Venice to Burano: Visit Italy’s Most Colorful Island

One of the most colorful corners in the world is located just 45 minutes outside of Venice, Italy. Burano is a magical island that cannot be missed and is great for a day trip. Picture the Venetian canals, but with fewer crowds, and facades bursting in every color you can imagine. There truly is no island like it. So get ready for a TON of photos.

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How to Get to Burano From Venice

Getting to Burano on your own is quite simple. You can just jump on the line 12 water bus from Venice and explore the island at your own pace. A roundtrip ticket will cost you around 15 euros per person. You can buy the tickets near many of the water bus stations, read more about that HERE. You can also see a schedule of the water bus HERE.

However, if you time it right you’re better off buying a one-day pass and using it to tour the Grand Canal in Venice, visit the island of Burano AND Murano, and possibly get to the train station the next day for your departure. This is if you happen to buy the pass the day before you leave.

The day passes are valid for a full 24 hours from when you first hop on so take advantage and see as much as possible. You can also buy passes for up to 72 hours depending on how long you’ll be in Venice. Buy those tickets in person or book ahead by clicking here.

You can also book a guided tour ahead of time that will give you access to Burano plus a stop at the neighboring island of Murano. The duration is 4.5 hours and you can book that tour HERE.

Things to do in Burano

Burano is tiny and easily walkable. It’s a lot smaller than Venice. We spent 3-4 hours there and had plenty of time to take it all in. If I had the chance I would’ve stayed overnight, but that’s simply because I love this type of architecture and I don’t tire of it. Either way, I managed to take over a hundred photos, have lunch, and enjoy gelato twice! So you really don’t need more than a few hours.

Explore every corner. This is the best thing to do in Burano in my opinion. This island is a color-lovers dream, and you’ll want to make sure you don’t miss any single nook. Make space on your camera for the abundance of photos.

Tour the island with a local. If you’d love to learn more about Burano’s history and check out how the world-famous Burano lace is made then this tour would be perfect. Once you arrive (on your own) a local who is born and raised on the island will show you around while talking about the history and traditions of Burano. You’ll also get to see the lace made by hand, and have time on your own to explore the island: Click here to book that tour.

Eat Seafood. The pizza we chose was disappointing, but I’ve read that they have some of the best seafood in that region. Burano is a true fisherman’s island, so definitely skip the pizza and try their seafood. If we were to do it again, we’d choose to dine at Al Gatto Nero for its fantastic reviews.

Don’t skip gelato. One thing you cannot miss is the gelato from Dai Fradei. It’s a grocery store/gelato shop and you wouldn’t imagine the gelato is anything special, but it’s homemade and we loved it so much we visited twice during this one day trip. It’s one of our favorite shops in all of Italy so make sure you give it a try.

We visited Burano in May, and though the water bus was crowded, the crowds quickly spread out upon arrival. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to take pictures without people in the way.

Pretty stunning, don’t you think?

I can’t think of a better day trip than chasing facades in Burano. Have I convinced you yet?

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