The 12 Boat Tours in Venice We Would Book First

1.Boat Trip: Glimpse of Murano, Torcello & Burano Islands

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 15,699 reviews · 4.5 - 5.5 hours · from $29Our pick

Cruise from near Saint Mark’s Square or Santa Lucia Station to Murano, Torcello, and Burano. You’ll watch a glass-blowing demonstration, see Burano’s lace tradition, and explore each island independently, with about 45 minutes per stop and commentary in five languages.

“the trip was really nice, the Burano stop should be a bit longer, perhaps an extra 30 min, apart from it it was perfect.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Burano, Torcello & Murano Boat Tour w/Glassblowing

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 10,245 reviews · 6 hours · from $28Best value

Ride a panoramic boat from St. Mark’s to Murano, Burano, and Torcello. You’ll see a glassblowing demonstration, get free time on each island, and hear multilingual commentary from a host such as Francesca. The pace is brisk, but the $28 price covers a lot of Venice lagoon scenery.

“This trip was awesome for a visit to all of the close islands to Venice. We had great transportation with an amazing view, were given very clear instructions on meeting points and times, and had lots of time to visit each island ourselves. This was 100% worth our money.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Murano and Burano Boat Tour with Glass Factory Visit

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 9,527 reviews · from $34

Sail from San Marco or Venice’s train station to Murano and Burano with a multilingual guide and assistant. Watch a short glass-blowing demonstration, then explore both islands independently. Expect a comfortable boat, open-air terrace views, fixed return times, and no food included.

“Fantastic day trip. Just the right amount of time with kids, and our guide helped with timing to ensure we were back in time. The glass blowing demonstration was fantastic, about 10 minutes, but not much free time in Murano although not needed. Free time around Burano was great, beautiful little village.”

Check availability →Read our full review

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

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 7,580 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $36

Cruise from central Venice to Murano and Burano with a guide such as Silvia, Frankie, or Elena. Watch glassblowing, see hand-stitched lace when available, explore colorful Burano, and return by private boat. Groups are limited to 22, with about two and a half hours on each island.

“Our adventure on Murano and Burano was a wonderful experience. Rachel our guide was excellent. She was very knowledgeable with also personable as well. I would highly recommend this tour and Rachel as a guide!”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Murano & Burano Panoramic Boat Tour w/ Glassblowing

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 6,212 reviews · 4 - 4.5 hours · from $29

Leave from St. Mark’s area for a 4 to 4.5-hour boat trip to Murano and Burano. Watch a Murano glass master at work, browse the factory gallery, then stroll Burano’s painted houses, lace shops, canals, and cafés. Commentary is offered in English, Italian, French, Spanish, and German.

“lovely boat ride to murano. Glass making experience in the factory was lovely. burano was also sweet. all in all a great half day spent on the tour.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Murano & Burano Guided Tour by Private Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 4,170 reviews · from $61

Spend five hours visiting Murano and Burano by private or small-group boat. Guides such as Elena, Manu, Anna, and Elly explain Venetian life, glassmaking, and lace. You will see working artisans, explore colorful island streets, and have free time for photos, food, and shopping.

“Chiara was a very knowledgeable and entertaining guide. The tour itself was very enjoyable and I would thoroughly recommend.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Private 3 hrs Venice Tour: St Mark’s, Walking tour & Boat tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 3,372 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $480

Begin at the Royal Gardens near St. Mark’s Square with an English-speaking guide, then enter St. Mark’s Basilica, walk through Castello’s quiet lanes, and take a one-hour Grand Canal boat tour. Guides may include local experts such as Cristina Pigozzo, Francesco, or Adriana. Note the break between tours.

“Both guides had a wealth of knowledge and were very pleasant and accommodating. I suggest seeing Venice via foot and boat as you get two very different perspectives.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Private Gondola Cruise for up to 5 Passengers

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 3,106 reviews

Share a traditional gondola with up to five passengers on a private 30-minute cruise from Campo San Luca. You’ll pass along the Grand Canal and quieter waterways, with daytime and evening departures. This includes no serenade, guide, or set commentary, so the focus is the ride and the views.

“Was worth the money for scenery. The gondolier didn’t speak but we didn’t pay for a tour guide on top but amazing views for photos and definitely worth a private gondola for that”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Murano and Burano Half-Day Island Tour by Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,489 reviews · 3 - 9.5 hours · from $34

Travel by boat from Venice to Murano and Burano with a Spanish- or English-speaking guide. See a live glassblowing demonstration, watch traditional lace-making, photograph Burano’s colorful houses, and enjoy free time for shops, cafés, and gelato.

“Flavia was amazing! The day was absolutely stunning, in recommend this trip to everyone! ❤️”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Catamaran Sunset Jazz Cruise with Aperitivo

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,206 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $94

Spend 90 minutes cruising San Marco Bay, the Giudecca Canal, and the lagoon toward Lido on a roomy catamaran. Andreas and his crew serve Venetian cicchetti and one drink, while a live saxophonist plays jazz, bossa, and soul as Venice slips into sunset.

“This was amazing! We sat at the front and got incredible views with delicious drinks and amazing music. Perfect first night for our honeymoon in Venice!”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Punta Sabbioni: Murano, Burano & Torcello Guided Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 236 reviews · 7 hours · from $35

Spend seven hours cruising the Venetian Lagoon from Punta Sabbioni to Murano, Burano, and Torcello. A multilingual guide explains the islands, Murano includes a glassblowing demonstration, Burano offers two hours to wander, and Torcello brings Byzantine mosaics and a historic cathedral.

“A wonderful trip overall. Would have loved an extra half hour in Murano- a lot of time spent picking up passengers in Venice (we went from Punto Sabbione). Great guide, beautiful locations. Glass demonstration was great but one young staff member who was at door between stairs and exit shop was really rude- she physically shoved my teenage daughter to get her to go the right way and was really sharp when I asked a question (also condescendingly corrected my Italian pronunciation). I should have said something to her at the time but I was taken aback. Otherwise great!”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.From Punta Sabbioni: Murano and Burano Islands Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 225 reviews · 5 hours · from $29

From Punta Sabbioni, a multilingual guide takes you by boat to Murano for a glassmaking demonstration and Burano for colorful streets, lace shops, and photos. You get about an hour on Murano and 75 minutes on Burano, with a brief San Marco stop along the way.

“Nem mondták, hogy Velencében köt ki először a hajó, ezért többen azt hittük, hogy rossz hajón vagyunk. Muránóban kevés volt az idő szétnézni. De összességében jó volt.”

Check availability →Read our full review