Tour to Murano & Burano Islands in Venice, Venice

Overview

Explore outside Venice’s bustling center and enjoy a half-day tour of Murano and Burano, two scenic islands in the Venetian Lagoon. After boarding your boat, your guide will introduce you to the magical lagoon formed by a cluster of islets. Your first stop is Burano, a fishing island famous for its lacemaking industry and colorful pastel houses. It’s believed that fishers painted the houses in such vivid colors so that they could recognize them while out at sea. Today, about 3,000 residents still live on Burano, many continuing the lacemaking tradition. 

After some free time to explore Burano on your own, you'll make your way to Murano, the most famous of the Venetian islands. The "island" is a small archipelago of various islets connected by bridges and inhabited by around 4,500 people. Murano has a long history of glassmaking, dating back to 1291 CE when glassmakers moved from Venice proper to Murano. The local Venetian council decided that the furnaces used to make glass were causing too many fires in Venice’s wooden buildings, and the artisans had to relocate.

As part of your tour, you'll visit a glass factory and watch a glassblowing demonstration. Then, before returning to Venice’s city center, you’ll also explore the factory's showroom and admire the high-quality glass produced on the island.

Read more about unique and interesting activities in Venice.

Traveler reviews

2 total ratings, 2 with reviews
4.5 out of 5
Feature ratings
Guides, Drivers and Staff
5.0
Transport
5.0
L
Linda C.
Canada | Reviewed on Jul 09, 2023
Travelling to the islands by water taxi was a real treat! And refreshing!
Watching how glass is made in 2 different ways was very interesting. It is a true art, with very specialized artists.
Read more

Travelling to the islands by water taxi was a real treat! And refreshing!
Watching how glass is made in 2 different ways was very interesting. It is a true art, with very specialized artists.

Tips for future travelers

Seeing how lace is made was interesting on the stop in Burano, but we felt there was not much more to see there. Our guide suggested we return to Venice earlier if we wanted to, so there was no problem getting our water taxi earlier than scheduled.

Guides, Drivers and Staff
It was always interesting talking to our guides and drivers, to learn about their everyday lives.
Transport
Water taxis through the canals - best way to go! The gondolas were interesting to watch - the skill of the rowers - but they were rather packed in along the canals, so we were glad that we had our own private transport already arranged.
K
Kim M.
Minerva, NY | Reviewed on Sep 29, 2022

Wonderful! Valerio Coppo could not recommend more.

Itineraries with Tour to Murano & Burano Islands in Venice

Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre & Venice - 12 Days

This inspiring 12-day trip to Italy is packed with world-class culture and scenery. The adventure begins in Rome, where you'll spend quality time at the Roman Forum, Sistine Chapel, and Colosseum. From here, train to Florence for Renaissance masterpieces and private lessons in Tuscan wine and gastronomy. Next is the Cinque Terre to hike among vertiginous villages on the Mediterranean, followed by Venice, where you'll ride gondolas and take a day trip to a nearby island known for glassblowing.

Highlights of Italy and Greece: Rome, Florence, Venice, Athens, Mykonos, & Santorini - 21 Days

From Rome's ancient center to the stunning caldera of Santorini, this 21-day highlights itinerary explores everything from Renaissance history to famed Greek beaches. See Michelangelo's "David" in Florence, visit Tuscany's quiet hilltop villages, and explore ancient Greek archaeological sites in Athens. You'll sample Aperol Spritzes in Venice, eat spelt pie in Santorini, and more on this three-week adventure around the Mediterranean.

Rome, Florence, Verona & Venice - 18 Days

Travel by train on this 18-day trip to Italy that combines world-class cities and scenic excursions. It starts in Rome, where you'll explore ancient ruins and take a private tour of the Vatican museums. Then head to Florence, with trips to Tuscan hill towns and Mediterranean villages. The second half of the journey visits the UNESCO-listed city of Verona—with wine tasting and a funicular ride in the Dolomites—before ending in Venice, where you'll have boat tours and free time to explore its network of 150 canals.

Discover Venice, Tuscany & Rome - 16 Days

This 16-day tour of Italy combines classic highlights and lesser-known surprises. Start in Venice, where you'll relax on a gondola and visit islands on the Adriatic. Then train to Florence to walk among Renaissance art and discover your pasta-making skills. From here, drive through Tuscany, stopping at medieval hill towns, Mediterranean beaches, and wineries. Finish in Rome to see the big hitters, followed by dinners in Monti and Trastevere—two neighborhoods filled with trendy locals.