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The majestic, colorful, and historic islands of Murano and Burano – known as the islands of glass and lace thanks to their history as the center of the respective art forms, lie just 20 minutes by boat from Venice but are a world away from the often hectic tourist hotspots of central Venice.
A private guided tour of these two jewels in the Venetian crown allows you to immerse yourself in their artisan culture and witness master craftsmen and women at work, while your guide will be on hand to regale you with the history of the towns as you stroll down the bright, colorful, and charming streets and piazzas.
This is the perfect day trip opportunity from Venice as your guide will collect you from your accommodation, and travel between both islands is included.
Your guide will meet you at your hotel and you’ll be whisked away by a nearby water taxi to the Island of Glass, known as Murano.
Settled by Romans in the 6th century before becoming a thriving fishing community, Murano developed its reputation as being the epicenter of glass-making beginning in 1291 when a law inspired by the fear that the traditional methods of making glass would cause fires to break out in the merchant heart of the city, required that glass-makers move out of Venice proper.
Today, the area is still populated by fascinating glass making workshops, producing items ranging from beadwork to spectacular chandeliers. Here you will have the opportunity to visit an operational glass factory as your guide reveals the secrets of this age-old tradition.
You’ll take a private water taxi to Burano, the colorful island which rose to importance in the 16th century when its women began to make needlepoint lace, a tradition that continues to this day.
On our tour, you can actually watch the needlework being produced right in front of you as the artisans handmake the lace in the time-honored tradition.
Aside from admiring the skill of the lacemakers, the other pure joy of Burano is the opportunity to stroll amongst the bright pastel houses that create a kaleidoscope of color as you make your way along the waterfront with your private guide.
Did you know that historically the master glassblowers of Murano were banned from leaving? This was to ensure that they did not reveal the secrets of their craft to outsiders.
Or how about the fact that Leonardo Da Vinci traveled to Burano especially to purchase their patented lace designs for the altar of the Duomo di Milano?
These fascinating insights are exactly the type of thing that our local qualified guides love to share with you so that you can really engage actively with the history and culture of the islands rather than just observing them passively.
Ultimately, these are two stunningly gorgeous islands, and we are sure you will have a fantastic time regardless of how you decide to see them, however, our unique private tour experience has been designed so that you truly come away from your trip feeling that you have gone underneath the surface of Murano and Burano, and to leave feeling that you have gained something more valuable than just a gift or a keepsake.
Giorgia will be your private licensed guide for this tour.
“Experience some of the lesser-visited Venetian islands and see artists at work”
Any questions about this private tour? Contact Giorgia below, she’s always happy to help.
Our tours are kept to small private groups to provide the best possible experience for our clients. As such we are able to customize our itineraries to suit your interests, needs, and requirements.
To discuss this tour or any changes you would like to make simply complete the form below.
Explore some of our other tours below, or contact our team to create your own bespoke private experience
Our friendly experts can help you craft the perfect private tour itinerary for your group, simply fill in the form below with as much information as possible, and your personal travel consultant will be in touch shortly to help:
Our friendly experts can help you craft the perfect private tour itinerary for your group, simply fill in the form below with as much information as possible, and your personal travel consultant will be in touch shortly to help:
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