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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 motoscafi (water buses) of
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:
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Take an escorted tour of Murano, Burano, and Torcello.
[Euros]
[British pounds]
[U.S. dollars]
[AUS 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.
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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:
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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.
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Instead of buying individual tickets for the boat trips
between the islands, buy a 12-hour to 7-day tourist card at any 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.
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We strongly recommend obtaining a copy of the free Actv Orario (Timetable) at any vaporetto ticket booth--assuming
that the booth has any in stock. If you can't get a copy and you have access
to the Internet during your trip, visit the
Actv Web site to check boat schedules.
Next page:
San Michele Cemetery
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