Venice Doge's Palace Guided Tour - Scala dei Giganti, History Gallery & Museums Combined Ticket

Step inside Doge's Palace
and discover the history of the Venetian Republic

Take a 1.5-hour guided tour of Doge's Palace, the seat of power of the Venetian Republic. You enter with a priority ticket and hear the history and hidden stories of the palace as you go. The same ticket also lets you visit the museums around St. Mark's Square. Choose a guided tour in English or French.

See the reception rooms, the Great Council Hall and the Scala dei Giganti

Walk through the grand reception rooms where ambassadors and dignitaries were welcomed, and the halls where power was exercised, and admire interiors of marble, gold decoration and painted ceilings. You visit the Scala dei Giganti, and in the Great Council Hall you can see Tintoretto's monumental 'Paradise' and many other works by Venetian masters.

Your guide also tells you about the Bocca di Leone, which was used for secret accusations, and about the complex workings of the Republic's government.

Cross the Bridge of Sighs into the old prisons

You cross the Bridge of Sighs, which links Doge's Palace to the New Prisons, from the inside. Its name comes from the story that prisoners crossed it and sighed as they took their last look at Venice before being locked up.

Beyond the bridge, you walk through the cells and corridors of the old prison and get a sense of the darker side of Venetian justice. You also hear about Giacomo Casanova, the adventurer who escaped from here.

Continue to the museums and the History Gallery

After the tour, the same ticket gives you entry to the Correr Museum, the National Archaeological Museum and the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana. At the Correr Museum you can see the Napoleonic Wing and the elegant rooms linked to Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known as Sissi.

Before or after your visit, you can enter the History Gallery and follow the history of Venice. A 3D virtual reality experience shows Doge's Palace as it looked centuries ago, like a medieval castle (when this option is selected).

※ The museums are visited on your own without a guide, and the Correr Museum ticket can be used on the day of the guided tour or the next day.
※ During busy periods, the wait to enter Doge's Palace may be longer.