St Mark's Basilica tour, skip-the-line

It's a given that a visit to Venice isn't complete without a visit to St Marks Basilica (Basilica di San Marco) but, given the paucity of information supplied inside the building, your visit is likely to be less than complete without the insights, explanations and sheer sense of history that an expert tour guide will provide.

The stunning gold mosaics are hard to miss, but the story of how this temple to God, to the Venetian's Patron Saint, and to their homeland, the mighty Republic of Venice, that is easier to miss, and will be at the heart of your guide's explanations and observations.

A slight oddity of this tour is the option of viewing the Pala d'Oro - the Golden Pall or cloth - which is part of the altar. It's unlikely that you'd not want to take part in this viewing as the Pala is undoubtedly one of the greatest treasures of St Marks. The backdrop to the altar is an incredible piece of work by the master goldsmith Buoninsegna, but it can only be viewed by paying on-the-spot (currently 2 Euro) and is not included in our price.

If you're looking for a fuller insight into the incredible history of Venice then you might want to book our exclusive tour of the 'Secret Itineraries' at the Palazzo Ducale - the 'Exclusive Access: Complete Doge's Palace Tour with Secret Itineraries (1h 45m)' takes place before this tour of St Mark's but the two follow into each other, conducted as they are by the same tour guide - click here to view.

Please note that since the tour includes a visit to religious buildings there is a strict dress code - please do not wear shorts, sleeveless tee-shirts or other inappropriate clothing or you may be denied entry. There is a small reduction in ticket price for those under the age of eighteen.