The Doge’s Palace, or the Ducal Palace, is an unmissable monument in Venice. It is located in the center of Venice, on the majestic Piazza San Marco. To visit the Doge’s Palace in Venice is to discover the richness of this extraordinary city at the time of its heyday. This blog post lists everything you need to know to prepare for this visit: where to buy the tickets, the best time to go, how long to plan, and some tips!
Who are the Doges?
The first magistrate of the Republic of Venice and Genoa was called “doge”. The Doge’s wife was called “Dogaressa”. In Venice, the doges had a great power of decision. For example, it was he who commanded the armies and who presided over the Senate.
The Doge’s Palace was the official residence of the doges of the Republic of Venice and the place of representation of its major institutions (source: Wikipedia). It was built in 1340. This Palace is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as is the entire lagoon of Venice.
Ticket to visit the Doge’s Palace in Venice
How to buy tickets to visit the Doge’s Palace in Venice? Here are the 5 options available to you.
- Buy tickets on-site. If you choose this option, plan to queue between 45 minutes to 1 hour at the checkouts.
- Buy tickets in advance. This solution avoids waiting on site. You can find the tickets on the official website or a booking platform. For example, here: skip-the-line tickets.
- Book a guided tour. Guided tours cost more, but they allow you to discover more about this magnificent place in Venice while saving time. Here is an example of a guided tour.
- Take a combined skip-the-line ticket. Combined tickets are attractive if you want to visit several places. And this is often the case in Venice. For example, you can take a ticket to the Doge’s Palace and Saint Mark’s Basilica or the Saint Mark’s Campanile and its panoramic view. Here is an example of a combined ticket.
- Take a guided tour of the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica. It is the best solution for those who love history and architecture: see prices here.
How long does it take to visit the Doge’s Palace?
Plan for at least 1h30 to visit the Ducal Palace in Venice if you book tickets in advance. It is the time needed to discover the Palace’s essence without running or spending much time on the details.
If you do not book tickets in advance, you must add to this time the waiting time at the cash desks. Therefore, you can add 45 minutes more and plan on taking at least 2h15.
When is the best time to visit the Doge’s Palace in Venice?
Saturday and Sunday are the days of the week to avoid. Come to the Palace’s opening if you cannot avoid these two days.
You can prefer a visit after 3 p.m. for the other days of the week because visitors are generally less numerous.
In summary, to visit the Doge’s Palace and avoid the crowds, come either at the opening or the end of the day (shortly before closing, but enough to go around).
What to see in Piazza San Marco?
If you go to Venice, you will necessarily visit Saint Mark’s Square. Among the most visited monuments in the square are the Doge’s Palace of Venice, Saint Mark’s Basilica, and the Campanile Sint Mark.
Find more information about Saint Mark’s Basilica in our article: How to visit Saint Mark’s Basilica.
The Campanile Saint Marc offers a 360-degree view of Venice and its canals. As with the other places in Piazza San Marco, if you do not book in advance, expect to have a wait to be able to get there.
The visit to the Doge’s Palace in Venice is a visit that requires preparation. However, if you have not taken tickets in advance, you can always buy them at the cash desks on-site or reserve tickets at the last moment online.
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