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Things to do in The Mercerie, Venice

Our most recommended things to do in The Mercerie, Venice

Venice: Morning Walking Tour

1. Venice: Morning Walking Tour

Explore Venice through its narrow calli (alleys) and encounter countless bridges and picturesque squares at the heart of the city's social scene. Follow a professional guide on an unforgettable journey through the history of the "Serenissima" and discover famous sites and hidden gems. Get an animated description of majestic St. Mark’s Basilica in Piazza San Marco, and learn the function of the Doge's Palace. Hear about the ornate St. Mark's Clocktower and the 3 connected buildings of the Procuratie. Then, make your way to the Campo Santa Maria Formosa to see the Basilica di San Giovanni e Paolo, where all of the city's doges were buried after the 15th century. Go to the Scuola Grande di San Marco (“Great School of Charity”) to hear about the "Captains of Fortune," and then head back through the San Marco sestiere (district) to see the Teatro Malibran. Stroll down the famous Mercerie, the historic heart of commercial life in the city and now one of the main shopping streets of Venice between the Rialto Bridge and Piazza San Marco.

Venice: St. Mark's, Walking Tour and Gondola Combo

2. Venice: St. Mark's, Walking Tour and Gondola Combo

Discover Venice from land and water on a combined half-day tour of 3 distinct itineraries; a walking tour from St. Mark’s Square to the Rialto Bridge and market, a 30-minute gondola ride on some of the smaller canals and a guided visit to St. Mark’s Basilica. First, meet your guide near St. Mark’s Square for a walking tour from St. Mark’s to the Rialto Bridge. Your guide will reveal the magic and history of Venice outside some its most famous buildings. Admire the Byzantine façade of St. Mark’s Basilica and the imposing Doge’s Palace before you depart. Head towards Campo Santa Maria Formosa to learn the story of one of the most beautiful churches in Venice. See the former home of the explorer Marco Polo, and pass the Malibran Theatre, known for having the most extravagant stage in the city. Finally, walk to the Mercerie to discover a fascinating array of narrow streets where the valuable goods brought to the city from distant markets were sold. The second part of the tour includes a gondola ride to discover some new and not very well-known areas of one of the most beautiful cities in the world! The gondola tour will let you discover the Basilica della Salute, one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture, which offers a different perspective view according to the point from which it is observed. Re-group outside St. Mark's Basilica to skip-the-line to see its gilded interior around 30 minutes after the conclusion of the gondola ride. Learn the history of one of the world’s most iconic cathedrals. Get advantage of this combined tour, which covers three fascinating itineraries at a lower price than purchasing the individual ones!

Venice: 1.5-Hour Wandering Around the City

3. Venice: 1.5-Hour Wandering Around the City

Walk through the most characteristic and important place for the history of Venice through the millennium of the life of the Serenissima Republic, recalling the past full of charm of this unique city for an essential tour to understand Venice. Visit Piazza San Marco and learn about its origins, history and description of the main monuments such as Basilica San Marco, Palazzo Ducale, Bell Tower, Clock Tower and Procuratie. Visit Santa Maria Formosa Square and hear the history and anecdotes related to this wonderful and characteristic square with the Campo SS. Giovanni e Paolo, the "Doge’s Pantheon," the Great School of Charity and the Captains of Fortune. See Marco Polo’s House and Malibran Theatre and hear anecdotes about the past and recent history cross each other in this beautiful corner of Venice. Return to San Marco Square through Mercerie, a vital connection between Rialto and San Marco and the main street for city shopping. At the end, an optional visit to a Glass Furnace for a touch of the Venetian greatest art.

Venice Walking Tour and Gondola Ride Combo

4. Venice Walking Tour and Gondola Ride Combo

Combine an engaging 1.5-hour walking tour of Venice, strolling the streets between St Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge and market, with a Venice experience that everyone must try: a 30-minute gondola ride! During the 1st part of your itinerary, an expert guide will reveal the magic and history of Venice outside some its most famous buildings. Walk from St. Mark’s Square at the heart of the former Venetian Republic. Admire the Byzantine façade of St. Mark’s Basilica and the imposing edifice of the Doge’s Palace before you depart. Head towards Campo Santa Maria Formosa to learn the story of one of the most beautiful churches in Venice. See the former home of the explorer Marco Polo, and pass the Malibran Theatre, known for having the most extravagant stage in the city. Finally, walk to the Mercerie to discover a fascinating array of narrow streets where the valuable goods brought to the city from distant markets were sold. Then, climb aboard a gondola for a 30-minute punt along the canals of Venice. Be lulled by the gentle sway of the lagoon as you move deeper into the minor canals. Coast past lesser known areas to see quaint corners and majestic palaces from a new perspective. Admire the Basilica della Salute as you drift gently back to St Mark’s Basin and the start of the Grand Canal.

Venice: Walking Tour & Gondola Ride

5. Venice: Walking Tour & Gondola Ride

Enjoy a tour of Venice that gives you the luxury of seeing it from two different perspectives. First, a walking tour which will take you to visit some of the most beautiful and hidden locations surrounding St Mark's Square. Second, a gondola ride which will have you marvelling at the reflections and majestic facades dotting the channels. A unique way to discover Venice away from the crowded alleys. Your walking portion of the tour of Venice will take you to discover some of its more famous sites as well as hidden gems. The first highlight is St. Mark’s square and the majestic St. Mark’s Basilica, the elegant Doge’s Palace, the Clock Tower and the Procuratie (only external). From St. Mark’s square you will head to Campo Santa Maria Formosa, where you will admire the SS. Giovanni e Paolo church with the famous Pantheon. Follow the Scuola Grande di San Marco also known as “Great School of Charity” (the Captains of Fortune). Last but not least, head back to St. Mark’s and admire the Malibran Theatre, step through the famous Mercerie, once the pulsing heart of commercial life. On the second part of your tour you will have the opportunity to experience a gondola tour through the canals of the city. An enchanting and relaxing way to enjoy the colors, lights, sights, charm and beauty of Venice. Get the chance to admire elegant bank-side palaces, unique bridges and experience the charming and magic atmosphere that only a city like Venice can give you. 

Venice : Discover Hidden Gems Walking Tour in Venice

6. Venice : Discover Hidden Gems Walking Tour in Venice

Take a gentle 2-hours stroll around Venice and admire some of the city's most famous landmarks. Explore art, architecture, and history with your professional guide, and be enchanted by this most magical of cities. Begin your tour at St. Mark's Campanile in St. Mark's Square, the very heart of Venice. Discover the world's most beautiful drawing room, and listen to your guide's brief historical introduction about the most powerful maritime empire in the Mediterranean Sea. Still in St. Mark's Square, see St. Mark's Basilica, Venice's cathedral church that is the symbol of the city. Admire its Byzantine-style cupolas, golden mosaics, and priceless bronze and golden horses that came from Constantinople as your guide explains the severe Gothic form of the church's exterior. Next, continue a few meters from the Cathedral to yet another monument in St. Mark’s square, Doge’s Palace. Learn about the structure and architectural style of this magnificent palace, and hear about its history and the fire that took place there. Walk to see the tallest building in Venice, The Campanile (Bell Tower), which once used to be a lighthouse for the sailors. After your discovery of these must-see architectural gems, make your way to Campo SS. Giovanni e Paolo, where the largest church in Venice is located, the Pantheon of Venice. Wander around the church's exterior, which is covered with marvelous sculptures. Nearby, marvel at the most prominent and most beautifully decorated building in Venice known as the Scuola Grande di San Marco (Great School of Charity) and come to understand the importance and the significance of this building to the Venetians. As you stroll the streets and pretty alleys across Venice's small bridges, uncover hidden gems along the way, like the house of the great traveler and writer, Marco Polo. Learn about the historical significance of this place and the contribution made to the world by the man who once lived within these four walls. Finally, walk with your guide to the hustle and bustle of the most famous shopping street in Venice, Mercerie. Your tour concludes here, giving you the chance to explore the historic heart of commercial life in the city between the Rialto Bridge and San Marco Square afterward.

Venice: Byzantine Wonders Tour

7. Venice: Byzantine Wonders Tour

Walk through the most characteristic and important places for the history of Venice through the millennium life of the Serenissima Republic, recalling the past full of charm for an essential tour to understand Venice. Visit Piazza San Marco and learn about its origins, history and description of the main monuments such as the Basilica San Marco, Palazzo Ducale, Bell Tower, Clock Tower and Procuratie. Then head to Santa Maria Formosa Square. Hear about the history and anecdotes related to this wonderful and characteristic square such as the Campo SS. Giovanni e Paolo, the "Doge’s Pantheon," the Great School of Charity, the Captains of Fortune, Marco Polo’s House and Malibran Theatre. Learn anecdotes of the past and recent history cross each other in this beautiful corner of Venice. Then, return to San Marco Square through the Mercerie, a vital connection between the Rialto and San Marco and the main street for city shopping. For the St. Mark’s Basilica, one of the most majestic cathedrals in the world. Enjoy the visit of this masterpiece of Byzantine art, unique of its kind in Italy. Have the pleasure to savor beautiful gold mosaics and marble inlays of the floors, sitting comfortably while the guide will show you the represented biblical scenes, the history and the particularities of this ancient basilica.

Full Venice Walking Tour: Doge's Palace and St. Mark's

8. Full Venice Walking Tour: Doge's Palace and St. Mark's

Meet your guide on Piazza San Marco for the start of an immersive walking tour. Learn the story of Venice and the Venetian Empire at monuments such as the Doge’s Palace, St. Mark's Clock Tower and the Procuratie, built over the arcades of Piazza San Marco (external views only). Stroll over to Campo Santa Maria Formosa to admire the church of SS. Giovanni e Paolo and its famous Pantheon. Next, go to the Scuola Grande di San Marco, also knowns as the “Great School of Charity” whose members ((Captains of Fortune) included some of the great Italian explorers of the 15th century. Head back to Piazza San Marco to admire the Teatro Malibran, once the "biggest, most beautiful and richest theatre in the city." Walk down the shopping street of Le Mercerie to see the boutiques of top designers in what was once the pulsing heart of the city's commercial life. Along the way, wander the small alleys known as “calli” and discover picturesque squares where Venetians still gather to conduct their everyday social lives. Find hidden gems and learn interesting facts about the "Serenissima" and its everlasting story. Then, skip the long lines to the Doge’s Palace and explore one of the most important symbols of Venice. As the seat of Venetian political power for centuries, the majestic rooms contain hundreds of masterpieces of art that will take your breath away. Next, enter the beautiful Byzantine monument of St. Mark's Basilica and learn about Saint Mark and how his ruins came to rest here. See stunning mosaics of gold and marble inlays, and learn the history of the architectural masterpiece and its priceless treasures. Go to the Treasury to look at a splendid example of religious art, and marvel at the thousands of gems and precious stones of the Pala d’Oro.

90-Minute Walking Tour of Venice

9. 90-Minute Walking Tour of Venice

Explore the incomparable architecture of Venice on a 90-minute walking tour of its major highlights, and discover a few hidden gems along the way. Departing from the spectacular St. Mark’s Square, dominated by the Basilica of San Marco, head off after a brief introduction to admire some of the most beautiful architecture in Venice. An experienced guide will escort you through the streets recalling the millennia of the Serenissima Republic as you walk from Piazza San Marco to Santa Maria Formosa and the church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, referred to as the "Pantheon of Venice.” Pass the charitable Scuole Grandi (Great Schools of Venice) and hear about the heroic deeds of the famed Captains of Fortune. Discover where Marco Polo lived and worked in Venice, and admire the Teatro Malibran, one of the city’s most historic opera houses, where ancient and modern history meet at a wonderful corner of Venice Return to San Marco through the Mercerie, providing a vital connection between the Rialto and San Marco, and now the main shopping street in Venice, which you are free to explore at the end of your tour.

All-Inclusive Tour: Doge Palace, St Mark's Basilica & Square

10. All-Inclusive Tour: Doge Palace, St Mark's Basilica & Square

This walking tour will give you a comprehensive introduction to some of the most spectacular sights in the city, and includes a guided tour of both the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica. Setting off from St. Mark’s Square, with views of the Grand Canal, you will head through the narrow streets, laced with lovely canals and crumbling, historic houses. Stop and pause at sights such as the Chiesa Santa Maria Formosa, where the Holy Virgin is alleged to have appeared disguised as a voluptuous woman. Visit the former home of one of the city’s most famous sons at Marco Polo’s House, and walk through the Campo SS. Giovanni e Paolo, the second largest square in Venice. Return to San Marco through the Mercerie, and go inside the Palazzo Ducale, the seat of Venetian political power for centuries. Walk through splendid rooms lined with masterpieces of art. Your guide will show you the halls of power and then take you to the Bridge of Sighs, where the harsh reality of that power will come to life. End your visit at St. Mark’s Basilica, one of the most majestic cathedrals in the world. View masterpieces of Byzantine art, savor the beauty of the cathedral’s gold mosaics and marble inlays, and admire fine examples of religious art in the Treasury.

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What people are saying about The Mercerie, Venice

Overall rating

4.5 / 5

based on 2,061 reviews

The guide was excellent. She took us to residential neighborhoods and explained about how the real Venice functions. She gave an overview of the history of Venice.

Very good guide, who knew about history and everyday life, was able to tell it in a gripping way and gave a lot of current and historical background. Bravo

The meeting point was easy to find. The tour providers were well organized. Our tour guide was well informed and very knowledgeable.

Andrea is the best. The best tour ever. She is amazing. And she take the best picture. Thanks AndreA.

Great morning walk. Recommended for all travellers to Venice.