Set out on a comprehensive tour of The Floating City's most famous places and buildings. Explore the area around St. Mark's Square and Castello, and then skip the lines at the extraordinary St. Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace.

Your local guide meets you under the 15th-century clock tower of St. Mark's Square. Survey the grand piazza, which opens out onto the scenic lagoon, and then embark into the narrow streets to the Castello district. Scope out the stunning churches of Santa Maria Fermosa and San Giovanni e Paolo before strolling past the house of famous merchant Marco Polo. Pass the Teatro Malibran, which has hosted great musicians like Händel and Scarlatti.

After returning to St. Mark's Square, pass up the lines at the magnificent Doge's Palace. As you wander these stucco halls, once the seat of power of the Republic of Venice, learn about the hundreds of paintings painted by masters of the Italian Renaissance. Marvel at the world's largest oil painting, and then venture into the infamous prisons, dating back to the 12th century.

End your day with a visit to the interior of the Saint Marks Basilica, you will be able absorb the atmosphere whilst listening to your guide who will describe the biblical scenes represented throughout the building, together with history and particularities of this ancient Basilica.