Help with Tix for Doge's Palace & St. Mark's Basilica

The info in RS guide is outdated- changes due to COVID

I know this has come up here recently- do a few searches and you should find some updated info
I believe you have to purchase a combo ticket now-- Basilica and Doges together. (my mistake this is not the combo offered)
No more reserved times for Basilica and it is no longer free.

https://palazzoducale.visitmuve.it/en/pianifica-la-tua-visita/tickets/

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/update-from-venice
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/doge-s-palace-tickets

Thank you, I'll take a look at those links!

OK, those links to the RS threads were very helpful!

I'm still not seeing where on the site to buy a combo ticket for St. Mark's and Doge's. I only see Doge's plus other museums. One comment on one of the threads said there is no reserving in advance at St. Mark's now, though, so maybe that's what is going on. I'll see if I can find more info on that.

Definitely confusing!
As a last resort you can always attend Mass to get into the Basilica- you won't be allowed to roam around but at least you are in without a long wait.

Liturgical celebrations

From Monday to Saturday morning (at the Nicopeia Altar)

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, around 35 seats are available on weekdays.

08:00 Lauds and Third Hour
08:30 am Mass
10:00 S. Mass
17:00 (Thursday) Eucharistic Adoration
18:00 Vespers and the Office of Readings
18:25 Rosary
18:45 S. Mass

Sunday and Solemnity "of precept" (in the nave)

08:30 am Mass
10:00 Solemn Holy Mass (sung by the Marciana Chapel)
12:00 Holy Mass ("Organ Mass")
17:45 Vespers (at the Nicopeia Altar)
18:45 S. Mass

Thank you! We could just go to a mass if we end up needing to do that, even though we wouldn't see as much as otherwise. Not a bad idea, though, if it comes to that.

I only searched for “Doges”
Try some other searches, I seem to remember more discussion of the issue

I wish there was a search just for the forums. My results are always tours, books, blog articles, etc. I don't often get results that are threads in the forums!

Hi mhsrmoore2!
There is a way to just search the forums, and to narrow the results down to just those posted in the past 6 months, in the past 1 year, in the past 2 years, or all of them ever.

Enter your info in the search box at the top of the page and click "go"
Under the next page that comes up, click "Travel forum" under the blue "Filter by Type" box
Under the next page that comes up, choose the "6 months and newer" or "1 year and newer", etc. option under the blue "Filter by Date" box

Does this help?

Kathy, thank you! That will be SO helpful! I really appreciate it.

I don't think there's a combo ticket for St. Mark's and the Doge's Palace. I think the combo is Doge's Palace + Correr Museum. There used to be a ticket that covered multiple sights around St. Mark's Square. I'm not sure whether they're still selling that, now that they are trying to reduce crowding, and I don't think the basilica (which used to be free except for some sections like the Pala d'Oro) was included.

Many people have recommended the Secret Itineraries tour at the Doge's Palace. Although it used to sell out far in advance, there are fewer visitors in Venice these days, and you may still be able to get tickets for that tour.

https://palazzoducale.visitmuve.it/en/the-museum/layout-and-collections/secret-itineraries/

Of course the Secret Itineraries tour is not available for the day we need it. Ugh, this is frustrating. I'm happy to just buy a normal ticket but they're not available!

Or I could do a Walks of Italy tour that covers both St. Mark's and Doge's, for 97 euros each. For places we didn't need tours and could do without a tour for not much at all.

At this point I'm thinking we just show up and get in the regular lines. Boo.

We were in Venice in August. The line to get into St Marks was 20 minutes. It was 3 Euros to get in. I was not crowded inside at all. This was in middle of a weekday afternoon. The tickets are not connected at all to Doges Palace.

We had tickets to Secret Itinerary tour which allowed us to bypass the line for Doges Palace. It was quite long but have no idea how long it took, since we did not stand in it.

Get there before the Basilica opens
You’ll also have the benefit of enjoying the P San Marco without crowds

One thing about timing the San Marco visit: Rick's guidebook says the mosaics are best seen around the middle of the day when they're illuminated. I think that happens roughly 11:30 AM to 12:45 PM -- something to do with the timing of tours, I believe. I haven't been able to test out Rick's advice, so I don't know how much difference the timing makes. I suppose this would be of most importance for people who are nutty about mosaics like I am.

Yes I think that time frame is correct
The website used to indicate when the lights were turned on, maybe it still does
I know we booked an entrance at noon for that purpose

The line to get into St Marks was 20 minutes.

That's good to know! Hopefully it will be the same in October. I think I just won't worry about that, then, and will show up when it fits our schedule. Thank you!

The info on the timing is funny, because I read something about being there when the mosaics are illuminated, but I was thinking that meant from the sunlight at certain times of day. Haha!

I think I'll keep trying to find a better way for the DP, but not worry about the basilica. Thank you all!

The basilica is not being illuminated right now. I think that was connected to a tour that is not being given now because of covid.

And in August St Mark’s square itself was never very crowded. This was not true of the vaporettos. I can only think it is the lack of cruise boat crowds. We were there on a different day first thing in the morning and it is very peaceful with even fewer people. We were also there at night without many people.

We watched the Rick Steves video on Venice after we returned. It was filmed in April and there were far more people.

Not sure what date you’re going but I found this link to purchasing single tickets for Doge’s Palace:
https://muve.vivaticket.it/en/event/musei-p-san-marco-ducale/155153

I ended up booking the Walks of Italy Tour since the reserved times for St. Mark’s are not being offered this year.

Diana

Thanks, BethFL. I'm hoping the crowds are very low in October!

Diana, that link is to the ticket for Doge's Palace plus all the other museums. We don't have time to do the others, so we don't need that type of ticket. Thank you, though! I think we'll just have to stand in line for the single tickets.

It’s just Doge’s Palace and the Correr Museum and that always is a combination ticket.