Italy

A Comparison of Doge’s Palace Tickets and Tours

by Paul Joseph  |  Published May 11, 2023

Built in Venetian Gothic style, The Doge’s Palace is one of Venice’s most important landmarks and can be visited either independently or as part of a guided tour.

(Photo: Venezia Unica by Vela Spa / Courtesy GetYourGuide)

A true architectural masterpiece, the magnificent palace was originally built in 1340 and has since been extended and modified multiple times, with its jaw-dropping sculptural decoration we see today dating from a variety of periods. If you’d like to visit the famous attraction, there are two choices: buying general admission tickets and exploring the palace solo, or booking onto an organised guided tour. We’ve compared 5 of the best options below.

Doge’s Palace Reserved Entry Ticket

With these skip-the-line reserved tickets, you can head straight inside the Doge’s Palace and explore the site that was the head of a 1000-year republic. As you wonder, you can admire the magnificent gold staircase and Venetian Gothic architecture, visit the Chamber of the Great Council, one of Europe’s largest rooms, and relive the anguish of the palace’s prisoners as they crossed the Bridge of Sighs. Tickets also give you entry to the Museo Correr, National Archeological Museum, and Marciana Library. From €30 per person.

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Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s Tour with Gondola Ride

(Photo: The Tour Guy / Courtesy GetYourGuide)

If you’d like to combine your visit to Doge’s Palace with another quintessentially Venetian experience, this 3.5-hour tour could be for you. After meeting your guide, you’ll skip the line and enter the awe-inspiring St Mark’s Basilica where you’ll learn about its fascinating history. Next, it’s time to enter the majestic Doge’s Palace, bypassing the queues once again as you traverse the building’s imposing hallways on a journey through time. Finally, you’ll be accompanied to a trusted gondolier a couple of blocks away for a relaxing ride along Venice’s iconic waterways to bring your tour to a memorable close. From €69 per person.

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Doge’s Palace: Skip the line tickets with guide book

Another popular ticket-only option, this package includes tickets to the Doge’s Palace plus a comprehensive guide book to help illuminate your visit. After saving precious time with your skip-the-line privileges, you’ll be free to wander around the palace’s amazing halls and corridors at your own pace. Provided in your chosen language, you can use your handy guide book to learn all about the history of the palace and its masterpieces of art. You can also create your own adventure and use the suggested itineraries in the guide book to discover the many different palaces of St. Mark’s Square. From €43 per person.

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Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Private Tour

(Photo: LivItaly Tours LLC – Experiencing Italy / Courtesy GetYourGuide)

For a more intimate experience, this 2.5-hour private tour invites you and a select group of family or friends to visit two of Venice’s most famous landmarks. Benefiting from skip the line access, your small group will be taken inside St. Mark’s Basilica for a look around its marble and mosaic décor. Here, you’ll learn about the Basilica’s history, discover the biblical symbolism behind the cathedral’s art, and admire the precious stones of the Pala d’Oro, before enjoying panoramic views from the terrace. Next, you’ll discover the seat of political power during the Venetian Republic at the Doge’s Palace, hearing how the duke and his council controlled the fate of the Republic as you pass masterpieces of art in the corridors. During the tour, there’ll also be the chance to take in the lively atmosphere of the street cafés, entertainers, and pigeons of At Mark’s Square. From €170 per person.

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Secret Itineraries of Doge’s Palace VIP Tour

While many Doge’s Palace tours centre around the building’s ornate majesty, this one focuses on its darker side. Over the course of 3 hours, you’ll escape the crowds with VIP access to go behind the scenes and discover the palace’s most gruesome secrets. You’ll see secret archives, offices, and torture chambers, as well as the palace attic and top-security prison cells. As you go, your guide will regale you with fascinating facts and tales, including how Casanova escaped from his cell in the Doge’s Palace. At the end of the tour, you’ll also get skip the line access to St. Mark’s Basilica with your guide. From €86 per person.

Book at GetYourGuide