Hello!
We will be flying into Venice next Thursday and there until Sunday morning before heading to Florence.
Definitely dropped the ball on getting early tickets to St Marks Basilica & now I am not seeing anything remotely available online for access during our few days there--likely due to the holiday.
What are the chances we will be able to get tickets once we're there? Or I'd take any other suggestions if there are any on where to look!
Since next week is Holy Week Easter April 20
I would guess no chance of getting tickets
Could try getting there well before opening and get in line
But there may be reduced visiting hours etc due to Good Friday Holy Saturday services etc
This might be an occasion where you book tickets or a tour through a 3rd party. Have you checked getyourguide, liv tours, walks of Italy?
You can wait in line. You are likely to be able to get tickets that way. Not all of the tickets are sold in advance.
we were there last year the Tuesday after easter. also, dropped ball....thought it was included with a different pre-booked tour. we got on line early and managed fine -- less than 30 minute wait. If 3rd party is not an option get there early. we found st mark's square deserted at 8am which was a pleasant surprise.
The same thing happened to me around 10 AM on a mid-September day in 2022 (yes, quite possibly more people will be in Venice in April of Holy Year 2025). I arrived to find quite a long line. The folks right behind me in line assured me the line would move fast, and it did. I think I reached the door in about 30 minutes. While your wait this year might be longer, I don't think this is going to destroy your day.
Arriving earlier would likely mean a shorter wait, because a lot of the tourists you see in Venice are not staying in the city, so they may not get to San Marco particularly early. However, you might want to know that they illuminate the interior of the church late in the morning--sometime between 11:30 AM and noon, I believe. I really liked the better view of the mosaics afforded by the illumination, but I can't say I was bothered by low visibility before they turned on the lights--and I'm old enough that seeing things under low light conditions can be a challenge.
Your other option is to attend mass. Unfortunately, the Basilica's website hasn't posted an Easter schedule since 2017, but here's their regular schedule and the Patriarch's schedule should be posted here soon (he'll likely preside over the important masses during Easter). The schedule may also be posted somewhere on a noticeboard outside of the Basilica.
Thanks everyone! Feeling a little more optimistic in getting some passes once we are on site now ;)
