Venice · The Lagoon Islands

Murano & Burano Islands Tours

Two islands, one boat, half a day out of Venice

Murano & Burano tours cross the lagoon to the furnace island and the painted one on a single boat. Watch a maestro pull glass from the fire on Murano, then walk Burano’s canals of ochre, rose and green. Compare island time, group size and fare, then book the departure that fits your day.

Hours, fares and access verified by the Murano & Burano Islands tours team — last checked August 15, 2026.

Check Availability Plan your day

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. Reserve now, pay later on most departures.

1291Furnaces moved to Murano

1872Burano lace school opened

From $26Per person, shared boat

Murano & Burano Islands Tours› Tours & Tickets

Updated August 15, 2026

Most booked

Top Murano & Burano Tours for 2026

The three departures that balance island time, group size and fare best.

Murano & Burano Islands Small-Group Tour by Private Boat

4.7 ★★★★★ · 9,016 reviews · 5 hours

Max 22
Boat for your group
Headsets

Board a boat chartered for your group alone and cross to Murano and Burano without a single change. Two and a half hours are set aside at each island, transfers counted in, which is the most unhurried island time of any shared departure here. Glassmaking on Murano and lace-making on Burano are both demonstrated live, and headsets carry the guide clearly over the engine. Numbers are capped at 22, the meeting point is the Vittorio Emanuele II statue by the San Zaccaria stop, and gratuities and hotel pick-up are not included.

From $51 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead

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Half-Day Murano & Burano Islands Small-Group Boat Tour

4.8 ★★★★★ · 1,279 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes

Max 22
English guide
Boat for your group

Four and a half hours from the columns of St Mark’s Square, on a boat chartered for a group of no more than 22. An English-speaking guide stays with you through the glassblowing on Murano and the lace-making on Burano, and the schedule leaves an hour and a quarter on the first island and an hour and three quarters on the second. At $29 it is the most affordable guided departure with a cap this small. Carry a photo of your passport page — the operator requires it, and food, drinks and tips are extra.

From $29 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead

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Full day

St Mark's, Doge's Palace & Gondola Ride with Murano and Burano

4.6 ★★★★★ · 1,013 reviews · 9 hours 30 minutes

Skip-the-line tickets
Gondola ride
Max 20

St Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, a gondola and both lagoon islands fit into one nine-and-a-half-hour day, split either side of a lunch break. Timed-entry tickets and guided tours of the basilica and the palace are included, along with a 30-minute shared gondola ride and a boat chartered for the group out to Murano and Burano. Island time is generous at an hour and three quarters each, so the islands are a real visit rather than a photo stop. Bring government ID matching your booking name for the basilica, leave large bags behind, and budget for lunch.

From $199 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead

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Why book with us

Trusted by Thousands of Visitors

Every departure compared on the numbers that decide the day.

⚖

Best Guides

Your guide is a licensed local who knows which furnace still works to order and which Burano canal catches the light in the afternoon.

⏰

Book With Confidence

Every departure here refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead, and most let you reserve now and pay later, so a change of plan costs you nothing.

✦

Experience of a Lifetime

Glass drawn from a 1,000°C furnace, lace worked stitch by stitch in the air, and a row of painted houses that has been photographed for a century.

FREE CANCELLATION up to 24 hours in advance on every departure listed

The full lineup

All Murano & Burano Islands Tours and Tickets

Shared half-day boats, semi-private runs, private charters and full Venice days.

Best seller

Murano, Burano & Torcello Half-Day Boat Tour

4.2 ★★★★★ · 17,580 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours 30 minutes

Torcello option
5 languages
Glassblowing

Choose two islands or three at booking, and the arithmetic changes with it: an hour and a half on each of Murano and Burano, or about fifty minutes each once Torcello joins the route. Multilingual commentary runs on board in five languages, and the Murano stop includes a historic glass factory and a live glassblowing demonstration. Boarding is offered from St Mark’s Square or the railway station across the day, which is why this murano burano torcello tour draws the volume it does. The guide escorts you as far as the furnace door and no further, so the island walking is your own.

From $28 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead

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Best value

Murano & Burano Boat Tour with Guide & Glass Factory Visit

4.3 ★★★★★ · 12,517 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes to 7 hours

2 departure points
5 languages
Glass factory

Departures run from either San Marco or the railway station, so this murano and burano tour from venice fits whichever end of the city you are staying in. A multilingual guide works the boat, commenting in as many as five languages on the crossing, and the Murano stop includes a glass factory visit with a live glassblowing demonstration. Island time shifts with the option you choose: about an hour on Murano and anywhere from one to three on Burano. Food and drink are extra, and the guide stays with the boat rather than walking the islands with you.

From $26 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead

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Murano Glass & Burano Colors Guided Island Visit

4.5 ★★★★★ · 7,736 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours 30 minutes

Guided ashore
Wine option
Semi-private option

Pick your format at booking and this listing becomes several different days: a guided walk of both islands, a semi-private run by traditional Venetian boat, an unguided lagoon cruise, or an upgrade with Venetian specialities and wine. The core route leaves St Mark’s Square by boat for a live glassblowing demonstration at a Murano factory, then a guided visit to Burano with lace-making. Ashore you get roughly half an hour at the furnace, an hour on Murano and two on Burano. Hotel pick-up and food are extra, and this day is not suited to wheelchair users or travellers with limited mobility.

From $28 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead

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Murano Glass & Burano Lace Guided Island Visit

4.7 ★★★★★ · 1,955 reviews · 4 to 5 hours

Max 30
Headsets
Lace demo

Radio headsets keep the commentary clear from San Marco to the islands and back on this best murano glass tour for anyone who wants the furnace and the lace in one afternoon. The Murano stop runs an hour and a quarter plus fifty minutes inside the Ferro e Lazzarini glassworks, and Burano gets a full two hours and a quarter. Departure times are tied to languages, so pick 09:30 for English or 10:30 if you would rather have Italian, French and Spanish alongside it. Groups reach 30, boarding is from Riva degli Schiavoni, and hotel pick-up and food are not part of the fare.

From $29 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead

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Murano Glass Experience with a Visit to Burano Lace Island

4.5 ★★★★★ · 1,586 reviews · 5 hours

Own glassworks
Glass of wine
Step-free transport

The Colleoni glassworks opens its own furnace for this murano glass factory tour, and the 20% showroom discount that comes with it is written into the listing rather than offered at the door. A local guide takes you by private boat for roughly two hours on Murano — the glassworks, the twelfth-century Duomo and free time — then an hour and a half on Burano. A glass of wine is included and the transport is described as wheelchair accessible, one of only two boats here that are. Boarding is on Riva degli Schiavoni near the San Zaccaria stop; tips are extra.

From $58 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead

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Max 10 travellers

Semi-Private Murano & Burano Experience

4.8 ★★★★★ · 601 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes

Max 10
Water taxi
Master artisan

Ten travellers is the ceiling on this one, and it changes the character of the glass demonstration completely — you stand at the bench rather than behind three rows of people. A master artisan works a piece in front of the group, followed by a guided walk through the factory showroom, with round-trip transport by semi-private water taxi from Venice. Commentary is in English throughout and the whole thing runs four and a half hours from Calle de le Rasse near St Mark’s Square. The listing does not publish per-island timings, and neither hotel pick-up nor a meal is included.

From $81 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead

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Murano & Burano Islands Premium Guided Experience

4.6 ★★★★★ · 540 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes

Max 27
Guided ashore
Torcello option

A qualified guide walks both islands with the group here rather than waiting at the landing, covering the Murano furnace, the island itself and the lace-making on Burano. Five and a half hours allows about an hour ashore on each, with the balance spent crossing the lagoon in a covered boat. Torcello is available as a booking option on some departures, so check the option you select if the third island is the reason you are going. Numbers run to 27, boarding is from the Venice Tours office on Calle de le Rasse, and vouchers are exchanged ten minutes before departure.

From $45 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead

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Top rated

Luxury Murano & Burano Private Boat Tour with Guide

4.9 ★★★★★ · 199 reviews · 4 hours

Private guide
Pick-up offered
Snacks

Only your party travels on this murano burano private tour, with a private guide and a private glass factory visit rather than a group slot at a public demonstration. Burano gets the longest stop at an hour, followed by fifteen minutes at the La Perla lace gallery and half an hour on Murano. Snacks are aboard and pick-up is offered, which makes the four hours genuinely door to door. It carries the highest rating in the lineup and prices per person rather than per boat, so a couple pays twice the headline fare.

From $340 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead

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Hotel pick-up

Murano & Burano Private Boat Tour with Hotel Pickup

4.8 ★★★★★ · 169 reviews · 4 hours

Hotel pick-up
Private motorboat
Up to 4

Hotel pick-up on the island of Venice starts this one, which removes the walk to a pier with luggage or small children in tow. A private motorboat runs you out for an hour and a half on Murano, including a glass-blowing demonstration, then an hour on Burano. The fare is quoted per group of up to four rather than per person, so a family of four pays roughly what two people pay on some private boats. Meals and tips are extra, and the operator lists this day as unsuitable for anyone prone to seasickness.

From $485 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead

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Murano & Burano Islands Tour with Optional Torcello Stop

4.2 ★★★★★ · 125 reviews · 6 hours

Torcello option
5 languages
6 hours

Six hours covers Murano, Burano and, if you select it, Torcello, with the longest total island time of any shared departure listed here. Commentary runs in five languages during the transfers, a glass factory visit is guided on Murano, and Burano and Torcello are yours to wander. This is the largest boat in the lineup at up to 150 travellers, which is what keeps the fare near $32. Check in at the Serenissima Boat desk near the Ponte della Paglia thirty minutes ahead — arrive after that and the operator does not refund.

From $32 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead

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Murano & Burano Cruise with Venetian Specialties & Wine

4.3 ★★★★★ · 69 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes

Wine & cicchetti
Glass factory
Lace demo

Cicchetti and a glass of local wine come with this one, served aboard a panoramic cruise boat between the two islands. A licensed guide covers the crossing, then hands you an hour on Murano for the glass factory, two hours at the furnace and showroom, and an hour to walk Burano. The radio receiver matters more than it sounds on a boat of this size, because it keeps the commentary audible on the open deck. Meets in front of Palazzo Cornoldi on Riva degli Schiavoni, eight minutes from St Mark’s Square, with no hotel pick-up.

From $48 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead

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Murano, Burano & Torcello Private Boat Tour from Venice

5.0 ★★★★★ · 20 reviews · 4 to 5 hours

Private boat
3 islands
Guide included

Fondamente Nove is where this one starts, on a private boat with a guide and roughly an hour each on Torcello, Burano and Murano. Torcello leads the route rather than trailing it, so you see the lagoon’s oldest settlement before the crowds thin out elsewhere. Glassmaking is demonstrated on Murano, and because the boat carries only your party the order can shift with the weather and the tide. Service animals are welcome, infants travel on laps, and the listing sets out no exclusions beyond what you buy ashore.

From $246 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead

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Venice Private Boat Tour: Murano, Burano and Torcello

5.0 ★★★★★ · 15 reviews · 4 hours

Private boat
3 islands
Stroller friendly

Hire the boat rather than a seat on it: four hours on the lagoon with a driver, taking in Murano, Burano and Torcello at whatever pace your group sets. Access to the glassworks is included, and the listing keeps the itinerary deliberately open rather than fixing times at each island. Strollers and service animals are both accommodated, which is unusual among the private boats here. Boarding is at Fondamenta San Giobbe at the end of the Cannaregio canal, meals are not included, and the fare is quoted per person.

From $116 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead

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Compare them side by side

Before you spend anything

Do You Need a Guided Tour at All?

Honestly, not always. Murano and Burano are inhabited public islands. There is no gate, no ticket booth and no queue, so Murano & Burano Islands tickets are not a thing you need to buy — you can walk every canal on Burano and stand on the 1141 mosaic pavement inside Santi Maria e Donato for nothing. Public boats run from Fondamente Nove, and that route costs a fraction of a tour.

What it costs instead is time. The public route takes considerably longer, usually involves a change, and the last services back fill in summer. And it cannot get you inside a working furnace: Murano’s glassworks admit visitors through the operators they work with, and the demonstrations are scheduled around those arrivals.

So the honest split is this. Coming for photographs with a full day free? Take the public boat. Coming for the glass, or short on time? A boat tour to Murano and Burano goes direct, fixes your return and puts a licensed local on board. Murano & Burano Islands tours and tickets here are sold by the operators themselves, and every one refunds in full at 24 hours.

See the guided departures

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. You will not be charged yet.

What you will see

Six Things Worth Crossing the Lagoon For

The working furnace on MuranoA maestro gathers molten glass on a blowpipe and shapes a piece in under ten minutes, an arm’s length from where you stand.
The mosaic pavement of Santi Maria e DonatoDated 1141, laid in cut marble and glass, and free to walk across on Murano’s quiet northern fondamenta.
Burano’s painted fondamentaOchre, rose, cobalt and lime run the length of the canal, and every colour was applied by permission of the comune.
The leaning campanile of San MartinoBurano’s bell tower tilts visibly out of true, settled by the soft lagoon ground beneath it.
Lace worked in the airPunto in aria is stitched onto a thread frame rather than cloth, which is why a single collar can take months.
The mosaics of Santa Maria AssuntaTorcello’s cathedral, founded in 639, holds a full-wall Last Judgement and a gold-ground Madonna in the apse.

The destination

About the Murano & Burano Islands

Two inhabited islands in the northern Venetian Lagoon, half an hour apart by boat and completely unalike. Murano has held Venice’s glass furnaces since 1291, when the Republic ordered them off the main islands, and its workshops still draw molten glass from the fire every working day. Burano has painted houses, a leaning campanile and a lace tradition that a school on Piazza Galuppi rescued in 1872. Beyond them lies Torcello, the lagoon’s first city and now its emptiest island.

Murano glass

A maestro gathers molten glass on a blowpipe and works a finished piece in minutes, then the visit continues into the showroom. Knowing what the Vetro Artistico® trademark means — and what “Murano style” does not — is the difference between buying island work and buying an import. The glass page has the full sequence and the buying checklist.

Burano lace

Burano’s houses are painted by permission of the comune, one shade at a time, which is why the street reads as a composition. Its lace is punto in aria, stitched onto a frame of threads rather than into cloth, and a single collar can take months. Both are covered on the lace page, along with what to look at before you buy.

Planning the day

Boats leave from Riva degli Schiavoni, St Mark’s Square, the railway station or Fondamente Nove, and the crossing sets the shape of everything else. How long each island needs, when to go, what to wear and how the Venice access fee works are all on the visiting page.

A glassmaker working at the open mouth of a furnace inside a Murano glassworks

A row of white, orange, mint and pink houses facing a Burano canal beside an open square

Lace and linen stalls on Burano's main street with the leaning campanile of San Martino behind

Plan your visit

Which Murano & Burano Islands Tour Is Right for You?

Four decisions that stall a booking, answered one at a time.

Half a day Three islands Just our group A whole day

Half a day, both islands

A Murano and Burano island tour of this shape is the right one for a first visit: four and a half to five hours, three of them ashore. Fares run from $26 for a shared boat to $52 for a small group with a guide who stays with you. Give Burano the longer stop.

See half-day departures

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

Adding Torcello

The third island costs roughly forty minutes off each of the other two on a half-day boat. Worth it for the mosaics of Santa Maria Assunta, and not worth it if you want two unhurried hours on Burano. Several listings sell both versions under one title, so check the option at checkout.

Read the Torcello trade-off · Two islands or three?

A boat for your party alone

Private charters run four to five hours with a driver and a guide, and the time ashore is yours to allocate rather than the schedule’s. Fares start near $117 per person, and one is priced per group of up to four — which changes the arithmetic for a family.

See private boats

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

Venice and the islands in one day

One departure adds timed entry to St Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace and a 30-minute gondola ride, and still leaves three and a half hours on Murano and Burano. Nine and a half hours in total, split by a lunch break.

See the full Venice day

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

What to expect

How the Day Runs

Meet your guide at the pier — most departures leave from Riva degli Schiavoni or St Mark’s Square. Arrive fifteen minutes early.

Cross to Murano in twenty to thirty minutes, with commentary on the lagoon as the city falls away behind you.

Watch a maestro pull a finished piece out of the furnace — the moment every Murano glass blowing tour is built around — then take the island at your own pace.

On to Burano for the painted canals, the lace and lunch, then straight back to where you started.

Book a Murano & Burano Islands tour

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

Compare

Which Murano & Burano Tour Is Right for You?

Read the island-time column, not the total length.

Tour	Rating	Length	Time ashore	Best for	From	Book
Murano, Burano & Torcello Half-Day Boat Tour	4.2 (17,580)	4 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours 30 minutes	Up to 1 hr 30 min per island on the two-island option; about 50 min per island on the three-island option	Anyone who wants three islands and flexible departure times	From $28	Book
Murano & Burano Boat Tour with Guide & Glass Factory Visit	4.3 (12,517)	4 hours 30 minutes to 7 hours	About 1 hr on Murano and 1-3 hrs on Burano depending on the option booked	Budget travellers staying near the railway station	From $26	Book
Murano & Burano Islands Small-Group Tour by Private Boat	4.7 (9,016)	5 hours	About 2 hrs 30 min at each island, boat transfers included	First-timers who want the longest unhurried stop on each island	From $51	Book
Murano Glass & Burano Colors Guided Island Visit	4.5 (7,736)	4 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours 30 minutes	About 3 hrs 30 min ashore — glass factory 30 min, Murano 1 hr, Burano 2 hrs	Undecided travellers who want to pick the format at checkout	From $28	Book
Murano Glass & Burano Lace Guided Island Visit	4.7 (1,955)	4 to 5 hours	About 4 hrs 20 min ashore — Murano 1 hr 15 min, glassworks 50 min, Burano 2 hrs 15 min	Couples who want two full hours to wander Burano	From $29	Book
Murano Glass Experience with a Visit to Burano Lace Island	4.5 (1,586)	5 hours	About 2 hrs on Murano (glassworks, Duomo and free time) and 1 hr 30 min on Burano	Shoppers buying glass, and groups needing step-free transport	From $58	Book
Half-Day Murano & Burano Islands Small-Group Boat Tour	4.8 (1,279)	4 hours 30 minutes	About 3 hrs ashore — Murano 1 hr 15 min, Burano 1 hr 45 min	Travellers who want a real guide at the lowest sensible fare	From $29	Book
St Mark's, Doge's Palace & Gondola Ride with Murano and Burano	4.6 (1,013)	9 hours 30 minutes	About 3 hrs 30 min on the islands — Murano 1 hr 45 min, Burano 1 hr 45 min	Visitors with one full day for Venice and the islands together	From $199	Book
Semi-Private Murano & Burano Experience	4.8 (601)	4 hours 30 minutes	Not stated	Anyone who wants to stand at the glassmaker's bench	From $81	Book
Murano & Burano Islands Premium Guided Experience	4.6 (540)	5 hours 30 minutes	About 2 hrs ashore — Murano 1 hr, Burano 1 hr	Visitors who want a guide walking the islands, not waiting	From $45	Book
Luxury Murano & Burano Private Boat Tour with Guide	4.9 (199)	4 hours	About 1 hr 45 min ashore — Burano 1 hr, lace gallery 15 min, Murano 30 min	Small parties who want a private guide and their own furnace slot	From $340	Book
Murano & Burano Private Boat Tour with Hotel Pickup	4.8 (169)	4 hours	About 2 hrs 30 min ashore — Murano 1 hr 30 min, Burano 1 hr	Families of up to four who want collecting from the hotel	From $485	Book
Murano & Burano Islands Tour with Optional Torcello Stop	4.2 (125)	6 hours	About 3 hrs 45 min ashore — Murano 1 hr 15 min, Burano 1 hr 30 min, Torcello 1 hr if selected	Travellers who want the most island time for the money	From $32	Book
Murano & Burano Cruise with Venetian Specialties & Wine	4.3 (69)	5 hours 30 minutes	About 4 hours ashore — Murano 1 hr plus 2 hrs at the glassworks, Burano 1 hr	Couples who want a tasting built into the crossing	From $48	Book
Murano, Burano & Torcello Private Boat Tour from Venice	5.0 (20)	4 to 5 hours	About 3 hrs ashore — roughly 1 hr each on Torcello, Burano and Murano	Groups who want Torcello first, before the day fills up	From $246	Book
Venice Private Boat Tour: Murano, Burano and Torcello	5.0 (15)	4 hours	Not stated	Families with a stroller who want the day set to their pace	From $116	Book

“The meeting point was easy to find and the timing at each stop was generous without ever feeling rushed. We finished exactly when they said we would. Even our nine-year-old was captivated by the furnace.”Katlin S., United States · August 2026

“The wine and cicchetti were a nice touch on the crossing. Murano felt short for the town and the shops, though, and the demonstration itself was over quickly. Worth booking a departure with longer island time if browsing matters to you.”Leonard B., United Kingdom · July 2025

“A long day, and worth every minute of it. The palace and the basilica in the morning, then the gondola, a break for lunch, and out to the islands in the afternoon. Both guides knew the city inside out.”Corrinne P., United States · June 2026

Traveller feedback

Murano & Burano Tours Reviews

Ratings of 4.2 to 5.0 across more than 55,000 reviews left on these tours’ own booking pages — the critical ones kept in, because they are the ones that help you choose.

★★★★★

The meeting point was easy to find and the timing at each stop was generous without ever feeling rushed. We finished exactly when they said we would. Even our nine-year-old was captivated by the furnace.

Katlin S., United States · Family · August 2026
Murano & Burano Islands Small-Group Tour by Private Boat

★★★

The wine and cicchetti were a nice touch on the crossing. Murano felt short for the town and the shops, though, and the demonstration itself was over quickly. Worth booking a departure with longer island time if browsing matters to you.

Leonard B., United Kingdom · Couple · July 2025
Murano & Burano Cruise with Venetian Specialties & Wine

★★★★★

A long day, and worth every minute of it. The palace and the basilica in the morning, then the gondola, a break for lunch, and out to the islands in the afternoon. Both guides knew the city inside out.

Corrinne P., United States · Family · June 2026
St Mark's, Doge's Palace & Gondola Ride with Murano and Burano

★★★★★

Two islands we would probably never have made it to on our own. The glass factory was genuinely interesting and Burano's multicoloured houses were the highlight. The crossing itself was a good part of the day.

Caroline G., United Kingdom · Couple · May 2026
Half-Day Murano & Burano Islands Small-Group Boat Tour

★★★★★

Six hours with a guide who knew the culture of all three islands and took the time to explain rather than march us round. We came away understanding why the furnaces ended up on Murano in the first place.

Brittany S., Canada · Couple · June 2025
Murano & Burano Islands Premium Guided Experience

★★★★★

A group of five in total, and the master glassblower made an exquisite pitcher in no time at all. Short, and exactly as advertised. We would do it again.

Daniel R., Australia · Family · April 2026
Semi-Private Murano & Burano Experience

★★

The boat was full and we did not stop at Torcello. If the third island is the reason you are booking, check the option you have selected before you pay. Murano and Burano themselves were lovely.

Jenny L., United States · Family · September 2025
Murano & Burano Islands Premium Guided Experience

★★★★★

I was sceptical after reading a few reviews, but it delivered what it promised. Boat transfers and time on three islands across six hours. The amount of time on each was about right for a first visit.

Olivia P., Ireland · Solo · December 2025
Murano & Burano Islands Tour with Optional Torcello Stop

★★★★

The children were held by the glass demonstration for the whole ten minutes. For the adults it was the second island, with all those brightly painted houses along the water. Two hours on Burano was plenty.

Philip D., United Kingdom · Family · March 2026
Murano Glass & Burano Lace Guided Island Visit

★★★★★

Our captain was excellent and the open boat was very welcome on a hot day. He recommended a place for lunch on Torcello that was genuinely good. Three islands at our own pace.

Ryan G., United States · Family · August 2026
Murano, Burano & Torcello Private Boat Tour from Venice

★★★★★

A private tour that felt like a day out with a friend who happens to know everything. We bought glass on Murano and lace on Burano and learned enough to buy well. The four hours went quickly.

Stephanie N., United States · Family · December 2025
Luxury Murano & Burano Private Boat Tour with Guide

★★★★★

Good value and a guide who made the glassworks make sense. Burano was what we loved most in the end. We would recommend it to anyone with half a day free.

Carmen B., Spain · Family · July 2026
Murano Glass Experience with a Visit to Burano Lace Island

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Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Murano & Burano Islands tours cost?

Fares start around $26 per person for a shared boat with a guide and a glass factory visit, and reach about $199 for a full Venice day that adds St Mark’s, the Doge’s Palace and a gondola. Private boats for your own party start near $117 per person. Fares are set by the operators and quoted per person, apart from one private boat priced per group of up to four.

Do I need to book Murano & Burano Islands tours in advance?

Yes for the morning departures, which sell out through July and August. Booking early costs nothing, because every tour here refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead. Most also let you reserve now and pay later.

Do I need a ticket for the islands themselves?

No. Murano and Burano are inhabited public islands with no gate, no entry ticket and no queue. What you are booking is the boat, the guide and the furnace visit.

How long does a Murano & Burano Islands tour take?

Most run four and a half to six hours door to door. The shortest is four hours; the full Venice day runs nine and a half. Half a day is the standard shape.

How much time do I actually get on the islands?

Between two and four and a half hours, depending on the departure, and this is the number that decides which one suits you. The comparison table lists it for every option. Two and a half hours per island is the most generous on a shared boat.

Is Torcello included?

On some tours, and on several it is an option you choose at booking. Adding it shortens every other stop by roughly forty minutes. The Torcello page sets out the trade and names the departures that actually land there.

What happens on a murano glass factory tour?

A maestro gathers molten glass on a blowpipe and works a finished piece in front of the group, usually in five to fifteen minutes. The visit then continues into the factory showroom. Buying is never required.

Is the glassblowing demonstration worth it?

Travellers rate the demonstration itself highly and say just as consistently that it is short. Pick a departure with generous free time afterwards and you get the furnace and the island rather than one at the cost of the other.

Do Murano & Burano Islands guided tours include lunch?

No tour in the current lineup includes lunch. The full-day option builds in a free break to buy your own. On the half-day departures, Burano is where most people stop to eat.

Are the tours suitable for children?

Most are. The crossing, the furnace and the painted houses hold children well, and Burano is small and flat to walk. Several operators ask that infants travel on laps.

Are Murano & Burano Islands tours wheelchair accessible?

Two operators describe their transport as wheelchair accessible; others state plainly that they cannot carry wheelchairs or strollers on a group departure. Each card carries what its own operator says, so check before you pay.

What is the Venice access fee and is it included?

Venice charges day visitors a fee on specified dates, registered through the city’s official page at cda.ve.it. It is never included in a tour fare. Check the calendar before you travel and register if your date falls on one.

Can I visit Murano and Burano independently instead?

Yes, by public boat from Fondamente Nove. It costs less and takes longer, involves changes, and no public route gets you inside a working furnace. The visiting guide sets both options side by side.

What are Murano & Burano Islands ticket prices compared with going alone?

A shared tour costs several times a public boat ticket and replaces the changes, the waiting and the closed furnace doors with a direct boat and a live guide. For a half-day with one crossing each way, most visitors find the guided version pays for itself.

Which tour should I book?

For a first visit, the guided small-group boat tour with two and a half hours on each island. For the lowest sensible fare, the half-day from St Mark’s. For one day in Venice with the islands included, the full-day combination.

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Photographs

Murano & Burano Gallery

Visitors crossing a wooden bridge over a Burano canal lined with yellow, green and pink houses

Murano's Canal Grande with brick palazzi on both banks and small boats moored along the fondamenta

A Burano canal curving past a low brick bridge, with a cafe parasol and moored boats along the quay

A glassblower shaping a piece at the furnace while a seated audience watches the demonstration

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Guides

Murano & Burano Tours — Guides and Advice

How to shape half a day, what to see on each island, and the pick of the Murano glass tours Venice Italy is known for.

Guide

How to Visit Murano & Burano in 2026

What the boat buys you over the public route, how long each island needs, and the fee nobody mentions.

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Island guide

Murano & Burano: What to See on Each Island

Stop by stop through Murano, Burano and Torcello — the furnace, the pavement, the campanile, the mosaics.

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Facts

10 Surprising Murano & Burano Glass Facts

A decree in 1291, a mosaic floor dated 1141, and a trademark that tells real Murano glass from the rest.

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Where to go

Finding the Murano & Burano Islands

Murano & Burano Islands

Municipality 1 Venezia-Murano-Burano, Venice, Metropolitan City of Venice, Italy. Open in Google Maps.

Getting there

Guided boats leave from Riva degli Schiavoni, St Mark’s Square, Venice railway station or Fondamente Nove. Public services run from Fondamente Nove, with a change for Burano. Full detail on visiting the islands.

Opening

Both islands are inhabited and open at all hours. Glassworks admit visitors during working hours, through the tours they run with. Murano & Burano Islands ticket prices and what a Murano & Burano Islands booking includes are set out on the questions page; a Murano & Burano Islands reservation can be changed free up to 24 hours ahead.

Two islands, one boat, half a day

Compare every departure by island time, group size and fare, then book the one that fits your day.

Check Availability

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead on every departure listed.