It is one of the most important symbols of Venice and definitely the flashiest. Palazzo Ducale dominates the San Marco basin in all its splendor and magnificence. Visitors of the past all noticed its importance and tourists today are no exception.A visit to Palazzo Ducale is obligatory. Its important to choose the right moment and an itinerary that best suits you. If visiting during the summer the lines can be very long but during the winter, especially during the weekdays you can enjoy its beauty while it is relatively calm.
Apart from the main route, (always worth seeing) with visits through the prison and the bridge of sighs there are alternative paths you can take to visit the large palace.
Secret pathways in Palazzo Ducale
This beautiful tour is available only through reserving a private guide. From the wells to the piombi, from the Secret Council to the torture room, the Secret Itinerary of Palazzo Ducale will take you in places where important activities regarding the justice system were settled in the centuries the Serenissima dominated the Veneto region. It is an interesting tour about the civil and political history of Venice’s Republic as well as its judicial structure and organization.
The hidden treasures of the Doge
A tour that answers who and how the Doge lived- the most important figure in the Republic of Venice- The visit must be booked in advance (normally begins at 11 a.m. and only in Italian, although there is also an afternoon tour) and will take you to the recently restored chapels and chambers as well as private apartment and areas the doge would spend his days. An incredible tour that will take you back in time when the island of Venice was a powerful republic.