Venice 2-Hour Highlights Tour: Visit San Marco Square, The Basilica And Rialto Bridge

Meet your tour guide in San Marco square and get ready for a day you will hardly ever forget!

As you will start your panoramic walk around the highlights of the most beautiful city in the whole world, take some time to marvel at the outstanding architecture of its monuments, at the lively streets full of people of all different cultures, at the overwhelming silence of the small canals just few steps away from a busy square.

Hold your breath when stepping into the heart of the lagoon, St. Mark, the most highly-admired Italian square, with its trapezoidal shape and length of 170 meters, home to some exceptional landmarks.

Avoid the ever-present queue and get your reserved access to St. Marks Basilica, built in the 9th century to house the corpse of St Mark. The cathedral, with more than 8000 square meters of mosaics, Byzantine domes, a Greek cross layout and walls clad in marble from Syria, Egypt and Palestine, is simply a jewel of historical and artistic relevance you cannot miss.

Marvel at the Doge’s Palace, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, made out of layers of building elements from the 14th and the 15th century, with Renaissance and Mannerist adjunctions. Finally, discover St. Mark’s Clock tower, standing over an arch that leads into the main shopping street of the city, marking a juncture and a division between what once were the political, religious, economic and public spaces of the city.

Continue your walk up to Rialto Bridge, and if the weather permits, get the opportunity to enjoy a breathtaking view from the rooftop of Fondaco dei Tedeschi, once a trading post for German merchants, depicted by Canaletto, and now one of the best photography spots of the entire lagoon.