Venice: Doge’s Palace Guided Tour with Gondola Ride – Venice, Italy

EXPERIENCE:

Join the guided group tour which starts at St Mark’s Campanile. From here on as you walk towards the entrance doors of the Doge’s palace the guide will give a little insight into the history of the Venetian dukes, council, and stories about the political powers and controllers and the epic rise and fall as a European trading power. You’ll skip the long line with priority access, with the guide and go straight inside.
Once inside, the guide will introduce you to the features of the palace and the history of the Republic of Venice. In the grand rooms, you’ll see hundreds of artistic masterpieces and as you explore the hallways, you’ll see and learn about the magnificent golden staircase with Byzantine and Oriental architecture masterpieces colliding on the walls. The guide will escort you and point out some of the most famous works of Tintoretto, Veronese, and other important artwork for you to admire.
Your tour doesn’t end there, you’ll have the access to armory which contains a vast collection of armaments and weapons from different periods, and to the prisons to see the realism of the scenes created by the many artists who decorated the building.
After discovering the mysterious yet admirable palace with great artwork, you’ll discover the legendary Bridge of Sighs which is connected to the prison from the Doges Palace. Finally, feel the anguish of the prisoners, who after crossing the bridge entered into the darkness as the guide and you will cross the Bridge of Sighs, peeking out at the crowds below for the last time just like the prisoners in the 18th century.
Start your Gondola Ride by boarding from the gondola station Bacino Orseolo, located behind Piazza San Marco. Be lulled by the gentle sway of the lagoon as you move deeper into the minor canals, and coast past lesser-known areas to see quaint corners and majestic palaces from a new perspective. The tour continues until it reaches the Grand Canal by traveling along the smaller, more picturesque canals, such as Rio dei Barcaroli, where Mozart’s home is, and Rio dell’Ovo.
From there, on the right you will see the magnificence of the Rialto Bridge, which is the oldest bridge across the canal and is regarded as a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture and engineering. On the left, you will see important buildings such as Ca’ Farsetti, the seat of the city hall, and Palazzo Grimani, the largest building with a view of the Grand Canal and the seat of the Court of Appeal. The tour continues to Rio San Luca where you can see Ponte del Teatro, the bridge between the façade of the church of San Luca and that of the Rossini cinema, and Ponte di San Paternian, the bridge connects Campo Manin to Calle San Paternian. There you will see Palazzo Manin, the residence of the last Doge of Venice Ludovico Manin, which is now the Bank of Italy’s headquarters.
This 45-minute gondola tour will end again at the same boarding point, after discovering this enchanted city with our Gondola tour.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

Learn the history of the Doge’s Palace at the heart of the Venetian Republic
Discover the city and its most picturesque nooks and crannies as you glide down small canals and the larger Grand Canal
Embark on a 45 minutes enchanting Gondola tour
Skip-the-line to Doge’s Palace and Embark on a guided tour with a professional

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