Is the Secret Itineary Tour a difficult one for someone with mobility issues. My mom has bad arthritis and has difficulty with handling stairs (if there are alot of them). I understand that the tour itself is about an hour so she could certainly handle the timeframe but was wondering if it is a difficutlt area to walk through? Thanks for your response.

Do you have at least a little hint about what country it's in? Maybe even what city or region or any further info at all? I don't know how anyone, no matter how able-bodied, can possibly prepare for a trip or even get to the starting point without knowing that much.

The Secret Itineary Tour is in Venice. It is a tour of the Doge's Palace. I didn't elaborate about it being in Venice as I have heard it referred to frequently on this board as simply the "Secret Itineary Tour". I assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that many would immediately be able to identify it. Sorry for any confusion.

We did this tour last fall and there was a woman who had a hard time walking and some of the rooms are tiny and the ceilings are very low. I would not recomend it for someone with problems by the end of the tour we did not think the lady was going to make it!

I agree with flycatcher...the rooms are tiny and if I remember correctly there are several sets of stairs involved in the tour.

Rosemary-first of all, you have nothing to apologize about-you DIDN'T need to say it was in Venice-there is only ONE Secret Itineraries tour, and people on this board who have been there will know immediately what you are talking about, however even if someone doesn't know what or where it is, there is no cause to use a sarcastic tone,-just ask what it is POLITELY, WITHOUT the attitude! (that's unfortunately really difficult for some people here, though!)

Now, as to your query, you raise an excellent point, because I just did this tour in March, and there was in fact a gentlemen who was having a great deal of difficulty manuvering up and down the narrow and steep stairs, the low entranceways, and then the part of the tour where you go up into the attic-the guide who was leading the tour did not cut him any slack either-she just kept urging everyone to move quickly, and not touch any part of the walls or anything else-he would be the last one in, and therefore, would miss part of what was said. Feeling a bit of sympathy for him, I clearly remember noting that people with mobility problems should be warned about the difficulty of this tour, precisely because it can be quite challenging to manuver up and through those steep and narrow passageways, with the tour moving at a brisk pace.

So to answer your question Rosemary, I know that if it was my mother with mobility problems, I would not even think of taking her on that tour-believe me, there's plenty of wondrous things to see in the Doge's Palace (like the Sale del Maggior Consiglio-I can't say that the Sistine Chapel or the Vatican awed me nearly as much as those giant receptions rooms here did-with those enormous and incredible paintings by Tintoretto and Tiziano on the ceiling). I was stunned by what I saw in the Palace-NOT including the Secret Itineraries tour, and although the Tour itself was informative and interesting, it was not nearly as fascinating to me as the rest of the Palace. So you are quite right to think of this beforehand; if you wanted to go on the Tour, I would suggest that someone else take your mother around the Palace during that time, and then you can agree on a meeting point there in the courtyard or some other place after the tour.

Spygirl, thank you so much for your defense of my not identifying Venice as the locale. Also, your vivid and detailed infomation clinches my decision, my mom will sit this one out. Or better yet, your recommendation of her seeing the palace and then meeting up in the courtyard is excellent. Thanks again!

I agree with the others...the Secret Itinerary Tour is fairly demanding... I was having knee problems that day, and had trouble keeping up. There aren't many places to sit during the tour to take a break. Let her wander the public parts of the palace at her own pace, then meet up with you at the end of the tour.

Anne

I must say that sarcasm keeps some of us away. We read but don't write.

As I remember the entire Doge's Palace is fairly demanding for someone with mobility problems. There are several floors, all with staircases to be traversed (no elevators that I can recall).

There are benches in the courtyard, though, and if your mom was tired she could rest there, while the rest of you toured the Palace.

Maybe a tough place, though, for someone with mobility issues. Just wanted you to realize that the entire Palace might be a problem, not just the Secret Itinerary Tour.