Make your way to Saint Mark’s Square, where you’ll meet a guide at 9am for a 2-hour walking tour through the Saint Mark’s and Castello neighborhoods. Follow narrow lanes into Saint Maria Formosa Square, and continue into Saints Giovanni and Paolo Square, where you’ll find a famous church that’s buried several of Venice’s Doges.
Check out the equestrian statue of the Italian mercenary Captain Bartolomeo Colleoni, and pass the house that once belonged to Marco Polo, who defined exploration and adventure writing for centuries. Walk past the famous Malibran Theatre, then pass through Saint Mark’s Square on your way to the last stop of the day, the Doge’s Palace.
Walk past the lines and straight into the palace, where your guide will share important historical context as you take in the stuccoed halls and masterpiece paintings, including the largest oil painting in the world. Descend into the basement prison to see the cells that once held some of Venice’s most famous criminals, crossing the fully-enclosed Bridge of Sighs with views down into the Rio di Palazzo. This 3-hour tour concludes at the Doge’s Palace.