Venice Lagoon Islands: A Day Trip to Murano, Burano & Torcello
Beyond the Grand Canal, Venice's lagoon hides three islands worth a day of their own — Murano's glass furnaces, Burano's rainbow houses and lace, and quiet, ancient Torcello. Here is how to spend a perfect island day, with the best-rated boat tours and glass-blowing experiences to book.
At a glance
- 1Murano glass furnaces
- 2Burano's rainbow houses
- 3Ancient Torcello
- 4Back by boat across the lagoon
Murano and the art of glass
Start on Murano, the island where Venice sent its glassmakers in 1291 to keep their furnaces away from the wooden city. Watch a master gather molten glass and shape a vase or horse in minutes at a working furnace, then browse the showrooms and the Glass Museum. Most half-day island tours include a glass-blowing demonstration; combined boat tours run from around €25 per person and leave from the Fondamente Nove.
Burano's colours and lace
A short hop across the water brings you to Burano, the most photogenic island in the lagoon, where fishermen's cottages are painted in vivid blues, pinks and yellows so crews could spot home through the fog. It is also the historic centre of Venetian lace-making, still sold in the little shops around the leaning bell tower. Give yourself an hour to wander, buy a pastry and photograph every corner before the boat moves on.
Ancient, quiet Torcello
Many full-day tours finish on Torcello, the lagoon's first settlement and now its most peaceful island, home to barely a dozen residents. Its 7th-century cathedral holds shimmering Byzantine mosaics that predate almost everything in Venice itself. Half-day tours skip it for time, so choose a full-day option if Torcello appeals. Either way you return across the open lagoon by boat, watching Venice rise from the water as you come back in.
Book the experiences in this itinerary
Top-rated tours for exactly what this plan recommends in Venice — prices per person.
