Doge’s Palace Tour, Bridge of Sighs & Optional Gondola Ride

Venice, Italy

1 to 2 hours (approx.)
Offered in: English

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Overview

Walk straight past the queues with a skip-the-line ticket to one of Venice’s top attractions, the Doge's Palace. As you immerse yourself in the building’s Gothic architecture and learn about its history from your guide, marvel at masterpieces by renowned Italian painters and see sculptures dating back centuries. For those who prefer to explore independently, opt for the audio tour.

Skip the line with pre-booked tickets: no waiting when you arrive
Experience one of the city’s unmissable landmarks in an organized way
Learn about the Doge’s Palace architecture and see many historic treasures
Enjoy a shared gondola ride through Venice's charming canals

What's Included

Skip the line to the Doge's Palace
Audioguide (If option selected)
Official Guide
Shared Gondola Ride
Stop at a local vetreria

transport
food and beverage

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Clock Tower
P.za San Marco, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy
Meet your host under the blue Clock Tower at the corner of St. Mark's Basilica, next to Bar Americano. The host will be holding a blue flag and wearing a yellow vest.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Piazza San Marco

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Palazzo Ducale

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Ponte dei Sospiri

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
Viator voucher is not your entry ticket. You will receive all the necessary information via email and Whatsapp.
Visits inside the Doge’s Palace have a typical duration of 1 to 1.5 hours, depending on the time spent exploring the various rooms and exhibitions.
The tour runs even in light rain. Please note that during certain time of the year, high tide may occur. In that case, raised walkways are set up to allow access and disposable shoe covers can be purchased in front of the entrance.

Please note that to use the audio guide, you must have a smartphone and headphones.
Meeting time is subject to change; if this occurs, you will receive a call or message from the activity provider. Please provide your correct phone number and country code.
If you select the audioguide option, please download the app to your phone in advance using Wi-Fi, as it will be used offline during the visit.
During the summer season, please allow up to two hours to travel from the train station to Saint Mark’s Square, as water taxis are in high demand and delays are common due to heavy crowds.
Please dress appropriately for a place of worship: shoulders and knees should be covered.
If you wish to upgrade your tour with tickets to the Basilica, please contact us
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.3

based on 20 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Terrible tour guide

CAROLE_Y, Apr 2026

The meeting place is a hassle to find with the number of people in the area. In very very small print, there was another tour company noted at the very bottom of the ticket info forwarded from Viator. The name of this company was never mentioned to us prior. When we checked with a tour guide with a blue flag as instructed, she informed us we were not on her tour. She sent us around the corner to find our tour. We shortly after discovered that we were on her tour. She sends me a picture and says this is where we are. We are not familiar with Venice! She was already in Doges Palace and we could not join the tour. We met up with the tour guide later and told her that we should have been on her tour. She did not apologize ( she was terrible!) but handed us our tickets and said we could still go on the tour (unguided!). The reason we purchased these tickets was for a guided tour!! I would really hesitate to book with Viator again. Don’t think I will.

Poorly run company

Howard_H, Oct 2025

We tried to get tickets for the Doge Palace in Venice which advertised no lines or waiting. Paid for tickets for 4 people and took directions as to where to meet via Viator directions and Apple and Google maps put us in a line where we waited over 45 minutes and could not get in! Viator sent me tickets in What’s App which I don’t use. Total bs and won’t refund me my $327.12. Bad customer service.

Skip the audio tour.

Tara_T, Jul 2025

The Doge Palace was interesting, but the audio guide I paid for never downloaded- it got stuck and just stopped. It did download on my husband’s, but it was glitchy. We just stopped using it after a time.

Not good experience as...

Peter_M, Apr 2025

Not good experience as operator cancelled tour 5min before start with no explanation, and didn't use whatapp but emailed which I only saw by chance. Hope this was an unfortunate one off