I'm just about to purchase tickets for St. Mark's Basilica and bell tower, Doges Palace, and secret itinerary tour, and the other museums in the plaza for Oct 1st & 2nd. It seems you can just buy tickets online and not go through any resellers or guide companies. We're happy to just use the audio guides that are offered. We are staying within a 5 min walk of Doges and St Marks. My Plan is to get tickets to both for 9:00 am/opening and visit as long as we can till lunch and then take the afternoon to wander. Am I missing any critical concept? It just seems so easy and the calendar shows plenty of availability. Other than the secret itinerary in Doges, is it necessary to do anything but an audio guide? I would also like to go to the Academia and possibly Peggy Guggenheim museums. Of course hit all of the scenic areas. Any advice is welcome.
Posted by
Bend, Oregon
2570 posts
You’re not missing anything, and your plan is good. Just make sure you’re using the official site.
Posted by
OP
San Martín California
30 posts
I was able to book the Doges, from the official site, requires you to also choose an entry time for the Correr Museum. Not wanting to do back to back, I chose the following day in the morning. Had to get a different day for secret itinerary tour at Doges, so picked the next day just after our Correr time. WARNING: San Marco is booked out till Oct 9th (more than a month out), so I missed out on it. I ended up paying for an afterhours tour through THE TOUR GUY site for the dates I am there, not too big of a hit, and at least i will have a guide and it will be afterhours, so maybe a good thing. Ended up getting the Bell Tower for a completely different day first thing in the am, our farewell day that we have to get to Chioggia. May end up booking a second one in the afternoon that matches up with one of the days we are either at the DOGES or BASILICSA. Would love to do it on a sunny day and then if time allows hop on a vaporetto and do the Bell tower across to that small island and get the opposing photo. Kind of like doing the Eiffel Tower towards the " ugly tower " the Montparnasse, and visa versa in Paris.
But I understand why so many people end up going through the resellers now, those tour companies buy up all the early times. I guess I better get going on getting Rome site tickets (arriving there on the 11th).
Posted by
50 posts
Don't be sorry you booked the after hours tour of St. Marks. It was wonderful. The secret itinerary tour has a guide who will take you through. Having the tickets ahead of time was the best thing I did.
Posted by
Washington DC
28247 posts
I saw some lines (not long) at the Guggemheim Museum in September 2022. You might want to monitor ticket availability in the week before your arrival and see whether it appears you can buy a ticket the morning you decide to visit or even just an hour or so ahead of time to avoid a line.
I really liked the museum, but it was crowded . I suspect it might be less busy in the afternoon. Looking at ticket availability might give you a clue about that.
I walked right into the Accademia, but I guess I might have been lucky.
Posted by
OP
San Martín California
30 posts
Thanks good to know. I think we have what we need booked for Venice and will then keep list of places if we have the time. Have been working on our Rome itinerary now, and that looks like its coming together. I had no idea how extensive the area around the Colosseum is. There are so many sites that are reported to be nice, even exceptional that are not on the typical tourist destination. Planning to take some time to visit some of those.