The Basilica of St Mark in Venice is a famous, beautiful, and important church. However, the visitor’s experience can often disappoint, especially when taking only the most basic tour.
On a basic ticket, you are allowed to walk down the right aisle, pass in front of the choir, altar, presbyter area, and walk back out via the left aisle. You are not allowed to veer off the path, sit down in the nave, or enter any of the chapels. At busy times, and it usually is busy, you may feel pressganged and forced to just keep moving on. Most visitors are out again within 20 minutes.
If adding the Pala d’Oro, visitors follow the same path but continue down the aisle to the Pala d’Oro altar at the right front of the church. Then pass through the presbytery before rejoining the main stream of visitors up the left aisle.
If adding the Museum and Loggia dei Cavalli, follow the same routes as above, but before exiting the main church at the rear of the left aisle, go to the inside of the nave and follow the stairs up to the museum.