Venice - St. Mark's/Doge's Palace - worth a private tour?

[AndyB]

I'll be in Venice for 2 days in late October.  I'm trying to decide between just booking timed entrance to these two sites and viewing on my own, and booking or joining a private tour.  Are there areas that are only accessible via private tour?  I saw a You Tube video that mentioned only being able to see the Golden Altar and the museum upstairs via private tour, but then again, they were selling private tours.  So I take that with a grain of salt.  I tend to prefer just doing things on my own, at my own pace, but am willing to pay for a tour if it will really enhance the experience.  Would love to hear recent experiences of either kind!

 

Thanks in advance!

Andrea

 

[CynBeth6]

We recently visited both places on our own and it was just fine. We bought both tickets online and for St. Mark’s got the one that included the altar and museum upstairs. We also booked the bell tower.

[princeton123211]

On 8/12/2023 at 1:59 PM, AndyB said:

I'm trying to decide between just booking timed entrance to these two sites and viewing on my own, and booking or joining a private tour.

We’ve done both over the years and frankly unless you are an art or architecture historian/enthusiast private tours really aren’t necessary to get a very good overview of both. Unless you are deeply interested in details it’s a bit overkill from our experience.
 

Timed tickets or skip the line tickets are a must though.
 

The Pala d’Oro is an add on to the standard St Marks ticket so just make sure you select that when you purchase your tickets. 

[AndyB]

Thank you both for the confirmation!

 

 

[LuckyStar]

On 8/12/2023 at 11:59 AM, AndyB said:

I'll be in Venice for 2 days in late October.  I'm trying to decide between just booking timed entrance to these two sites and viewing on my own, and booking or joining a private tour.  Are there areas that are only accessible via private tour?  I saw a You Tube video that mentioned only being able to see the Golden Altar and the museum upstairs via private tour, but then again, they were selling private tours.  So I take that with a grain of salt.  I tend to prefer just doing things on my own, at my own pace, but am willing to pay for a tour if it will really enhance the experience.  Would love to hear recent experiences of either kind!

 

Thanks in advance!

Andrea

 

YES, YES. YES

[lynncarol]

Purchase online timed admission, if you will be visiting during a weekday, to coincide with the one hour a day they light up the golden mosaics on the ceiling of St. Mark's.  Been to Venice several times but only to St. Mark's once and seeing the ceiling lit up made it extra special. And yes, you can include the up-close visit to the alter as well as the museum and outdoor balcony upstairs which we really liked as because of the extra charge we found them to have fewer visitors.

[cruisemom42]

Book your entries and use a guide like Rick Steves for touring San Marco and the Doges Palace. I really enjoyed doing both the museum and the Pala d’Oro in San Marco. I’ve also done the crypt and the treasury.

 

At the Doges Palace there is a so-called “Secret Itinerary” tour that was very popular a few years ago. Not sure if they offer it still but I didn’t think it added much to the experience and it doesn’t cover all the main areas so I wouldn’t do it by itself.

[AndyB]

Thanks, all!  I've got the St. Mark's ticket website open on my computer, just waiting for the reservations to open up for the day I'm there (looks like they don't let you book more than 60 days in advance).  My full day in Venice is a Sunday.

 

 

[princeton123211]

4 hours ago, AndyB said:

My full day in Venice is a Sunday.

You'll have a much more narrow window for St Marks on a Sunday. I think its only 2-5pm due to services vs the normal 9:30am-5pm. Just keep that in mind when planning. 

[cruisemom42]

3 hours ago, princeton123211 said:

You'll have a much more narrow window for St Marks on a Sunday. I think its only 2-5pm due to services vs the normal 9:30am-5pm. Just keep that in mind when planning. 

That was my experience also. I suggest planning to do the Doge’s Palace in the morning and San Marco as soon as you can get in.

[AndyB]

Oh, man, I didn't even think of that, heathen that I am, LOL.  Well, so much for hitting that whole complex as early in the morning as possible.  Oh well, nothing to be done about it but adapt.  Thanks for the reminder and advice!

[amypintx]

We did this small group tour. https://www.getyourguide.com/venice-l35/st-mark-s-square-and-doge-s-palace-priority-entrance-tour-t234117/

I find that we get so much more out of a place by taking a tour with a guide than if we're just looking at stuff on our own (not really knowing the background behind what we're looking at.) 

[Got2Cruise]

I was fortunate to take an “after hours tour” of St Marks. What a beautiful experience. Nobody in the place except 100 people. You sit in the pews and listen to the very knowledgeable guide about the history. Then you are able to get up close to the Golden Altar and learn about that. Also you go down to the crypt. Look on TripAdvisor the tour is listed