Venice Super Saver: Skip the Line Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica Tours, Venice Tour and Grand Canal Cruise
This tour was recommended to me. I've downloaded the Rick Steves Audio tour for St. Mark's Square, St Mark's Basilica and Frank Church. I looking for advice. Is this tour worth the money? It is $275.00 for my wife and I.
Also some travelers said Murano island isn't really worth the time and money to see. Your thoughts?
You can do this on your own for a lot less money, but it might be worth it to you if you don't want to spend the time researching how to do it. Are you planning on getting vaporetto passes while in Venice? Rick has a very good Audio Tour of the Grand Canal you can download. But I see the tour has a private boat. Maybe that part is worth not to be on a crowded vaporetto.
Just saying that it is very difficult for anyone to opine on what something is worth to you. Who recommended it to you? A Travel agent? A friend you know very well whose taste and judgement you trust? And has similar spending habits.
As to Murano, we spent half a day there in June and had a very nice visit. Go early as it will be less crowded.
I would be utterly miserable following a tour guide through the streets of Venice.
You can save a lot of money and have more fun doing this on your own.
Book the Doges Palace Secret Itinerary tour for the morning of Day 1 in Venice. €20 per person and there is no line; you have a reserved spot on the guided tour.
You can book a "skip the line" ticket (timed entry) for San Marco Basilica for €2 each.
For the Grand Canal tour and Murano, I suggest the following:
Buy a 24-hour vaporetto Pass and start it in the afternoon of Day 1. It will be valid until the same hour the following day. Use it first to visit Murano, timing your return to catch the sunset, for an enchanting view of Venice.
The next morning, catch the No. 2 vaporetto at San Zaccaria Dock B, heading to Giudecca. It will stop first at San Giorgio---well worth getting off to visit this church and enjoy the views across the bacino to San Marco. Catch another No. 2 and ride it westward through the Giudecca canal, watching for an opportunity to move to the forward outside seats if you can. You will go around past the cruise ship terminal, and into the Grand Canal at Piazzale Roma for your "cruise" down the canal.
You should still have several hours left on the vaporetto Pass for another trip.
Thank you for the replies! Exactly what I needed to know. We will plan our own tour. Thanks for all the help. Beyond my expectations.
For those of us who've been there and done those things multiple times it's a piece of cake knowing how to book on your own. For others - not so easy. But rest assured the Doge's Palace and St Mark's Basilica skip the line are easy to book just as Lola pointed out.
Time your entry to the Basilica at 11:30. The lights come on at noon and the mosaics are illuminated. Beautiful !
