This was one of the highlights of our stay in Venice. We didn’t pre-book tickets, hoping the queue wouldn’t be too long and found that at just after 9am, while the Basilica had a huge queue, we had just a few minutes wait for the Doges Palace. (Later in the day, we noticed that the reverse was the case.)
Inside, this building is breathtaking with its marble, statues, ornate carvings and decorations. Do take the time to stand and absorb it all. You are directed through the various rooms, each as sumptuous as the last, and every room has a board describing what it was used for, who would have been in it etc. This really cannot be missed.