6 History Tours in Venice to Build a Day Around

1.St. Mark Basilica Ticket, Audioguide+History Gallery

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 4,780 reviews · from $23Our pick

Review of Venice’s St. Mark’s Basilica ticket with audio guide, VR history gallery, skip-the-line entry, costs, tips, and drawbacks.

“Knowledgable guide who really knew her facts. Word of warning - you absolutely must not wear short skirts, short shorts or bare shoulders into the basilica - you will not be allowed entry. A few of our party needed to buy additional covering in order to enter the basilica. The basilica is beautiful and absolutely worth a visit.”

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

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

Review of Venice's Best tour with skip-the-line Basilica and Doge's Palace access, a shared gondola ride, VR history gallery, value, and tips.

“The guide spoke too fast and was hard to keep up with. She did not help us leave the palace, therefore it was difficult to find the exit. We took the gondola ride at the end of the tour. The directions were so vague that we had lots of difficulty finding the meeting place. A random gondolier had to show us where to go. There was a restroom at the office where we started the tour. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to use it, so we were rather uncomfortable. I was pretty disappointed overall with this tour.”

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3.City Center Historical Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 1,873 reviews · 1 - 2.5 hours · from $14

Review of Venice’s $14 city-center walking tour, covering St. Mark’s, Rialto, La Fenice, quiet lanes, VR history, and optional gondola rides.

“Ana is very knowledgeable and we learned so much about Venice in one hour (and for such a reasonable cost) that we were rather blown away. It was a great time and we highly recommend.”

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4.Bell Tower & St Mark’s Square History Gallery Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 910 reviews · 1 hour · from $44

Review of Venice’s Bell Tower and History Gallery ticket, with 98-meter views, VR history, skip-the-line access, price advice, and practical tips.

“The Bell Tower Skip the Line tickets were great, but note this is not a tour. You have to go to the agent's office and they swap your voucher for the tickets. You get in immediately, but there is no fast track return down, so you have to wait. Not an issue, but just be aware.”

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5.Basilica, Doge’s Palace, History Gallery & Bell Tower Option

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 586 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $116Top rated

Review of Venice’s Doge’s Palace, St. Mark’s Basilica, history gallery, and bell tower tour, with skip-the-line access, tips, costs, and drawbacks.

“This tour was AMAZING. Our guide, Mateo was so inspirational and knowledgeable. Be prepared to walk but every step is worth it! I was overwhelmed by the beauty of these historic landmarks. It just got better and better and better as the tour went on. I cannot praise this tour enough. It was a gem.”

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6.Natural History Museum Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 312 reviews · 1 day · from $11Best value

Explore Venice’s Natural History Museum, from dinosaur fossils to whale skeletons, in a quiet Grand Canal palazzo for an affordable family outing.

“excellent museum, quiet even on a rainy day. well worth visiting for all ages, my 16yr old loved it!”

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