Doge's Palace Tickets Venice

The Doge's Palace: the seat of a thousand-year republic

For roughly a thousand years, until 1797, Venice was a republic led by an elected doge, and the Doge's Palace was both his residence and the centre of the state. The present building, in Venetian Gothic style with pink and white marble on the facade, dates mainly from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, with Renaissance additions.

If you are searching for Doge's Palace tickets or how to get to the Doge's Palace in Venice, the palace stands on St Mark's Square beside the Basilica and can be reached on foot from anywhere in the centre or by vaporetto to the San Zaccaria stop. The standard reserved ticket admits you from midday, when crowds are lower, until closing time.

Golden Staircase, Great Council Hall and state rooms

Inside, the Golden Staircase, decorated with gilded stucco, led officials and guests to the state apartments. The largest room is the Chamber of the Great Council, one of the biggest halls in Europe, which held the assembly of Venetian noble families and is decorated with huge paintings, including Tintoretto's Paradise, one of the largest oil paintings in the world.

You will also pass the rooms where the councils met, the Doge's private apartments and the armoury. The halls are richly decorated with gold and painted ceilings, so allow time to look up. Is the Doge's Palace worth visiting? Yes: it is the best way to understand how Venice governed itself and why it became so rich.

The Bridge of Sighs and the prisons

A covered stone bridge links the palace to the New Prisons across a narrow canal. Named the Bridge of Sighs in later centuries, it was built in the seventeenth century, and legend says prisoners sighed at their last view of Venice as they crossed. Walking across it is one of the best-known moments of a visit.

The cells on the other side show how prisoners lived, and the notorious Piombi prison beneath the palace roof is where the adventurer Casanova famously escaped in 1756. These rooms give a darker counterpart to the magnificent state rooms above. Comfortable shoes are useful because of the stairs and stone floors.

The other museums, the City Pass options and practical tips

Your ticket also includes the Museo Correr on St Mark's Square, in the wing built for Napoleon's court, the National Archaeological Museum and the historic Marciana Library. These are open from 10:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:00, so plan to visit them within those hours.

The St Mark's City Pass adds two more cultural sites, the Scuola Grande dei Carmini and the Querini Stampalia Foundation, and the Venice City Pass adds the other civic museums, including Ca' Rezzonico and Ca' Pesaro, the Glass Museum on Murano and the Lace Museum on Burano. Opening hours change by season, so check your date in the booking panel.