Private Walking Tour with St Mark’s & Gondola Ride in Venice
Your LivTours Private Walking Tour with St Mark’s & Gondola Ride in Venice is the perfect way to experience the best of Venice! You will meet your private local guide in the picturesque Campo San Giacometto square. You will set off on foot to admire the area, including the famous Rialto Bridge, the vibrant food market, and a church with an important and hidden Renaissance altar. Your guide will lead you to the best vantage points for once in a lifetime photos as you make your way through the maze of narrow streets and a million bridges all the while sharing with you the history and captivating anecdotes of Venice.
Admire the beautiful exterior of St. Mark’s Basilica before enjoying your exclusive LivTours access. The church is nicknamed the Golden Basilica and you will see why as your eyes take in the thousands of gold tiled mosaics that surround you. Dating back to the 9th century, your guide will share with you the amazing stories of its continuous expansion and changes.
You will end your tour with a private gondola ride in the most romantic city in Europe!
- Gain an understanding of the intricate history of Venice with a private guide!
- Enjoy exclusive skip-the-line access to St. Mark’s Basilica on your private tour
- Travel in style on your luxurious private gondola ride through picturesque canals
- Explore the maze of narrow streets and bridges with your local expert guide
- Admire the thousands of mosaics in St Mark’s Basilica, nicknamed the Basilica of gold
Exclusive private Tours and Experiences. Also offered in Spanish, French, Portuguese, Swedish and Russian
Our prices always include tickets and reservations fees (no waiting in lines!)
Our tour guides and staff are selected experts and speak perfect English
Easy to book and prepay your tours with our secure payment system
Eco-sustainable tourism, designed to respect and support local culture, art and traditions
On your LivTours Tour with St Mark’s & Gondola Ride in Venice starts in the lovely square of Campo San Giacometto which is just a stone’s throw from the famous Ponte Rialto and the Grand Canal. The church in the square with the same name, is said to be the oldest in Venice with a construction date of 421 AD. Built by a local carpenter who was devoted to San Giacomo. This neighborhood is a bustling shopping quarter with a lively daily market located near the Grand Canal that fills up with locals buying fish and fresh vegetables.
Your private tour continues on foot as your local guide shares with you the history of the unique architecture and leads you to the perfect place to admire the famous Rialto Bridge with romantic views of the picture perfect views. With the same name as the near-by food market, the bridge was initially built in 1250 completely in wood and its unusual shape allows tall boats to sail unhindered. This is especially necessary being located next to the market allowing for cargo boats to bring in the daily produce, fish, meat and cheeses.
Continuing through the maze of Venice’s small alleyways you will reach the riveting square of Campo Santa Maria Formosa from which you can admire 11 bridges and at least seven architectural Venetian masterpieces. Among these is the Palazzo Querini Stampalia, former home of the Querini family, now home to the Querini Museum.
In the 15th century, Venice experienced its golden age and the square of Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo was an important focal point of the time, you will stop here for a few minutes while your guide tells you the history of this space. Proceeding on your tour, you will arrive in the breathtaking St. Mark’s Square. Admire the exterior of the unique Doge’s Palace facade next to the Grand Canal and get ready to enter the St Mark’s Basilica. Your Venice private tour would not be complete without entering this elegant 9th-century church filled with sparkling gold mosaics, imposing bronze horse statues, and marble-laden floors.
Your Private St Marks and Gondola tour ends with a flourish as you glide along the narrow picturesque canals in your private gondola. Say goodbye to your guide before enjoying this half-hour private cruise, as you fondly remember the history of this stunning city on water.
- Campo San Giacometto
- Grand Canal
- Rialto Bridge
- Rialto food market
- Campo Santa Maria Formosa
- Palazzo Querini Stampalia (from outside)
- Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo
- St Marks square
- Skip the line into St. Mark’s Basilica
- Private gondola ride
- Offered in: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian. Please specify under “Additional notes” if you wish to book the tour in a language other than English.
- Places of worship have strict dress code requirements for entry. All participants are required to have shoulders and knees covered (no tank tops or short dresses) to enter.
- During the low season (November 3-March 30) it is not possible to reserve tickets to St. Mark’s Basilica. Due to the low number of visitors, there are normally no lines during this period.
LivTours’ group size of max 6 participants is and always has been based on sustainable travel, and we are proud to be at the forefront of change and innovation in the industry. LivTours is committed to providing travelers with truly sustainable tours with the lowest possible environmental impact, all while supporting the local industries and people of each unique destination. To learn more about how you can actively support sustainable tourism and how LivTours is contributing, click here.
When you book a LivTours Private Tour or Experience, you are guaranteed a dedicated, expert guide that allows you the flexibility to start your tour at a time which is convenient for you, making planning easy. Our private tours ensure that you will get a tailored experience to meet all your needs so we go at your pace, perfect for families with younger children, elderly, or individuals with accessibility needs. Please be advised that all private tours begin at a base price starting at two people*. Prices are inclusive of entry tickets where applicable. *Some Ferrari private experiences are inclusive of one person only.
Make your day even more unique and comfortable by upgrading your tour with a customizable LivTours optional add on!
Unforgettable introduction to Venice
"My husband and I visited Venice, Italy for the first time and had a private walking tour of Venice with Marie-Therese. She was AWESOME! Not only was the city beautiful in itself, Marie-Theresa knew all of the history and shared her vast knowledge with us in a warm and friendly way. Part of the tour included St. Mark's and she pointed out things we would have never have seen on our own. Our tour ended with a private gondola ride. I highly recommend this tour and ask for Marie-Therese!"
Ted and Doris - USA
A fantastic day in Venice
"Wow, we had the BEST day in Venice with our LivItaly guide Marie. She was incredibly nice, knowledgeable and patient with our family of 3 teenagers. It was a five hour walking tour through the fascinating labyrinth of Venice’s canals and squares, and Marie had such interesting stories and historical anecdotes about everything we saw...she really brought the history of Venice to life! Marie’s art history background, knowledge of history in general and overall love of the city of Venice was so apparent and appreciated! We ended with a gondola ride which was a perfect end to a fantastic tour. Thank you Marie and thank you LivItaly...we will recommend you to everyone we know who visits Italy!"
Susasn and Patrick - Canada
By selecting Choose Dates Later / Buy as Gift at booking, any tour can be purchased without fixed dates. This is the perfect option if you want to purchase your tour as a gift for a loved one, or if you are in the pre-planning phase of your vacation. After booking, you will receive a Travel Voucher Code and full instructions on how to schedule your tours when ready. Once your travel plans are confirmed, you can easily use the Travel Voucher Code on the LivTours website to formally schedule your tours. You can find out more here.