Doge’s Palace tour: shared and private offers

Known worldwide for its incredible beauty, the Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) is one of the most famous Venice attractions and a treasure chest of history, art and masterpieces. It is therefore definetly to be included in the What to do in Venice list. This masterpiece of Venetian Gothic architecture is all yours to explore. You can choose an english guided tour includes the Golden Staircase, the Main Hall with its famous paintings, the Bridge of Sighs and the Prisons.

WHY DID WE LIKE THIS EXPERIENCE SO MUCH?

During the visit you will admire some of the most important masterpieces of Venetian art
You will have the opportunity to avoid the queue and directly access the palace
You will be guided through the rooms by an expert guide at your disposal

Price

Group Tour:

Full: 67€ per person
Reduced: 49€ (children 6-14 anni)
Free (children 0-5 anni)

Private Tour :

The price has a higher cost but scalable according to the number of participants

Other practical information

Doge’s palace opening hours: from 10 to 18 – last entry at 17.

Meeting point near St. Mark’s Square (see details in the voucher) for guided tour.

For security reasons, entry through the metal detector is foreseen; this can cause a short wait, regardless of the priority access you will have for the visit.
The visit will take place also in case of rain.

Spoken Languages

Italian
English
French
German
Spanish

Included / Excluded

Included :

Fast lane access ticket to the Doge’s Palace
English speaking guide (if you choose the guided visit)
Personal audio system and headset for tour commentary

Excluded :

Anything not listed as Included

Sales Conditions

SHARED TOUR

Should you cancel the experience up to 48 hours before the tour start, a 20% cancellation fee will apply.
There will be no refund in case of a NO SHOW or cancellation within 24 hours from the start of the tour.
In case of exceptionally high tide, the tour could be cancelled by the organizers. In this case, you would get a 100% refund.

PRIVATE TOUR

For cancellations up to 7 days hours before the experience, a cancellation charge 50% will be applied. No refund will be made in case of no show or cancellation within the last week. The tour will take place even in case of rain. In case of exceptional high tide, it can be canceled and refunded.

Availability

Each day at 11.45 am and 3.45 pm

Duration

1.15 hour

Features

Child Friendly
Accessible with public transport

Booking

For your guided tour of the Doge’s Palace in Venice, we offer 2 options:

Shared guided tour

The tour is available every day
Duration : 1 hour

Private guided tour

With date and time of your choice.
Duration 2 hours

The price is scalable according to the number of participants (from 6 persons, it begins to be even more convenient).

Click on the BOOKING button at the top right to choose your preferred option.You can also make a mock reservation to see the price according to your preferences.

Doge’s Palace tour: shared option

The guided visit includes:

Skip the line ticket to the Doge’s Palace
Guided visit to the Doge’s Palace rooms and halls
You can cross the Bridge of Sighs and visit the prisons

Practical information:

The visit in English takes place every day at 10.45 am and 3.45 pm (look at the calendar)
Lenght: one hour
Meeting point near St Mark’s Square (see voucher).
Please, make sure to be at the meeting point at least 15 minutes before the tour starts

The tour is available also in French, German and Spanish.

Why Choose a Private Doge’s Palace Tour?

Opting for a private tour of the Doge’s Palace offers unparalleled flexibility and a more personalized experience. Unlike standard group tours, a private visit allows you to schedule the tour at your convenience, accommodating your itinerary seamlessly. With a duration of approximately two hours, it provides a more in-depth exploration compared to the typical 1 hour shared tours. This extended time enables a comprehensive understanding of the palace’s rich history and architecture. Moreover, a private tour can be tailored to your specific interests, whether you’re fascinated by the political history of the Venetian Republic, the intricate art and architecture, or the intriguing stories of figures like Giacomo Casanova. Your dedicated guide can focus on the aspects that captivate you most, ensuring a memorable and enriching experience.

Doge’s Palace curiosities

The building, which was in fact built as a private chapel of the Doge, is located in the heart of the historic center of Venice and is directly connected to the Basilica of San Marco (St. Mark’s Basil).

La Bocca di Leone: this is a special wall container, in which the bas-relief facade resembles the shape of a lion’s head, located inside the Palace. Strictly anonymously complaints against illegal practices were inserted inside the lion’s mouth by Venetian citizens.

The Red columns: along the facade overlooking the square, on the band of the loggia, you can clearly distinguish two red columns that stand out for their color compared to the others. According to tradition, this was the point from which death sentences were publicly announced.

The Giants’ Staircase: this is an enormous marble staircase, placed as a link between the main entrance of the square and the council rooms on the first floor. It is called “of the Giants” in reference to the two large marble statues placed at the top of the balustrade and depicting Mars and Neptune. This was also the place where the coronation ceremonies of the new doges took place, who were crowned after the oath. According to the legend, the size of the statues was intended to diminish the figure of the doge, acting as a warning that despite his role, the doge was not above the law.

The Hall of the Great Council: the most important part of the Palace. In fact this was the place where the Great Council met, together with the doge, to take the most important decisions regarding the Republic. This hall uniqueness is due to two main reasons. The first is that it contains the largest and most precious works of the Palace; while the second is that it has an extraordinary size. In fact, it measures 53 meters in length and 25 meters in width, which is why it is still considered one of the largest rooms in Europe.

Doge’s palace tickets and museums around St. Mark’s Square

There are several museums which you may want to visit around St. Mark’s Square. If you wish to visit some or all of st Mark’s Square museums, we suggest that you buy the Venice Museum pass. It will grant you access to the Correr museum national (archaeological museum), Marciana National library, the Natural Histories Museum, the Glass Museum, the Clock Tower, the Lace Museum, Ca’ Rezzonico and Ca’ Pesaro. Biblioteca marciana is also. a good option to be visited in St Marks square.

Doges’palace and basilic: combo tour

Why not combining your visit to the Doge’s Palace with a tour to the St. Mark’s Basilica, one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world? To do so, we suggest that you have a look to our offer Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s Basilica – combined itinerary . With this option you will have skip the line access to both the Doge’s Palace and the St. Mark’s Basilica, as well as a professionally guided tour of both places to learn their history and the characters that shaped it. You can also to add a walking tour beginning from St Marks square.

The secret itineraries of Doge Palace offer instead visit of torture chambers and sone particular cells.