Skip the lines and step inside 2 of Venice's most iconic monuments with a knowledgeable guide. First, go behind the pink marble facade of the Doge's Palace to see all of Venice's historic wealth and power on display, and then walk under the gold mosaics and beneath the gilded domes of Saint Mark's Basilica.

Begin your excursion into Venice's golden past at the Doge's Palace. Admire the ornately decorated Gothic structure overlooking the lagoon before bypassing the lines and heading inside. Climb the stairs to the apartments to roam among the splendid trappings of political rulers past. See works of art by Venetian masters like Tintoretto, Titian, and Veronese, and walk to the old prisons across the Bridge of Sighs— where condemned prisoners could take a wistful look at Venice's beautiful lagoon.

After hearing tales about some of the prison's best-known inhabitants—including the famously womanizing escapee Casanova— head across the plaza to Saint Mark's. Study the soaring spires and magnificent domes of this stunning basilica, and then step inside to marvel at its Byzantine details from the inside. Listen as your guide describes the stories depicted in gold mosaics and marble inlays.