Venice: Doge’s Palace Prisons & Secret Itineraries Guided Tour
Overview
Available languages
1 hour 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Unlock the hidden history of Venice on the Secret Itineraries Tour of the Doge’s Palace, featuring skip-the-line access. Explore the lesser-seen areas of this iconic landmark, including secret archives, council chambers, the torture chamber, and the attic prison cell where Casanova famously escaped. Learn from your expert Guide the secrets of the Venetian Republic with stories of political intrigue, daring escapes, and the city’s rise to power.
Marvel at masterpieces by Venetian artists like Tintoretto and Veronese as you tour grand council rooms and opulent halls adorned with world-renowned art, including the world’s longest canvas painting.
Conclude your visit at the Bridge of Sighs, where prisoners once took their last view of Venice, and explore the Palazzo delle Prigioni at your own pace. This guided tour combines history, art, and exclusive access to reveal Venice’s most fascinating secrets.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Please note that Doge's Palace doesn't admit bulky luggage (any luggage whose sum of the three sides exceeds 1 linear meter)
Please note that the Municipality of Venice will implement an Access Fee on specific dates in 2025. To ensure a smooth experience, we recommend reviewing the official guidelines and registration procedures via the provided link before planning your visit (Official Link for Registration - https://cda.ve.it/en/ )
Please note: due to the tour content, children under the age of 6 are not permitted on this tour.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Access to Secret Rooms
Expert English Speaking Guide
Skip the Line Access to Doge's Palace
Audio headsets when appropriate, so you can always hear your guide
Free time at the "New Prison"
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Gratuities
What To Expect
Piazza San Marco
Your tour starts on the Piazza San Marco, or St. Mark's Square, the main public square in Venice and a hub of the city's cultural, political, and social life. Surrounded by stunning landmarks like St. Mark's Basilica, the Campanile (bell tower), and the Doge's Palace, it features intricate architecture and lively open spaces. Known as "the drawing room of Europe," it has been a meeting place for centuries, attracting visitors with its historical charm, cafés, and vibrant atmosphere. It is also famous for its periodic flooding, known as *acqua alta*.
Doge's Palace
The Doge's Palace is a magnificent Gothic masterpiece that once served as the residence of the Doge and the center of Venetian government. As a visitor on the Secret Itineraries Tour, you will gain exclusive access to hidden areas of the palace, including the Doge's private chambers, the grim prison cells, and the interrogation rooms, offering a fascinating glimpse into the Republic's power and intrigue. This behind-the-scenes experience reveals the lesser-known stories of Venice's political history and its most infamous prisoners, such as Giacomo Casanova, making it an unforgettable journey into the past.
Options
Doge's Palace Secret Itinerary
Reviews
670 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great tour leader, horrible customer service rep.
Allison M,
Oct 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00I was given the wrong address for meeting. I was told Riva degli Schiavoni, 30124 Venezia VE Italy. A Google map link took me to the wrong place. When I called for help I was told "you missed it, you didn't show up on time. You were told to go to the lagoon side of the Palace." When I said that not where the link took me she argued. I was lucky I found my group in line and was able to join, but I now have a sour taste for trip advisor. Our guide Rita Tostello was very helpful in having my husband and I join. She was a joy. Very knowledgeable about the prison and the Palace. Her good will made the horrible supposed customer service rep fade some. I would go on any tour Rita lead. It was a great tour with a bad start.
Doge Palace
C O,
Oct 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This tour was amazing. We got Rita Tostello as our tour guide and she was the best ever! Very knowledgeable and very friendly. The group had many questions and she answered each one. If you get her you’re in for a great treat! Highly recommend.
S6686EAtracys,
Jul 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00The tour was fine. It started a little late and ran very late. We had another excursion booked, but were told we could not leave the tour. As a result we missed out second tour and lost our money.
Skip the secret itenerary tour
James H,
Jul 17, 2025
- Review from Viator
3.00Don't bother with the secret itenerary tour. Just see small wooden rooms with bars on the doors. The guide -Dori- just kept talking and talking. And she had to pause a lot to remember the English word. Too much standing.
Make sure you bring water...
Deborah S,
Jul 5, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00Make sure you bring water and a handheld fan if you are traveling during summer months. There are many separate purchases within the palace just so you are aware. Prison tour was very fascinating and our guide was quite knowledgeable.
This was a wonderful...
Baron G,
May 16, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00This was a wonderful tour, covering more than we had hoped for. It was made even more special by our amazing guide, Rita. Her knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm breathed life into the experience. Thanks, Rita, for making the tour one that we will always remember. From your Arizona guests…
The only downside for us...
Taffymills,
May 2, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00The only downside for us was the meeting place. We tried to follow the instructions but got turned around so we asked at one of the information booths. We were sent in the opposite direction. Thankfully we got a call from one of the agents who kept us on the phone until we were safely connected with our amazing tour guide. She was knowledgeable, friendly and a great storyteller. We walked away having learned a great deal about Doge’s.
Amazing Tour
Scott V,
May 1, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00The behind the scenes tour of Doge Palace was amazing. Our tour guide was awesome! The Palace was beautiful.
I do not recommend this tour!
Alice D,
Apr 28, 2025
- Review from Viator
1.00Do not book this tour. We booked the 9.20am tour for 158euros and the guide left without us. It was raining heavily. I am pregnant. We are on honeymoon with only a few days in Venice. We got to the meeting point at 9.18am. Because of the rain, the tour guide decided to leave early with the group already present. The meeting point is on the middle of an extremely busy bridge with no shelter. We got through to the call centre at 9.25am. The rudest woman told us tough luck- no refund. And that was that. No refund even though the guide left early due to the rain? This feels like theft. We bought basic tickets ourselves and toured the palace which is stunning and very much worth the visit. You can guide yourself around, there are no secret or hidden rooms. Do not book this overpriced tour. Read the other reviews thoroughly.
Excellent and revealing
mvdbfore,
Sep 23, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00We took the French tour and got a very good insight of both the administrative and juridical purpose of the Dogana palace. Some of the special rooms were amazing. Expensive but worth every penny.
From €79.00
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