Secrets of the Doge's Palace: Venice Guided Tour
Description
Step back in time to the golden age of the Venetian Republic. On this expert-led guided tour, you’ll bypass the notoriously long lines and step straight into the heart of Venice’s political and historical power: the Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale). From the breathtaking golden ceilings to the dark, chilling prison cells, this tour offers a captivating journey through the secrets, masterpieces, and scandals that shaped the Mediterranean's most powerful empire.
Tour Options
Itinerary
A masterpiece of Venetian Gothic architecture, once the seat of power of the Venetian Republic, where your guided tour brings centuries of history to life.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Visits inside the Doge’s Palace have a typical duration of 1 to 1.5 hours, depending on the time spent exploring the various rooms and exhibitions.
- Please provide the correct telephone number, including the country code, to ensure we can reach you with any updates to your reservation.
- During the summer season, please allow up to two hours to travel from the train station to Saint Mark’s Square, as water taxis are in high demand and delays are common due to heavy crowds.
- The tour runs even in light rain. Please note that during certain time of the year, high tide may occur. In that case, raised walkways are set up to allow access and disposable shoe covers can be purchased in front of the entrance.
Reviews(9)
Do not book! Booked a tour of the palace and gondola ride. The tour was great. There was no gondola ride. Tour guide had no idea what I was talking about. Another couple had booked something that included glass blowing and guide did not know about this either. I contacted the company rep. They tried to say that it did not include a gondola ride. I sent them the ticket from viator that stated it did. They did not accept responsibility and told me to take it up with Viator. Very expensive for the one hour tour alone (booking quoted 2-3 hours). There were much cheaper options that I would have booked, but considering it included the gondola, made sense at the time.
A very comprehensive tour to get to know the essentials of Venice. The guide provides a lot of historical context. Highly recommended for those visiting Venice for the first time.
Everything was perfect and unforgettable!
This is an excellent tour. Our guide was patient and humorous, and most importantly, very knowledgeable. Both the historical & the artistic elements of the sites are amazing (not that they're really separable). Highly recommended.
I booked this tour for my family because it was our first time in Venice. It was very beautiful, we did the gondola ride in Venice like a movie Grazia was super cute and interesting
Amazing experience! The guided tour of the Doge’s Palace was really interesting, and walking through the prisons and the Bridge of Sighs made it even more special. The gondola ride at the end was the perfect Venetian touch. Highly recommended!
Beautiful experience. Highly recommend it
Pur tour guide Elisa was super nice! I really enjoy the Doge's Palace and the Prison. For the góndola had the afternoon sundown, was so lovely
Terrible, terrible experience. We were supposed to have a 9 AM tour including a local guide, a visit to doges palace, and a shared gondola ride. My travel agent purchased the tickets over a month ago and tried to get the tickets through WhatsApp previously, with no response. Less than 24 hours prior to the start of the tour, I got a message that due to the Basilica issues, our tour was moved to noon. We could not make the new time due to leaving the city. I called the company and they told me they would give me the noon tickets and the palace would still allow us in. They also informed me that we would not have a guide. But they also told me that there was NO Gondola ride. That Viator was mistaken with their website and it was not included. We intentionally booked this one with a gondola ride included. They told me I could contact Viator if I wanted a refund. Viator reached out and said the tour operator refused a refund because the tour at 9 AM was still happening. We showed up at 8:45- there was no tour guide, but luckily Doge’s Palace let us in with the noon tickets. Unfortunately I had to pay more money for the gondola ride included. Doge’s Palace was amazing, but the experience to get in was awful. I do not recommend this tour.
