VIP Doge's Palace Tour: Access Secret Itineraries and St. Mark's Basilica
4.6
160 Ratings
Venezia
Uncover the hidden secrets of Venice on a VIP Doge's Palace tour. Explore secret archives, torture chambers, and top-security prison cells with an expert guide.
Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Doge’s Palace - 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.
What's Included
  • Small groups ensure a more personal experience
  • Guidance from an expert tour guide
  • Exclusive access to the Doge’s Palace Secret Itineraries
  • All tickets and reservation fees included
  • Headsets provided for better hearing
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off
Additional Information

A trip to Venice is incomplete without immersing yourself in its rich and intriguing history as the globe’s most ancient democratic state. We guide you beyond the usual path, venturing into the hidden corners of the Doge’s Palace to investigate the clandestine files, workspaces, dungeons, and the attic of the palace, which housed high-security jail cells, including the infamous Casanova’s cell!

Get privileged VIP entry to the Doge’s Palace’s concealed routes, a complex network of enigmatic archives, workspaces, dungeons, and highly guarded prison cells.

Out of all the tours in Venice, this is the only one that gives you an all-inclusive look into the Doge’s Palace’s hidden areas with a small group.

In the company of your proficient guide, discover Venice’s hidden tales, captivating narratives, and interesting legends.

Take advantage of fast-track entry to St. Mark’s Cathedral, appreciating 4,000 square meters of mosaics in St. Mark’s as you learn the unlikely story of its establishment and how it came to be the home of all its precious objects.

  • 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.
  • The prisons and secret itineraries are not wheelchair-accessible, nor is the route suitable for those with walking disabilities or for pregnant women.
  • Tour not suitable for people that are claustrophobic
Location
Museo Correr
Piazza San Marco
Please note we meet in front of the entrance of Museo Correr, which is at the opposite side of the St. Mark's Basilica in St. Mark's square. The group will meet just outside the entrance of the Correr Museum in Piazza San Marco. Your guide will be holding a Walks sign.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.6
(160 Ratings)
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Emily_e
May 27, 2024
Best thing we did in Venice! - So interesting and so nice to be out of the crowds! Our tour guide was amazing and it was so informative.
Review provided by Viator
Linda_w
May 16, 2024
Highly recommend - This is a great tour and I highly recommend spending the extra $ to see the hidden parts of the palace. Our guide was excellent and kept us engaged at every stop (I’m sorry I forgot her name), but she was excellent!
Review provided by Viator
Liz
May 16, 2024
Interesting tour with very informative and personable guide - We had previously done a tour of the doges palace but this tour took us behind the secret doors to the jails and inquisition areas and then again to the rest of the palace for a second look. Fascinating way to see the palace.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Renate_v
May 5, 2024
Interesting - This tour was very good. Good to see the "behind the scenes" palace. Our guide was well informed and happy to tell and show. Always a bonus. It also takes you a bit separate from the mass tourism. Wish I could combine this tour with something similar at St MArk. Even if it was just "skip te line"
Review provided by Viator
Sheridan_w
May 4, 2024
A must. - Amazing. Best tour of my 5 week trip. Lived it. Seeing inside the palace. The guide was incredible and I learned so much. I walked across the Bridge of Sighs!!!!
Review provided by Viator
Guy_g
Apr 30, 2024
Well worthwhile - Excellent tour, excellent tour guide. Well worthwhile. You won't be disappointed. This stupid review system keeps asking me to write more. Hopefully this is enough.
Review provided by Viator
Navigator14895240155
Apr 25, 2024
Worth every penny - Fascinating tour of Doges palace, great tour guides, interesting until the very end. Well worth a look. If you struggle with standing be warned it is a long tour, there are only a few places to sit and there are lots of steps.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wander69863
Apr 24, 2024
Doges Palace - take the tour - Excellent tour of the Doges Palace with the opportunity to see parts otherwise closed to the public. Our guide was very knowledgeable and spoke not merely about the building but Venetian history and culture. I recommend the trip as an excellent introduction to Venice.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kierstin_p
Apr 18, 2024
Good tour but not what we purchased. - We had a great local tour guide, Marina I believe. She was extremely knowledgeable and the best part of the tour. She taught us a lot and definitely made a huge difference versus us just walking through the Doge ourselves. However, I have to deduct stars because the original tickets advertised noted we would be touring St Marks Basilica. Our tour did not match the advertisement. We received late correspondence and by then, there were no tickets left. The Doge provides its own secret tour for a fraction of the price. We would have done this should we had been informed months prior when we purchased; again there were no tickets by then. There was no compensation. If you are just looking for the Doge, this is a good tour. However, we had to leave Venice the next morning very disappointed we couldn’t tour the Basilica as promised in the agreement. More and more I’m finding Viator is leaving much to be desired and not providing services purchased. Unsure how this is legal. It’s reasonable for a customer to expect services purchased.
Review provided by Viator
Rick_z
Apr 9, 2024
Waste of money - The most overpriced and overrated think you can do in Venice. They tell you it's 30 minutes, it was only 20-25 max. Fisrt of all we thought it was a private one, not a shared one. We discovered that for the same pricre you can get a private one once your here. Our gondolier never introduced himself or said a word to us, was on his phone or talking/ yelling at the one in front of us. They had no music, singing, nothing. The ride itself was a "follow the leader", like pack mules, on their route. It's nothing like you imagine it should/would be. Save your money or rent private here.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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