Doge's Palace Secret Itineraries Tour & St. Mark's Basilica

The Doge's Palace Secret Itineraries tour takes you inside the hidden world of Venetian politics and punishment, so you can learn the stories behind the stones. With your local guide, you'll enter the hidden corridors of this mysterious palace, visiting prison cells, torture chambers and secret council rooms.

You'll start by skipping the entrance line at the Doge's Palace and walking straight in, where a guard will open a special door for you and lead you into an area of the palace that, for hundreds of years, was off-limits to all but the most high ranking of Venice's leaders. You'll explore torture chambers and interrogation rooms, special prison cells for VIPs, secret archives, and the offices of some of the men who made Venice a key center of power in Medieval Europe. As you go, you'll learn the stories of the people who passed through this building, including the real-life Giacomo Casanova who, as it turned out, lived up to his reputation and then some. You'll even stop off at the very prison cell where he was imprisoned and from which he escaped.

After going behind the scenes on the Doge's Palace Secret Itineraries Tour, you'll step back into the general access areas for a look at the places where the public business of the empire was conducted. From the opulent Hall of the Great Council, to the tiny footbridge famously known as the 'Bridge of Sighs' (though not for the reason you might think), you'll enjoy a fully-guided tour of the most interesting rooms of the Palazzo Ducale.

Your tour isn't quite over yet, though! After the Doge's Palace, you'll visit Venice's other most popular attraction; St. Mark's Basilica. This masterwork of Byzantine architecture is one of the most famous and unique churches in Italy, and for good reason! It's home to some of Europe's finest mosaics and a literal treasure trove of goods that were, ahem, acquired by Venetians as they sailed the seven seas, including the Pala D'oro altarpiece.