Combination Ticket for the St Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace

Both monuments are only a few steps apart, which makes the combo ideal for a single, well-planned day on Piazza San Marco. Spend the morning beneath the shimmering gold mosaics of the Basilica, then cross the Piazzetta to the Doge’s Palace, where frescoed council halls, prison cells and the Bridge of Sighs await. If you would rather see Venice from above, you can swap the Basilica for a skip-the-line ticket to the Bell Tower.

Below you will find everything you need to plan your visit: what the combo includes, how the options differ, opening hours, the dress code, practical tips and a short history of both landmarks.

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What’s Included in the Combo Ticket?

The Doge’s Palace & St. Mark’s Basilica Combo is a flexible package. Instead of a fixed set of tickets, you choose one option from each category during booking. Ticket selection is always subject to availability on your chosen date, so it pays to book early in high season.

Which options should you choose?

Swipe to see the full table →

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Why Book the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica Together?

1. One booking, two time slots sorted

St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace are the two most visited sights in Venice, and both work with timed entry. In spring, summer and around holidays, popular slots disappear quickly. With the combo you secure both visits in a single checkout and receive your digital tickets by email, so you do not have to juggle two separate bookings.

2. Skip the longest queues on the square

The queues in front of both landmarks can stretch far across Piazza San Marco in peak season. The Doge’s Palace Fast Track and the hosted Basilica entry spare you the ticket line, so your time goes into sightseeing rather than standing in the sun. Security checks still apply at both entrances, so allow a few extra minutes.

3. A package that fits your interests

Not every traveller wants the same experience. Some prefer wandering alone through the council chambers; others want a guide who unlocks the secret passages. Some want the mosaics up close, others want the view from the Campanile. The combo lets you mix and match, and the Gondola History Gallery adds a lighter, interactive stop that children and teenagers usually enjoy.

4. Savings for the rest of your trip

After purchase you receive a personal discount code worth 10% on further bookings in Venice, valid for one month. It is handy for a boat trip to Murano and Burano, an evening concert, a gondola ride or a public transport pass.

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Highlights of the Doge’s Palace

The pink-and-white Gothic façade of the Doge’s Palace already hints at its beauty, but the interior is where the Republic’s wealth becomes overwhelming. For centuries this was the residence of the Doge, the meeting place of the Great Council, the seat of the courts and the city’s prison, all under one roof.

Highlights of St. Mark’s Basilica

Upon passing through its ancient portals, you enter a realm of golden light. More than 8,000 square metres of mosaics, made with gold leaf sealed between layers of glass, cover the domes, vaults and upper walls. They depict scenes from scripture, the life of St. Mark and the legends of Venice.

Beneath your feet, an undulating floor of inlaid marble and porphyry stretches across the nave like the waves of the lagoon. If you choose the option with terrace access, you also visit St. Mark’s Museum, which displays Flemish and Medici tapestries, altar frontals and Persian carpets once used in ceremonies presided over by the Doge, as well as the original bronze horses. Finally, step out onto the Loggia dei Cavalli for one of the finest views over St. Mark’s Square.

Prefer heights? The Bell Tower alternative takes you by lift to the top of the Campanile, the tallest structure in Venice, with a sweeping panorama over the domes, the lagoon and, on clear days, the Alps.

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Opening Times for St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace

Both landmarks open every day, but their hours differ. Plan the Basilica first if you are visiting late in the day, as it closes much earlier than the palace.

Opening hours can change for religious services, state events or Acqua Alta. Always check the time slot shown on your ticket.

Suggested one-day plan

Start with the Basilica around opening time, when the light inside is soft and the crowds are thinner. Afterwards, have a coffee under the arcades and visit the Gondola History Gallery, a short walk away on Calle San Gallo. After lunch, enter the Doge’s Palace, which stays open into the evening, and finish by walking across the Bridge of Sighs before stepping out onto the waterfront at sunset.

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Dress Code for St. Mark’s Basilica

The Doge’s Palace is a museum without a formal dress code, but St. Mark’s Basilica is a consecrated church with strict checks at the door. Since you will visit both on the same day, dress for the Basilica. Visitors who do not follow the modest dress code may be refused entry even with a valid ticket.

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Practical Tips for Your Combo Visit

A little preparation makes a big difference on St. Mark’s Square. Read these practical recommendations before you set off:

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How to Get to St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace

The two landmarks share St. Mark’s Square: the Basilica is at Piazza San Marco 328, and the Doge’s Palace at San Marco 1, facing the lagoon. The historic centre is car-free, so you arrive on foot or by water bus.

Travelling via Water Bus (Vaporetto)

Travelling on Foot

From Santa Lucia station or Piazzale Roma, the walk takes roughly 35 to 50 minutes. Follow the yellow signs reading “Per S. Marco” through Cannaregio, across the Rialto Bridge and on through the shopping lanes of the Mercerie, which open straight onto the square beneath the clock tower.

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History of St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace

The Basilica and the palace were never two separate stories. For almost a thousand years, the church of the Republic’s patron saint and the residence of its elected ruler stood wall to wall, expressing the union of faith and state that defined Venice.

The Relics of St. Mark and the First Buildings (9th Century)

In 828, two Venetian merchants smuggled the relics of St. Mark the Evangelist out of Alexandria, famously hiding them under pork to deter inspectors. Venice now had an apostle as its protector, and the Doge ordered a chapel built next to his fortified residence to house the relics. The first Doge’s Palace also stood on this site in the 9th century, but both buildings suffered badly in the fire that followed the revolt against Doge Pietro IV Candiano in 976.

A Byzantine Masterpiece (1063–1094)

The Basilica as we know it took shape from 1063 under Doge Domenico Contarini and his successors. Modelled on the great churches of Constantinople, it was built of brick and gradually clad in marble, columns and carvings brought back by Venetian fleets. It was consecrated in 1094. Until 1807 it served not as the city’s cathedral but as the Doge’s private chapel, the ceremonial heart of the state.

The Gothic Palace of a Maritime Empire (14th–16th Century)

The Doge’s Palace you see today largely dates from the 14th century, when Venice was at the height of its power. Its airy arcades and delicate stone tracery seem to defy gravity, placing the heavy upper storey on slender columns. Fires in the 1570s destroyed several halls, and the Republic commissioned its finest painters to redecorate them. Veronese, Tintoretto and their workshops created the vast canvases that still celebrate Venice’s glory today. Around 1600 the Bridge of Sighs was added to link the palace with the New Prisons across the canal.

Plunder, Splendour and the Fall of the Republic (1204–1797)

After the Fourth Crusade sacked Constantinople in 1204, the Basilica received precious spoils, including the four bronze horses that were placed above the main portal. The originals are now protected inside St. Mark’s Museum. When Napoleon ended the Venetian Republic in 1797, the Doge’s Palace lost its political role. Today it is a museum, while the Basilica became the cathedral of Venice in 1807.

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