Venice 3 Island Tour – Murano, Torcello & Burano

During the first half of the day in Venice’s main island, we strolled the famous streets, squares, and experienced the gondola ride. The other half-day we spent touring the highly recommended three island tour which allows you to wander through the nearby islands and also to enjoy a ride in the Adriatic. We were given 50 mins to explore each island. This tour was the highlight of our trip. 

Tickets

We bought the tickets in the St. Mark’s Square. It is a 4.5 hour guided tour for 20 € per person. The seats are limited so it’s better to book early. If you want the beat the queue, you can even book tickets online. If you book online, make sure to have a printed confirmation of your ticket. There are many tour operators for these islands. So the start point may slightly differ. Make sure you reach the start-point 15 min in advance.

Murano

Murano was 30 minutes away from the start point (S. Marco Giardinetti). This island is mainly known for its glass industry. A free demo by an expert was included in the trip. I had seen a lot of videos on Facebook and was nice to watch him live in action.

There is a shop to buy these glass articles, but they are expensive starting from 30€ for a small-sized item. We felt that they are not worth so much money. You can take a walk around the island and explore the place. But we lost all the time inside the glass factory and could not tour the island. We felt 50 mins were too less and another 30 mins would have been better.

Torcello

Torcello is 20 mins away from Murano. The fun fact is that there are only 11 residents on this island. There is nothing much to see except for a church, a garden, and a few souvenir shops.

To reach the centre, it is a 20 min walk from the boat docking point. You will not miss anything great if you skip visiting this island. The choice is up to you.

Burano

Out of the three islands, Burano is my personal favourite and the most colourful island in Venice. It is beautiful and very different from the main Venice island. All the houses are painted in different vibrant colours. This island is picturesque and a feast for the eyes.

You can get some amazing pictures here. We walked around the island to get some Burano vibes. 50 mins were not sufficient to walk around the island. It is a surreal location. How I wish I could spend an entire day on this island!!! 

Review

The 4.5 hours three island tour was not enough to explore these beautiful small islands. So if you have more than a day in Venice, then we would recommend a full-day tour to these islands. You can allocate an entire day at the Island Tour and another day to explore the different locations in Venice. You will not regret it. Overall experience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5. Time of visit: JUNE 2019

‘‘Great things never come from comfort zones”- Anonymous