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.