Home > Venice > Murano, Burano and Torcello Half-Day Sightseeing Tour
USD $23.00
Murano, Burano and Torcello Half-Day Sightseeing Tour
Venice, Italy
Explore three famous islands of the Venetian Lagoon – Murano, Torcello and Burano – on a half-day sightseeing excursion by motorboat. Accompanied by a local guide, you'll stop at a glass-blowing factory on Murano, visit Venice's first cathedral on the tranquil island of Torcello and shop for handcrafted lace on Burano. This morning or afternoon tour is a great introduction to the magical islands around the medieval city of Venice and its enclosed bay in the Adriatic Sea.
Board a comfortable motorboat, departing from the Alilaguna pier in front of the Royal Gardens, and speed along the Venetian Lagoon to three islands famous for their handicrafts and architecture. You’ll cruise past the islands of San Giorgio Maggiore, San Servolo, San Lazzaro degli Armeni and Sant’Elena Gardens to Murano, divided into nine islets crossed by a wide canal. Known for its glassware shops and factories, Murano boasts a long and still-thriving tradition dating back to 1291, when glass artisans moved their kilns from the old city center.
Explore the island on foot and stop at a glass factory to watch a skilled glass blower create works of art. Learn from your guide about Murano’s wealth in the 15th and 16th centuries when the island was central to Europe’s glass making. View the magnificent splendor of Murano’s palaces and Veneto-Byzantine style churches, some with mosaics and ornamental motifs designed in the 12th century, and catch a glimpse of San Michele – Venice’s 19th-century cemetery – across the water. Before re-boarding the boat, you'll have time to visit a museum showcasing the world-famous Murano glass.
When you reach the island of Torcello – established between the 5th and 6th centuries and the earliest center of civilization in the Venetian Lagoon – you’ll see evidence of the island’s glorious past as it once flourished with ornate palaces and churches. First, view the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, founded in the 7th century. Your guide will also show you the excavated remains of the circular baptistery in the Church of Santa Fosca, which showcases a delightful portico and striking Byzantine interior.
Afterward, journey to the island of Burano and admire the picturesque fishermen's houses painted in bright pastel colors. In this miniature Venice, you’ll find the famous lace – abundant since the 16th century and once considered the most refined in Europe. Browse local shops and find lace on display at a museum dedicated to the craft of lace making before your guide returns you to Venice.
Don't bother. I would suggest going to these islands on your own. There was not enough time to see the islands. It's a half day tour, but you have to consider the boat travel to each island which leaves little time to actually see the island. Time in Murano was limited to the glass blowing demo and visiting the glass shop. There was no time for anything else, and if you enjoyed looking at all the glass in the shop, you had to make sure you were done in time to catch the boat. There was little time to shop in Burano and in Torcello, I just made it to the other side to see the church, take a few photos and head back to catch the boat. I didn't even have time to eat since I wanted to actually see the islands. We booked this trip because it got good reviews, but I should have paid more attention to the ones that gave a lower rating.
Review by: dianeh11, June 2018
Nice boat trip - takes quite awhile to get to these islands. Murano was basically a visit to the Murana Glass Shop. Not very much to see in Burano, but the lace as really not worth the stop._br/_ Would have rather stopped only in Murano and had a chance to do more than go to a store.
Review by: selinda.erasmus, May 2018
Burano is a beautifull town where I would have liked to spent spent more time there. Torcello is interseting. Only 15 inhabitants with pretty gardens and small farms. _br/_ The trip to Murano was dissapointing. I expected to see some of the authentic, old glass factories. We were dropped at a small 'sample' shop, where we saw a short show to see a glass horse being made, and then spent the rest of the time in the overpriced shop. When trying to walk to similar shops next door, we were told that our tour is only allowed to see the one shop we entered._br/_ I think a half day is too short for such a tour. Next time I would rather take a taxi to Burano and stroll around for a day. Make sure that you are on time when the boat leaves for the next island. Some tour members were left behind on Torcello when they were 10 minutes late.
Review by: Norman S, May 2018
Well put together but would skip the last stop. Would have liked a little more time in Burano
Review by: ian.hayes, April 2018
With only a short time in Venice we were apprehensive about spending half a day on this tour, but we thoroughly enjoyed the tour and would do it again should we venture back this way. Murano was interesting, but the beauty of Burano and magic of Torcello were the highlights for our group as well as the views of Venice we'd not normally have had while in transit.
Review by: Maureen L, April 2018
The Murano tour is great for seeing the glass blown, when I reach Burano I jumped ship and stayed on as the time allocated was insufficient to meet my needs, Burano is great for purchasing gifts for friends and enjoying a well priced lunch...I took the local Vaporetto back to St. Marks Square after a delightful day...the tour guide was pretty ordinary, learnt more out of one paragraph in Lonely Planet.... hence, why I decided to jump ship....sadly I didn't make it to Torcello....But it's on my list of places to see for my next trip back to Venice in 2019
Review by: Liza D, April 2018
loved exploring venetian islands
Review by: kylin, April 2018
Great tour. Could do with a little more exploring time but if you only have a couple days then its well worth it to do this tour.
Review by: Judith G, April 2018
This was a super tour - the boat ride to each of the islands was lovely, the tour guide was informative, and the little island communities we were taken to were delightful. The Murano tour did a demo of glass blowing, and there were special prices for certain pieces to take as souvenirs, they even took us to the larger display area upstairs that was magnificent!
Review by: dilos, April 2018
Excellent although it was a day with heavy rain!
Review by: Winfield Mark S, April 2018
This tour was good. The Murano Glass exhibition was wonderful. We had time to look at their wares as well as others in the area. The other two areas were also good. The lace makers were amazing. 40 hours to make something as small as about 6 x 8 was hard to believe...they are starting with a simple thread. Torcello was the third of the fav's...
Review by: Travel-Adventures, April 2018
This tour was ok. Nothing special. Just walking around the small shops. My favorite was Burano.
Review by: Chinmayee m, April 2018
Beautiful trip, lovely people.
Review by: charles b, April 2018
Burano and Torcello need lots more time to explore. They were unique villages with lots to see and photograph . . . needed at least twice the time. Muano was a complete bust unless you wanted to purchase very expensive glass.
Review by: Jan L, April 2018
The informative guide provided an interesting outline about each of the many islands in the Venice lagoon far more than the three we visited which helped us to understand a bit about Venice's history. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip, especially the variety provided by each island - glass blowing on Murano, lace and pretty painted houses on Burano, and the ancient church on Torcello.
Review by: Dennis D, April 2018
Burano provided exceptional color and attractiveness demanding a second longer visit!
Review by: stellardh21, April 2018
Tour is good, I wish we spend more time on Murano. Visiting Torcello Island is wasting of time.
Review by: Ingrid H, April 2018
If youre into superfast travelling where you more or less just want to tick sights off a list without really being able to absorb what you have experienced, this tour is a must. Having that said, the staff onboard was great, very service minded and helpful, and you do get to see a lot in virtually no time at all. But if you are really interested in the islands and its people, I would recommend taking the public transport and spend the whole day. That gives you the oppertunity to sit down and have a meal, relax, talk to people and enjoy the beauty of these places.
Review by: kiersten.grey, April 2018
This was a fantastic addition to our Venice trip. I highly recommend getting out and seeing these islands. Surprisingly, Burano was our favorite - we wish that we had more time there, it was such a cute little town. Murano was a glass blowing demonstration and visiting a glass blowing factory - very cool and exciting. My only complaint there was the sales pitch of the gentlemen that work in the glass blowing store - it was a bit much, but still fantastic to see. This tour is given by a company called Alilaguna that operates a few water tours around Venice. When we were exchanging our vouchers for tickets, I saw that the tickets for this boat tour if we bought them on site was 20 per person, so it was cheaper to buy in person than on this site - but it was good piece of mind to have them ahead of time.
Review by: S D, April 2018
Good, organisers need to be more organised
Review by: Danielle B, April 2018
This tour was amazing!
Review by: DENNIS B, April 2018
This is worth the money to see,
Review by: Mellieboo, April 2018
okay only. the trip included a public transport to the islands with a guide that does both English and Spanish language sharing during the boat rides. Our guide spoke really fast and we couldnt really hear her over the poor speaker on the boat. Our time on each island, while it was mentioned by the guide to be about 45mins each, was really only 20mins - because the time on Murano included 20mins of glass blowing demo, and at Torcello the walk to the church is a good 20mins track inland and then back out again. If you are keen to visit these island, my reco would be to go by yourself using the public water taxis and spend free time there yourself. Murano and Burano are particularly lovely, Torcello was okay only and if you have limited days, Torcello can be missed.
Review by: gloryb65, April 2018
this was a fabulous tour to see the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello. Torcello was amazing to see. Remember you only have 50 minutes at each stop so it is somewhat rushed. Would have loved more time at Burano to eat. This was a great way to see Venice islands away from the main areas. Less busy and so worth the money. My 15 year old son also had a great time. Lots to see and keep busy doing.
Review by: gemmacarson, April 2018
Good deal to see a little of each of the three islands quickly. The demonstration at teh glass factory was nice. However, I thought the tour guide on the boat was going to provide highlights in English. Instead, it was one person saying the same thing in three different languages, one after the other. Plus the speaker was very loud on one boat. This was not ideal. But for the money, a good tour.
Review by: lewpl, December 2017
We went on the multilingual tour which was a waste of time and money as the guide was rushing through the commentary on board the ferry. We tried very hard to listen out for her English commentary but it was not clear. The guide also did not get off the ferry to show. us around in Torcello/Burano
Review by: Ann-Maree H, December 2017
Definitely worth doing this tour. Weather was not the best when we went but still got some great pics
Review by: Paul V, December 2017
Excellent value for money. If you do this trip, when on Murano island dont spend your time in the glass shop where the demonstration is held. Get out of there as quick as possible and look in the other shops around the town before your time is up. Other shops have better variety and easily half the price!
Review by: Sue F, December 2017
A tour worth doing to see the three islands, however, I thought I booked an 'english' tour however the translation was in Italian, English and then Spanish. The glass blowing demonstration in Murano was translated only in Italian which was disappointing. Burano was beautiful and quirky, whilst Torcello in winter is a ghost town.
Review by: Lee J, December 2017
Guide walked too fast
Review by: Havi K, December 2017
The three islands were definitely worth visiting, but this tour only allows 45 minutes on each island, which was very rushed and made the experience stressful. I suggest using transportation and visiting the islands on your own time. It does not have to happen through a tour and this tour would have been better if we had had about 1 1/2 hours on each island to explore especially more time for Murano and Burano.
Review by: dmjog, December 2017
Rushed all the way
Review by: jratel, December 2017
An exceptionally wet day but it did not stop us. An inexpensive way to get around some very interestng Islands, Burano our favourite.
Review by: Monique T, November 2017
the worst tour don't waiste your money , buy your own boat ticket and spend the whole day in Murano instead. So much to do and see, the people on Murano are nicer t5hen The one in Venice , great restaurants much cheaper then Venice as well .
Review by: caddiaz, November 2017
It was a nice trip and_br/_ well worth it.
Review by: Deborah C, November 2017
The sound quality on the boat was poor so it was hard to hear what was being said. Translation into 4 languages was tedious and thus also too short to describe much of what was passing. It was useful as a tour that gave a very quick look at these islands.
Review by: Lucy F, November 2017
This was well worth the money.
Review by: cl.lambert808, November 2017
Great way to see the other islands in the lagoon... I wish we could have had a little more time on each island though. The only issue was the boat was rather noisy and we often couldn't hear what the guide was saying about the lagoon over the boat noise. But definitely a great deal!
Review by: MIchael P, November 2017
Worth the half-day to see these three islands just to get a better idea of the Venetian Lagoon and the Adriatic Sea. The stops at each island were quick and gave one a more rounded experience than simply spending each day in Venice which we loved. The glass blowing demonstration was pretty cool and again just long enough to keep a feel of momentum to the tour. You can buy blown glass and lace on the islands where it is made or in Venice.
Review by: Dorothy C, November 2017
We only did the Murano part of the tour because we had to make it back to our cruise ship in time. The first part was really good and we look forward to going to Burano and Torcello the next time we visit Venice. As always, Viator does a great job!
Review by: Happy, November 2017
To see the actual making of a vase and then other jewelry, vases, etc made me speechless!! And the laces in Burano...i was truly surprised by the fact that i loved this little island as much as i did since Im nit big on laces, but i was so enchanted that i actually bought more than i expected from here. Truly lovely to see.
Review by: Joan R, November 2017
Its was very interesting the tour to Murano watching them blowing the glass. Burano was a lovely town very colorful and friendly people. The town of Torcello was alright ,...very old church and a few other places,restaurants a couple B and B small town and laid back. All in all the tour was worth the time . My personal fav was Burano !
Review by: Jon S, November 2017
Sorry this tour did nothing for me. In Murano we were directed to only one glass blowers studio and retail. Did not get a change to see the rest of the island or explore it. Burano would have been a nice place for lunch or snack but not enough time. Torcello was interesting but there should have been some dialog other than on the boat which wasn't much.
Review by: Geocam146, November 2017
Really depends on what you expect .... the Murano element is a selling tour , 5 mins watching glass being made and then a trip round the shop with hovering salesmen. Burano was a much better experience , delightful colourful houses down little canals, little shops selling lace and burano biscuits. Torcello is an isolated island, only 15 residents and ideally they want you to pay 5 to visit the church but in the bright sunshine of a crisp November afternoon it was delightful to stop and have a drink in the rustic taverna - the first one you come to after leaving the boat ,
Review by: Franklyn D, November 2017
Good thing to do and spend some spare time in Venice
Review by: Justin O, November 2017
The trip was advertised as an escorted tour of the islands. Basically it was a ferry ride to the three with minimal commentary
Review by: Jennifer S, November 2017
Wonderful tour, wish it had been a whole day so we could have more time on each island.
Review by: Deborah R, November 2017
An enjoyable day though basically a self guided tour with time for shopping.
Review by: ybiowyap2, November 2017
I booked this tour while I was in Venice. It was a great tour! You are able to see 3 islands in one day. Would recommend to friends to take this tour!
Review by: Cleo A S, November 2017
Tour was very rushed , so not a lot of time at each place. The MC on the boat was very hard to hear and seemed disinterested when not saying her spiel. Would recommend taking yourself instead. Burano was colourful and cute. Murano you only see the glass factory and have like 5 mins afterwards till you need to re board the boat. Torcello is more of a food stop and a really fast church visit if you leg it.
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