Castles · Tour
Inside the Doge's Palace Before It Opens, or the Terrace Over the Square
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VeniceSkip-the-line tickets, a guide, and the two buildings everyone comes to Venice for, St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace, in two hours. Inside the palace: the gilded council rooms, the Bridge of Sighs, and the politics that were conducted in those rooms, which were rougher than the ceilings suggest. In the basilica, the golden mosaic ceiling. What separates the options is worth reading before booking. The 8am departure gets into the Doge's Palace before it opens to the public, so the chambers are empty. The Private option, capped at six people, and the Terraces option both run three hours and put you on the balcony above St Mark's Square, which is the view postcards use and almost nobody stands in. The two are alternatives rather than a package: the three-hour departures enter the palace after it has opened for the day.
What's included
- Pre-reserved ticket to the Doge's Palace (25 €)
- Local English-speaking guide
- Bell Tower in St. Mark's Square (exterior)
- New Prisons
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- Exclusive Early Entry to the Doge's Palace (8 AM only)
- Marciana Library (exterior)
- Exclusive access to the balcony of St. Mark's Basilica (if option selected)
- Spanish Speaking guide (if option selected)
- Skip-the-line ticket for St. Mark's Basilica (St. Mark's Basilica + Museum 24€)
- Bridge of Sighs
- St. Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco)
Itinerary
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P.za San Marco, 52, Venezia
Arrive 15 minutes before the start. The guide holds a green Walks sign. The meeting point is the Correr Museum, Piazza San Marco 52, and the guide waits under the portico just outside the museum entrance.
Piazza San Marco
The tour starts in St Mark's Square, with a moment to take in the size of it. The guide sets up the centuries of Venetian history under the arched portico before anything else happens.
Palazzo Ducale
The day starts at the Palazzo Ducale, the Doge's Palace, which was both the residence of the doge of Venice and the seat of his government. The guide takes the great chambers and council rooms, pointing out the paintings by Veronese, Tintoretto and the other Venetian masters. How Venice was governed from inside these walls, and who was held prisoner here, Casanova among them. You cross the Bridge of Sighs on the same route they took, into the New Prisons. Note: on the 8am departure you go inside the Doge's Palace before it opens to the public, and the chambers are empty. That early access is only on the 8am tour, which also includes St Mark's Basilica and access to the terraces above St Mark's Square.
Basilica di San Marco
It is a short walk next door to St Mark's Basilica, the most important church in Venice. The queue is skipped, and what is inside is an argument between Eastern and Western architecture that neither side wins, under a shimmering golden mosaic ceiling. The guide covers the stories behind the treasures held here, including how a number of them arrived in Venice in circumstances nobody has fully explained. Note: the Private Legendary Venice option, capped at six people, and the Legendary Venice with Terraces option on the 9:30am tour both include the balcony above St Mark's Square. Both run three hours and neither includes the early entry to the Doge's Palace: you go in after it has opened for the day.
Venice
The tour ends in St Mark's Square.
Not included
- Gratuities
- Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off
Good to know
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Unfortunately due to the nature of this tour it is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments or with wheelchairs, or strollers.
- Sites visited during this tour are subject to occasional closures due to holy observances, high tides, and/or flooding. If a site closes, your guide will tour the exterior of the site. If time permits, we will reach out to you prior to your tour. If the local municipality restricts access due to high tide and there are no walkways available, it is the client’s responsibility to bring appropriate footwear (e.g., boots). For last-minute closures, modifications may be communicated at the tour start time.
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- No refund will be provided if high tide prevents certain parts of the tour, but adjustments to the route will be made for client safety and comfort.
- If access is restricted due to private events inside St. Mark's Basilica and/or Doge's Palace, we cannot be held responsible. This is a situation beyond our control. No refund will be issued.
- St. Mark’s Basilica can be subject to closures due to particular liturgical celebrations, especially during major religious holidays such as Easter or Christmas. In the event that the Basilica is closed, explanations will be provided from the outside.
- Please note that a photo ID is required to visit the St. Marks Basilica. Failure to bring an ID can result in the security staff refusing your entrance to the monument.
- Please note: This tour offers multiple options. Take a moment to choose the one that best suits your interests.
- Up to 15 travelers per booking.
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Guiding available in: en, es.
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