Doge's Palace Guided Tour
Description
Skip the line at the Doge’s Palace, and discover the center of the political power of Venice during its golden age. On this 1-hour tour, admire masterpieces by artists such as Titian, Veronese, and Tintoretto, and see richly decorated rooms, sumptuous sculptures, and decorative elements. Accompanied by a guide, you'll become immersed in the fascinating history of Venice as you cross the famous Bridge of Sighs and visit the dungeons where Giacomo Casanova was imprisoned. Select a departure time when booking.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The duration of the Doge's Palace tour in Venice will be about an hour, during which you can admire the Opera Museum, the Lodge Atrium, the famous Golden Staircase, the Institutional Chambers
St. Mark's Square is Venice on parade, where everyone comes to see and be seen. It is Venice's only square with the title of "piazza" — the rest are called "campo." Life has revolved around this piazza since the days of the Republic, when it was a market, as well as the center of civic and religious life. Considered one of the finest squares in the world and certainly Venice's prime attraction, it is surrounded on three sides by the stately arcades of public buildings and on the fourth, by Basilica di San Marco and Campanile
Known as ‘Golden Basilica’ from the predominant colour of the mosaics and numerous valuables kept inside, St Mark’s Basilica combines faith and the pomp of the ancient Republic of Venice. With its five domes, the finely carved front with bas-reliefs, sculptures and mosaics, St Mark’s Church in Venice is a treasure of inestimable value.
Giving the broad expanse of Piazza San Marco its vertical dimension is the campanile, the tall brick bell tower for the basilica. It towers above the corner of the arcaded Procuratie Nuove, linking the Piazza and the Piazzetta. The campanile is so tall that it was used by approaching ships as a beacon to guide them home. It was begun in the 10th century and completed in the 12th century, but its pointed roof and gilded pinnacle weren't added until the 15th century. On July 14, 1902, it collapsed into the piazza, but, in 1912, it has been rebuilt 'as it was and where it was'.
optional visit to the Venetian History Museum at Correr Museum
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please arrive at the meeting point at least 15 minutes before tour departure time
- At the tour departure point, you will meet a representative who will check your voucher and give you information to do the tour
- No credit or refunds will be given in the case of a no-show (if you don't show up at the meeting point at the time indicated on your voucher)
- This is a group tour, which means there might be other participants on the tour with you
- Please note: Due to the particular morphological structure of Venice and the logistical problems resulting from it, it cannot be guaranteed that the whole tour is accessible to people with limited mobility. This means that those with walking difficulties and wheelchair users might not be able to access some parts of the itinerary
- On certain dates, most travelers staying outside of Venice who are planning to visit for the day will be required to pay a €5 access fee. For further details (including exemptions) and to learn what days this fee is applicable, please visit: https://cda.ve.it
Reviews(294)
We had a small tour group of seven. Susie, a solo traveler, joined our group of six. She is from our home county in California. Susie was a pleasant addition to our group. Clare , our guide, had enough energy for everyone. She was so interesting and engaging. She provided information about the Doge’s and the Saints. It was so much fun. Doge’s Palace contains beautiful art and history. I was amazed at the different time periods all in one place. We left Claire and were escorted to the gondola ride. You have to take a gondola ride once in your life.
Guided tour in French. I was all alone! My guide was completely dedicated to me. Perfect explanations. Super friendly and knowledgeable.
The tour was very good and informative. The meeting point was easy to locate. Our guide was very helpful, the only slight annoyance was keeping the group together as some people were wondering off so we found ourselves waiting for certain people at times which was a little annoying but the tour guide cannot be blamed for this. It was certainly worth the visit.
Where the Doge and his vassals presided over the venitians and not just law but also religious laws. The believed that they were doing the work for god. The paintings inside are incredible. In the great hall is the worlds largest oil painting - Tinorettos patadise.
I really liked the virtual tour of the Doge’s Palace in Venice, while exploring it, I noticed the incredible architecture and the huge rooms filled with paintings and gold decorations, several important artists from the renaissance worked there and their artworks can be seen on the walls and ceilings throughout the palace, one of the most impressive rooms is the Grand Council Chamber because it is very large and beautifully decorated, in the past, the palace was visited by nobles, political leaders, and government officials who gathered there to make important decisions for Venice, today, the palace functions as a museum where people can learn about the history, art, and government of the Venetian Republic, I found the virtual tour very interesting because it allowed me to explore many rooms and see the small details of the palace. I would definitely recommend it to people who enjoy history, architecture, and Renaissance art.
We missed our time due to passport control at the airport, but they honored our tickets. Great views and later in the evening small crowds,
Very good information on the history of the palace and of Venice in general. Going later in the day was good because it was less busy.
This tour was not what we paid for. It did not deliver what was advertised or what we paid nearly AUD$275 for. The tour inclusions said this included walking over the Bidge of Sighs and the Cells (where Casanova was held). The older woman turned up late, then at 4pm walked us into the courtyard of Doge Palace where we stood outside in the sun until 4:20pm. She wasted so much time in headsets & lockers. Once inside she gave the most boring tour of 3 rooms of Doge Palace and as we entered the 4th room and the hour was nearing an end we asked if she was taking us to the Bridge and Cells (which is were the main things our kids wanted to see) and she said “no” that we would need to get separate tickets and take ourselves there! WHAT! We were very annoyed that we wasted this hour with her. Finding this out at 5pm was frustrating. Honestly this did not deliver as advertised and we’d like our money back!!
We did not get to go on the tour because the tour time changed and I was only notified via email, not text and I did not have Wi-Fi access while walking around Venice so we weren’t aware of the fact that our tour changed from 4:15 to 3:45. We were at the meeting point at 4 o’clock, five minutes ahead of the time that we were supposed to be there. The tour operator was not open on the weekends and by Monday, our last day in Venice, there was no time to reschedule the activity. So we not only missed the tour and didn’t get to do it at all, we were not refunded the monies we paid for the tour. I will not use Viator moving forward, as I have used them many many times in the past. NEVER AGAIN. I will be sure to share it from the rooftops for people to avoid Viator at all costs.
The tour guide was excellent. Very knowledgable and found places for my disabled husband to sit throughout the tour. The palace has a lot of history.
