The 15 Best Boat Trips in Venice

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 in about five hours. Watch a glass-blowing demonstration, stroll quiet Torcello, and explore Burano’s painted houses and lace shops. A multilingual host provides commentary onboard, while you explore each island independently. Bring lunch, as the stops are short.

“Everything is good, easy to reach location, convenient, comfortable and on time to explorer the islands. Just if can stay a bit longer time in Burano for lunch will be prefect.”

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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

Cruise from Venice to Murano and Burano with a multilingual guide, a live Murano glassblowing demonstration, and free time on both islands. Isabel is one guide praised for her friendly, clear help. Choose a shorter or longer option, enjoy lagoon views from the boat’s terrace, and return to Venice after a relaxed island outing.

“Everything go well, really smoothly. The tour guide is reliable.”

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

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

From St. Mark’s, ride a panoramic boat through the Venetian Lagoon to Murano, Burano, and Torcello. You’ll watch a short glassblowing demonstration, get free time on each island, and hear multilingual commentary from a host such as Francesca. This is a flexible sightseeing trip, not a guided walking tour.

“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 local guide. Watch glassblowing, see handmade lace, browse colorful canals, and enjoy free time on both islands. Guides have included Silvia, Serena, Frankie, Alice, and Elena. The five-hour tour costs $36.28 per person and runs in English.

“Had a nice boat ride to the islands of Murano and Burano. The guide was very knowledgeable and loved the explanation as to the creation of the Venice. The colorful homes and village in Burano was spectacular not to mention the impressive glass making example in Murano. Definitely worth seeing!!”

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5.Venice: Murano & Burano Panoramic Boat Tour w/ Glassblowing

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

Spend four to four and a half hours by boat visiting Murano and Burano from Venice. Watch a glass master work in Murano, browse the factory gallery with a 10% discount, then enjoy free time among Burano’s painted houses, lace shops, cafés, and canals. Multilingual guides provide commentary in five languages.

“Fabulous experience, lovely tour guides, incredible value, had a great time visiting the two venetian islands on my solo trip to Italy. And seeing a glass blowing performance by a master was magical. Thanks to everyone who works for this company, grazie mille.”

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

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

Take a five-hour small-group boat trip from Venice to Murano and Burano with guides such as Serena, Elena, Frankie, or Monica. Watch a glassblower shape molten glass, see lace made by hand, stroll Burano’s colorful canals, and shop with a 10% or greater discount. Expect moderate walking and limited free time on each island.

“Elena is a great host with local knowledge and sensible recommendations. Lots of good stories on the boat, making the rides short.”

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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

Start near the Giardini Reali with a guided walk through St. Mark’s Square, skip the basilica queue, and explore Castello’s narrow lanes. After a free-time break, join a small boat ride along the Grand Canal and lesser canals. Private upgrades are available, and guides may include Christina Pigozzo, Adriana, or Francesco.

“Tour guide was so sweet and accommodated us with a private tour of the city and water taxi trip in and out of the grand canal seeing unique spots not listed in this description. St. Mark basilica was special and very sacred.”

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8.Venice: Private Gondola Cruise for up to 5 Passengers

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 3,106 reviews

You’ll board a traditional gondola for a private 30-minute cruise through Venice, with time on the Grand Canal and smaller canals. The ride is for your group only, with no included commentary or serenade. Day and evening departures are available, and the gondolier may vary.

“Beautiful sights and gondola. Water traffic was busier than expected but I know that can’t be controlled”

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9.From Venice: 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 lace making, and enjoy free time among Burano’s colorful houses. The $34 small-group tour is well suited to first-time visitors, though many people want more time on Burano.

“Upon arrival at the dock in Murano there was an incident involving a gentleman. Flavia handled this extraordinary incident with such grace and professionalism! As a guide I can’t even imagine what must have been going through her head, however she tended to all of her guests to ensure everyone continued to enjoy their adventure! Of course we never heard anything more regarding the gentleman, so we pray that he has remained of good health! To the young woman from Sweden, travelling on your own, studying to be a doctor, your quick reactions were commendable, and my heart went out to you watching you process the events after the fact.…”

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10.Venice: Catamaran Sunset Jazz Cruise with Aperitivo

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

Spend 90 minutes aboard a roomy catamaran with host Andreas and his attentive crew. Cruise San Marco Bay, the Giudecca Canal, and the lagoon toward Lido while a saxophonist plays jazz, bossa, and soul. Your ticket includes cicchetti and one drink, with extra cocktails available from the onboard bar.

“Really excellent experience vibe was great, views and drinks where nice. Alls I would say is have the option for card payment also for extra drinks. The 1st one is free but we had to Goto a card machine and come back to pay”

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11.Private Venice 2 hrs Tour: Boat & Walking Tour with food tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 688 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $402

Spend about two hours seeing Venice by boat and on foot. Cruise the Grand Canal and Cannaregio canals, pass San Giovanni e Paolo and Madonna dell’Orto, then walk near Campo Santa Maria Formosa and Marco Polo’s house. Finish with pastry and coffee or cicchetti with wine. The boat holds up to eight people.

“We were told to meet at a meeting point for 17:00, however no one was there. We ended up missing it. Poor”

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12.Venice: Guided Islands Cruise to Murano, Burano & Torcello

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 544 reviews · 270 - 330 minutes · from $25

Join a 4.5 to 5.5-hour guided boat tour from Venice to Murano, Burano, and Torcello. Watch a glassblowing demonstration, see lace made in Burano, walk through Torcello, and enjoy lagoon views. Guides speak English, Spanish, Italian, and French. Optional Venetian snacks with wine or Prosecco are available.

“Great organization, beautiful islands and a fantastic tour guide.”

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13.Half Day Murano and Burano Island Tour by Private Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 529 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $29

Spend about 4.5 hours visiting Murano and Burano from Venice by private boat. Watch a glassblower work, see traditional lace made by hand, and explore colorful Burano with an English-speaking guide such as Silvia, Nicole, or Francesca. The tour includes round-trip transport and free time, but group sizes and island time can vary.

“This is a great package to see both islands and you have free time after the demonstrations. The Murano Glass Gallery is beautiful and Burano itself is a must see. Our Guide Sylvia was amazing. She was very knowledgable and made the trip fun! Worth every penny.”

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14.Venice Sunset Cruise by Typical Venetian Boat with Prosecco

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 505 reviews · 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.) · from $114Top rated

Meet your skipper at Ospedale vaporetto station for a 1-hour-45-minute cruise on a traditional sampierotta or bragozzo. Guides such as Leonardo and Tommaso share Venetian stories as you pass St. Mark’s, San Giorgio Maggiore, Lido, San Lazzaro degli Armeni, and other lagoon islands. Prosecco is included, and the group is limited to 11.

“So we were left to the whims of Mother Nature when we took this sunset cruise in Venice. It was raining all morning but finally stopped about an hour before the cruise. However, even with the cloudy skies, it was a really nice experience. We had a small group onboard, consisting of me and my husband and 2 other guests. Plenty of champagne to go around! Our skipper, Tommaso, was fantastic. He apologized for the weather, even though there was nothing he could do about it, but made our overcast voyage very enjoyable! He was humorous and very knowledgeable about the city and surrounding islands. He was also quite easy…”

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15.Venice: Sunset Cruise by Typical Venetian Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 268 reviews

Spend 105 minutes cruising Venice’s outer lagoon aboard a Bragozzo or, for four or fewer people, a Sampierotta. Guides such as Leonardo and Tommaso share stories in English, Spanish, or Italian while you pass San Giorgio Maggiore, Giudecca, the Lido, and quieter islands. Prosecco is served as the sky turns gold.

“Maybe considering the price would be nice to go visit the island for 10/15 min”

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