Things to Do at St. Mark's Basilica

Complete Guide to St. Mark's Basilica in Venice

About St. Mark's Basilica

You step through the doors and 8,500 square meters of gold mosaic hit you from every surface - walls, domes, arches, all covered in tiny glass tesserae set at slightly different angles so they catch and scatter light. On a sunny morning, the interior glows like the inside of a golden lantern. On a grey day, the mosaics seem to generate their own warmth. Either way, nothing in Italy prepares you for this. The basilica is the third church built on this spot, completed in 1092, and it looks nothing like anything else in Western Europe. The five Byzantine domes, the Greek cross plan, the mosaics depicting Old Testament stories in gold and cobalt - all of it was modeled on Constantinople's Church of the Holy Apostles, because Venice saw itself as Constantinople's successor, not Rome's. Venetian merchants looted the treasures to prove it: the bronze horses from the Hippodrome, the Pala d'Oro altarpiece assembled from Byzantine enamel panels, the columns and marble slabs stripped from Eastern churches. This was the doge's private chapel, built to hold stolen relics - including St. Mark himself, smuggled from Alexandria in 828 under a layer of pork to deter Muslim customs inspectors.

What to See & Do

Golden Mosaics

8,500 square meters of mosaic covering every interior surface. The earliest (11th-12th century) are in the domes; the newest (16th century) are near the entrance. The gold tesserae are real glass with gold leaf sandwiched between layers, set at angled positions to catch light from different directions. Visit between 11 AM and 1 PM when the sun illuminates the interior through the west-facing windows

Pala d'Oro

A gold altarpiece measuring 3.48 by 1.4 meters, encrusted with 1,927 precious stones - rubies, sapphires, emeralds, pearls - and 250 enamel panels depicting saints and biblical scenes. Assembled over 500 years from Byzantine loot and Venetian goldsmithing. EUR 5 extra to see it, and it is worth every cent. The detail is astonishing even through the protective glass

The Treasury

Chalices, reliquaries, and sacred objects mostly seized from Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade of 1204 - Venice's most profitable military venture. The collection includes Byzantine glass, Islamic rock crystal, and gold liturgical vessels that trace trade and conquest across the medieval Mediterranean. EUR 5 entry

The Bronze Horses

The four horses on the facade are replicas - the originals (inside the museum) are Greek or Roman bronzes dating from the 2nd-4th century AD. They stood in Constantinople's Hippodrome for 800 years before Venice looted them in 1204. Napoleon stole them for Paris in 1797. They came back in 1815. The originals, green with patina, are smaller and more powerful than the copies suggest

St. Mark's Museum

EUR 7 for the museum and terrace access. The original bronze horses are here in a climate-controlled room, and the loggia terrace gives you the only elevated view over St. Mark's Square - pigeons, tourists, the Campanile, and the lagoon laid out below. This view was the doge's daily outlook. Photograph the square from here before or after the interior

Practical Information

Opening Hours

Monday to Saturday 9:30 AM to 5:15 PM (last entry 4:45 PM). Sundays and religious holidays 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM (last entry 4:00 PM). Hours shift in November-March. The basilica closes without notice for religious services and flooding. Check basilicasanmarco.it on the day of your visit

Tickets & Pricing

Basilica entry: EUR 3 with mandatory online reservation at basilicasanmarco.it (free entry was discontinued in 2024). Pala d'Oro: EUR 5. Treasury: EUR 5. Museum and terrace (with original bronze horses): EUR 7. Total to see everything: EUR 20. Skip-the-line guided tours: EUR 25-40 through operators. Book the official timed entry at least 2-3 days ahead in summer

Best Time to Visit

First entry at 9:30 AM is the least crowded slot. By 11 AM the queue wraps around the corner of the square. Late afternoon (after 3 PM) also quiets down as tour groups leave. Sunday opening at 2 PM draws smaller crowds since most tourists do not know about the afternoon-only schedule. November through February is dramatically quieter

Suggested Duration

Quick visit (basilica interior only): 30-40 minutes. Add Pala d'Oro: 10 minutes. Add Treasury: 15 minutes. Add Museum and terrace: 30 minutes. Total with everything: 1.5-2 hours. The interior is one large space so the visit can be as long or short as you want - but rushing the mosaics is a mistake

Getting There

On Piazza San Marco - every yellow sign in Venice points toward it. Vaporetto Line 1 or 2 to San Marco-Vallaresso (EUR 9.50), then 3 minutes on foot through the Piazzetta. From the train station: Line 1 takes 40-45 minutes (scenic Grand Canal ride), Line 2 takes 25 minutes. Alilaguna Blue Line from the airport: EUR 15, about 70 minutes. Walking from Rialto: 12 minutes following signs. The basilica is the onion-domed building at the east end of the square - you cannot confuse it with anything else in Venice.

Things to Do Nearby

Doge's Palace
The former residence of Venice's rulers, connected to the basilica and featuring the famous Bridge of Sighs

St. Mark's Campanile
The iconic bell tower offering panoramic views over Venice - worth the elevator ride up

St. Mark's Square
Napoleon called it 'Europe's drawing room' and it's easy to see why - historic cafes, arcades, and people-watching

Bridge of Sighs
The enclosed limestone bridge connecting the palace to the prison - romantic despite its grim history

Palazzo Grassi
A beautifully restored 18th-century palace that now houses contemporary art exhibitions

Tips & Advice

Shoulders and knees must be covered - they enforce this strictly and turn people away. No large bags (use the free left-luggage room on Calle San Basso, around the corner from the entrance). No photos inside the basilica itself. These rules are non-negotiable

No photos inside. This forces you to actually look at the mosaics instead of through a phone screen, which is honestly the right way to experience them. The gold surfaces change constantly as clouds move across the skylights. Sit in a pew and watch for 10 minutes

Download the official basilica app before you visit - it has a self-guided tour that explains the mosaic narratives dome by dome. Without context, you are looking at gold. With context, you are reading a 1,000-year-old picture Bible

Visit the basilica first (9:30 AM slot), then walk next door to the Doge's Palace (EUR 30), then the Campanile tower (EUR 10) for aerial views. This is the St. Mark's trifecta and takes a full morning. The Museum Pass (EUR 35) covers the Doge's Palace plus Correr and saves you EUR 10 versus individual tickets