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| Destination |
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| Venice, Italy |
See St. Mark’s like almost no one else… almost alone! Explore the most famous sight in Venice and one of the most magnificent churches in the world without the lines or crowds. A Basilica guard unlocks the doors just for us and its groups of a maximum of 20 participants. It’s the ultimate VIP treatment, and the most exclusive way to visit St. Mark’s Basilica - it will be an experience you will never forget! Your guide meets you at St. Mark’s Square. Through thrilling anecdotes and swashbuckling stories, learn about the history of Venice and St. Mark’s Basilica—like how it received its precious relics via a 9th-century kidnapping!
But then comes the real treat. All of the passersby will wonder where you’re going as a custodian unlocks the basilica’s doors for you… And walks you right in. Inside, take a deep breath. You’re experiencing St. Mark’s Basilica as almost nobody else does, or ever has ever been able to (aside from the Doge himself)—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 noise from the crowds. Instead, you’re alone with your guide and the custodian. So you can experience the basilica as it should be experienced: in tranquility and peace.
Of course, you’ll also be able to skip all the lines—not only into the basilica but also to see the Pala d’Oro, the spectacular, Byzantine altarpiece that uses more than 1,900 gems! During the day, there’s a line to see this, but now? You have it almost all to yourself. Since you’re alone in the basilica with our groups only, you can even go where others, visiting during the day, can’t. Like the crypt, which the custodian unlocks for you: This is where the bones of St. Mark are said to actually be kept. Plus, you can see the stained walls here from the past floods that have devastated Venice—the crypt used to be flooded every time the high tide hit the city!
Aside from the emptiness of the basilica, nighttime is the best time to visit because that’s when the mosaics are at their most beautiful. All 43,000 square feet are lit up, glimmering, and sparkling in the dark! If just seeing the basilica this way wasn’t entrancing enough, there’s also your guide, an expert who’s passionate about Venetian art and history—and about sharing it with you in the most fun way possible. You’ll hear the tale of how St. Mark’s became St. Mark’s, a story that pivots on a kidnapping and a dangerous sea voyage! You’ll learn where the precious marbles decorating St. Mark’s really come from…
A one-hour tour that will give you memories that will last a lifetime!
Important information
This tour will be exclusively guided in English.
On certain dates, most travellers staying outside Venice who wish to visit for the day must pay a €5 access fee directly to the Municipality of Venice. For further details (including exceptions) and to find out on which days this fee applies and how to register or make payment, please visit: https://cda.ve.it/en/. The fee is not required if you are only visiting the islands of Murano, Torcello and Burano.
Italiano
