It looks like St Marks is open from 9:30 to 5:00 and it sounds like it is very crowded. We will be in Venice on a Sunday and Monday and I would like to get opinions on the best time of day to go when the crowds will be the smallest.
I would assume late in the day. Is it crowded at 9:30 in the morning or would that be a good time?
We have never been to Venice.
It sounds like a person could spend about an hour in there looking at the various art works and "treasures".
We went first think in the morning, about 15 minutes before opening. The line looked very long, but once they opened, it moved very quickly. We went straight upstairs first, to go out on the balcony with the replica horses looking over the square. We spent at least half an hour there, photographing the horses and the square from different angles. Then we went inside to see the real horses, and finally downstairs to walk a circuit of the basilica itself. We here there for an hour and a half total.
i recommend getting there a bit before they open...as the morning goes on and on the day trippers come in the square gets very crowded and then the line is monstrous...later in the afternoon the square starts to thin out but seeing st marks in the early morn is a good eye opener...
Rick has a tip in his Italy book about a place around the corner from the Basilica where you can leave your bags and get a free ticket that will allow you direct entrance into the Basilica without having to wait in line. It worked for us. Check it out.
I have the audio guide downloaded and wanted to follow it a best we could. It sounds like you might have to move along with the crowd at their pace, hence I was trying to give us the best chance of being able to follow the audio guide without be "shoved along" with the crowd.
George's post about the bag check is correct,simply drop off your backpack/daypack and you get a pass that enables to walk right in to St. Mark's rather than waiting in line. Two people can enter per each bag checked, and while it is good for an hour I it was nearly two hours before I picked up my backpack and it was not a problem. Simply follow the directions in the book, it is very easy to find.
We have Rick's book and I had seen that about checking a bag and skipping the lines.
My point is more about about trying to be able to move along at our own pace rather than at the pace of the crowd, so I was just trying to find a time when the crwod would be the smallest.
Don't forget the museum which is in the upstairs area. You can get a closer view of the mosaic ceiling and go out to the balcony overlooking St. Mark's Square. Get there before they open, or you will soon have a huge line of cruise ship passengers to deal with. It probably would be better to go later in the afternoon when the cruisers will be heading back to their ships.
You can always attend a daily mass. We didn't because we're not Catholic and it didn't seem honest (I know it probably wouldn't have been a problem as long as were not taking communion).
Try to see it when the lights are on. The gold glass mosaic tiles look like the entire place is made of gold.
We also toured the museum, which gives you a great look at the mosaics.
Make sure you go upstairs to see the horses. I think you may have to pay extra. But these are the triumphal horses that were once in Rome, then Constantinople, then captured by Venice. Years later Napoleon took them to Paris but they were subsequently returned to Venice. The ones inside are the real deal. They were taken inside to protect them from air pollution. The ones outside are replicas.
I have just been amazed to be able to see something with such amazing provenance.
