Murano & Burano Self-Guided Tour

Boat to Murano & Burano

We'll meet at the indicated time at a central pier in Venice and board our tour boat, which will take us around the beautiful Venetian Lagoon.

After a relaxing cruise across the Venetian lagoon, during which the multilingual guides will teach you about its history, we'll make our first stop on the island of Murano, famous for its traditional glass-making industry which dates back to the Middle Ages. There, we'll stop for about 45 minutes and visit a glass factory. We'll watch a live demonstration to learn a bit more about this ancient art.

Continuing on our boat tour, we'll head to the fascinating island of Burano. Here you'll have approximately an hour and a half of free time to explore its patchwork of colored houses and its great cultural and artistic heritage. This island is known especially for its crochet work and lace, or merletti, as it's called here. You'll be able to visit one of the famous museums, such as the lace museum, and the many shops that sell this beautiful craft.

We'll reconvene at the Burano pier to return to Venice. We'll finish our activity at the Santa Lucia Pier or at the Riva degli Schiavioni Pier, whichever you prefer.

Add a Trip to Torcello

Upgrade your trip to Murano and Burano by adding a stop in Torcello to your itinerary!

For this alternative option, we'll first follow the same route as described, and then board a boat to Torcello, the oldest island in the Venetian Lagoon. Our guide will share the fascinating history of Torcello, once more populous than Venice during its peak. Today, it's a tranquil haven where you can soak in its authentic and slightly decadent atmosphere. You'll explore its charming streets and visit notable sites such as Attila's Throne and the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta.

In Torcello, you'll also have the chance to savor the best of Veneto's mouthwatering cuisine. We'll take you to a spot where you can enjoy a glass of wine paired with cicchetti, the traditional Venetian tapas.

Pickup & Drop-off Points

When making your reservation, you'll be asked to select one of the following pickup and drop-off locations for the tour:

• Santa Lucia pier (Ponte della Costituzione): departure at 10 am (for the excursion to Murano and Burano) or departure at 12 pm (for the excursion to Murano, Burano, and Torcello).
• Riva degli Schiavioni pier: departure at 10:30 am (for the excursion to Murano and Burano) or departure at 12:30 pm (for the excursion to Murano, Burano, and Torcello).

If you start from Riva degli Schiavioni and you prefer to end the tour in Santa Lucia, you'll have to pay an extra fee of € 7.50 (US$ 7.90) on the day of the tour. If you start in Santa Lucia and you want to finish in Riva degli Schiavioni, you won't have to pay extra fees.

More Time in Murano & Burano

If you'd like, you can stay longer on these islands and return in the evening without any additional cost. In this case, please let us know at the start of the tour.

• If you'd like to stay in Murano longer, you'll leave the island at 3:45 pm and visit Burano afterwards, returning to the center at around 6:45 pm.
• If you'd like to stay in Burano longer, you'll leave the island at 5:30 pm and head directly to Venice, arriving around 6:15 pm.