Murano & Burano Islands Guided Small-Group Tour by Private Boat
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Murano & Burano Islands Guided Small-Group Tour by Private Boat

By City Wonders
Recommended by 93% of travellers
93% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
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The islands of Murano and Burano, with their artisan glass and lace workshops, are just a ferry ride from Venice, and visitors won’t want to miss either. On this tour, delve into the practice and history of two of Venice’s great artisan traditions by visiting glassblowers in Murano and traditional lace-making workshops in lesser-known Burano. Get an authentic look at Italian traditions that have lasted for centuries with a guide.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 0-99, max of 20 per group
Duration: 5h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Highlights
  • Visit both Murano and Burano islands in one half-day tour
  • Get insider look at the craft behind Murano glass and Burano lacework
  • This tour offers the best of both worlds: guided elements and free time 
  • Hassle-free, round-trip transportation by luxurious water taxi
  • Enjoy transportation by a private boat, exclusively for your tour group.
  • Enjoy an intimate tour experience with a group of 20 people or fewer

  • Small groups of up to 20 people for a more personalized experience
  • Round-trip transportation by private boat just for your group
  • Expert local English speaking Guide
  • Glassmaking demonstration in Murano
  • Lacemaking demonstration in Burano
  • Discount at the glass gallery and lacemaking shop where the demonstrations are given
  • Entry/Admission - Isola di Murano
  • Entry/Admission - Burano
What's not included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Gratuities

Meet your guide in central Venice for a short boat ride to Murano. Visit a local glassblower and watch the artisan at work, learning tricks of the trade, such as how minerals add color to glass sculptures. Afterward, take some time to explore the picturesque island of Murano and visit other workshops in the area. Hop on board the boat for a ride to nearby Burano, home of traditional lace-making workshops. Listen as your guide tells you the history of Burano lace, and watch local craftswomen weave and stitch finely detailed lace in the local tradition. If you’d like, visit Burano Lace Museum and enjoy free time to explore the island and its local shops. Finish your tour with transport back to the departure point.

Start:
  • Monument to Victor Emmanuel II, Riva degli Schiavoni, 30100 Venezia VE, Italy
    At the statue of a man (Vittorio Emanuele II) on a horse in Riva degli Schiavoni (San Zaccaria vaporetto stop), in front of the lagoon. GPS Coordinates: 45.433846, 12.343526
End:
  • Hotel Gabrielli, Riva degli Schiavoni, 4110, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy
    In front of Hotel Gabrielli Sandwirth (near San Marco).

  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Infants must sit on laps
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 3731MURANO

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not recommended for travellers with back problems
  • Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • Please note that on Mondays, the typical lacemaking demonstration in Burano may not always be available. In such event, the tour still offers a captivating exploration of the island that showcases its unique charm and rich cultural heritage. We appreciate your understanding
  • The Municipality of Venice has introduced an Access Fee that applies on specific dates. To avoid any inconvenience, we recommend checking the official guidelines and completing the necessary registration through the provided link before your visit. (https://cda.ve.it/en/ Official Link for Registration)
  • Some sites visited lack shade and can be hot under direct sunlight. We recommend bringing a hat, sunscreen and a bottle of water in warm weather.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travellers

  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 3731MURANO

From
₹4,570.50
per adult (price varies by group size)
Select date and travellers

Similar experiences

Itinerary
  • Riva degli Schiavoni, 30100 Venezia VE, Italy
    At the statue of a man (Vittorio Emanuele II) on a horse in Riva degli Schiavoni (San Zaccaria vaporetto stop), in front of the lagoon. GPS Coordinates: 45.433846, 12.343526
  • 1
  • 2
  • Riva degli Schiavoni, 4110, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy
    In front of Hotel Gabrielli Sandwirth (near San Marco).
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
  • City Wonders
    4,110
    Venice, Veneto, Italy
    Joined in November 2007
  • Cole L
    0 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Pretty good
    Very nice tour. The skip the line upgrade was worth it the lines we saw for huge that weekend and would have wasted alot of time. The tour guide was good but not quite as engaging as some other tours I have been on.
    Written 16 February 2025
  • Drrobinette
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent, Engaging Tour with Very Knowledgeable, Skilled Guide!!
    We would highly recommend this tour! Our guide Sandra was extremely knowledgeable and gave us a perfect blend of relevant history and engaging information to enhance our experience of visiting these sites. She was on time, easy to spot, and was prepared with listening devices so we didnt have to strain to hear her as we toured. We did this tour as a prelude to joining a cruise with its own shore excursions and this tour remained one of our very favorites across our 14 day journey. You wont be disappointed if you book this tour!!
    Written 25 January 2025
  • N9770DNpaulb
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    First class guide and a great intro to Venice’s history
    Iole was an excellent guide. Top information, perfect English and a good sense of humour. We felt that the tour was great value for money.
    Written 12 January 2025
  • herschp2024
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Highly recommended!
    Great tour! Our guide (Zoey) was very knowledgable and kind. Beyond the tour, she also gave excellent, personalized recommendations of other things to see and do in the city.
    Written 24 December 2024
  • K2955HNdavidm
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Informative and Enjoyable St Marks Intro to Basicilica and Dogge Palace
    We had a great tour of St Marks Basicilica and Dogge Palace. Rita was a wonderful tour leader sharing her knowledge with the group and an interesting and enjoyable way. Thanks Rita
    Written 23 December 2024
  • lukebI7219NS
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Tour with Ana
    Ana gave us incredibly informative and historically insightful tour. The palace was great and the basilica was the most beautiful I've seen in the world. Skipping the line was worth it and the Doge palace especially would not have as meaningful had it not been for the guide.
    Written 23 December 2024
  • Chelsea M
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Highly Recommend!
    Sandra Ward wonderfully informative, exceedingly accommodating, and remarkably efficient given the short length of the tour. We can't recommend the experience highly enough!
    Written 20 December 2024
  • 0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great tour!!
    The tour was great and the guide was wonderful. Murano is so neat and the glass is amazing. But so is beautiful. We would have liked a bit longer seeing the lace making and the glass work but enjoyed the free time.
    Written 20 December 2024
  • Julie L
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Tour w Zoe
    Zoe was our tour guide today (12/17/24) and she did a wonderful job explaining soo much history for the group. My son and I are here from Alaska and we had so many questions she answered for us to help us better understand the architecture, history and the important people in Venicitan history. It was a foggy day, not very crowded and we had a great few hours on our tour! Thank you Zoe! Salud
    Written 17 December 2024
  • janicefE933IW
    0 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Learned a lot and amazed
    The tour guide had great insight and took the time to be sure that all had our questions answered. Pace was great and allowed for indepht view
    Written 25 November 2024
  • LoveTravel692572
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful tour of Doges Palace and St Mark’s
    This tour was excellent! The Doges Palace and St Mark’s Basilica are both stunningly beautiful! What made it 5/5 was our tour guide, Rita. She was so passionate about the history and knowledgeable. Such a fun, educational and wonderful experience!
    Written 11 November 2024
  • 499marianm
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Skipping the Line is Mandatory
    A visit to Venice is not complete without seeing St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace. Skipping the line is mandatory if you want to make the most of your time. Our tour (with Rita?) began at the Doge's Palace. This is not my first tour here. Rita had some great insights and pointed out very interesting things to us that most may have missed. The basilica was packed with people, as usual. She was able to maneuver our group effectively and made it possible for us to get some great photos. My only negative is that because I have been on the after-hours tour, I saw the difference of dealing with a large crowd and having these places to yourself. If you want to save your money, this tour was excellent. If you want to spend more, the evening tour is epic.
    Written 8 November 2024
  • StuartP388
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Grazzi !
    Monika was awesome - funny, knowledgeable and very considerate of her audience. Spoke.n English was 1st class. Meeting point is at the Front of Doge’s Palace - the front facing the lagoon - and on the benches to the right of the entrance. They give you a radio and headphones so you can hear the commentary and that works well too. Nothing not to like, and skipping any queue is always a good thing 😎
    Written 31 October 2024
  • olgadevuyst
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great tour
    Wonderful tour, I felt very lucky to yo be able to see these spaces while it wasn’t busy. Great descriptions, I was well taken care of! Thank you.
    Written 30 October 2024
  • 0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Doge’s Palace & St. Mark’s Basilica Group - English
    Wonderful tour and guide - perfect length. The only negative would be the crowds in Venice - although mornings seem to be a little less busy. Meet up was as decribed.
    Written 27 October 2024
See all 4,110 reviews
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles2,590 reviews
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2,237
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190
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W2874PEsandras
18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Solo
Really lovely trip to visit the glassworks in Murano and the delightful island of Burano with it's colourful houses and lovely ladies (mostly in their 80's!) still making beautifual handstitched lacework.
The Murano glasswork factory was amazing and following our tour of the shop floor, watching the glasswork masters at work, we then had a tour of the museum which was just amazing. Sadly we were not allowed to take photos in the museum but can guarantee it's worth seeing.
Frankie, our guide was friendly and provided a lot of historical information on both the outward and homeward boat trips. There was ample time to mooch around and take lots of photos, plus have a spot of lunch in Burano. The day was helped by the lovely sunny day, but I think it would have been equally as enjoyable whatever the weather.
All in all, I felt it was really good value for money. If you add the cost of the 4 boat journeys (Ven - Murano - Burano - Ven), a tour of the glassworks and a visit to the glassworks museum (which I cannot recommend enough), I think this tour was really good value for money. Would definitely recommend.
Written 29 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jesse A
1 contribution
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Our guide gioia was great and the company “city wonders” is the only company we had any success with in Italy out of 4 different tour services…. Overall I would recommend being very cautious booking tours in Italy most seem reputable and have good reviews but we found they seem to just hmmm …. Do whatever they feel like that day…..

As mentioned city wonders is the only really professional company we ran into… only reason for 4 stars is. Or enough time on murano…. Murano is to big for 1.5 hours so you see the first gallery you are taken too and then not enough time really to see more…… other then that well done
Written 16 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sally-Ann C
Melbourne, Australia161 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
We did the morning tour commencing at 10:30 and after a short trip across the lagoon we landed in Murano (first stop). Glass blowing demonstration was short but fascinating. We opted to remain at tue gallery for a look at the beautiful glass works and to purchase some small pieces to bring home. Be aware the glass here can be very expensive, but you understand why when you see the process used to create their unique pieces. Some of the group wandered around Murano - there are more glass shops near the town square.
Another short boat ride this time to thee colourful and picturesque island of Burano. Our lovely guide Joy provided an interesting commentary along the way describing both lagoon life and pointing out other islands along the journey.
Burano is perfection on an island, recommend getting off the beaten track of the main ‘street’ and exploring the many narrow laneways with their rich colourful homes. The church tower has a significant lean, making it a great focus for photos. Again our guide Joy provided details of where to eat, the best gelato and how to find the most colourful house in Burano.
Back on the boat for a trip back to Venice, with further commentary of the area, lagoon and wider Venice area.
Absolutely perfect way to spend 5 hours (felt much shorter than that). Thanks to Joy for being such an amazing hostess.
Highly recommend this tour.
Written 7 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

deanne n
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2024 • Family
I would NEVER recommend this tour group City Wonders Ltd. When arriving at the meeting point provided by City Wonders, it was clear their Google link brought us somewhere else. We had given ourselves plenty of time to arrive just in case we got lost. Since their meeting point was unclear, we sent a text message for clarification with the phone number provided. It came back undelivered(I do have an eSIM for travel) Then sent off an email explaining we were lost and required immediate assistance with NO response!! When we managed to find the meeting point, with the help of some locals, we were met with a rude tour guide that said “You are not part of my group “ I tried to explain that we we lost and if she could contact her employer City Wonders as we were having difficulty communicating with them, she said wait until the next tour guide arrives (30 minutes) Well she was even worse!! She would not help us or contact her employer. I did explain that we sent a message and email. We did receive an email 3 hours after explaining that they were sorry they didn’t get back to us sooner and they have been receiving a high volume of emails. Extremely poor customer service. The tour was sold out for the rest of the day, also NO refund.
Written 8 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

A m e l i e m
56 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Couples
Announcement of a private boat, of course it is a very beautiful and comfortable boat, but in the meantime there are 20 of us inside, all packed together, without exteriors, with mini windows where we see nothing from the outside...
Then we are promised a 3 hour stop on each island.. THIS IS FALSE, we stayed 1 hour max in Murano (counting the visit of the glass blowers, their demonstration not even 6 minutes..., but it's still impressive). We didn't have time to visit this island as we would have liked, very unfortunate. In Burano we stayed 1h25, also including the visit to the lace (5min), it's magnificent, but it's worth staying much longer than we did.
The guide (Serrena) was very nice, but the tour she gave us during the boat trips was not interesting, it was not fun, it was monotonous, boring, we all fell asleep...
Do not trust what is written in their description, NOTHING TO SEE…
I still advise you to visit these islands, but for yourself, take a boat bus ticket, for the islands, and visit them yourself, the same for the museums (glasswork and lace), within a few euros, you will take much more fun doing your little journey alone than with this company…
Thanks anyway to Serrena for being smiling throughout this journey!
Google
Written 9 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RobynSL
Melbourne, Australia180 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Interesting day to the islands but I think this tour is becoming stale.
I've done it before and I understand that most people on the tour haven't and probably found it quite interesting but......
The glass "master" didn't really exude any enthusiasm, we only saw a very quick ( less than 5 minute) demonstration and then we were shuffled in to the extremely over-priced showroom. Staff were nice enough doing their job hoping to snare a sale but when they can drop the advertised price by 10,000€ in an instant something isn't quite right. It's definitely a case of Caveat Emptor. Shop around through some Venetian shops ( make sure you look at genuine Venetian glass not imports from China) and you will find prices for similar items 50% less. Even the "tourist" pieces were double the price of Venice itself.
The boat tour was ok. Hot and stuffy inside the cabin but its summer so to be expected. The tour guide was lovely (Sabrina), very chatty and helpful but most of the commentary on the boat is difficult to understand through the microphone.
The last time I did a similar tour we were seated in a glass workshop looking down to the glass maker and the "show" ran for at least 15 minutes showing us two different pieces being made. This was disappointing to only see the last minute of a piece he was making for a group already in the workshop and then the obligatory blowing of a pretty terrible horse. Time to rethink how to entertain and inform the paying customer.
Written 28 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michael B
1 contribution
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Good way to get out of Venice and see two of the other islands. Our guide Matteo was very informative on the boat, pointing out things to see and giving information about how Venice was formed.

The actual tours around the glass blowing and lace we're fairly underwhelming. The glass blowing was cool to watch and the guide was good but it was only around 5 minutes before you are ushered into their shop. The glass shop was good, the pieces are expensive so treat it like a museum and just enjoy them for what they are.

The lace part on Burano was just a shop, again the people were nice and got to see someone making the lace by hand, but after 5 minutes it was over. Burano itself was lovely to walk around so worth going for that.

Ultimately we enjoyed the day out as we got to see other places, but its more about going to the other islands than touring the actual glass and lace factories, it's more of a taster of them.
Written 4 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Natasha A
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023
My mom and I took this tour in July 2023, and overall we were very pleased with the tour. I took motion sickness medication before getting on the boat which was key--the swells were large, especially in the morning when there was more traffic on the lagoon.
We went to Murano first and saw one of the more traditional glass making workshops and their showroom. Our only issue was that there weren't really any affordable souvenirs from the shop we were taken to. My mom got a teeny set of earrings for 25 Euros, the bracelets were like 75-100, and everything else was well over 100. Our guide said we could leave the showroom/explore the island a bit if we wanted for the last half hour, so my mom and I walked around and found Wave Murano Glass, another glass making workshop which employed young and diverse people. It was free to watch them make glass and their shop was much more affordable. We purchased a number of things from them and loved their overall vibe. This was our favorite part of the trip, and it was not part of the tour. We then returned to the group and got back on the boat, headed for Burano. Once there, it was a short hike to a lace shop. It wasn't much of a demonstration, but more so an explanation of how lace was made. Again, all of the souvenirs were very expensive, so we got a teeny bookmark as that is all we could afford! We had to get lunch on this island, but the heat was unbearable. Over 100 degrees with almost no shade. We found a restaurant with AC upstairs and didn't have much time to do any shopping before returning to the boat. We set off back for Venice, but strangely, the conclusion point was not as it was listed online, it was where we had departed at the statue. No problem for us, but be aware in case you are planning the rest of your day around the other location.
This is where we experienced the hottest weather with the least relief in all of Italy, so don't take this tour in the summer if you are not prepared or are too heat sensitive. Where we got off of the boat at the end, it was like a 1/4 mile shuffle through crowds in the sun back to St. Mark's Square, and this almost did us in.
Written 18 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

C1234indy
Seattle, WA85 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Claire was our guide on this fantastic tour of Morado and Burano! Our group was 16 people and we took a 30 minute boat ride to Murano and Claire told us lots of facts about the sites we were seeing along the way as well as about Murano. We then saw a an amazing 73 yo Master glassblower make two beautiful glass objects (a glass horse and a vase), each in a matter of minutes, which was so cool! We then got a 30% discount in the glass factory where we bought some authentic Murano glass to bring home. We had some time to walk around Marano and then took the boat ride to Burano, which was more beautiful as all of the buildings there are painted, distinct bright colors. After seeing a lace demonstration, we had an hour to wander around Burano which was great. We then took the 30 minute boat ride back to near Saint Mark’s Piazza. Claire was a fabulous guide, very educated and well spoken as she is a teacher. We give her and the tour five stars, and it was a great value at five hours for €42 (plus tip for Claire) who was well worth it! I highly recommend taking this tour if you are in Venice:)
Written 3 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Susan I
5 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2024 • Couples
Well organised trip. We were met by our guide Alessandra who from the start was very friendly and informative and as a native venetian was able to give us lots if information on the boat ride to the islands. The islands themselves are beautiful and well worth visiting. The glass blowing demonstration is amazing although we were not impressed by the request for tips after paying for the trip and seeing the prices of the murano glass. Thanks again to Alessandra, we really enjoyed our day.
Written 29 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

Murano & Burano Islands Guided Small-Group Tour by Private Boat provided by City Wonders

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