Small boats cover more of the lagoon than a gondola and can reach islands, canals and waterside palaces in one route. Passenger count and boat style shape the experience.
Venice · VENICE BOAT TOURS & CRUISES
39 ways to explore
Small boats cover more water than a gondola and can connect islands, canals and waterside palaces. Compare passenger count, route and the kind of boat before choosing.
Half day boat tour from Venice to Murano, Torcello, and Burano, with glass blowing, lace shopping, and free time on each island.
“It is an awesome opportunity to explore the nearby islands for a fraction of price. Two things to improve: - better sound quality on the boat (it was almost impossible to understand anything that was said) - slightly more time in Murano.”
A 6-hour Venice lagoon boat trip to Murano, Burano, and Torcello, with a Murano glassblowing demo and factory discount for $28.
“Very easy booking process. Able to find the yellow stand easily, register and then find our guide and boat. Plenty of seats, took an inflatable cushion for the hard seats though after reading another review! Booked for the day we went as temperatures in Venice were going to be warm, had a nice breeze on the boat. Glass blowing demo was a little short, only made 2 things quickly but gotta admire his skills! Received 10% voucher for the shop which I used as I bought 2 pairs of Murano ear rings. Didn't have time to wander Murano though. Burano was lovely and relaxing, not too busy and we found…”
Venice lagoon boat trip to Murano and Burano with a glass factory visit and demo, plus real free time on the colorful islands.
“In time, clean boat and friendly staff. We didn’t have a guide until we reached Murano so missed out on the commentary and information until there”
Guided small-group private boat to Murano glassmaking and Burano lace, with time to wander, colorful photos, and expert storytelling.
“Silvia, was a excellent host, very informative. Couldn’t have asked for a better guide. Would try to request her again”
Half-day panoramic boat to Murano and Burano with a glassblowing demo in Murano and free time in Burano’s colorful lace town.
“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.”
Private boat to Murano and Burano with glassblowing and lace demos, plus free time on two artisan islands near Venice.
“Romi was great! We learned a lot about the geography and history of Venice. We also had plenty of time to explore after the glassmaking and lacemaking demo.”
A 3-hour Venice tour with skip-the-line St Mark’s Basilica, a guided walking loop through classic and lesser-seen lanes, plus a Grand Canal boat ride.
“This was our first trip to Venice, and with only two days to tour, we opted for the Venice in 1 Day: St Mark's Basilica, Walking & Boat Tour. Our Guide, Christina Pigozzo, is a local native of Venice, and gave us a very detailed tour of St. Mark's Basilica and square, the local area, a skyline view, and a fantastic boat tour. Overall a very professional, worthwhile, and affordable tour by an incredible guide with extensive knowledge! Highly recommend!”
Small-group boat from Venice to Murano and Burano for glassblowing and lace-making, colorful houses, and guided island history.
“the tour was very interesting. The glass blowing demonstration was amazing. Our guide Nicole filled us in with Venetian history, just enough to whet my appetite for more! We had a lovely lunch in Burano, a very pretty village where the lace is made.”
Murano glass, Burano lace and color, Torcello quiet sights. Multilingual boat ride from St. Mark Square, 4.5 to 6 hours.
“Presque parfait , on aurait préféré rester plus longtemps à Burano et un peu moins à Murano. Torcello … rien à voir …”
Candlelit dinner on a Venetian Galleon, sailing the lagoon by night for views of San Marco, Murano, and Burano with wine and Prosecco.
“All our guides were great. Not a rushed activity, enough time to have lunch. Gondola ride, guided doges museum and Murano visits were all great!”
Venice sunset jazz on a spacious catamaran with a free spritz or prosecco, cicchetti, and saxophone on the lagoon.
“Loved the whole experience hosts where great wine was good and the catamaran roomy . Highly recommend”
One-hour Grand Canal motorboat tour from St Mark’s, seeing Rialto, Ca’ Pisani Moretta, La Salute, and the modern glass bridge.
“The guide was very knowledgable and pointed out lots of places of interest and some interesting facts. The sun was setting during the second half of the one hour trip which made it even more enjoyable. We were happy we saw all the famous landmarks so well worth the money”
2-hour Venice boat and walk from St. Mark’s, Grand Canal landmarks, hidden canals, and a pastry or cicchetti tasting.
“Guide was very knowledgeable! Loved the history of the buildings she pointed out. Boat was comfortable but could use more openings for tourists to stand up and see sights better.”
Half-day boat tour for Murano glass, Burano lace and color, plus optional Torcello history, guided with tickets.
“Not pleasant and stressful. No signage or communication during tour. Was more odd a hop on and hop off of Lagoon tour.”
See Murano glassblowing and Burano lacemaking on a half-day private boat tour from Venice, with guided time to explore both islands.
“A fantastic escape from the Venice crowds! Taking a boat for a half-day tour of Murano and Burano was worth every penny. Seeing the glass-blowing demonstration up close and personal was an absolute highlight—I even found a beautiful set of glass rosary beads for my mom at the factory for a very fair price. Burano was equally lovely with its wonderful small restaurants and family-run shops. My best advice: be inquisitive and talk to the locals and support their local shops! If you show genuine interest and respect, you’ll have a much richer experience. I would definitely do this tour again!”
