Venice Islands Tour

If you're spending more than a few days in Venice, allow 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.

• Lido di Venezia, a beach resort on the strip of land that separates the Venetian Lagoon from the Adriatic Sea. (You can stop off here, if you wish, on your return trip to Venice.)

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/or Torcello. Such tours are more expensive than a tour by public transportation, but they're worth considering if your schedule is tighter than your budget. The trips are offered by Viator, our sightseeing-tour partner. An even better choice is a walking tour with Discover Burano, owned by Burano native Silvia Zanella.

• 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 one- to seven-day ACTV travel ticket at any Hellovenezia or ACTV ticket booth.

•  If you have access to the Internet during your trip, you can check boat schedules at the official ACTV Web site.

• Looking for a smaller island that's even closer to Venice? Try La Certosa, which has a marina, a hotel, and acres of green space where kids and dogs can run free. San Lazzaro degli Armeni, an island monastery, is also worth a visit.