After-hours St Mark's, Doge's Palace optional
The basilica after closing — crypt and flood-marked walls — with the Doge's Palace offered as an extra and the Pala d'Oro reserved for the other two tours.
Open this tour ↗The evening, panel by panel
The evening, panel by panel
The after-hours tour moves through the basilica roughly in this order, though the custodian's own route can shift on the night.
- Panel I
The empty piazza
Your group gathers in Piazza San Marco once the day's queues have gone, the floodlit facade the only thing still awake in the square.
- Panel II
The doors unlocked
A custodian lets the group in through doors that close to the public at the end of the day, the basilica otherwise dark and silent around you.
- Panel III
Darkness in the pews
The interior stands unlit at first, the gold overhead barely a suggestion until the guide brings the lights up.
- Panel IV
The domes come up
Guests describe the lights coming up one dome at a time rather than all at once, figures and gold ground resolving overhead.
- Panel V
The Pala d'Oro
On the VIP and LivTours evenings, the group stops at the gold and enamel altarpiece behind the high altar, installed in 1105 and reworked twice since.
- Panel VI
Down into the crypt
A last stop below the altar, in the crypt that held St Mark's relics from the basilica's consecration in 1094 until they were moved to the high altar in 1835.
Nothing here is timed to the minute — the basilica-only visit runs about 75 minutes, and adding the Doge's Palace stretches the evening to roughly three and a half hours, so your guide sets the pace once you're inside.
Inside the doors
Inside the doors
What's included shifts by tour — the VIP version adds the Doge's Palace next door, the LivTours option keeps a smaller group to the basilica alone.
Areas closed to daytime visitors
All three tours reach the crypt and walls still marked by historic flooding; the VIP and LivTours tours add a stop at the Pala d'Oro, the gold and enamel altarpiece behind the high altar.
The Doge's Palace, when it's included
On the VIP tour the evening continues next door through the Doge's apartments and the Hall of the Great Council, hung with Veronese and Tintoretto, then the armoury, the prisons and the Bridge of Sighs seen from inside.
An optional add-on on the hero tour
The hero tour can add the Doge's Palace as an optional extra rather than carrying it as standard — the option is chosen at booking.
A smaller group, basilica only
LivTours' version stays inside St Mark's alone, in groups capped at six guests, for roughly 90 minutes, and is wheelchair accessible.
What to wear
Shoulders and knees stay covered on every tour, with no shorts, short skirts, sleeveless tops, backpacks, large bags or strollers through the doors.
ID at the door
Walks of Italy's two tours ask for photo ID that matches the name given at booking; names can't be changed afterwards.
Why the basilica
Nine centuries of gold overhead
Consecrated in 1094
The basilica standing today is the third church built on this site, begun around 1063 and consecrated on 8 October 1094, when the relics of St Mark were placed in a new crypt below the altar.
Five domes built for mosaic
St Mark's carries five domes, every one sheathed in mosaic rather than painted — a choice that still catches low light the way fresco never could.
A commission from Constantinople
The Pala d'Oro, the gold and enamel altarpiece behind the high altar, was ordered from Constantinople and installed in 1105, then enlarged before a Gothic frame and a last round of gems completed it in 1342.
Mosaic finished by the 1290s
Most of the interior mosaic was complete by the 1270s, with the narthex still being worked on into the 1290s — the gold ground overhead tonight is substantially the one Venetians saw eight centuries ago, patched after two fires in the 1400s.
The gold up close
The gold up close
What the mosaics look like once the lights are up.
Three evenings to choose between
Three after-hours tours, three evenings
| Tour | What's included | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| After-hours St Mark's, Doge's Palace optional | The basilica after closing — crypt and flood-marked walls — with the Doge's Palace offered as an extra and the Pala d'Oro reserved for the other two tours. | A first evening inside the basilica, with the palace left optional. |
| After-hours St Mark's & Doge's Palace VIP | The same basilica route plus the Pala d'Oro, then the Doge's apartments, the Hall of the Great Council, the armoury, the prisons and the Bridge of Sighs from inside. | Couples and groups who want both landmarks in one night. |
| Exclusive after-hours St Mark's (LivTours) | A smaller, wheelchair-accessible tour of the basilica and the Pala d'Oro, capped at six guests. | Small parties who want the shortest, smallest-group version. |
Want the Doge's apartments and the Hall of the Great Council included? See the VIP tour ↗
Before you go
Before you go
Where to meet
Walks of Italy's two tours meet at Museo Correr, Piazza San Marco 52, under the portico; arrive 15 minutes early for the VIP tour.
What to wear
Shoulders and knees covered, no shorts, short skirts, sleeveless tops, backpacks, large bags or strollers — the same dress code as a daytime visit to the basilica.
Bring photo ID
Walks of Italy asks for ID that matches the name on the booking, with no name changes afterwards, so book under the name of whoever is attending.
Mobility
The Walks of Italy tours aren't suited to wheelchair users or anyone with a mobility impairment; the LivTours option is wheelchair accessible.
If the calendar or the water changes the evening
Holy observances, high water (acqua alta) and private events can change the route at short notice under Walks of Italy's own terms, which don't offer a refund in those cases.
Choosing your evening
Decide first whether you want the Doge's Palace included, optional or left out, then match the group size and length to your party.
Planning the evening
Planning the evening
how the night runs
An after-hours St Mark's tour, step by step
From the empty piazza to the crypt, roughly in the order the evening unfolds.
Read this guide → the buildingSt Mark's Basilica: nine centuries of mosaic
From a church consecrated in 1094 to the gold ceiling a small group stands under tonight.
Read this guide → what's behind the altarThe Pala d'Oro and the crypt, explained
What the gold altarpiece is made of, and what the crypt below it once held.
Read this guide → getting in the doorDress code and ID for an after-hours visit
What St Mark's asks of every visitor, after dark as much as by day.
Read this guide → picking a tourChoosing your after-hours St Mark's tour
Three tours, two operators, and how to match one to your evening.
Read this guide → planning for your partyAn after-hours evening for two, or for a group
Matching the tour, the group size and the timing to who you're bringing.
Read this guide →FAQ
Before you book an evening inside
Will we see the whole basilica, or only part of it?
All three tours reach the crypt and the basilica's flood-marked walls. The VIP and LivTours tours add the Pala d'Oro, the gold and enamel altarpiece behind the high altar; the hero tour doesn't include that stop.
Is the Doge's Palace included?
Only on the VIP tour, where it's part of the evening. The hero tour offers it as an optional extra at booking, and the LivTours tour stays inside the basilica alone.
What should we wear?
Shoulders and knees covered, with no shorts, short skirts, sleeveless tops, backpacks, large bags or strollers — the same dress code St Mark's applies by day.
Do we need to bring ID?
Yes, for the Walks of Italy tours: photo ID matching the name given at booking, which can't be changed afterwards.
Can wheelchair users join?
The two Walks of Italy tours aren't suited to wheelchair users or guests with mobility impairments. The LivTours tour is listed as wheelchair accessible.
What happens if acqua alta or a church service changes the evening?
Holy observances, high water and private events can all change the route at short notice, under Walks of Italy's own terms — these don't carry a refund.
How long does the evening run?
The basilica-only visit runs about 75 minutes; adding the Doge's Palace stretches it to roughly three and a half hours. The LivTours tour runs about 90 minutes.
Which of the three tours should we book?
Choose the hero tour for a first evening with the palace left optional, the VIP tour if you want both landmarks done in one night, or the LivTours option for the smallest group, capped at six.
Three ways into the basilica after dark
The three after-hours tours we'd compare
The hero tour, its VIP version with the Doge's Palace included, and a smaller-group tour from a second operator — each opens its own GetYourGuide page.
After-hours St Mark's & Doge's Palace VIP
The same basilica route plus the Pala d'Oro, then the Doge's apartments, the Hall of the Great Council, the armoury, the prisons and the Bridge of Sighs from inside.
Open this tour ↗Exclusive after-hours St Mark's (LivTours)
A smaller, wheelchair-accessible tour of the basilica and the Pala d'Oro, capped at six guests.
Open this tour ↗More Venice evenings on GetYourGuide
The basilica after the doors close: a custodian lets a small evening group in, and the gold mosaics come up out of the dark.
Reserve your evening inside St Mark's ↗Priced per person as a starting rate — your party's full total, converted to your own currency, appears on GetYourGuide before payment.