St Mark's Basilica & Doge's Palace with Secret Passages Access
Description
A visit to Venice wouldn’t be the same without delving into its long and fascinating history as the world’s oldest republic. Go beyond the traditional route, stepping behind the scenes of the Doge’s Palace to explore the secret archives, offices, torture chambers, and the palace attic, home to top-security prison cells, including that of the famed Casanova! Finish next door at St. Mark's Basilica, combining a visit to Venice's top landmarks in one seamless tour.
Tour Options
Itinerary
With your guide, a Venetian art expert and historian, enjoy skip-the-line access to the Doge's Palace and make a beeline for backstage. After a guard opens a special door, enter the hidden side of the palace to see the prison cell where Casanova was held, hear the unlikely tale of his escape, and visit the archives to learn how secrets were kept. See hidden council rooms to learn of the system of checks and balances that made Venice the world's oldest republic and enter the best general access areas such as huge audience rooms, ballrooms with incredible paintings by Veronese and Tintoretto, and the private apartments of the Duke of Venice. You even cross the famed Bridge of Sighs to see the New Prisons on this small-group tour.
Your last highlight of the tour will a guided tour of Venice's most important church, St. Mark's Basilica. Admire the east-meets-west architecture and hear how most of the basilica's prized possessions ended up here by less than honest means.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Due to Doge's Palace regulations, children under the age of 6 are not permitted inside the secret itineraries and therefore cannot take this tour.
- Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments or with wheelchairs, or strollers.
- No refund will be provided if high tide prevents certain parts of the tour, but adjustments to the route will be made for client safety and comfort.
- If access is restricted due to private events inside the Doge's Palace, we cannot be held responsible. This is a situation beyond our control. No refund will be issued.
- This tour is not suitable for people who are claustrophobic.
- This is a walking tour. Guests should be able to walk at a moderate pace without difficulty.
- Guests should be prepared for a moderate level of physical activity, including standing for extended periods and climbing stairs, which may not be suitable for travelers with certain health conditions or mobility limitations.
- All guests must supply their full name that matches a valid ID at the time of the booking. Should you fail to provide these, your reservation will be canceled. Name changes are not permitted.
- St. Mark’s Basilica can be subject to closures due to particular liturgical celebrations, especially during major religious holidays such as Easter or Christmas. In the event that the Basilica is closed, explanations will be provided from the outside.
- Please note: This tour offers multiple options. Take a moment to choose the one that best suits your interests.
Reviews(300)
Iole was amazing and so funny! Beautiful experience we learned so much!
Mose’ was an incredible guide. Very informative and animated.
Moses was very informative and entertaining. Made the tour go smoothly.
Great experience the guide was very informative her love for the history really shone through, good size group and the length of tour was good.
Susan did a wonderful job explaining and showing the history to us. Thank you soo much
This tour was great! The opportunity to go “behind the scenes” and see the secret passages was well worth it. Note that the secret passages requires 170 steps, so not accessible. We had a member of our party that couldn’t do it and they helped us to have them join as soon as that part was over which worked great. The info given during the tour was very informative and helped to understand the time period and what was going on.
Pamela Was an Incredible Guide! A must do when in Venice!
Wonderful tour great guide. We saw things we wouldn’t have seen by ourselves and appreciated it.
Our Tour Guide was fantastic extremely knowledgeable
Roberta was very knowledgeable about the historical and political landscape that has shaped Venice over the centuries. Thank you for all your attention to details.
