is skipping the Doge's Palace in Venice criminal..?

So many different answers I could give. Is there a risk you'll regret not going? Then go. If you have a pretty full day with other priorities, then don't go. We did a tour of Doge's Place and enjoyed the architecture but were not wowed by it; as for the art, I'm rarely wowed by any art and the palace's art had no impact on me-but then I wasn't wowed by the Sistine Chapel either. We did appreciate the tour because it gave us insight into the history of Venice and how it became a power, but if we had wandered it on our own it would have just been another palace.

We didn’t visit until we had already been to Venice several times. It is your trip. Don’t go if it doesn’t really interest you.

As a footnote, when we finally went we took the “Secret Itineraries” tour rather than wander on our own. Very enjoyable as we got stories and history.

For us, the appeal of the Doge’s Palace lies in the history, the intrigue, the political significance that one can learn about on the Secret Itineraries tour. It is the explanation of the why and wherefore of the art and the architectural details that brings them to life. Otherwise, it is “yet another grand Palace” filed with large rooms and art, as you suspect. We generally breeze through those rooms after the guided tour ends (in part because we have seen them before, on a visit when we had a month to spend in Venice).

You do have limited time in Venice and a busy trip. You should choose based on your own interests, and maybe prioritize based on what is unique to Venice—the canals, the bridges, the other islands with their own industries and character (Murano, Burano, Torcello), the Rialto Market, the water views everywhere. Wander the back streets linking the various campos, and seek our sights like the beautiful little church Santa Maria dei Miracoli, radiant in white marble. Maybe wander out to the grounds of the Bienniale and take in some modern art —- or look for the installations scattered around the city.

https://www.labiennale.org/en/art/2024

There are so many brilliant, fabulous things to see in Venice. It looks like you have two days there. You can't see it all in two days, so concentrate on enjoying the experiences you have and not worrying about what you may miss.

I enjoyed the doge's palace but the magic of Venice is all around the city-- in the back streets, the magnificent squares and bridges and just wandering around. If you miss it, you will miss something terrific-- it's massive hall, it's history-- but there is also so much else to soak up so, yeah, I'm no help. But I would not say it's criminal to miss it.

Happy travels!

Would the interior architecture and artwork still be a wow factor after seeing the other museums and architectural landmarks in other cities?

I have seen every place you've listed, including the Doges Palace. I think it does have a "wow factor", but with limited time, you have to prioritize. As others have mentioned. consider if you would later regret not visiting. You'll be right there. There will be no easier chance to see it. Having said that, there's just no way to see everything you'd like to see when traveling unless you have unlimited time and an unlimited budget.

We are fortunate that we've had a chance to see a number of major landmarks and have shifted our travel to less sightseeing of them and more time spent in out of the way places soaking up the ambience of the area we visit. We have also slowed way down, not hopping from one place to another but staying put in one area enjoying the small pleasures afforded by "il bel far niente".

another question is would you be doing it on your own or a tour? If I were doing any museum on my own, I would be worrying if I was missing anything and trying to see everything to make it "worth it" for the visit, and I would probably start to get museum fog amongst all the other places I was going. If I did it on a tour, I would get a fuller experience, and possibly a more direct and to the point approach than just wandering about wondering if I am getting my time and money's worth.....and then after you could be confident you had at least seen the most important/significant parts and you could get on your way to somewhere else....

Short answer: no

We did it last month with a tour guide. It was interesting but not compelling. Lots of large pieces of religious art and over the top gilding everywhere. The bit of the dungeons we saw was depressing. Places like the Palace of Versailles, Windsor Castle, the Doge's Palace heighten my appreciation of the French Revolution.

What else are you seeing on this trip? In Italy, it's easy to be "churched out" and "palaced out". No one will care if you would rather drink wine and people watch. It's your vacation - enjoy it!

...the magic of Venice is all around the city-- in the back streets, the magnificent squares and bridges and just wandering around...

Agree with David. The palace is really ornate, but it's just one of the many things to see in Venice.

The wow factor will not be nearly as great if you have been to the other places. Not seeing it might be a low level misdemeanor, but definitely not a felony.

It's your vacation, so whatever floats your boat is what you should do.

Yes. I did not go in my first few trips to Venice and regretted it until I went.

I enjoyed the interior, the Secrets tour and the views from the palace. The walk across the bridge of sighs is most memorable.

Thank you everyone for your views , we are thinking we will most likely skip it ( if it involves getting into long lines and thick crowd ), also I feel visiting on our own probably is not that insightful as going on a tour, hence once we reach there we’ll see if we can find a good reasonable tour!