Doge's Palace
Doge's Palace
4.5
Speciality MuseumsHistoric SitesArchitectural BuildingsBridges
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
About
A masterpiece of Gothic architecture, the building and its sculptural decoration date from various periods. The interior, with works by artists such as Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto, A.Vittoria and Tiepolo, includes vast council chambers, superbly decorated residential apartments, and austere prison cells. Along the facades of the Palace run loggias that overlook St. Mark’s Square and the lagoon. The combined entrance ticket to the St. Mark’s Square Museums grants access to the Doge’s Palace, Museo Correr, Museo Archeologico Nazionale and Monumental Rooms of Biblioteca Marciana.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: San Marco
The most famous sestiere (district) in Venice has one of the world's most famous squares, St. Mark's (Piazza San Marco). Anchored on one end by the basilica, clustered around it are restaurants, museums, shops, orchestras playing in the square, pigeons, the grand pink Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale), the soaring campanile bell tower, an astrological clock tower, plus gorgeous cafes and restaurants like Florian and Quadri. Piazza San Marco is beloved by Venetians themselves. They book a table anytime, which offers a buffer from the fray. This grand outdoor drawing room attracts Venetians for a stroll too, especially late in the afternoon when the hoards of daytrippers thin out. It's simply a grand place to meet.
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See what travellers are saying
  • ruetraversiere
    20 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A definite must visit. Go early
    The information boards are a very interesting and useful new resource. Lots to see and a very interesting building with an amazing history. Busy. Far too many guided tour groups. Small queue in the bridge of sighs. Loved the life of the doge rooms.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 23 October 2023
  • SMLikestoTravel
    Bengaluru, India391 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must visit
    We did the Secret Itineraries tour with Take Walks. The anecdotes about the prison, Casanova’s escape etc were all very fascinating. Our guide Juliano was also an excellent story narrator who kept everyone engaged with the story of St Mark’s dream and then “The Italian Job” as he put it , of stealing St Mark’s relics to bring them to Venice. It was very interesting to hear about Venetian history and about the position of the Doge.
    Visited May 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 24 October 2023
  • Emma
    United Kingdom11 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Loved the Secret Itineraries Tour
    I booked early for the Secret Itineraries Tour and am really glad I did; the group size was small, we were able to see some really interesting areas of the palace that you can't see with a normal ticket, and the tour give gave some great context to what we were seeing. It was quite a shock emerging from the 'secret' areas into the main areas though- it was so packed with people! Sometimes it was hard to get to the signs to read about the room you were in. The palace is very interesting though and would definitely recommend a visit.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 24 October 2023
  • las123singing2016
    Whitley Bay, United Kingdom126 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Palace Fit for a King
    The queue was not too bad to visit the Doge’s Palace. There are concessions for 65+. It is a very impressive building, with lots of beautiful artwork throughout. Very clear factual information given (in English) as you walk through the copious rooms. It was very emotional walking over the Bridge of Sighs - following the path of prisoners on their way to the prisons in the Palace. Finished out trip with coffee in the cafe (various other refreshments and food on the menu too.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 27 October 2023
  • TravelLovers2
    United States4,763 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Too many groups at the same time
    Beautiful and definitely worth a visit, BUT there are so many large groups, coming in at the same time, that it is almost impossible to see anything. We left after half an hour because it was not worth it. Maybe some other time.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 29 October 2023
  • Ramona T
    Szombathely, Hungary144 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Council chambers are breathtaking
    Queuing took an hour, even though we had tickets online purched. There were many helpful employees, circling around, giving info to visitors! Truly amazing building, truly amazing artwork. The council chambers, the resdential apartments, the prison are all amazing, you simply cannot miss the biggest oil painting in the world!
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 3 November 2023
  • Verne K
    Silver Spring, Maryland440 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing!
    We booked reservations in advance, a good idea. It took us about 3.5 hours to get thru the palace. The ticket included the Correr Museum, but we were too tired to go. This is an amazing building with an adjacent prison. The palace is very elegantly decorated and huge. I've been wanting to visit since I missed it on my last trip to Venice years ago.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 19 November 2023
  • Will
    United Kingdom43 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Offered Variety
    Perhaps not as spectacular as the basilica but still worth the visit. A different insight into the history of Venice with the prisons and Bridge of Sighs. Opt for the full tour when you are given the option (just mind your head!)
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 27 November 2023
  • Gregory W
    Mankato, Minnesota3,826 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    2 Thumbs Up!
    The Doge's Palace was built in 1340 and one of the premier landmarks of Venice. The Doge was a man who had supreme authority of the inhabitants in Venice. Built in a Venetian Gothic style, it is a must see when visiting the city, though it is not what it once was when it was in use. It was the residence of the Doge and has has seen many modifications since it was built (mainly because of fires). The oldest part of the palace is the wing overlooking the lagoon, the corners of which are decorated with 14th-century sculptures. It became a museum in 1923 and is one of the 11 museums run by the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia. The Chamber of the Great Council. Behind the Doge's throne, is occupied by the longest canvas painting in the world.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 29 November 2023
  • Kai C
    Half Moon Bay, California1,323 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    fantastic
    Truly one of the wonders of the world as a key to Venetian history and character. Monumental paintings by Tintoretto, and enormous paintings of the battle of Lepanto. Excellent descriptions of sculpture, artwork, history by the curators - should serve as a guiding example to many of not most world museums; they hit the right tone in terms of information that is not intimidating to the general public. The ticket price is steep but worth it.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 8 January 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles27,181 reviews
Excellent
19,149
Very good
6,469
Average
1,143
Poor
240
Terrible
181

Matt H
Goudhurst, UK16 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
January, so no queues or crowds yet great weather.
This really is the cherry on top of a fab cake which Venice is. As you go from room to room you will get neck ache as you look up in wonder, coupled with a trip to museum corner, which we did before the Doges Palace it really is good value for the ticket.
Written 19 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LMSBH
London26 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Family
Visit in the afternoon... the queues are long in the morning, for both ticket buying and prepaid. We joined the prepaid queue just after 11am, and went nowhere fast in 40 minutes, maybe 10% of the queue. Asked the lady at the head if we could come back tomorrow on our ticket, and she said "or after 2pm, there's no queue then." Came back at about 3pm, there was a short queue, maybe 15 minutes. Got us out of the heat of the sun, it was perfect. By the time we got out, the worst of the heat of the day had died back.
7 year old and 4 year old found bits boring (the state rooms), the 9 year old found it all very interesting, and they all enjoyed the Bridge of Sighs and the New Prison.
Written 18 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

David J
20 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
A must visit if in Venice.... Stunning arcitecture in a stunning location just off Marco square.
The prison on the ground floor was interesting and you could feel the history. Also the small museum showing all the arm our ,swords and tools used in those days. Also a cafe on the ground floor with hot and cold snacks and drinks at very reasonable prices.
Written 6 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rebecca D
23 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Couples
Gorgeous place and a must visit. Would recommend buying Venice city passes online that can get you into all the museums beforehand because going in one by one can be pricey. Such a lovely place with loads of history and sights. Good photo opportunities and gorgeous views. Nice little cafe too!
Written 16 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

daywang
Holtsville, New York36 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
We visited Doge's Palace on 2/16. Since we stayed in Venice overnight we could visit it early in the morning, around 9 am. There were few people at that time, even though it was on Sunday and in the mid of Carnival. We were able to see each room at ease and without disruption, took many pictures. It was really a great experience. The whole place shows how rich and powerful Venice once was and there were so many details to admire. You can also enter the Bridge of Sighs to see through the famous windows on the bridge.
Written 4 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

alantomkins
Lundin Links, UK117 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
This is a 25 Euro a person visit and it's not like the palaces in the UK, it's more a government building. I think you have to do the tour as it's a must see and a well marked route and the art, ceilings, architecture and decotation are amazing, but there no furniture and no real persoanlity. There are additional tours but at 28 Euro we felt these were simply too expensive. You do get over the Bridge of Sighs and into the proson which was very interesting and in January very cold. No wonder they sighed... The armory was also great.
Written 18 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Calsara5
County Donegal, Ireland34 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Family
The Doge's Palace is on every must see list for Venice and after visiting recently I can see why. Joined the long queue as soon as we arrived there, we had decided not to pre-book so we were at least 45 minutes waiting but it was shaded and the queue moved along steadily.

We purchased a family ticket. Audio guides are also available at an extra 5 euro, but make sure to bring a form of ID on the day. You also get issued a ticket for the Correr museum included in the price, so if you get to do both it's worth the price.

Once you leave the busy queue behind, it opens up into a lovely courtyard, on to the interior up the stairs into the main building, it is really quite breathtaking, the grandeur and scale is amazing. Most of your time will be spent staring up at the amazing artwork and ornate frames.

On to the the bridge of sighs, catching a glimpse of the view and on through to the prisons. It was a very enjoyable and interesting visit, easy to spend a few hours here so we were glad to see a cafe at the end which was very nice also.

Overall the Palace is well worth a visit, so if in Venice do make time to visit, we had no fixed itinerary for our trip but we were so delighted that we were able to visit.
Written 30 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AndyAquila
Lyme Regis, UK653 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
We had visited here once before a while ago and enjoyed the visit this time much more. The well laid out tour was easy to follow and showed us the main areas of the building and its history. We had an audio guide which only covers parts of the tour but it was enough to give us a good feeling for the place. The extra art exhibition was also very good and well labelled in English so we could enjoy the works on display.

One is issue was the return of the audio guide for which I had left a personal document as deposit. The door back into the place where they were issued initially was closed and we couldn't gain access until someone came out. We did ask at the main exit about them and were told we had to get back into the entrance hall which proved tricky but we did manage it eventually.
Written 6 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

VictorGee
Brighton, UK66 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
We took the Secret Itinerary tour which was well worth the cost as it includes entrance to the rest of the palace. Our guide made the tour fascinating and gave us a real feel for how the palace and the prisons functioned. The difference between the behind the scenes areas and the grand rooms was amazing. We found it easy to book online with official museums site.
Written 12 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alexandra B
Walkerston, Australia7 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Upon entering and purchasing a ticket we went around to purchase an audio guide, however to get one we had to leave our passport with them. All travellers know that you don’t leave your passport anywhere, especially seeings she just ripped the corner off scrap paper, wrote the audio guide number on it and told us to go, whilst retaining our passport. Due to the tour being €25 euro each and not having the ability to get an audio guide we opted out and had to demand a refund. The entire experience was bizarre, stay away until they have better policies in place rather than requesting to obtain a passport, for crying out loud it’s an audio guide.
Written 6 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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DOGE'S PALACE (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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