves time, while a 30-minute private gondola ride closes the tour.

“First, Nico the guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. As a Venice native, he's passionate about his City and its history. We learned a lot and it was enjoyable. I guess I should have read the fine print, because we thought it was a full day for the money we were paying, but it turned out to be only a half day, really. So, I would change the name of the tour. It's not really Venice in a day. So, the 4 hours were full of good information and fascinating history. One of the coolest churches we've ever seen. The Gondola ride was supposed to be 30 minutes. This guy…”

Check availability →The full write-up