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Wheelchair Access at the Doge's Palace

  Venice Doge’s Palace Wheelchair Access – The Doge’s Palace is our favorite accessible tourist attraction in Venice. The art is magnificent and the audioguide does an excellent job of explaining the history of Venice as it unfolded here. Disabled visitors to Venice should make it a priority during their stay.

Wheelchair access at Venice Doge’s Palace is possible by an accessible entrance and an elevator to get up to the upper floor. The ticket office is not wheelchair accessible so you’ll need someone with you to go inside and purchase the tickets and rent the audio guide. A staff member will need to escort you to the elevator to the upper floor where all of the palace rooms are located.

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The elevator leads up to two accessible Doge’s Palace upper floors. You will need to use the same elevator to get between them. Most of the rooms have step free access. Some have ramps shown in the pictures below. The armory and the Bridge of Sighs can only be reached by a flight of stairs.

We gave the Doges’s Palace a 3 Star Sage Accessibility Rating because it meets our basic wheelchair accessibility standards. It has a step-free entrance and most of the attraction is wheelchair friendly. It does not get a higher rating because the ticket area is not accessible, you have to notify staff to use the elevator, and the Bridge of Sighs and Armory are only accessed via steps.

The Doge’s Palace is located on St. Mark’s Square and immediately next to St. Mark’s (San Marco) Basilica which is also accessible to disabled visitors. There are several restaurants on square and many more in the back alleys. The neighborhood is usually visited by taking the #1 or #2 accessible Venice Vaporetto route to reach the Venice Vallaresso boat dock.

 

Aerial image of the Doge’s Palace facing north:

 

 

There is a single step at the main entrance of the Doge’s Palace. A staff member can put out a portable ramp or escort you to a step-free entrance through the exit. Once you are inside, there are 3 steps to get up to the ticket desk. You may need to send a companion up to buy tickets.

The interior courtyard of the Doge’s Palace has a large stairway that most tourists go up. Wheelchair users will need to take an elevator instead.

Ask a staff member to escort you to the elevator. A small ramp (shown on the left) leads to the cafeteria where the an elevator goes up to the upper floor (photo on the right).

A wheelchair accessible toilet is located on the ground floor and a rental wheelchair at Venice Doge’s Palace is available for visitors.

When you get to the upper floor, you will be going in the opposite direction as most of the tourists. You will need to undo the rope shown in the pictures below to continue on your tour.

The Secret Itineraries tour and the route to the prison and Bridge of Sighs have steps and narrow passageways (shown in the pictures below). The route to the Doge’s Palace Armory also has steps to reach it.

Have questions about Venice accessibility?  
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Read more:

Venice Accessible Travel – main page 
   Pros and Cons of Venice Disabled Access 
   11 Wheelchair Accessible Travel Tips for Rome Italy 
   10 Keys to Success for Venice Disabled Travel 
   Venice Cruise Port Disabled Access Review 
   How to Use the Venice Vaporetto with a Disability 
   Wheelchair Accessible Water Taxis in Venice 
   Best and Worst Aspects of Disabled Travel in Italy 
   Top 10 Experiences for Disabled Visitors to Italy 
   12 Wheelchair Travel Tips for Italy 
   Travel Insurance for Disabled Travelers 
   Venice Accessible Travel Packages 
Venice Accessible Walking and Boating Tours 
   Heart of Venice Accessible Tour 
   Land & Sea Venice Wheelchair Tour 
Venice Accessible Cruise Excursions 
   Venetian Empire Wheelchair Accessible Shore Excursion 
   Majestic Venice Wheelchair Shore Excursion 
   Venice San Marco Accessible Shore Excursion 
   Taste of Venice Handicapped Cruise Excursion 
   Supreme Venice Disabled Shore Excursion 
   Authentic Venice Shore Excursion for the Disabled 
Accessible Hotels in Venice 
   Wheelchair Accessible Hotel in Venice San Marco 
   Venice Disabled Hotel with 5 Star Accessibility 
   Venice Accessible Hotel with Adjoining Rooms 
   Luxury Wheelchair Accessible Hotel in Venice 
   Wheelchair Accessible Accommodation in Venice Italy 
   Venice Accessible Hotel with Roll-in Shower 
   Handicapped Accessible Hotel on Venice Grand Canal 
   Budget Wheelchair Accessible Hotel in Venice Italy 
   Wheelchair Accessible Hotel near Venice Train Station 
   Venice Wheelchair Accessible Hotel Rooms 
Venice Accessibility Guide by John Sage 
Venice Trip Planning by Sage Traveling – Travel with Ease! 
Accessible Cruising with Sage Traveling – Receive our Venice Accessibility Guide & Venice accessible hotel recommendations for free!

 

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