Best of Venice Tour and St. Mark's Basilica and Gondola Ride

Our Best of Venice tour is perfect for visitors with only a limited time in Venice who want to get a true taste of the city. In just a few hours we take you to the most famous sites of Venice, including St. Markandrsquo;s Basilica and the Rialto Bridge, as well as taking in the famous Gondola Ride! As you wander the streets and piazzas of central Venice, your expert, English-speaking guide will keep you entertained with stories about how Venice was built and how it became one of the worldandrsquo;s oldest republics. Listen as your guide weaves tales about Veniceandrsquo;s most famous residents, the parties that earned the city its name and the culture that has made it one of the worldandrsquo;s most popular destinations. Our tour starts at one of Veniceandrsquo;s must-see sights, the Rialto Bridge. Then itandrsquo;s through the winding streets and over the tiny bridges of Venice as we delve into the heart of the city. Youandrsquo;ll visit Marco Poloandrsquo;s house and hear about the Venetian son who went to sea one day and came back with stories of China and a world in the East that few had ever seen. Youandrsquo;ll encounter the lively piazzas of Campo SS Giovanni e Paolo and Campo Santa Maria Formosa, where Byzantine influences, Renaissance buildings and modern structures tell the eclectic story of the cityandrsquo;s development. Weandrsquo;ll see the Bridge of Sighs on our way to our final and most impressive stop. After marveling over St. Markandrsquo;s Square (pronounced the finest drawing room in all of Europe by Napoleon), weandrsquo;ll skip the long lines into St. Markandrsquo;s Basilica. Marvel at the diversity of Venetian culture as your guide points out the spots where eastern architecture and western design have blended to create a structure with an onion dome that could only have been created in Venice. With less time waiting outside weandrsquo;ll have more time to admire the beautiful frescoes inside the basilica, before stealing some extra time with a climb up to the famous terraces of St. Markandrsquo;s. Rarely included on guided tours, the terraces offer beautiful views over the piazza, photo opportunities and some down-time to soak up everything you have learned on your guided tour. With group sizes limited to only 20 people or less and headsets for ten people or more, this head-spinning journey through the culture and architecture of Venice will be intimate, your guide easy to hear and interact with. After sightseeing from land, it is time to take in this city from the canals a ride on the famous Gondola's! This 30 minute trip along the famous waterways including the Grand Canal will take in all the famous sights and some of the lesser known ones as well! Join us for an introduction to Venice, that shows you the very best of the Floating City.