Is the Venice City Pass Worth It? An Honest Verdict and How to Get the Most Out of It
Is it worth it?
- Worth itYes if you'll see the Doge's Palace plus the Scuola Grande dei Carmini and the Querini Stampalia. The San Marco City Pass is the one most people need.
- Skip itNo for just the Doge's Palace. Its own ticket is €30-35.
- Skip itNo for St Mark's Basilica. It's sold separately.
- From €43.90
- Doge's Palace
- 6 museums
What is The Venice City Pass?
The Venice City Pass is sold by Venezia Unica in versions. The San Marco City Pass covers the four St Mark's Square museums, including the Doge's Palace, plus the Scuola Grande dei Carmini and the Querini Stampalia Foundation; the All Venice version covers all 13 civic museums.
In Venice the pass is built around St Mark's Square, where the Doge's Palace (€30-35) is the big ticket.
By our maths, you can save about €1.10 plus the Querini Stampalia ticket compared with buying each ticket separately. Realistic only if you also visit the Carmini and the Querini Stampalia.
- San Marco pass
- From €43.90
- Doge's Palace
- Included
- St Mark's Basilica
- Not included
- Transport
- Not included
How to get the most value out of The Venice City Pass
The Doge's Palace ticket (€35) already covers the Correr, so the pass pays off through the Scuola Grande dei Carmini (€10) and the Querini Stampalia.
| Don't | Do this instead |
|---|---|
| Turn up at St Mark's Basilica expecting it to be included | The basilica (€10-30) and its bell tower (€15) are separate tickets. |
| Do the Doge's Palace at midday | St Mark's Square is busiest late morning. Go at opening or late afternoon. |
| Do St Mark's Square at midday | Cruise and day-trip crowds peak late morning. Go at opening or after 4 pm. |
| Skip the Secret Itineraries | The palace's guided Secret Itineraries tour sells out; book it separately if you want it. |
| Head to the Doge's Palace without checking how busy it is | Check the Doge's Palace's live crowd level on beatthecrowd.co first. If it's busy, do another Venice sight on your pass and come back later. |
Before you set off for the Doge's Palace, check how busy it is right now on beatthecrowd.co. An hour in a queue is an hour of your pass gone.
Check live crowds in Venice →Who The Venice City Pass is for
Good fit
- Visitors seeing the Doge's Palace and Correr Museum
- You'll add the Scuola Grande dei Carmini and the Querini Stampalia
- Under-30s and over-65s: cheaper junior and senior prices
Skip it if
- You only want the Doge's Palace
- St Mark's Basilica is your main sight
- From €43.90
- Doge's Palace
- 6 museums
What the pass covers
The San Marco City Pass covers the St Mark's Square museums (Doge's Palace, Museo Correr, the Archaeological Museum and the Marciana's monumental rooms) plus the Scuola Grande dei Carmini and the Querini Stampalia Foundation.
- Junior (6-29) and senior (65+) prices are about half the adult price.
- Public transport isn't included. Buy vaporetto tickets separately.
The big sights
- Doge's PalaceIncluded
- Museo CorrerIncluded
- St Mark's BasilicaNot included€10 for the nave, more with extras.
- St Mark's CampanileNot included€15.
- Gallerie dell'AccademiaNot includedNot on any Venice City Pass version.
- From €43.90
- Doge's Palace
- 6 museums
Pass vs individual tickets
The Doge's Palace ticket (€35, covering the four St Mark's museums) plus the Scuola Grande dei Carmini (€10) is €45, already more than the €43.90 pass. The Querini Stampalia is your extra saving.
What the big St Mark's sights cost on their own
| Attraction | Adult ticket bought separately |
|---|---|
| Doge's Palace (St Mark's museums ticket) | €35 (€30 online 30+ days ahead) |
| St Mark's Basilica | €10-30 (not on the pass) |
| Campanile | €15 (not on the pass) |
| Scuola Grande dei Carmini | €10 |
| San Marco City Pass (adult 30-64) | From €43.90 |
- From €43.90
- Doge's Palace
- 6 museums
Fine print
- Prices
- Adult (30-64), junior (6-29) and senior (65+) rates.
- Transport
- Not included.
- Doge's Palace
- Entry is fixed to the date you pick when buying.
- Refunds
- Resellers sell it as non-refundable, so buy once your dates are fixed.
Is it safe? Where people lose money
- Reassuring: The Venice City Pass is official, from Venezia Unica.
- Reassuring: Refunds: Resellers sell it as non-refundable, so buy once your dates are fixed.
- Watch out: St Mark's Basilica and the Campanile are separate tickets.
- Watch out: Your Doge's Palace entry is tied to the date you choose at purchase.
Where people lose money
| Don't | Do this instead |
|---|---|
| Expect St Mark's Basilica | It's a separate €10-30 ticket. |
| Buy the All Venice version for one day | The San Marco pass covers what most day visitors see. |
| Queue at the Doge's Palace at peak time | Check beatthecrowd.co for the Doge's Palace's quiet hours before you go. |
Queuing is the easiest way to lose value in Venice. Check which sights are quiet right now on beatthecrowd.co, starting with the Doge's Palace.
Check live crowds in Venice →- From €43.90
- Doge's Palace
- 6 museums
Alternatives
Entry to Venice's Chorus churches, valid for a year.
Planning your order and avoiding queues is the simplest way to get full value: see how busy Venice’s attractions are right now →
- From €43.90
- Doge's Palace
- 6 museums
FAQs
Is the Venice City Pass worth it?
+
Yes if you'll visit the Doge's Palace plus the Scuola Grande dei Carmini, and better still with the Querini Stampalia. For the Doge's Palace alone, its own ticket is cheaper.
Does it include St Mark's Basilica?
+
No, the basilica and bell tower are separate tickets.
Does it include the Doge's Palace?
+
Yes.
How much is the Doge's Palace on its own?
+
€35 standard, or €30 online if booked 30+ days ahead. The ticket also covers three other museums on St Mark's Square.