Murano and Burano in a Half Day Boat Tour

On this half-day tour, you'll also have free time to explore the islands by yourself before returning to Venice city.

Murano and Burano Boat Tour Description

Your 5-hour tour includes:

• Round trip transportation from Venice by private boat

• Tour and glassblowing demonstration in Murano

• Tour and lacemaking demonstration in Burano

• Free time to explore in Murano and Burano

• Friendly, English-speaking guide

• Maximum group size of 25

Murano

After meeting your small group in the center of Venice, your adventure begins with a short and comfortable boat ride to Murano. There’s a lot to see on the way, and your guide will keep you entertained with a stories of the sites you sail past. Soon enough, you'll arrive in beautiful Murano, a small island world-famous for its glass.

Once upon a time Murano glassblowers were the only people in Europe who knew how to create a mirror, and their skills were so valued that they were banned from leaving the city of Venice under threat of execution. The artisans are allowed to leave the island now of course, but the craft has stayed the same and you'll witness it first-hand at our first stop—a glassblower’s workshop. 

Watch a master craftsman in action as he goes about his daily business and listen to a description of the process in English while he works. What gives the glass its color? How does silica sand become glass? Which is the most difficult part of his job? This is a real, working studio and your experience here will be as authentic as it comes. Afterwards you'll have time to browse the huge collection of glass art here and wander the island on your own for a while.

Burano

Our next stop is the colorful island of Burano, you'll be struck immediately by its old-world charm. Huddled tightly together along streets and canals, each house is painted a different color, with laundry strung up across the narrow streets. Legend has it that fishermen started this trend, painting their houses in bright shades so that they could see home from a distance.

However, Burano’s major claim to fame is its centuries-old tradition of lacemaking. Your guide will take you through the streets of Burano to a small building where women sit working feverishly, stitching lace like their mothers and grandmothers before them. Stay and watch their painstaking work, and hear how, in the age of sewing machines, these traditional methods are unique and highly sought-after.

When Michelangelo visited Burano he bought an altarpiece for the brand new Duomo in Milan, and there's no shortage of wonderful artisan shops to explore today either. You can spend your free time in the island winding your way along the kaleidoscopic streets and taking in the ambiance. We'd recommend trying the local cookies for one of the island's bakeries too—delicious!