We're heading to Venice in early September. I was thinking about purchasing the Museum Pass that covers the Doge's Palace, the glass museum, several others. I don't understand how to get a timed ticket for the Doge's palace if I do that.
Also, has anyone tried any of the expensive guided tours shown on tripadvisor - like the after hours tour of St. Marks or the skip the line Doges palace guided tour?
We just used the guide pamphlet provided with our tickets at the Dog's Palace. I guess it depends on how deep you want to get in the history. Our time was limited so we did it at our own pace. RS has an audio tour of St. Marks on his Audio Europe app. Those are always very good. If you haven't downloaded it yet, you need to! Lots of good Information!
I have not been to the Doge's Palace, but the Secret Itineraries Tour offered by the sight itself draws lots of positive comments. I believe it sells out early.
I agree that the Secret Itinerary tour looks interesting but it's 26 euro which on top of the 27 Euros for the museum pass seems a bit much.
I still haven't seen that there is a way to get a timed ticket for the Doge's palace with purchasing only the museum pass.
I have taken tour two times that I have been to Venice. The Walks of Italy Secret Passages Tour and the Legendary Venice Tour, both of them were excellent. The Secret Passages you spend more time in the Doge’s Palace and the Prison. The Legendary Venice Tour was equally weighted between St. Marks and the Doge’s Palace. In the Legendary Venice, you also get to go into the Prison and walk the path to see the Bridge of Sighs from the window.
If I had to recommend a tour, I actually preferred the Legendary Venice Tour. As for touring on your own, I opted to take a tour twice because the first time I went, the tour was amazing. I was taking friends for the second trip and I knew I could not do justice to the Doge’s palace. Having the guide really brought the place to life.
Hope this helps.
Hello cvikar,
I took the Secret tour offered by the Dodge's palace about 20 years ago and again last September. You will get a guided tour through the prison cells, bureaucratic offices, parliament rooms and the upper prisons including Casanova's cell and the torture chamber.
The tour adds a lot of context to just how strange and convoluted politics in Venice had become. For example the Dodge had ultimate power but they were so afraid he would use it he was essentially held in the palace and needed permission to leave it. So it add context and historical background like any good tour will do. Afterwards you will inserted back into the regular Dodge's Palace tour near the start. The current tour has fewer great rooms than the older one that followed kind of a different theme but I think some of those old rooms are now shown in the general tour.
Those tours are 32e or 20e if you qualify or have some of the many discount cards.
https://palazzoducale.visitmuve.it/en/pianifica-la-tua-visita/special-itineraries/secret-itineraries-tour/
This is probably the information about the discounted purchase you were looking for. In general with discounts cards you buy the cheaper on-line tickets but you will be expected to present the card when you used your discounted tickets.
Whether it is worth it to you I can't answer. I think that Venice is a unique enough place with a specific history that taking a tour, if you have the time, can really add some context to your visit. Whether it needs to be an expensive tour of a site or just a walking tour of city is up to you.
=Tod
Thanks for everyone's comments.
I ended up purchasing the Museum card as there several homes/museums I'd not seen on my previous trips to Venice.
I've been to the Doge's palace before but only taking the basic self guided tour but my husband has never been there so I signed up for the Secret Itineraties tour. It turns out the museum card does give me a discount for that tour.
One thing I learned - the first website that comes up when typing in Venice museum card was "venice-museum.com" and they charge a 5Euro service fee for the card (probably to cover the fee they pay google for coming up on top). But when I went directly to the website of a museum covered by the card I could purchase without a service fee (visitmuve.it). It all adds up.
