Priority Access to Doge’s Palace: Guided Walking Tour in Venice

Venice, Italy

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

1 hour 15 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Explore our promoted experiences

Venice Old Town Highlights Private Walking Tour

Venice, Veneto

5.0

(1)

Venice Old Town Highlights Private Walking Tour

from $201

Price varies by group size

Private Walking Tour of Venice's Old Town with Gondola Ride

Venice, Veneto

5.0

(1)

Private Walking Tour of Venice's Old Town with Gondola Ride

from $280

Price varies by group size

Venice, Veneto

4.0

(4)

The hidden Venice Private tour

from $192

Price varies by group size

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

If it’s your first time in Venice, the Doges Palace is probably top of your must-see list, and this tour ensures you make the most of your time. Avoid the queues with skip-the-line entrance, walk across the iconic Bridge of Sighs, marvel at the Golden Staircase, and admire art masterpieces by Tintoretto and Titian.

Doges Palace walking tour in Venice
Dodge the crowds with skip-the-line entrance to the Doges Palace
Marvel at the Golden Staircase and Bridge of Sighs on a walking tour of Doges Palace
Admire magnificent artworks by artists such as Tintoretto and Titian
Choice of morning or afternoon departure
Ideal tour for first-time visitors to Venice or those short on time

What's Included

Pre-reserved tickets for Doge's Palace (€35)
Skip the line entrance and guided tour to the Doge's Palace
Live tour commentary provided in English, French, Spanish or German
Professional local guide
Personal audio system and headset for tour commentary
Access to Bridge of Sighs
Access to the Armory
Access to the Correr Museum
Access to the National Archaeological Museum
Access to the monumental rooms of Marciana National Library

Food and drinks
Gratuities
Hotel pick up and drop off
Secret itineraries

€40.00 per person
The Hidden Treasures of the Doge

€40.00 per person

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

TU.RI.VE. Meeting Point
Calle larga de l'Ascension, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy
15 min before in Calle larga de l’Ascension - 30124 (behind the Correr museum on the opposite side of the Saint Marks Basilica). Look for the TURIVE assistant next to the post office San Marco.

End point

Carta Gate
P.za San Marco, 1, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy

Itinerary

Meet your guide in St. Mark's Square and take the time to admire the Venetian-Gothic façade of Doges Palace before setting off on your walking tour. Use your skip-the-line tickets (entrance fees included) to head straight inside and follow your guide around the magnificent interiors.

As you stroll around the grand halls, learn about the fascinating history of the palace, once the home of the Dukes of Venice, and the center of Venetian political power. Along the way, marvel at architectural highlights such as the Golden Staircase, walk across the iconic Bridge of Sighs, and peek into the little-visited prisons. Don’t miss out on the palace’s impressive art collection too, which includes masterpieces by artists such as Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese.

After the tour of the palace, bid your guide farewell, and use your Doge's Palace ticket to explore the nearby museums such as Museo Correr and Monumental Rooms of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana independently.

Piazza San Marco

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Palazzo Ducale

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Ponte dei Sospiri

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Museo Correr

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate

Large bags or backpacks are NOT allowed
Children are free until 5 years old, from 6 they pay the full ticket (document required)
On certain dates, most travelers staying outside of Venice who are planning to visit for the day will be required to pay a €5 access fee. For further details (including exemptions) and to learn what days this fee is applicable
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Reviews

3.8

based on 20 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Gina was a wonderful...

Jessie_K, Apr 2026

Gina was a wonderful guide through the impressive Doge’s palace. We really enjoyed the tour through the grand rooms and the Bridge of Sighs.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Hello Jessie, Thank you for your feedback. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. It was a pleasure hosting you, and we hope to welcome you again in the future.

Doge Palace guided tour

Frank_L, Sep 2025

excellent organisation, precise instructions and very knowledgeable and informative guide. Was well worth the money paid also to help skip the busy queues!

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Hello Frank, Thank you for your kind and thoughtful review. It means so much to the Team. Thank you and sending kind regards from Venice. We hope to welcome you again in the future. Team Venice Events

Great quick, knowledgeable tourguide, with skip the line!

Jennifer_C, Apr 2025

Excellent tour guide, just long enough for a knowledgeable tour for those that get overwhelmed with too much information over a long period of time.

Response from Host, May 2025

Hello Jennifer, Thank you for your kind and thoughtful review. You kind feedback helps us improve our tours and experiences. We look forward to welcome you back in Venice. Sending kind regards, Team Venice Events

English speaking guide, not so much!

Judith_P, May 2024

Guide should not wear garb that blends in with the general public. It wasn’t bad when he had on the cranberry jacket, but when he removed it, forget it, I got separated and then could see him nor hear him. Also his Italian accent was SO strong I didn’t understand him. Waste of time & money.

Fun experience and very interesting

Scott_C, Sep 2023

Great tour! Guide was very informative. Elisabetta was a great guide and brought it to life. Would recommend!

Guided tour Doge’s Palace Venice

Sharon_R, Sep 2023

I already wrote to the local operator as your site suggests for complaints. At the kiosk after getting the ticket, I asked the guide if we were ready and she said no in a few minutes. I turned around two minutes later and she had left. I was unable to catch up with them, or find them in the venue. Subsequently, I wrote to you to let you know the equipment is at the hotel I stayed at, because the kiosk was boarded up when I returned, I have already asked for a refund to my ticket cost since the guide abandoned me, and I was unable to see the doges palace.

Educational Experience

Julia_M, Jun 2023

Our guide was very knowledgeable about the Doge’s history and the paintings. He explained how each room was used and the style of painting/artists who created the various paintings.

Family of 3 adults

Patrick_D, Apr 2023

This was a pretty good tour of just the Doge's palace. The role of a Doge was really unique and I am not sure I would've understood the fullness of the Doge unless I had taken this trip. This was not too long so its good for all ages in my opinion. I think more history on what we were seeing would have been good rather than alot of names and dates as that is hard to digest during a tour. Its a tough balance. But all in all, a good tour. Meeting: This was probably our 7th tour booked via Viator during our vacation. Getting the app is well worth the effort since you can get directions to the meeting point via the link in the app to google maps, as several people who booked the tour showed up at the wrong place. Viator Customer Service: We had to reschedule since our train from Florence was cancelled due to a train derailment. I had to call customer service and they were great! The outcome was not as the tour operator (not Viator) would not consider a refund, but offered to reschedule but this was after we had to book a fresh tour so we really paid twice.

Doges Palace Tour

Abbie_E, Apr 2023

The lady was so knowledgeable, we learnt a great deal about Venice and Doges Palace.Worth every penny, and so good not to have to wait in the enormous queue.!

Well organised and delivered tour

Rasa_L, Aug 2022

Well organised and delivered tour. Exactly what I expected. Would say read carefully tour description as some would want to go for a longer tour wiyh greater explanations and 'rooms' to see. This tour was roughly just over an hour. Place was easy to find, thanks to clear instructions. Although group initially looked as much bigger, at certain point it split into a few with different language guide. We were with Andrea, who was very knowledgeble, with good sence of humour, looked after all group so that no one got lost or left behind. Non of our group was history mad, so an hour was enough, on the other hand I felt guide was essential unless you are prepared to reed about the place before the visit. The palace is magnificent, but guide added meaning to the magnificence of the building interior and exterior. Would definitely recommend for those who is going to see the place but does not want to spend there half of the day.

Knowledgeable, enthusiastic guide

Diane_R, Mar 2022

Very knowledgeable and patient guide, easy to understand. Quick access avoiding queues. Good sound quality in radio speakers.

Don't Dodge the Doge

Robert_B, Jul 2018

My family's tour of the Doge's Palace was excellent and well worth the time and money. Our tour was organized promptly, but there was a 15 minute delay getting in the building. Of course without the tour the wait would have been much longer. Our guide was pleasant and very knowledgeable. The headphones worked well. The building itself is amazing in its architecture, preservation, size and scope. You have to keep reminding yourself that this was built so many years ago with no power tools and no construction equipment. One cautionary note about the number of steps would have been appreciated. This tour is a challenge for persons who cannot climb steps. Overall, a good choice from among the many available.

Very interesting introduction to...

Cynthia_D, May 2017

Very interesting introduction to Venice through a tour of the Doges Palace. If we had just walked through the palace without the narrative we would have missed so much!

The tour itself was fascinating and...

Elizabeth C, Feb 2017

The tour itself was fascinating and the guide was superb...the headsets need updating though as it was heard to hear at times.

Visite éclair du palais...

william_b, May 2022

Visite éclair du palais en 50min, nous avons traversée les salles très vite ayant à peine le temps de prendre une photo. Même pas le temps de regarder la salle des armures. La guide n'avait pas le temps de répondre aux questions et ne se souciait pas non plus de savoir si le groupe suivait et si nous avions eu le temps de récupérer les sacs a dos mis en consigne. A FUIRE DE TOUTE URGENCE