Blog > 🌊 Murano, Burano, and Torcello: The Perfect Trip Among Colors, Glass, and Lagoon Silences
If you’re in Venice and have already had your fill of bridges, masks, and spritz at sunset, there’s a trio of islands waiting for you to make your dream day come true: Murano, Burano, and Torcello. A mix of art, traditions, vibrant colors, and ancient history, all within reach by vaporetto.
In this mini-guide, I’ll take you on a stroll through crackling furnaces, rainbow-colored houses, thousand-year-old mosaics, and… even a cemetery island! Ready to set sail?
To visit the islands of the lagoon, you need to take the vaporetto, Venice’s floating public transport.
💸 A single ticket costs €9.50 and lasts for 75 minutes, which, for a full day of exploration… isn’t enough.
✅ Smart Tip: Buy the Actv daily ticket (24h) for €25. It lets you hop on and off as many times as you want. Just three trips, and you’ve already covered the cost. Plus, no stress with schedules!
Murano is only 10 minutes from Venice, but its spirit is unique. Today famous worldwide for its artistic glass, it hides a… fiery history!
📜 Originally, all the furnaces were in Venice, but in 1291, they were moved to Murano for a very serious reason: the risk of fire. Venice is built on wooden piles, and fire was never its friend.
From that moment, Murano became the heart of glassmaking. The master glassmakers were almost considered nobility, but had to keep the techniques secret. Anyone who tried to escape with the knowledge… could vanish. (Forget spoilers on the internet!)
Next stop: Burano, an explosion of color about 30 minutes from Murano. It looks like it’s come out of a fairytale.
🎨 Why so colorful? Legend says fishermen painted their houses to find them in the fog and after a few drinks. The result is a living palette.
👗 Burano is also the cradle of Venetian lace, handmade with near-zen patience. A tradition that once dressed queens and doges.
If Burano is joy and Murano is creativity, Torcello is memory. A nearly mystical place where time stands still. It was one of the first important lagoon centers, even before Venice.
Today it has fewer than 20 residents, but a huge amount of history and charm.
🍷 Chic Tip: Treat yourself at Locanda Cipriani, loved by Hemingway and Queen Elizabeth.
Still have some time (and energy)? Visit San Michele, the cemetery island between Venice and Murano.
🌲 Among cypress trees and statues, rest famous figures like Stravinsky, Pound, and Scarpa. The Church of San Michele is a Renaissance gem.
⚠️ Check vaporetto schedules! The island closes with the cemetery, and vaporetti stop running in the evening. You don’t want to spend the night with… silent company!
Murano ignites you with fiery art, Burano makes you smile with colors, Torcello embraces you with ancient history, and San Michele… invites reflection. All in a single day, surrounded by calm waves, salty air, and dreamy vaporetto rides.
Have you already visited these islands? Which one was your favorite?