Doge's Palace in Venice: your updated guide to the gothic jewel of the city

Among the halls, corridors and monumental staircases, you will be able to enter the heart of the city's history.

You will discover, in fact, that one of the best-known palaces in the lagoon, already extraordinarily elegant on the outside, holds a real treasure chest inside.

While it would be easier to think of organizing a visit to the Doge's Palace in Venice by simply going up from floor to floor, there are 4 of them, the itinerary multiplies into as many as 7 thematic areas. This is to ensure greater enjoyment and total immersion in the wealth, pageantry, but also the shady spots and mysteries that characterized the Republic's past.

So, here is what to see inside the Doge's Palace in Venice.

As anticipated, there are as many as 7 thematic areas.

Although you will not follow a linear route, you will instead discover how the tour itinerary devised by the Doge's Palace in Venice manages to ensure greater cohesion between the parts.

It starts with the Opera Museum, which is divided into 6 rooms located on the second floor. Inside them, it is possible to see the numerous capitals that, in addition to their decorative function, offer moral teaching to all their visitors.

Then there is the section dedicated to the Courtyard and the Loggias with the magnificent Giants' Staircase that immediately catalyzes the eye. The visit to the upper floors of the Doge's Palace starts from this staircase that connects to the Loggias, with the Sala dello Scrigno and the Sala de La Milizia da Mar.

The Doge's apartment represents the third thematic area. It is spread over two floors and alternates between private rooms and state rooms.

It continues with the section devoted to the Institutional Rooms. These are the places where justice was once administered and the political life of the Republic took place. The pinnacle of the tour is the Hall of the Great Council, Tintoretto's jewel.

Through the Hall of the Magistrate of Laws, and then across the iconic Bridge of Sighs, we reach the Prisons. Here the cells are spacious and airy, in stark contrast to those located in the Pits.

Finally, the Armory, which houses over 2,000 pieces in as many as 4 rooms.

If you also wanted to explore the terrible prisons, you should book another kind of itinerary.

This is the famous Secret Itineraries of the Doge's Palace, during which you will be able to visit the Secret Chancery Hall, the famous Hall of Torture, or Hall of Torment, and the Hall of the Inquisitors, one of the most feared magistracies.

Finally, during the course of this itinerary, you will be able to visit the terrible Pits and the prison area called Piombi. It was here that the famous Venetian ladies' man, Giacomo Casanova, was detained.

The "Secret Itineraries" guided tour is organized every morning in Italian, English and French.

To visit the Doge's Palace in Venice, you should allow at least 2 hours. If you wish to visit it more leisurely, however, we suggest you consider at least 3 hours.

The special Secret Itineraries tour, on the other hand, lasts about an hour and a quarter, after which you can continue with the rest of the palace.

The museum is open daily from 9 AM to 6 PM.; last admission is possible until 5 PM.

As far as costs are concerned, however, it must be considered that tickets for the Doge's Palace in Venice also include visits to the other museums in St. Mark's Square (i.e., the Correr Museum, the National Archaeological Museum and the extraordinary Monumental Rooms of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana).

Full tickets cost 30 euros (25 euros if you book at least one month in advance) and there are reductions for different categories, such as students, children and the over-65s.

Don't forget that by purchasing the Venice Pass, entrance to the Doge's Palace will be included!

In 2018, the Doge's Palace recorded nearly 1.5 million visits. It is, in fact, one of the most appreciated places in the city.

For this reason, before coming here, it is advisable to better plan your visit.

The entrance is located at the Porta del Frumento, in front of the lagoon.

Let's analyze now how to get to the Doge's Palace using public transportation lines, starting from the three main places of arrival in the city.

The nearest water bus stop to the Doge's Palace is San Zaccaria, and it is located along Riva degli Schiavoni, about 300 meters from the Palace.

There are 4 vaporetto (water bus in Venetian) lines leading from Piazzale Roma and Venice Santa Lucia station to our destination.

- Line #5.1, or the fastest, which stops only at Zattere (along the Giudecca Canal) and arrives at San Zaccaria in about 20 minutes.
- Water bus #4.1, which instead has stops also at Giudecca, and arrives at San Zaccaria in about 25 minutes.
- Line #2 which takes about 40 minutes, stopping at both Giudecca and Tronchetto Island.
- Vaporetto #1, the slowest but most scenic line, which in fact runs along the Grand Canal and takes about 45 minutes.

To return from the Doge's Palace to Piazzale Roma there is line #5.2, which, like #5.1, stops at Zattere.

At night, however, the line to consider is the #N, which stops both along the Giudecca Canal and at Tronchetto. This is a line that operates between 11:30 pm until 4:30 am.

There are only 8 kilometers separating Venice airport from St. Mark's Square should one choose a connection across the lagoon.

The company of choice for your tickets is Alilaguna.

The Blue line operates year-round and takes travelers to St. Mark's via Murano, Fondamenta Nove, and Lido di Venezia.

The Red Line, on the other hand, is seasonal and operates only between April and November (the exact days the service begins and ends are always to be verified). It connects the airport with San Marco via Murano, Certosa, and Lido.

A visit to the Doge's Palace lasts an average of 2 to 3 hours, depending on the in-depth study desired. It is a pleasant and surprising tour through halls and corridors that have been silent witnesses to great events in the history of the Republic.

Some rooms, we point out, are slightly narrower: for this reason, it is advisable to approach the Ducal Palace without backpacks or bulky bags.

As for the Secret Itineraries tour, which delves into justice at the time of the Serenissima, the stairs and rooms can be quite cramped. Therefore, it is not recommended for those who suffer from tight spaces (and children under 6 are not allowed).

Since this is one of the most appreciated visits in the city, so we recommend, without a shadow of a doubt, booking your tickets in advance.