Explore one of the most famous sites in Venice and one of the world’s most magnificent churches without the lines or crowds. Explore St Mark’s Basilica without the crowds on an after-hours tour, and enjoy an optional visit to Doge's Palace, if you wish. Inside St Mark’s Basilica, admire treasured mosaics and a Byzantine altarpiece, and then follow your guide into the crypt where St Mark himself is believed to rest. Your guide will meet you at St. Mark’s Square for this special after-hours visit to St. Mark’s Basilica. With thrilling anecdotes and swashbuckling stories, your guide will tell you about the history of Venice and St. Mark’s.Hear how the Basilica received its precious relics via a 9th-century kidnapping. Passersby will wonder where you are going as a custodian unlocks the Basilica’s doors for you to enter.Inside, take a deep breath as you experience St. Mark’s Basilica as almost no one else ever has ever been able to, aside from the doge himself. There is no standing elbow-to-elbow with other tourists and no noise from the crowds. Instead, you are alone with your guide and the custodian.Experience the Basilica as it should be experienced: in tranquility and peace. You can even go where others, visiting during the day, cannot. See the crypt where the bones of St. Mark are said to actually be kept. Plus, you can see the walls stained by the past floods that have devastated Venice. The crypt used to be flooded every time high tide hit the city.Aside from the emptiness of the basilica, nighttime is the best time to visit because that’s when the mosaics are at their most beautiful. All 43,000 square feet are lit up, glimmering, and sparkling in the dark! If just seeing the basilica this way wasn’t entrancing enough, there’s also your guide, an expert who’s passionate about Venetian art and history—and about sharing it with you in the most fun way possible. You’ll hear the tale of how St. Mark’s became St. Mark’s, a story that pivots on a kidnapping and a dangerous sea voyage! You’ll learn where the precious marbles decorating St. Mark’s really come from…A one-hour tour that will give you memories that will last a lifetime!Important informationThis tour will be exclusively guided in English.If the local municipality restricts access due to high tide and there are no walkways available, it is your responsibility to bring appropriate footwear (e.g. boots). The guide will modify the itinerary to include alternate dry paths whenever possible.On certain dates, most travellers staying outside Venice who wish to visit for the day must pay a €5 access fee directly to the Municipality of Venice. For further details (including exceptions) and to find out on which days this fee applies and how to register or make payment, please visit: https://cda.ve.it/en/. The fee is not required if you are only visiting the islands of Murano, Torcello and Burano.