• Duration: around 4h
  • Photos allowed
  • Local official guide
  • Visit of St. Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace

What to expect

  • Small group tour
  • Walking tour of Venice with an expert guide
  • Visit of St Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace with skip-the-line access
  • Exclusive access to the secret passages of the Doge's Palace
SAN MARCO OROLOGIO

Venice Masterclass

PALAZZO DUCALE

Venice Masterclass

palazzo ducale2

Venice Masterclass


Mystery and secret passages in Venice

Venice, a unique city of its kind, romantic but also full of history, secrets and mystery. This small group tour is the perfect way to let yourself be guided through the streets of the center, and discover fascinating details hidden in its buildings and churches. An expert local guide will be at your disposal for 3 hours to accompany you on your journey to discover this city.

Meet your guide directly in the worldwide known St. Mark’s Square, one of the most important squares in Italy, whose trapezoid architecture is designed to direct the viewer's attention to the center of it. In fact, on two long sides there are the buildings of the Procuratie (Old and New) which seem to culminate and frame the beautiful St. Mark’s Basilica.

This church is the cathedral of the city and is known for its oriental style highlighted by the Byzantine domes that surmount it. While entering the site with your dedicated skip the line access, the voice of your guide will explain to you how this is a sacred place rich in art and which still bears the marks of the centuries of history it has gone through. You will notice the beautiful contrast but also the perfect fusion between the white marbles of the exterior and the splendor of the interior mosaics which also earned it the nickname of "Golden Church".

Then your visit will continue to the Doge's Palace; despite its mighty size, it appears to the eyes a building with great elegance and lightness thanks to the thin inlaid columns that sustain it at the base.  This Gothic-style building was formerly a prison and then seat of the government and Doge’s residence, until today it houses the Civic Museum of Palazzo Ducale with masterpieces of Tintoretto, Titian, Veronese and many others...

And we have arrived at the central and most intriguing part of our tour, the one in which you will have the extraordinary opportunity to visit the secret passages of the Palace, a part that is generally closed to the public but to which you will have the honor to access!

An interesting path that goes from the courtyard of the Palace to the Pozzi, terrible places of detention, to then move on to the Torture room, up to the famous Piombi where Giacomo Casanova was imprisoned. A real journey back in time and history that will end by walking over the famous Bridge of Sighs, so tragically called by the sighs of the condemned to death who passed through it.

What is included

  • Local official guide
  • Walking tour of Venice
  • Skip-the-line access to St. Mark's Basilica
  • Skip-the-line access to the Doge's Palace
  • Visit of the secret passages and prisons of the Doge's Palace

Meeting Point

St. Mark's Square: meet us under the column with the lion on the top, in front of the Doge's Palace.

To remember

  1. The tour is conducted only in ENGLISH
  2. The meeting point is located in VENICE in St. Mark's Square, under the column with the lion on the top, in front of the Doge's Palace.
  3. Tickets will be sent via e-mail within 24-48 hours after purchase (weekdays) with all the instructions on how to get to the meeting point.
  4. We inform you that, once booked, the date and time selected are binding. Please arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes before the starting time.
  5. We recommend you to wear comfortable shoes.
  6. A dress code is required to enter the church. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements.
  7. Please let us know in advance any special need or impaired mobility of the clients and we will do our best to accomodate them.