Italy Venice Doge's Palace Entry Tickets

The Bridge of Sighs is an enclosed stone bridge built in 1600 connecting the Doge's Palace to the New Prisons across a narrow canal. Prisoners condemned by the Council of Ten were led across the bridge from the courtrooms to their cells in the prisons opposite, and the bridge's name is said to derive from the sighs of those who caught their last glimpse of Venice's beauty through the stone latticed windows as they crossed. It is one of the most photographed landmarks in Venice.

Yes, the Doge's Palace is a wonderful experience for families with older children who have an interest in history, art, and adventure. The prison cells, the torture chamber, the Bridge of Sighs, and the story of Casanova's escape tend to captivate young visitors enormously. Children under 6 enter free. The palace involves significant walking on uneven historic floors so comfortable footwear is essential and a pushchair is not recommended for the full visit.

Allow 1.5 to 2 hours for a self-guided visit covering the key state rooms, the Bridge of Sighs, and the prisons. Adding the Correr Museum, which is included in the same ticket, requires a further 1 to 1.5 hours. A full visit covering both the Doge's Palace and the Correr Museum comfortably fills a half-day. The Secret Itinerary guided tour adds approximately 1 hour 15 minutes to the standard visit.

A standard Doge's Palace ticket includes combined entry to four connected Venetian civic museums: the Doge's Palace itself with all its state rooms, halls, and prisons; the Correr Museum in Piazza San Marco; the National Archaeological Museum of Venice; and the Monumental Rooms of the Marciana National Library. A MUVE app audio guide is available for download and included in the ticket price, providing commentary throughout the palace visit.

Paradise is a monumental oil painting on canvas by Jacopo Tintoretto covering the entire eastern wall of the Grand Council Chamber in the Doge's Palace. Painted between 1588 and 1592 with the assistance of his workshop, it measures approximately 7 by 22 metres and is one of the largest oil paintings on canvas in the world. It depicts the Virgin Mary surrounded by hundreds of figures in a celestial assembly and was painted to replace an earlier fresco destroyed by the 1577 fire.

From 1 April to 31 October the Doge's Palace is open daily from 09:00 to 19:00 with last admission at 18:00. From 1 November to 31 March winter hours are 09:00 to 18:00 with last admission at 17:00. During summer from 1 May to 26 September 2026 the palace stays open late on Fridays and Saturdays until 23:00 with last admission at 22:00. The palace is closed on 25 December and 1 January.

The Secret Itinerary is a separate guided tour available by reservation covering rooms and chambers not included in the standard visit, including the private offices of the heads of the Venetian government, the torture chamber, the Piombi (the lead-roofed prison cells beneath the roof where Casanova was held), and other spaces that reveal the private workings of the Venetian Republic. Casanova's legendary escape from the Piombi in 1756 is the centrepiece of the Secret Itinerary's storytelling.

The Doge's Palace is located in Piazza San Marco in the heart of Venice. The most convenient vaporetto stop is San Marco Vallaresso on lines 1 and 2, a 5-minute walk along the waterfront. From the main train station Santa Lucia, vaporetto line 1 takes approximately 40 minutes to the San Marco stop. The palace is directly beside St Mark's Basilica and visible from the waterfront.