For a thousand years, the Doges ruled Venice. An elected official who held office for life but could not pass the title down to his heirs, the role of the Doge is a crucial piece of the Venetian puzzle. During this three-hour Doge's Palace tour, we'll join a local historian for an in-depth look at the figure of the Doge, the complex and unique nature of the Venetian Republic's political system, and visit one of the most iconic buildings in St. Mark's Square—Doge's Palace.

For over a thousand years the Doge of Venice ruled over the Republic of Venice—often referred to as the Serenissima. We will begin our time together with a discussion of the role and the overall political structure of Venice from the medieval period until Napoleon took the reins of the city in the 18th century. Our Doge's Palace tour will take us into the first rooms of Doge's Palace where we will look at the economic underpinnings of Venetian power and the role that various Doges played in commerce and trade—especially with eastern empires.

During our Doge's Palace tour, we will have the opportunity to discuss how the building itself, including major architectural and decorative components were used to reflect the power of the government. A palace that constantly changed throughout the centuries, both due to fires and changing tastes, the structure contains works by top artists of the Renaissance period, such as Tintoretto and Veronese, whose works both grace the Grand Council Hall.

The Ducal Palace is a key component to understanding the history of the Venetian Republic and the political mechanisms that allowed it to function. Our Doge's Palace tour will allow us to come away with a strong knowledge of the basics of Venice's system of government with all its complexities and intrigue, and create a newfound understanding of how these systems supported the overall culture of the Serenissima. For more on the opulence of Venetian art, try our Venice Art tour: Titian and Tintoretto, exploring the city's art and culture in the High Renaissance.

For this tour, your tickets are pre-purchased which allows you to directly enter the security line at the palace without waiting to purchase tickets. You may still have to wait in a security line or in a line to have your pre-purchased ticket scanned.   

Yes, this tour will include both the Bridge of Sighs and the prison area.

Is it possible to include the "Secret Itineraries" of the Doge's Palace when you're booking this tour in the afternoon or if my group is 7 or more people?
Private Secret Itineraries tickets, which are mandatory for afternoon groups as well as groups of 7 or more - require us to book privately with the venue which has an additional cost of 290 euros or more depending on the size of the group. For this reason, it isn't an explicit offering we have for this tour and would require a special request at the time of booking. If you would like to add the tickets, we can do our best to secure your spot, though it must be between September and June as that is the only time private Secret Itineraries tours are offered at Doge's Palace. Thank you for your understanding!

Do you reserve headsets for this tour? 

Depending on your group size, we may be required by the venue to order headsets in which case you’ll see a “Headset Fee” added to your order. If you would like to guarantee headsets for your tour regardless of your group size, please email us and we’ll be happy to get them reserved for you.