How to Get to Murano and Burano From Venice

There is no bridge to Murano or Burano — every visitor reaches them by water, and the way you cross the lagoon shapes the whole day. You have three realistic options: the public ACTV vaporetto (Venice’s water bus), a shared group boat tour, or a private boat. This guide lays out the routes, the times and the costs for each, so you can pick the one that fits your trip. If you would rather skip the logistics entirely, the featured Murano and Burano tour handles all of it on a private boat from the San Marco area.

The Three Ways to Cross the Lagoon

Option 1: Public Vaporetto (Water Bus)

The vaporetto is the independent traveller’s route. It is run by ACTV, Venice’s public transport operator, and it goes everywhere — but it is slow and gets crowded.

To reach Murano, take a vaporetto from the Fondamente Nove stop on Venice’s north edge; lines such as 4.1 and 4.2 serve the island. To then continue to Burano, switch to line 12, which runs from Fondamente Nove out to Murano, Burano, Torcello and beyond. Line 12 departs roughly every 30–40 minutes.

Fares: a single ticket costs €9.50 and is valid for 75 minutes, which is not long enough for a full island day with stops. Because a Murano–Burano trip needs several separate legs, the €25 day pass is the sensible buy — it pays for itself after about three rides. Tickets are available at ACTV offices at major stops or online to skip the queue.

The honest downside: counting Venice, Murano and Burano, you queue on a dock for every leg, the boats are packed at peak times, and there is no guide and no commentary. Plan on the full route taking 6–8 hours once waiting is included.

Option 2: Shared Group Boat Tour

A standard group boat tour is the middle option. You travel on a shared boat with a guide, usually with up to around 30 people, and many of these itineraries bundle in Torcello as a third island. Prices start from around $24 per person.

It is cheaper than a private boat and removes the queuing, but the experience is more rushed — packing three islands into 4–5 hours leaves less time on each — and a larger group around a single guide means you may find yourself straining to hear at the glassblowing demonstration.

Option 3: Private-Boat Tour

A private-boat tour is the fastest and most comfortable way to do Murano and Burano. The featured tour leaves from the San Marco area, crosses straight to Murano with no intermediate stops, and runs 5 hours end to end. Because the boat is private, transit time is roughly half the vaporetto’s — the Venice-to-Murano leg is about 10–15 minutes by private boat versus 25–40 minutes on the vaporetto with its stops and waits.

It also includes what the vaporetto cannot: a local English-speaking guide, a live glassblowing demonstration on Murano, a lacemaking demonstration on Burano, a 10%-or-more discount at the artisan venues, and a high-quality audio headset so engine noise never drowns out the guide. The featured tour intentionally skips Torcello, trading the third island for more time on the two main ones. It starts from $40 per person and is rated 4.7/5 by 6,165 guests, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Getting Between the Islands

Murano and Burano are not next to each other — Burano sits about 7 km north of Murano, across open lagoon. By public vaporetto, line 12 covers that leg in roughly 30 minutes, plus waiting time on each dock. On a private boat the same crossing takes about 25–30 minutes and is the most scenic stretch of the day: open water, small fishing islands, and the distant Alps on a clear day. On a guided tour you make the crossing directly, with no transfers and no queuing.

A Note on the Venice Access Fee

Venice charges day-trippers a small Access Fee (Contributo di Accesso) on selected peak-season days when they enter the historic centre during daytime hours. Good news for island day-trippers: the lagoon islands — Murano, Burano and Torcello — are exempt; the fee applies only to Venice’s historic centre. Visiting the islands triggers no extra charge. If your day also includes central Venice on a fee date, register and pay in advance at the official portal, cda.ve.it. (Dates and amounts change year to year — verify before you travel.)

Which Should You Choose?

• Choose the vaporetto if you are travelling on the tightest budget, are comfortable navigating routes yourself, and do not mind losing time to queues.
• Choose a group tour if you want a guide and no queuing at a lower price, and do not mind a larger group and a faster pace.
• Choose a private-boat tour if you want the fastest crossings, the demos, an audio headset, and a paced day on both islands.

For most first-time visitors, the private-boat tour is the best value once you count what is included — it is not far above the all-day vaporetto pass in price, but it adds the guide, both craft demonstrations, and the time savings. See our private boat vs vaporetto comparison for the full side-by-side.

Ready to Book?

The simplest way to get to Murano and Burano from Venice is to let someone else handle the crossing. The featured private-boat tour collects you at the San Marco area, runs 5 hours across both islands, includes the glassblowing and lacemaking demonstrations and an audio headset, and is rated 4.7/5 by 6,165 guests. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. See the featured Murano and Burano tour →