Visiting St Mark’s Basilica

Your visit, step by step

1. Choose a ticket and book a slot. Entry is €10.00; the Pala d’Oro and the Museum are added to it. Every option is compared on the tickets page, and if your date is full, sold-out tickets has what still works.
2. Pick the right day and hour. Monday to Saturday the church is open 9:30 – 17:15, last admission 16:45; on Sunday only 14:00 – 17:15, last admission 16:45. See opening hours and the best time to visit.
3. Dress for a church. Shoulders covered; no excessive necklines. Knees covered: no very short skirts or shorts. Men must uncover their heads. No entering barefoot. See the dress code.
4. Travel light. Backpacks and luggage larger than 40 × 30 × 20 cm are not admitted, and trolleys never are. See bags, security and entry rules.
5. Arrive on time, with ID. Entry only in the time slot you booked. The conditions of sale allow up to 15 minutes before or after; the ticket shop’s own FAQ speaks of about 5 minutes, so arrive on time. Every ticket is in the visitor’s name from the moment of booking; bring a valid ID. Tickets bought as a private visitor cannot be passed on or renamed.
6. Decide on a guide. The official ticket is already timed; a tour adds explanation, and sometimes a place when the shop is full. See skip-the-line tickets and tours.
7. Find the door. Ticket holders are listed under the Porta San Pietro, the second door from the left on the west front. The nearest waterbus stop is San Zaccaria: see getting there.

Inside

The route is roped and the time is short: 20 minutes at most inside the Basilica, along the roped route (Pala d’Oro not included), and 10 minutes at most at the Pala d’Oro. Silence, a low voice, and phones on silent with no calls inside the church. No food, drink or chewing gum, no smoking, and no sitting down inside. Photos are fine for personal use.

Know what you are looking at before you go in: what to see inside covers the atrium, the iconostasis, Saint Mark’s tomb and the chapels.

Visiting with children

The rules make no exception to the dress code for age. Children up to 12 must be with an adult and held by the hand on the terraces; pushchairs are allowed there only folded. The Museum’s terrace, with the horses and the Piazza below, is usually the part children remember.

Accessibility

Visitors with a disability, and a companion, enter free on showing their documentation, and are taken to the most suitable entrance. The Museum upstairs has a lift and a stair-lift, and for worship the Porta dei Fiori has a ramp. Staff are on hand for anyone with reduced mobility. The rules add that some passages are narrow and steep, and advise against heels.

Visiting in summer and in winter

• Summer. The dress code does not change with the heat; carry a light layer for your shoulders. The Campanile keeps summer hours: 9:30 – 21:15, last admission between 20:00 and 20:30.
• Winter. The Basilica’s hours stay the same; the Campanile closes earlier (9:30 – 19:15, last admission between 18:00 and 18:45).
• High water. When acqua alta reaches the narthex, the Procuratoria sets out signposted, staffed alternative routes, and asks visitors to follow the raised walkways and the custodians’ directions.

Mass and prayer

The Basilica is a working church. For prayer and Mass, entry is always free through the Porta dei Fiori, on the north façade (Piazzetta dei Leoncini), every day, 7:30 – 19:30. Sunday mornings belong to the liturgy, which is why visits begin only in the afternoon. The Mass times are on the opening hours page.

What the official documents do not say

They do not list closure days, or say whether the Treasury is open to visitors. We say so rather than guess; the sources page lists what is still open.