Venice, Italy: a beautiful city that was built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. This city is unique as it has zero roads and just canals with amazing sites surrounding you. So you don’t have to worry about cars while exploring this city! If you ever find yourself in Venice, then I highly recommend taking a half day boat tour to the islands of Torcello, Burano, and Murano. Take this 4 hour excursion and skip the popular touristy sites and explore some of the other islands that Venice has to offer. Each island had its own character and charm that I felt like I got dropped in to 3 completely different worlds at every stop.
What to Bring:
- Camera
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Water
- Lunch and snacks
- Extra money for shopping and food
Your boat trip begins near St Mark’s Square. You will find the company’s desk and check in while you wait for the other passengers. A hostess will then escort you to the dock where you board the boat and head towards your first stop! Another great thing about this tour is that your guide will provide you with tons of information about each island, so you learn a ton along the way!
Murano
The first stop that you make on your boat tour is to the island of Murano. This island is known for its glass making tradition. Once on the island you get the option to visit a glass factory where you can watch a glass blowing demonstration. I highly recommend this, the glass blower is beyond talented! The glass blower made a very detailed horse in under 2 minutes!! (see picture below)
Burano
Your second stop in on the magical island of Burano. This island is famous for it’s lace work and of course its colorful houses. It literally looks like a coloring book in real life! You get about 35 minutes to explore this island on your own. We highly enjoyed just walking around and admiring all the houses along the canals. Have your camera out for this one!
Torcello
Your final stop will be the island of Torcello. This island is a mixture of nature, architecture, religion, and history. This was the largest center of the Venetian Lagoon before the Republic of Venice came to be. Visit sites such as the Basilica of Santan Maria Assunta or Devil’s Bridge (if you dare! haha).
After your third stop you take a relaxing boat ride back to where you originally departed from and you can continue exploring the rest of the city. This boat tour opens your eyes to the other islands of Venice that most tourists don’t think about going to and the best part is this tour is very reasonably priced so if you are on a budget it won’t break the bank!
Check out my other blog about Venice on more things to do in this wonderful city! If you are continuing to travel through Italy, I highly recommend traveling to Rome and Florence. Italy is an amazing country with culture, history, and of course delicious food!
