Venice
Doge's Palace Secret Itinerary
Behind the state rooms: the chancellery, the interrogation chambers and the Piombi cells
Sightseeing, Local Culture
Why We Love it
These rooms were shut to everyone but the officials actually running Venice, and the guide is there for the politics, not the paintings.
The Experience
An hour and a quarter through the parts of the Doge's Palace that were shut to everyone but the officials running Venice: the Ducal Notary's offices, the Secret Chancellery with its confidential archives, the interrogation and torture chambers, and the Piombi prison cells directly beneath the palace roof.
A specialized palace guide leads it, working through Venice's political history, its justice system and the state secrets those rooms were built to keep. The ticket is pre-booked and included. When the guide finishes, the same ticket lets you carry on through the rest of the palace at your own pace.
Three departures a morning, and check-in is twenty minutes before, in the palace's central courtyard. My pick for travelers who would rather see how a republic policed itself than tour more grand rooms, and for anyone who wants the palace with the politics left in.
From $76 per person
1 Hour 15 Minutes
Shared
9:55 am, 10:45 am or 11:35 am
Highlights
What's Included
English-speaking guide
Pre-booked Secret Itinerary ticket
Shared group tour
Entry to the rest of the Doge's Palace after the tour
What's Not Included
Transportation
Gratuities
Need to Know
1 hour 15 minutes, departing 9:55 am, 10:45 am or 11:35 am
Shared — a guided group
Enter the Doge's Palace from the side facing the water and show your tickets to the attendant
The meeting point is inside, on the right of the central courtyard near the restrooms — it is signposted, with benches and a cafe while you wait
Check in 20 minutes before your tour time
Bring your tickets, sent separately — they are your entry to the palace
Larger bags and backpacks have to be checked before the tour
Free cancellation up to 7 days before
Pricing Details
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Need to know
An hour and a quarter through the parts of the Doge's Palace that were shut to everyone but the officials running Venice: the Ducal Notary's offices, the Secret Chancellery with its confidential archives, the interrogation and torture chambers, and the Piombi prison cells directly beneath the palace roof.
A specialized palace guide leads it, working through Venice's political history, its justice system and the state secrets those rooms were built to keep. The ticket is pre-booked and included. When the guide finishes, the same ticket lets you carry on through the rest of the palace at your own pace.
Three departures a morning, and check-in is twenty minutes before, in the palace's central courtyard. My pick for travelers who would rather see how a republic policed itself than tour more grand rooms, and for anyone who wants the palace with the politics left in.