Venice Islands Tour
ABOVE: Your excursion begins at the Fondamenta
Nove waterbus station, which faces the Venetian Lagoon on the northern edge of
the historic center.
Plan a self-guided day trip in the Venetian
Lagoon.
If you're spending more
than a few days in Venice, take time to visit the islands of the Venetian
Lagoon. The itinerary in this article will take you to:
|
San Michele,
the walled cemetery island of Venice. |
| Murano,
known for its glassmaking, Glass Museum, and several historic churches. |
|
Burano, an island of
fishermen, lacemakers, and colorfully painted houses. |
| Mazzorbo, a small
rural island connected to Burano by a footbridge. |
| Torcello, once a city
larger than Venice; today, a bucolic island with a 1,000-year-old
cathedral and a handful of outdoor restaurants. |
| The Lido di Venezia, a
beach resort on the strip of land that separates the Venetian Lagoon
from the Adriatic Sea. |
You'll reach the islands on water buses operated by ACTV, the
Venice public-transportation company. Allow a full day for the entire excursion,
or half a day if you skip San Michele and the Lido.
ACTV's lagoon water buses can be crowded during peak season, on
weekends, or if local groups of senior citizens or schoolchildren are traveling
between the islands. If crowds bother you, or if you're unwilling to stand on a
moving boat when seats aren't available, consider one of these alternatives:
-
Take an escorted tour of Murano, Burano, and Torcello.
[Euros]
[British pounds]
[U.S. dollars]
[Australian dollars]
This half-day tour is more expensive than a tour by public transportation,
but it's worth considering if your schedule is tighter than your budget. The
trip is offered by Viator, our
sightseeing-tour partner.
-
Hire a water taxi by the half-day or day, which could easily cost several
hundred euros. If you want the services of a private guide, try a customized
lagoon itinerary from
WalksInsideVenice or the
Venice Tourist Guides Association
and let the guide arrange transportation.
Tips:
-
Organized tours don't give you much time on the islands, so we'd
recommend traveling independently unless you're in a hurry or have limited
mobility.
-
Instead of buying individual tickets for the boat trips between the
islands, buy a 12-hour to 7-day tourist card at any Hellovenezia or
ACTV ticket booth. (See our Vaporetto
Fares
article.) Or order the tourist office's
Venice Connected pass before you leave home, if you can figure out the
byzantine pricing scheme.
-
If you have access to the Internet during your trip, you can check boat
schedules at the official
ACTV Web site.
Next page:
San Michele Cemetery
| |
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