• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Step inside the Doge’s Palace and uncover the power, politics, and artistry that shaped Venice. With your local host leading the way, you’ll explore iconic sites like the Giants’ Staircase, Golden Staircase, and the awe-inspiring Chamber of the Great Council—all brought to life with rich stories and hidden details. Skip the lines, skip the crowds, and experience this legendary palace through a local’s eyes.

Destination

Venice, Italy

Category

Skip The Line Tours

Duration

1.5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Italiano, Français, Deutsch, Español

Included

• Private guide
• Entrance ticket Doge's Palace
• All Withlocals tours are carbon neutral

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 7 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at In front of Caffe Aurora - Venice to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Inside Doge's Palace

   Once you are inside, follow your local host’s insights as you check out the must-sees like Courtyard & Giants’ Staircase and Chamber of the Great Council, as well as the hidden gems that not many know about. Be part of an enriching tour that will satisfy your curiosity and answer all of your questions!

4. Keep Exploring

   After the time with your host is over, you can either stay inside the attraction and keep exploring by yourself or say goodbye outside the attraction where your host will point out other spots to explore in Venice

5. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Sue🇺🇸 United States

(About local Lucia Bondetti )

23 July 2025

Lucia was a fantastic guide to Cannaregio and the Jewish ghetto. She clearly loves her city and she is extremely knowledgeable. We felt like we were visiting the neighborhood of a friend, getting to meet the people who live and work in the neighborhood and experience a completely different—and quieter!—side of Venice. We learned a lot. Lucia even helped us discover the perfect gift to bring home to our daughter. We will come back to Venice, and we will book with her again. Grazie mille, Lucia! A dopo!Wonderful afternoon in Cannaregio!

ykgtrysc72

(About local Matteo)

19 July 2025

Matteo is an outstanding guide around the city and able to customize a private tour to your liking. He’s from Venice and knows the city inside and out.He kept us engaged the whole three hours and it was a really great experience spending a couple hours walking around the city and then an hour on the boat seeing it from a completely different perspective. He’s happy to give you recommendations on shopping and dining around the city. Highly recommend him as a guide.Entertaining and informative

Stephanie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Elisabetta)

15 July 2025

Elisabetta met us where we were staying, the day we arrived in Venice. It was the perfect way to start our trip, we walked most of the city, learning bits of history along the way. We stopped at what became our favorite cafe of the trip - with the most delicious pastries and cappuccino. It felt like walking through the city with a friend, so relaxed and welcoming. Elisabetta gave us a wonderful restaurant recommendation, which ended up being one of our best meals on the trip. I feel like we hit the jackpot with Elisabetta, and couldn’t have asked for a better way to see Venice through a locals eyes. Our kids (10 & 8) enjoyed it, too! Thank you for such a great experience! Wonderful!

Sarah🇸🇪 Sweden

(About local Romy)

11 July 2025

Fantastic guide tour around Venice including the hidden gems. Now we finally got the picture of the daily life of Venetians through history as well as everything that happened in the area historically. Can strongly recommend Romy! Romy sure knows her history!!

Krystal🇺🇸 United States

(About local Valerio)

7 July 2025

We had a fantastic off-the-beaten-path tour of Venice with Valerio, guiding our mixed group that included kids and grandparents. He was incredibly knowledgeable and engaging, tailoring the experience to our pace and interests. Valerio kept the kids curious and entertained, answered all our questions with enthusiasm, and was more than happy to make extra stops when we needed. His patience, warmth, and sense of fun made the tour a highlight of our trip. Highly recommend!Great, family-friendly guide

Corinna🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Matteo)

7 July 2025

Matteo hat uns auf unserer "your way" Tour durch Venedig sehr begeistert! Er ist ein sympathischer, kompetenter Führer mit einem riesigen historischen und kunsthistorischen Wissen über die Stadt. Auf unsere individuellen Wünsche und Fragen ist er zu 100 Prozent eingegangen. Die drei Stunden mit ihm vergingen wie im Fluge. Der Höhepunkt war die von ihm vorgeschlagene einstündige Bootsfahrt durch Venedig zum Abschluss unserer Tour. Vielen Dank, lieber Matteo, für diesen wundervollen Nachmittag! Wir kommen sehr gerne wieder! Ein toller Nachmittag mit Matteo

Randy and Jen🇺🇸 United States

(About local rocco)

3 July 2025

Rocco, was right on time for a very hot afternoon. Kept us in shade and told us amazing stories about popular and hidden spots in Venice. It was like having an afternoon with a professional historian, would highly recommend to everyone!Wonderul Hidden Gens Tour!

Brooke🇺🇸 United States

(About local Matteo)

3 July 2025

Matteo was such an amazing tour guide for our first time in Venice. He was extremely detailed and flexible with my family. What a lovely experience he gave us! We were so grateful for the tour and loved having Matteo!Understanding, Kind, & Lovely!!

Nicole🇺🇸 United States

(About local Matteo)

28 June 2025

Matteo is a dream!! He really knows and loves the city, showed us so many hidden gems, catered to all our requests and by the end of our day he was a friend. We didnt want him to leave us! Thank you so much for making our day that much more memorable, Matteo!!! Highly recommend. Amazing City with an amazing guide!!

Erica

(About local rocco)

22 June 2025

Rocco was a great guide showing us the hidden areas of San Marco area of Venice. He was super flexible when we ran into some travel delays. Highly recommend!Knowledgeable and Accommodating Guide

Andrew

(About local Matteo)

22 June 2025

My wife and I had three requirements for our Venice guide: 1) Strong English language proficiency, 2) A well-thought out itinerary for how to see and experience the most in our brief time together, and 3) An engaging personality with clear and readily apparent expertise of everything Venice. Matteo exceeded our expectations in every aspect! He has lived in Venice his entire life, has a university degree in art history, and he’s an absolutely charming man. For anyone looking to hire an English-speaking guide in Venice, my wife and I enthusiastically recommend Matteo. He met us at our hotel, walked with us for a couple of hours around the highlights, arranged for a speed boat tour of the lagoon, and then arranged for a trip to Murano for glassware shopping. Perfetto!!The PERFETTO Half-Day Tour!!

Nicole🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local rocco)

21 June 2025

Great skip the line tour seeing and listening to Venetian history in a fun way. So much history

Patrick🇺🇸 United States

(About local Matteo)

19 June 2025

Matteo was warm, friendly and fun and engaged with each member of our family, young and old. We were really impressed with his depth of knowledge about the history of Venice but also entertained by his stories, both personal and specific to historical events or persons. I was worried that our tour might be too long for our weary group but the time flew by and we all came away fulfilled and inspired. Thank you Matteo! Matteo exceeded expectations

david🇩🇪 Germany

(About local rocco)

19 June 2025

Rocco's tour of St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace in Venice was very informative and enjoyable. His explanations of the artwork, architecture, and room functions of both the church and the palace were highly contextualized from the perspective of the Doges of Venice, which helped us to imagine life during the times of the Doges. We appreciated how he navigated our small group through the palace amongst larger tour groups—we always felt like we were getting a personal tour and not lost in a crowd. The Doges' Perspective

Mike🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local rocco)

16 June 2025

A Cool Tour For Both Kids & Adults

Valerie

(About local rocco)

15 June 2025

If you want to see Venice through the eyes of someone who truly understands its soul, book a tour with Rocco. His expertise, warmth, and enthusiasm make this iconic city even more magical. His insights into the political intrigue and the city’s legal system added a whole new dimension to the experience. Rocco’s expert storytelling made the glittering mosaics and intricate altars even more impressive. He shared fascinating details about the religious motifs and the basilica’s unique architectural blend of Gothic and Byzantine styles, ensuring we appreciated every detail. Five stars without hesitation! Definitely a trip highlight for us!Unforgettable and just perfect!

Jennifer L🇺🇸 United States

(About local Federico)

14 June 2025

Federico provided my 19 year old daughter and I with an outstanding personalized tour of the Basilica and Palace. He shared the history and stories associated with this two locations to make the tour enjoyable, educational, and memorable. I highly recommend private tours with Federico. It’s saves you precious vacation time and makes the Basilica and Doge’s Palace approachable and understandable without feeling overwhelmed. Jennifer L. K. (United States)Dont miss this tour with Federico!

Jill🇺🇸 United States

(About local Elisabetta)

14 June 2025

We had a marvelous tour with Elizabetta. She was knowledgeable, friendly and so helpful. We toured St Mark’s cathedral and the Doge palace. She included the perfect amount of facts and information. She went above and beyond helping to answer a phone call and translate information for us. Elizabetta was the best

Vera🇸🇰 Slovakia

(About local rocco)

11 June 2025

It was a great pleasure to have tour with Rocco! Very interesting, oriented and flexible guide!

Mark🇺🇸 United States

(About local Lucia Bondetti )

6 June 2025

Lucia is a warm, knowledgeable and organized guide who tailored our tour to our requests. Her energy and enthusiasm made for a wonderful way to see major sites in beautiful Venezia.A beautiful experience

Ann

(About local Valerio)

5 June 2025

Our day with Valerio was amazing! After meeting at the local fish market, we went to his home on murano to prepare a meal. It was delicious and so fun to feel like a local. Our tour of murano included stops to learn about glass blowing. Our daughter got to make her own glass bead and then we toured a glass showroom which was beautiful. Don’t hesitate to book this memorable tour- Valerio is outstanding!Amazing Day

Erin🇺🇸 United States

(About local Federico)

2 June 2025

Federico was a great tour guide for Venice! We have two kids ages 14 and 10 and they were interested and engaged in the tour. Federico kept the tour interesting and funny! He brought us to an amazing gelato place and gave us great ideas for after the tour. The 4 of us really enjoyed the day and learned so much. After The tour both of our kids said how much they loved the tour and that Federico was by far the best tour guide we have ever had! Fantastic tour of Venice!

Graham🇺🇸 United States

(About local Federico)

28 May 2025

Federico was amazingly knowledgeable and entertaining and the palace and st marks visits were so much better with a guide) My only question was why we stood in line for 40 minutes listening to the history of Venice (which was super informative) when we could have paid a little extra for skip the line tickets and spent more time walking in the area for a history tour (unless of course that isn’t how skip the line works) Fun and informative

Cornelia

(About local Valerio)

26 May 2025

Valerio macht den Spaziergang durch Canareggio und San Polo weit über die Brunetti-Informationen hinaus interessant. Wer weiß schon, wie die Hausnummern zustande kommen oder wo die Bestattungskirche aus dem Film "Wenn die Gondeln Trauer tragen" liegt? Die Restaurant Empfehlungen, die man noch zusätzlich bekommt, sind eine echte Empfehlung. Vielen Dank, Valerio!mehr als Brunetti ...

Debbie

(About local Romy)

13 May 2025

Romy was a great guide. We have traveled all over the world for 40 years. Our best guide yet. If you are traveling this far, make the trip worth it. Let Venice come alive—this city deserves your attention. Romy’s makes the Venice tourists don’t get

Cristina

(About local Lucia Bondetti )

4 May 2025

Il tour privato con Lucia è stato meraviglioso, siamo andati con un figlio din7 anni che si era svegliato alle 4 del mattina per prendere l’aereo a venezia, e durante tutta la sperienza con lucia è stato attivo senza dire sono stanco e super involve con tutto ciò che diceva lucia e la caccia del tesoro! Abbiamo imparato tanto, conosciuto grazie a lei la zona più bella di venezia e tutti i segreti! Lucia è una donna molto speciale che sa interagire tanto con adulti e bambini! se venite a visitare la città dovete fare per forza el tour con lei! sarà una esperienza bellissima per tutta la famiglia! non perdetevela! Lucia grazie mille, durante tutto il resto delle visita abbiamo trovato pisciabrague, altane…. e pensavamo a te! un forte abbraccio della familia spagnola molto alta! 😊Lucia e meravigliosa esperienza altretanto

cczg6gvypf

(About local Valerio)

30 April 2025

Jeder der überlegt, ob sich ein Private Guide lohnt, möchte ich sagen: Auf jeden Fall!! Man darf Venedig von einer ganz anderen Seite erleben. Wenn man möchte, ganz entspannt fernab der Touristenmassen. Venedig ist eben nicht nur Dogenpalast und Markusplatz! Wunderbare Zeit in Venedig, danke Valerio!

HENRYK🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Valerio)

27 April 2025

I am a big fan of Inspector Brunetti, the Venetian policeman created by Dona Leon. A friend enthused about the "Brunetti" tour presented by Valerio in Venice. We hired Valerio and embarked on the expensive two hour tour (over two days unfortunately). We walked by five relevant sites and enjoyed espresso at Brunetti's local coffee bar. From my friend's enthusiasm, I had expected more from the tour. Perhaps, we didn't get the full tour?Inspector Brunetti tour

Evelyn🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Valerio)

27 April 2025

Valerio hat mich unterhaltsam und charmant durch diesen mir nicht bekannten Teil Venedigs geführt . Er hat mir alle Facetten , Kultur, Geschichte, Religion und Kulinarik näher gebracht, sowie alte Filme, die da gedreht wurden wieder aus meinem Gedächtnis geholt. DORSODURO ENTDECKEN

Erinn🇺🇸 United States

(About local Matteo)

23 April 2025

Matteo was fantastic!! We had just landed and were extremely jetlagged, but Matteo kept the tour so engaging that we didn't even notice. He was incredibly knowledgable and personable. He also tailored the tour completely to us, including coffee stops, gelato stops, drink stops and more. The boat at the end was the perfect way to end - seeing the city from a whole different perspective Absolutely recommend Matteo's tour to anyone and everyone. 10/10 would recommend

heidimariebright

(About local Federico)

22 April 2025

We only had 8 hours to see and learn about Venice and our tour with Federico was perfect! The time was brief but perfect to entertain our 11 and 13 year olds. Highly recommended if you need a fun and quick overview while still allowing time to explore. Perfect for a day trip with tweens

Jose Francisco🇲🇽 Mexico

(About local Matteo)

20 April 2025

r6fkjpj4nr🇺🇸 United States

(About local Elisabetta)

3 March 2025

We really enjoyed our time with Elisabetta. It was exactly as expected and even more. She is kind and knowledgeable guide Learned so much!!!

Dominic🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Valerio)

3 March 2025

Danke Valerio10

Karen

(About local Romy)

2 March 2025

Romy’s tour was really great! It was a perfect introduction to our 2 days in Venice with our 2 young adult children. She explained the history of Venice and showed us all of the highlights. She even pointed out some of her favorite spots which we revisited on our own. I would highly recommend Romy as a tour guide!!!Romy is great!

Mason🇺🇸 United States

(About local Lucia Bondetti )

26 February 2025

Lucia was an excellent guide. She is very knowledgeable as well as fun, enthusiastic and professional. We had fun exploring and learning about these important Venetian landmarks. Thanks Lucia!Palazzo Ducale and St. Marks Basilica

David🇫🇷 France

(About local Valerio)

22 February 2025

Nous avons passé un excellent moment avec Valerio, passionné limite enflammé par Venise. Il connaît les endroits et l'histoire de sa ville et a su transmettre son ethousiasme. Il nous a montré les différentes facettes de la cité, des ambiances contrastées de foule et de calme, des lieux atypiques. Plein de bons conseils. Merci Valerio !Le vrai vénitien, amoureux de sa ville

Diane

(About local Lucia Bondetti )

16 February 2025

For 3 Jewish women, this was a highlight of our trip to Venice. Lucia told the story of the ghettos and ghetto experience so personally, complete with family photos. It is necessary to tell our story, but Lucia's tour will be meaningful to non-Jewish visitors too. The experience is a first-hand view through the eyes of a Venice local. Below is a question about Price-value rating. This is not your typical tour experience, and in my opinion, worth every dollar, eruo or shekel.Passionate Lucia

Lori🇺🇸 United States

(About local Valerio)

13 January 2025

While visiting Venice, I had the pleasure of booking a tour with Valerio for fish shopping at Rialto Market followed by home cooking in Murano. The experience was nothing short of extraordinary and truly authentic. We began our day at Rialto Market, selecting fresh, local ingredients under Valerio's expert guidance. From there, we traveled to his lovely home in Murano, where he prepared a mouthwatering multi-course meal, perfectly paired with libations for each course. What made the experience even more special was how hands-on it was—my friend and I got to help with some of the preparations, which made the meal feel even more personal and rewarding. Throughout the day, Valerio’s warm and engaging personality shone. He answered all our questions about life in Italy with patience and enthusiasm, sharing fascinating insights into local culture and traditions. Despite our endless curiosity, he never seemed to tire of our company and made us feel completely at home. To top it off, Valerio provided excellent recommendations for other unique experiences and activities we could try during our trip. His hospitality, knowledge, and passion for sharing the Italian way of life made this tour the highlight of my visit to Venice. If you’re looking for an authentic, unforgettable experience in Venice, I cannot recommend Valerio enough. He is the perfect host and guide, and this experience is not to be missed!A Highlight of My Venice Trip!!

Des

(About local Romy)

11 January 2025

We had a fantastic tour with Romy. She provided us with exactly what we asked for and more. She clearly knows everything about Venice and comes across in a very friendly and relaxed manner. We will certainly book Romy again when we are back in veniceRomy review

Brooke🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Romy)

29 December 2024

Romy was a wonderful guide. We learnt so many interesting things about Venice. She provided great context for the history of Venice at the start of the tour so we had a good understanding of things she was taking about during her tour. A really worthwhile as an introduction to Venice! Thank you! Interesting Tour!

Steve🇺🇸 United States

(About local Valerio)

14 December 2024

We took the Brunetti tour with Valerio last week. Valerio was very accomodating in adjusting our start time and meeting location. We had just arrived the previous day and were still getting up to speed. Needless to say, the tour was absolutely fascinating. We learned some very interesting facts about Venice as well as about Donna Leon and Brunetti's Venice. A most enjoyable 2 hours. If your a fan of Brunetti and visiting Venice, definetly look at this tour. It was the highlight of our trip. Aside form the tour, Valerio was extreemly helpful in giving us some recommedations for restaurants and some things to do in Venice and Murano. We visited some areas that were definetely not on the normal tourist track, which made the tour that much more interesting. Thanks Valerio!Brunetti's Venice with Valerio

Benjamin🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Valerio)

25 November 2024

Wir hatten das große Glück, Valerio als unseren Städteführer zu haben – und es war einfach fantastisch! Die Führung war spannend und unglaublich lehrreich. Valerio hat es geschafft, uns die Stadt auf eine ganz besondere Weise näherzubringen. Besonders beeindruckt haben uns die vielen tollen Tipps und Empfehlungen für Sehenswürdigkeiten und ‘places to go’, die wir ohne ihn wahrscheinlich nie entdeckt hätten. Vielen Dank für diese unvergessliche Erfahrung, Valerio! Wir kommen definitiv wieder!Einfach Klasse

Joyce🇺🇸 United States

(About local Matteo)

15 November 2024

We could not have had a better experience with Matteo. He's a very passionate historian and a champion for his native city of Venice. Loved our time with him!! Off the charts excellent! Baci Matteo! Rock Star Matteo!

Matthew🇺🇸 United States

(About local Romy)

11 November 2024

Romy took us on a magical tour through the main parts of Venice. She was incredibly engaging and well versed in the history, art, architecture and truly gave our family a deep sense of Venice, its people and culture. We started near Rialto, explored the markets and then walked us through St Marks square, the Doge’s palace and St Mark’s church itself. She presented us with the gift of a glimpse into the soul of both ancient and modern Venice. It was an afternoon we will never forget!Magical Venice Tour

Ross

(About local Matteo)

10 November 2024

Matteo was great. Very personable, full of interesting information and an encyclopaedic knowledge on Venice and its history. We couldn’t recommend him more. An engaging Venetion guide

Jessica🇺🇸 United States

(About local Romy)

9 November 2024

Romy did a great job taking us around Venice and making it interesting for our young children. Lots of interesting information and a great time. Thanks!Wonderful tour and tour guide

Annette

(About local Valerio)

6 November 2024

Wir haben Valeria für eine Führung durch den Dogenpalast gebucht. Er hat auf unsere Anfrage sofort reagiert und geantwortet. Valerio spricht ein sehr gutes Deutsch und ist auch super auf unsere Kinder eingegangen. Die Führung war interessant und mit vielen Zusatzinformationen gespickt. Wir können Valerio guten Gewissens weiterempfehlen !!!Top Führung

Caroline🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Matteo)

4 November 2024

Matteo was a wonderful tour guide, who went above and beyond. He had a wealth of historical knowledge, which he shared as we went round the highlights of Venice. It made our experience of St Marcs Basilica and Doge's Palace more enriching. We learnt so much in just 3 hours! And saved us so much time by skipping the queues : ) This tour was a surprise for my husband's 40th and he was super pleased, in fact, it was a highlight. It helped us to navigate more easily afterwards. Matteo was super helpful throughout - before the tour he contacted me about what i'd like to do and even helped me with accommodation! On the tour he was super flexible and considerate throughout. He really does have a passion for the city, it oozes out of him. Thank you Matteo, for a wonderful tour and for the treats at the end, you really did make my husband feel special.Wonderful way to explore Venice

Gerry🇺🇸 United States

(About local Romy)

2 November 2024

Romy was great. Very knowledgeable about her city. Great tour.Very knowledgeable