venice-doges palace--no tour OK for Aug--heat?

This may not be current but when I did the Secret Tour they told me that it is the only way to cross the Bridge of Sighs into the Dungeon to Casanova's cell. The Secret Tour that I took was well worth it.

If you can tolerate DC in August, you will do OK in Venice in August.

It can't be worse than the weather you are having now in DC. The Secret Itineraries tour goes to places you can't see when you visit the Doges Palace. It does go up in the attic areas and I understand it gets hot up there. However, I loved the Secret Itineraries tour when I took it a year ago and would highly recommend you take it if you can.

I took the tour in February and we were all freezing - no heat, no AC. The guide said we were lucky, in the summer it is worse because of the exteme heat. The tour was wonderful, I learned a lot about life in Venice during the reign of the Doges. The tour goes to parts of the palace that are only open for the tour. The DIY with audio guide is for the rest of the palace - general admittance. You will be able to do that before or after (or both) the secret itineraries tour. If you think you can handle the heat, do take the tour. Bring a fan. Due to the heat, they should allow you to take a bottle of water with you too.

I've missed out! What is the secret tour? We'll be in Venice 1st week of August. Thanks for sharing the secret!

It's called the secret Itinerary tour and can be booked online. It's a wonderful tour of the "not public areas" of the Doges palace. Donna

Toured the Doges Palace in March on my own. We crossed the Bridge of Sighs. It was open to anyone with a ticket.

I also crossed the Bridge of Sighs and "explored" the Dungeons during my last visit to Venice. I wasn't on any organized tour, just wandering on my own. I can't imagine being incarcerated in those Dungeons - brutal!