Venice Islands Cruise: Murano Glass & Burano

Watch a Murano glass artisan shape molten glass while you float past rainbow houses and leaning towers

A guided boat tour of the Venetian Lagoon visits Murano, Burano and Torcello, three islands each known for a different craft and landscape. The tour starts with entry to a working glass furnace where you watch an artisan create a piece using antique techniques, then moves to Burano's multicolored streets and canals, with an hour free to walk, eat local pastries and browse lace shops. The boat returns to Venice across the northern lagoon with a qualified guide speaking English, Spanish, Italian or French.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each3 stops

1. Venetian Lagoonpassing by
2. MuranoEntry included30m
3. Burano1h

Venice lagoon islands boat tour

• Board comfortable Grand Tourism motor-boat
• Enjoy panoramic boat ride with views
• Visit Murano glass furnace
• Watch local artisan glass demonstration
• Shop authentic Murano glass souvenirs
• Explore Burano island main square
• See San Martino’s Church and leaning tower
• Walk narrow streets and canals
• Try local sweets Bussolà and Esse biscuits
• Return to Piazza San Marco

The experience

You board a covered panoramic boat in Venice and spend the morning crossing the lagoon with a guide who explains the islands' history and points out the landscape from your seat. The first stop is Murano, the island that built its reputation on glass-blowing. You enter a real furnace, not a showroom, and stand a few meters from a local artisan who shapes molten glass into a finished artwork in front of you, using techniques that have not changed in centuries. The demonstration takes roughly 30 minutes, and afterward you have time to browse the shop if you want to buy an authentic piece to take home.

Burano comes next, and the contrast is immediate: narrow canals lined with houses painted in bright primary colors, a leaning bell tower, and the Church of San Martino with its Tiepolo painting. You get a full hour on the island to walk at your own pace, eat lunch at a restaurant or café, try the local "Bussolà" and "Esse" biscuits from a pastry shop, or pick up lace products that the island has made for centuries. There is no schedule to keep during this stretch. You rejoin the boat when you are ready.

The return journey crosses the most charming part of the northern lagoon and includes Torcello on certain tour options. The whole outing runs about four and a half hours from start to finish. Boats operate in rain as well as clear weather, though departures may shift to the following day in exceptionally bad conditions. You'll need to arrive 10 minutes early with your printed voucher, and note that a €5 Venice access fee applies on certain dates for visitors staying outside the city.

What’s included

• Glass-blowing demonstration at an authentic Murano furnace.
• boat transportation across the Venetian Lagoon on a covered panoramic vessel.
• guided commentary from a qualified tour guide with a radio receiver so you can hear clearly.
• visit to Burano island with one hour free to explore.
• visit to Torcello island on select options.

Options for this experience

5 options

Murano and Burano ground floorGuide in 4 languages · 10:30Guided in French, English, Italian, German and Spanish. Itinerary: Murano and Burano Islands. Tour type: Guided Tour. Duration: 5 hours (times are approximate). Boat: Panoramic Cruise Boat. Starting point: Riva degli Schiavoni, 4142, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy

Murano and Burano cruiseGuide in 4 languages · 10:30 and 13:00Guided in English, Italian, French and Spanish. Itinerary: Murano and Burano Islands. Tour type: Guided Tour. Duration: 5 hours (times are approximate). Boat: a comfortable boat for a smooth, relaxing ride. Starting point: Riva degli Schiavoni, 4142, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy

Murano-Burano-Torcello CruiseGuide in 4 languages · 10:30Guided in English, French, Spanish and Italian. Itinerary: Murano, Burano and Torcello Islands. Tour type: Guided Tour. Duration: 5 hours (times are approximate). Boat: a comfortable boat offering a smooth, relaxing ride. Starting point: Riva degli Schiavoni, 4142, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy

See 2 more options

Murano and Burano with food and wineGuide in 4 languages · 10:30Languages: English, Italian, French, Spanish. Itinerary: Murano and Burano Islands. Tour type: guided tour. Duration: approximately 5 hours. Food and wine: enjoy 3 traditional Venetian cicchetti with a glass of wine. Boat: comfortable boat for a smooth and relaxing ride. Starting point: Riva degli Schiavoni, 4142, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy

Murano and Burano semi-privateGuide in English · 09:00, 10:00 and 14:00Duration: about 5 hours. Starting point: Venice Tours srl - Priority Tickets San Marco Square Monuments, Calle de le Rasse, 4536, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Lasts 4h 30m, runs every day, 5 start times, from € 25 per person, with a live guide in English, Spanish, French and Italian and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 09:00, the last at 14:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 100

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French and Italian

Audio guideBurmese

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by CITY TOURS CO. LTD

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want a guided boat tour hitting Murano and Burano with one glass-blowing demonstration included. You'll watch the artisan work rather than try it yourself, then have free time to explore Burano on your own.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

In English, with 5 departure times. In Spanish, French and Italian, at 10:30 and 13:00.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 12 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly happens during the glass-blowing demonstration at Murano?

A local artisan works at a real furnace and creates a finished glass artwork in front of you using traditional hand-blowing techniques. The demonstration lasts roughly 30 minutes, and you can buy pieces directly from the workshop afterward if you wish.

How much free time do you get to explore Burano on your own?

You have one full hour on Burano to walk the streets, visit shops, eat lunch, try local pastries, or photograph the colored houses and canals at your own pace before rejoining the boat.

Does the tour include Torcello, or is that a separate option?

Torcello is included on certain tour options but not all of them. Check which version you are booking, as some packages focus on Murano and Burano only while others add the third island to the itinerary.