The 11 Venice Boat Tours That Earn Their Price

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

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

Cruise from Venice to Murano, Torcello, and Burano with multilingual commentary, a glassblowing demonstration, a lace-shop visit, and free time on each island. The tour lasts about 4.5 to 5.5 hours and costs $29. It is a brisk introduction, not a fully guided walking tour, so bring lunch and keep an eye on the return time.

“This tour was great going to the Islands, Torcello could of been left out, not much there really. I liked how you had your own free time to explore the Islands at your own leisure. AAA+++”

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2.Murano & Burano: Boat Tour with Guide & Glass Factory Visit

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 10,716 reviews · 4.5 - 7 hours · from $23Best value

Travel by comfortable boat from Venice to Murano and Burano with an onboard guide speaking Italian, English, German, French, and Spanish. Watch a short glassblowing demonstration, browse Murano shops, then walk Burano’s colorful canals. Depending on your booking, the trip lasts 4.5 to 7 hours.

“The boat tour is very pleasant. We had our seats properly. Even though it was super foggy at the beginning of the tour on the boat, when we arrived at Murano, the weather was amazing. A short demonstration of the glass blowing technique and some shopping at Murano. We then went on to go to Burano with plenty of time to visit the colorful village. It was vibrant yet some areas were so peaceful. We went from 10am and stayed a little longer on Burano to have lunch and then left at 16:15 with a beautiful sunset. The whole experience is very nice with smooth transportation. The guide through a…”

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

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

Take a six-hour panoramic boat trip from St. Mark’s to Murano, Burano, and Torcello. You’ll watch a short glassblowing demonstration, browse a Murano factory with a 10% discount, stroll Burano’s colorful lanes, and see Torcello’s ancient sights. A multilingual host gives commentary on board, but island visits are self-guided.

“lovely day. unfortunately it was very hot. the glass blowing was fantastic.”

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

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

Travel from central Venice to Murano and Burano by private water taxi with a guide such as Silvia, Serena, Frankie, or Elena. Watch glassblowing, see handmade lace, browse colorful canals, and return by boat. Groups are limited to 22, though demonstrations are brief and much of the island time is independent.

“Great guided tour. Sylvia was very informative and had a lot of stories to tell about the other islands surrounding Murano and Bruano. The glass making was very interesting to watch and seeing all the products in the shop that was made were all very beautifully crafted. Bruano was gorgeous with all the colourful houses and we got some very yummy Gelato from there. Highly recommend doing this tour!”

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5.Murano & Burano Panoramic Boat Tour w/ Glassblowing

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

Leave Venice’s St. Mark’s area by comfortable panoramic boat for a half-day visit to Murano and Burano. Watch a glass master work, browse the factory gallery with 10% off, then enjoy more than an hour among Burano’s painted houses, lace shops, cafés, and canals. Multilingual guides, including Francesca and Eva on some departures, provide information en route.

“great value! relaxing boat ride with beautiful views to murano, where you sit and watch a glass blower make a couple of items with commentary in 🇬🇧🇮🇹🇫🇷🇩🇪🇪🇸. then you get free time to walk around the gift shop, which is really cool because there are all kinds of glass souvenirs, it's kinda like a gallery tbh! then another ride to burano, where you get 1h+ free time to walk around a beautiful town. a fair few tourists but not too many. lots of restaurants, lace shops, market stalls, bridges. then a relaxing boat ride home. i felt that we were given a good amount of time, it wasn't rushed. if…”

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6.Murano & Burano Guided Tour by Private Boat with Glassmaking

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 5,658 reviews · 5 hours · from $35

See Murano glass made before your eyes, then visit Burano for traditional lace work and candy-colored houses. Guides such as Serena, Elena, Monica, and Frankie bring Venetian history to life during the boat rides. You get about 100 minutes on Murano and 90 minutes on Burano, with time to shop, eat, and wander.

“Elly was a fantastic guide and was super charming and knowledgeable. Allora!”

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

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

Begin near Giardini Reali with an English-speaking guide, then tour St. Mark’s Basilica, Campo Santa Maria Formosa, Castello’s lanes, and Venetian landmarks. A separate one-hour boat tour follows later, with space for only 8 or 9 people per boat. Guides may include local experts such as Christina Pigozzo, Adriana, or Francesco.

“Arriana was very friendly and accommodating to our group. The boat and chuch tours were interesting.”

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8.Private Gondola Cruise for up to 5 Passengers

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 3,106 reviews · from $157 per boat, seats 5

Take a private gondola for up to five passengers through Venice’s Grand Canal and smaller historic canals. The 30-minute ride has no included commentary or serenade, but your gondolier may chat or simply steer while you enjoy palace façades, bridges, and excellent photo views. Day and evening departures are available.

“The area is a little hectic and chaotic but once you get yourself situated, it is well worth it! We had an excellent gondelier, very friendly and so much fun!”

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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 an English- or Spanish-speaking guide. Watch a glassblowing demonstration, see traditional lacework, and enjoy free time among Burano’s colorful houses. Guides such as Flavia, Claudia, Nicole, and Silvia are praised for clear explanations and warm, helpful service.

“excellent tour, really enjoyed it, Francesca was great, very passionate & giving plenty of information and recommendations”

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10.Catamaran Sunset Jazz Cruise with Aperitivo

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

Spend 90 minutes aboard a spacious catamaran with host Andreas and his friendly crew, sailing from Riva dei Sette Martiri past San Marco Bay, the Giudecca Canal, and toward Lido. A saxophonist plays jazz, bossa, and soul while you enjoy cicchetti and one included drink. Extra beverages are available from the cash bar.

“Loved the whole experience hosts where great wine was good and the catamaran roomy . Highly recommend”

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11.Murano, Burano & Torcello Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 302 reviews · 6 hours · from $36

From St. Mark’s waterfront, you’ll cruise past San Giorgio Maggiore, Sant’Elena, and the Lido before stopping at Murano for a glassblowing demonstration and Burano for colorful streets, lace shops, and lunch. Choose the Three Islands option to add Torcello, its ancient church, and Attila’s Throne. Guides speak English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.

“Fantiasic friendly guide. The man serving at ticket stand was very rude.”

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