St. Marks museum upstairs buying tickets

I don't know if you can purchase a ticket ahead of time, but as far as I know there is only one way upstairs to the museum. The ticket booth is located at the top of the stairs, so I think you'll find yourself in a line no matter what you do. If I recall correctly, and I'm sure others will talk of their experiences, the same stairs are used to exit the upstairs area, so it can be crowded. I don't think you need to spend 2 euros to 'reserve' an entry; St. Mark's has a free entry. I guess it depends on when you will be there; the line can be long, but if you go early I don't think you'll need to buy a 'skip the line' ticket. Personally, I think you can tour the cathedral and the museum on your own. You can easily get info from a guidebook or with some online research. You might have a look here:
http://www.museosanmarco.it/index_eng.bsm. Have a great trip!

The best time to visit the Basilica is between 11.30 and 12.30 while the mosaics are floodlit. If you plan to be there then, it's probably worth the money to skip the long line. The museum is part of the church, and you will have close-up views of some of the mosaics while you're up there, as well as a great view of the Piazza from the balcony.

Thank you , we will be there this coming Saturday & yes I had read that in other posts that 11:30 - 12:30 is the only time they light up the mosaics so that is why I was going to try to reserve an entry time. As it may be a bit more crowded then. I will just purchase the upstairs museum ticket after we get there then . Thanks just trying to make good use of our time.

While I have seen quite long queues to get into the Basilica and especially (well ok most of the time) in mid morning, I've never experienced any significant queues to upstairs. It is my favourite place in the building, especially when the lights are on the mosaics.