Murano, Burano, And Torcello Islands: Is it Worth Leaving Venice?

When you visit Venice, there is a lot of built-up hype about visiting the brother islands of Murano, Burano, and Torcello on the Venetian Lagoon. Some people claim that visiting these islands are a little more “off-the-beaten-tourist-path” than the rest of Venice. So naturally, I had to see what the fuss was about. So, I found a boat that would take me there for 20 €.

I arrived at the San Marco port to catch my boat. To (not so much) of my surprise, the boat was the size of a large ferry, and there were about 200 tourists on board besides myself. Let the sheep herding begin…

First Stop:

Murano. Murano is known for its glassmaking. There, you will arrive and be herded straight into the doors of the glass factory. You will then wait on a 15 minute line to see the glass making demonstration. If all these people are waiting on line, it must be pretty cool, right? Well, don’t always trust people. Or tourists, that is. We are suckers for “the hype.” The glass demonstration was kinda cool, if you’re into that kinda thing. A guy put some raw glass on a long wooden torch, put it in a coal fire, then molded the hot glass with a few cool tools and fancy spinning techniques. The audience “ooed” and “ahhhed”, and 10 minutes later it was done. This cute little guy was the final product…OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWe were then herded into the shiny gift shop. There, you could buy all sorts of glass “chotchkies” to bring home to Grammy and Pops; for a high price, of course. If you so please to explore outside of the factory, there is a whole strip of overpriced glass boutiques. All catering to the herds of tourist sheep, of course. Don’t get me wrong, some of this stuff is really beautiful. But you can also find it for a cheaper price elsewhere, without leaving the city. But then again, you do get the novelty of saying “yes, I bought this shiny glass fish at THE Murano Glass factory.” Up to you. 

Burano. Ok, this was the island I was really looking forward to. This small island is historically known for its lacemaking, fisherman, and of course, colorful houses. When doing research, the island looked beeeeautiful, full of ambience and a story to be told. Upon arrival to the island, I was greeted by these animated picturesque homes that I had seen in all of the Google photos…OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAnd after this strip of houses…that was about it. The center of the little island was full of touristy little lace shops and restaurants. If you like the traditional Italian lace, than you would have a field day. Or rather, if your grandma likes Italian lace, bada bing bada boomYou have found your souvenir. If you find the lace shops to be rather boring, repetitive and well…ugly, you can always fill your time on the island by eating. But then again did you leave Venice, the city of INCREDIBLE restaurants on every corner, to eat at a mediocre tourist haven for lunch? That’s what Daddy Halapeño and I ended up doing, cause we couldn’t figure out much else to do. But hey, a pizza rollup is never a bad idea…

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(Don’t worry, they sell these scrumptious pizza rollups all over Venice)

Torcello. The story of this island is actually really cool. And creepy. This now completely abandoned Island (with an exception of tourist visitors) was once a city larger than Venice. After the bubonic Italian plague struck in 1630, the island was pretty much wiped out of all inhabitants. All that is left now is a 1,000 year old Cathedral with some cool mosaic tiles, and a few renovated tourist restaurants. This is the most noteworthy thing I saw on the island…

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Yes. These mosaic tiles were the most exciting thing…

IN CONCLUSIONIs it worth leaving the city of Venice to visit its much smaller brothers?

If you are bathing in extra time? Sure, why not. Just know what to expect. My main advice is DO NOT take the Viator guided tour like I did (I was with Daddy Halapeño, so he insisted on this route). But seriously, you will save €€€ if you take the ACTV Public Waterbus System, and you won’t feel like a herd of sheep like I did. This option will also allow you to pick which islands to visit. So, if you are not into seeing glassmakers or abandoned islands re-conquered by tourists, you don’t have to. MY BIGGEST RECOMMENDATION*: If you choose to see the outlying islands, there is an option to purchase a 3 Day unlimited water bus pass for young people, ages 14-29. It is 20€ (plus 4€ to buy the initial card), which is basically the price of the guided tour itself. If you buy this, you will have the luxury of going wherever you want for three days.  Here are the fares and routes.

But if you only have a few days in Venice? NO. NO NO NO. Don’t waste a whole day. The actual city of Venice is way, way cooler.

What are your thoughts on these partnering islands of Venice? Think it’s worth the visit? If you have a different opinion, share share! A good debate is always welcome 😉

8 thoughts on “Murano, Burano, And Torcello Islands: Is it Worth Leaving Venice?

  1. My Casie – I’ll soon sound like a broken record!!!! You are remarkable!!!! Just want to say I was in the incredible city of Venice in 1964 – and never visited any of those islands because even then it was all about tourists and that was generally not my thing!!! Within the city of Venice was a store selling Venini glass – one of the most prestigious makers of glass then and yet still today. When you’re home I’ll share with you the story of my purchase of 6 magnificent handblown Venini wine glasses which I carried with me all through my month in Europe – it was my treasure – I still have them – and they are worth a lot more today than what I paid – even though for me it was a fortune in those days!!!! I love you dearly. Aunti “Mame” Lenore – to Daddy Jalapeno and you!!!!

  2. I can’t believe you carried those Venini glasses with you throughout Europe! I tried carrying a beer glass with me while backpacking for a month… it was given to me at the famous Deliirium in Brussels by a waiter. However, it was taking up too much space so I had to part my ways :/ It’s amazing that you still have it!

  3. Hey. I am glad I read your blog about the islands. My partner and I are going to Venice for 5 nights in Sept. We try to avoid the tourist hoards where possible but understand this will be difficult in Venice. What are your tips for getting the best out of 5 days in Venice and getting to see the highlights. Any must do’s and don’ts? Best Wishes from the Higlands of Scotland. Johnner

    1. Hi Johnner! Well, for all of your food needs, I’ve got you covered. My absolute favorite restaurant there was Ca D’Oro alla Vedova, a real hidden gem frequented by locals. And here’s a list of all my favorite food finds: http://awanderingcasiedilla.com/for-when-you-wander-hungry-recommendations/italy/venice-food/

      As for sights, you said it – Venice is a city for tourists, so there’s no real such thing as escaping them. The best way to see the city is wandering through the stunning alleys, getting lost in the canal-lined streets, and admiring every beautiful detail in every corner! Forget the map for a day, wander and see where that takes you. That’s the best advice I can give! And if you want to escape the tourists, there are some beautiful villages outside of Venice that you can visit: Arquà Petrarca, Asolo and Marostica.

      I hope this helps, and enjoy your trip!!

      Happy wandering,
      Casie (AWC)

  4. Great post! Is the first one that I have read that actually questions is it worth to visit the island or not, and I am pleasantly surprised. Murano is still my favorite – the only thing to watch if you’re buying glass is the authenticity as you can get scammed pretty easily. Love the pictures though!

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