Basilica di San Marco, Venice

The facade was under renovations when I visited. I initially booked a tour but due to stuff ups, we ended up entering by ourselves. Entry was only €3, but there is another section to the inner area that requires another payment of €5. Despite parts being renovated/fixed/closed off.. I really enjoyed the beautiful artwork within. The murals were so beautiful and I was also a huge fan of the tiles and sculptures. I’m not sure about the extra €5 fee to view the inner parts. I think paying the €3 initial entry fee was the best value €3 I ever spent… Queue was extremely long and busy in the morning so I visited in the late afternoon (2.30pm) and the queue were not as long. It also moved really fast.

After waiting for almost 2 hours in the queue under the sun along with hundreds of people and just before reaching the entrance one of their staff just closed the gate and told us "today special day we close at 15:30" while pointing at an A4 print next to the entrance. They could have printed and posted this on different spots along the queue but they didn't, they could have also have one person from their staff walk along the huge queue telling people that today the Basilica will be closing earlier than usual so hundreds of tourists didn't have to waste their time waiting under the sun. Instead they chose to treat tourists like animals instead, a great experience will definitely come back for more.

It's nice, but don't expect that the €3 entry will get you all the way through, to go to the chapel it's another €7 and to go to the balcony it's €5, so just be warned, if you're only going for the view, go to the bell tower opposite 360 views of the city. Also the decor is also under renovations so some parts don't look as they would have, some look a little odd next to other original artwork

One of the most important tourist sites in Venice is St. Mark's Basilica, whose ornate Byzantine-inspired façade and domes overlook Piazza San Marco, St. Mark's Square. The building itself is a work of art, with a mix of architectural styles heavily influenced by the Byzantine Empire, showing Venice's long trade connections to the East. Highlights of the vast interior are the brilliant mosaics that line its domes and vaults, and the high altar covered in gold and jewels. The Treasury contains more glittering gold and jewels. For an unforgettable view of St. Mark's Square, the tall campanile and the clock tower, climb to the porch to stand among the iconic horses. Next to the basilica is the Doge's Palace, also filled with priceless masterpieces of Italian art.

Probably the N. 1 tourist spot in Venice would be the San Marco Basilica and Square. Enjoy the view of this beautiful marvel of Itallo-Byzantine architecture. The admission to the basilica is free, but you should consider to make a reservation online (for 1,50 Eur) for the queue can take up 5 hours otherwise. Don't forget that you are in one of the most touristy spots in the world. Connected to the cathedral, you will find the Campanile of St. Mark, a beautiful Romanesque tower providing you unusual views of the town and the whole lagoon. The admission fee is 8 EUR.