Discover beautiful Venice on this two tour program, a 2 hour walking tour and a 35 minute gondola ride through the enchanted city. Your professionally guided tour begins in world famous Piazza San Marco (St Mark's Square), the principal square in Venice. As a central landmark and gathering place for Venice, Piazza San Marco is extremely popular with tourists, photographers, and pigeons. The Piazza originated in the 9th century as a small area in front of the original St Mark's Basilica. It has been the location of the important offices of the Venetian state and the seat of the archbishop for centuries.

You will stop to view the outside of St Mark's Campanile, the bell tower which is one of the most recognizable symbols of the city. The tower is more than 320 feet tall, and stands alone in a corner of St Mark's Square, near the front of the basilica.

Next you will “skip the line” to tour inside Saint Mark's Basilica, the cathedral of Venice. Your tour price includes a special pass for quick entrance into this world famous cathedral. Originally it was the private chapel of the Venetian rulers dating back to 828 A.D. For its opulent design, gilded Byzantine mosaics, and its status as a symbol of Venetian wealth and power, from the 11th century on the building has been known by the nickname Chiesa d'Oro (Church of Gold).

Next, you will visit the outside of The Doge's (Chief Magistrate) Palace a Gothic palace that was the residence of the Doge of Venice. The current palace was largely constructed from 1309 to 1424, replacing earlier fortified buildings of which relatively little is known.

From the palace you will leave the square and crowds behind to discover the "real Venice ". You will enter a labyrinth of narrow passageways and alleys where an enchanting city of meandering canals punctuated by delicate bridges awaits you. Admire the Church of San Giovanni e Paolo from the outside the Pantheon of Venice, where many important Venetians were laid to rest. You will learn about illustrious Venetian characters like Marco Polo as well as more common citizens, that made this city of stone such a vibrant and magical place. This portion of the tour ends at the Rialto Bridge.

You will then have approximately 90 minutes of free time for shopping or grabbing a bite to eat on your own. In the afternoon, you will next enjoy the quintessential Venice experience – a traditional gondola ride. As you glide silently through numerous small canals you will visit parts of the city only accessible by this kind of transportation and appreciate a very different Venice far from the crowds of St. Mark’s Square. Lined by sumptuous Venetian palaces and punctuated by delicate bridges, your 30 minute ride through these enchanting waterways is like a journey back in time to the glorious days of the Venetian Republic.