Has anyone done the St. Mark’s Basilica tour at night in Venice? I saw it is offered only some days and I will be in Venice on one of them. The viator/get your guide websites are offering them and they detail it as seeing the basilica lit up at night, with a max 25 people, and seeing the crypt (which isn’t open to visitors during the day). Trying to decide if it’s worth it. Thank you all for any help!
Posted by
Phoenix, Arizona
21 posts
We did it in 2018 with Uniworld. I've never done it during normal hours, so I can't compare, but having the whole place to ourselves was an incredible experience. And it did look fantastic with all the lights turned on inside. The downside was that when the tour was over, we had to leave, and couldn't wander around on our own.
Posted by
OP
31 posts
jcmdunc3, thank you for the advice.
Did you see the crypt when you went? Would you say it was something you really enjoyed and would miss if you didn’t get to visit it during the daytime hours?
Posted by
Southeast of Seattle
701 posts
We took the tour from takewalks.com-called Exclusive After Hours….not the ones including the Doges Palace. It did include the crypt. Just know that there are other tour groups there at the same time, but not so many as to interfere with seeing any of the highlights. And once the tour is over, you are done so wandering would be going back on your own?
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7366 posts
I did it in 2017, as part of a college-labelled art tour. It was an impressive, exclusive-feeling event. It is highly-regimented, for a lowly-regimented country (!) But because it was my fourth time in Venice, and I had been to St. Mark's twice before, it did not feel as startling as it might on your first visit. Sorry to sound like I'm bragging or something, but I think you asked a "value tourism" question.
Because our tour guide (for the entire trip) was a (former?) voice student, he got permission to sing a few lines from his spot in front of us, which was also special. Obviously, he and his US company were involved in the booking of the entry.
Sorry, I don't remember if we saw the crypt. I do remember seeing water damage to the hallway floors in St. Mark's.
Posted by
OP
31 posts
I’ve been years ago but never saw the crypt. I love Venice and my wife and I love sitting on Piazza San Marco at one of the cafes. So it’s sort of, to us, is it worth spending less time there to do this. Thank you for the input. I appreciate it!
Posted by
Phoenix, Arizona
21 posts
Rome-in, that's a tough question. On the one hand, there was nothing fancy about it, but on the other, it gave me a more complete feeling for the Basilica in its entirety, ie, not just a platform for mosaics. It also reinforced on me the effect the sea has on Venice as a whole.
Posted by
1 posts
We took the Viator tour in 2018 and it was the best tour we did in Venice. It's worth the money.
Posted by
Washington DC
27230 posts
Viator doesn't conduct tours. It just sells tours run by other companies. Either the traveler will save money, or the tour company will end up with more money, or both, if Viator isn't part of the transaction; Viator takes a substantial commission from the companies whose tours it markets. I realize Viator can be convenient if you need to book something with little notice.