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A trip to Venice is a must on your first (or third) vacation in Italy! This mysterious, historic city has some of the most beautiful architecture you’ll see in Italy. Perhaps more importantly, you’ll find an abundance of trades and crafts still being done as they were thousands of years ago! But to see everything Venice has to offer, you’ll need to go to some of the smaller Venice islands like Burano, San Michele, and Torcello.
To make your way to any islands in Venice, you’ll want to feel confident speaking Italian with the locals. A Rosetta Stone subscription can help you get proficient in basic Italian conversations in a matter of a few weeks! Then you can easily book a vaporetto (water bus) to any Venice island you’re dying to explore.
**Venice has instituted a $6 day trip fee for anyone who is not staying overnight in Venice during peak visitor months.**
How to get around the Venice islands
The city of Venice is technically made up of about 118 islands, though you’ll find the biggest attractions like Rialto Bridge and Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square) on the main island. If you arrive by train, you’ll get off at Venezia Santa Lucia Stazione and can walk or take a water taxi or vaporetto to your hotel. Public transportation or water taxis are available from 4:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. in Venice’s main city and the closest islands.
To go beyond Venice and visit the other amazing islands to see lacemaking or glassblowing or vineyards, plan ahead with these tips:
- Purchase a single (€5 to €20) or combination (about €30 to €70) day pass for the public water bus
- Book a tour that takes you to the islands you want to visit
- Hire a gondola or traghetti to go across the Grand Canal
- Hire a private water taxi to get to islands that are less frequented by tourists
Popular transportation lines to see Venice’s islands and attractions:
- Line 1: This cruises the Grand Canal so you can stop near Rialto Bridge, Accademia Bridge, St. Mark’s Square, or the Venetian Arsenal
- Line 3: This is the most direct route from Piazzale Roma (near Santa Lucia) to Murano
- Lines 4.1 and 4.2: These lines circumnavigate the exterior Venice island and most nearby islands
- Line 7: This goes between St. Mark’s Square and Murano
- Line 12: The Venice islands express line goes to Murano, Burano, Mazzorbo, and Torcello
1. Murano
Murano island in Venice is probably the most popular island to explore since it’s where glassblowers have been making famous Murano glass for hundreds of years. A visit to see glassmaking in person and to wander the Museo del Vetro (Glass Museum) can’t be missed!
What to know
When you go to the island of Murano, you’ll learn that residents inhabited the island by about the 5th century A.D. The art of glassblowing had already started in Venice, but all glass blowers were told to move their businesses to Murano by 1291 A.D. Some believe this occurred to isolate the craftsmen and keep their techniques secret. By the 16th century, Murano glass had legendary status across Europe. After your visit, you’ll be able to spot authentic Murano glass from imitations!
What to do
- Tour a glassblowing factory to see a live demonstration
- Explore the Glass Museum and buy an authentic glass souvenir
- Wander over to the uncrowded Basilica dei Santi Maria e Donato
- Book a wedding inside the Glass Cathedral
2. Burano
Famed for lacemaking and colorful houses, Burano island in Venice is another fun island you need to visit in Venice! If you venture a few streets from the vaporetto (water bus) platform, you’ll find it’s a quiet town with brightly colored houses (and a leaning tower) to snap photos of. But the real heritage here is the ladies who’ve been making lace by hand for generations!
What to know
Similar to the canals in Venice, Burano’s canals form the main streets of this ancient fishing village that is now subsidized by tourism. By the 1500s, women of Burano had made lacemaking with needles famous, though the practice started in Cyprus. To watch a lacemaker, you’ll need to schedule a tour to see this fast-paced, detailed, intensive work done by little old Italian nonni (grandmas). On another note, the colorful homes are regulated here, so you can’t change the color without municipal approval!
What to do
- Book a demonstration to watch lacemaking
- Take a picture of the leaning tower
- Find a house that matches the colors of your clothes and take a selfie
- Walk across Ponte Longo to get to the island of Mazzorbo
3. Lido di Venezia
If you’re looking for the best beach in Venice, then Lido di Venezia is where you’ll find a great one! While Venice’s main city is a floating city with canals for streets, Lido island has an actual sandy shore that stretches for about three miles. If you’re a cinephile, you probably know that the Venice International Film Festival has been hosted at the Hotel Excelsior since 1932!
What to know
Due to its location as a long barrier at the front of the Venice islands, Lido island has long been a defense installation for the Venetians where naval exercises could be conducted beyond the lagoon. But by the turn of the 20th century, the military had withdrawn and civilians changed the culture with the construction of several high-end hotels and resorts. Known as the “golden island” for the sand and the wealthy clientele, Lido is unlike any other island you’ll visit in Venice.
What to do
- Sunbathe on Lido’s main beach: Blue Moon
- Walk the streets and admire the art nouveau and art deco architecture
- Rent a bicycle and explore the island
- Go to the planetarium
- Enjoy a quiet meal in the uncrowded neighborhood of Malamocco
4. San Giorgio Maggiore
Standing at the edge of St. Mark’s Square, next to Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace), you’ll look across the lagoon and see an imposing bell tower in the distance. You’ll definitely want a picture, but we suggest being among the few who actually choose to visit the beautiful San Giorgio Maggiore island as a fun thing to do in Venice.
What to know
The island is most well known for the 16th-century Benedictine church that caught the eye of most travelers coming to Venice from the sea for hundreds of years. Napoleon claimed the island for military use, which nearly destroyed the monastery until it was saved and restored by the Cini family in the 1950s. The bell tower has the best 360-degree view of the Venetian Lagoon, which is why we recommend heading to the top.
What to do
- Explore the marble church called Chiesa di San Giorgio
- Climb the bell tower for the best view of the lagoon
- Tour the Borges Labyrinth and Vatican Chapels in the monastery
- Sit in a quiet garden outside the monastery
5. Isola di San Michele
Where do you put a cemetery in a city of floating islands? On another island, of course. San Michele is known as the burial island of Venice, though its past includes a variety of other uses. Even on this miniscule island, you’ll find a gorgeous church to explore along with the graveyard.
What to know
Known as the “island of the dead,” San Michele’s original roots were as a haven for scholars and monks since about 980 A.D. With the building of Chiesa di San Michele, the island attracted even more creative minds from theologians and musicians to cosmographers—all of whom helped build an impressive library. However, much was lost with Napoleon’s conquest and the island turned into a prison, then later a cemetery by his decree to prevent contamination from decomposing bodies within Venice.
What to do
- Explore the impressive Church of St. Michael
- Wander through the cemetery of Venice
- Find the graves of famous people like composer Igor Stravinsky
6. Sant’Erasmo
Known as the orto di Venezia (orchard of Venice), Sant’Erasmo is where much of Venice’s local produce is grown. The main island of Venice has very little green space, so if you land by airplane at Marco Polo Airport, you’ll probably spot this green oasis of abundance that’s off-the-beaten path. Many of the farms are also organic!
What to know
Napoleon also laid claim to this island, so you’ll see an ancient fortress that he commissioned here. But the main attraction is the purple artichoke plantations and the festival of artichokes in May. Even Venetian locals love coming to this island to enjoy a more relaxed and open space than the narrow alleys of Venice.
What to do
- Tour the artichoke plantations or fruit orchards
- Book a visit to the Orto Winery
- Plan a picnic and soak in the sun on Spiaggia del Bacan (Bacan beach)
7. La Certosa
One of the closest islands on our list of the best Venice islands to visit, La Certosa is one to explore if you really enjoy quieter places and delicious food from the best restaurants in Venice. The island has been inhabited and abandoned and recently reinhabited, so many tourists don’t know about it. But local Venetians love coming here for a change of pace.
What to know
The 4.1 and 4.2 lines can get you to La Certosa, but to get picked up again, make sure you click the button at the pier to signal the next ferry driver that you are ready! This island has lots of green space to take a passeggiata (leisurely stroll). Though the first inhabitants arrived in the 12th century, Napoleon also had his armies take control of this island for a firing range, sadly destroying the monastery that had been built here. Abandoned in the 1960s, this island has been revitalized since about 2010.
What to do
- Explore the park with your kids where they can see wild goats and rabbits
- Reserve a kayak to venture into the lagoon
- Eat lunch or dinner or aperitivo and cicchetti on the waterfront at Salso in Certosa
8. Torcello
With an older history than Venice’s main island, Torcello is still overlooked by many tourists. Granted, if you only have a day or two here in Venice, then you might want to wait until your next trip here. But if you prefer to seek out the less-traveled areas near popular tourist spots, then Torcello might be for you. Plus it’s right next to Burano and Mazzorbo, so you could explore all three in a day!
What to know
Roman citizens moved to Torcello by the 4th century, and by the 7th century, had built a remarkable Byzantine church: Chiesa di Santa Maria dell’Assunta. The mosaics depicting the Last Judgment are in amazing condition, especially considering their age and damage from floods over the centuries. Torcello is mostly uninhabited now, but that makes for a very secluded visit.
What to do
- Take in the magnificent mosaics at the Santa Maria Assunta church
- Walk across Ponte del Diavolo (Devil’s Bridge)
- Sit for a photo in the stone throne near the church, known as Trono di Attila
- Find artifacts from the island and lagoon at Museo Provinciale di Torcello
9. Mazzorbo
The tiny island of Mazzorbo might not be on most guides to Venice’s islands, but we think it’s worth a stop if you have the time or love wine. It’s connected to Burano by a bridge, and it’s a (long) stone’s throw from Torcello. Only a few hundred people live in Mazzorbo, but the farms and orchards are beautiful to walk along—or stay at!
What to know
Similar to Sant’Erasmo, you’ll find orchards, farms, and vineyards on the little island of Mazzorbo that takes about 15 minutes to completely walk across. The oldest documents indicate that the Chiesa di Santa Caterina may have roots in the 7th or 8th centuries, but the building you see today dates to the 12th century. The bell dates to 1318 A.D., which might make it the oldest bell in Italy! But you might be most interested in the winery and fine dining that most people miss here at the Venissa estate.
What to do
- Stay at the Venissa Wine Resort and eat at their Michelin-starred restaurant
- Wander the gardens at Venissa for free
- Look for the ancient bell at St. Catherine’s Church
10. Poveglia
Technically, visitors need municipal permission to visit Poveglia island in Venice, but you can try to find a private boat or driver who will take you to drive by or stop for a short while. We’ve included it on our guide to Venice’s islands because of its legendary status as a haunted island. The entire island is in ruins, which makes it a little unsafe to visit and there are no services at all on the island. But if you’re an adventurous traveler, it might be worth checking out.
What to know
The many ghost stories of Poveglia island caught the attention of several ghost-hunting TV shows in the US. Between the history as a plague quarantine location in the 1700s and a mental hospital in the early 1900s, citizens encountered countless paranormal events and experienced horrific treatments—all of which added to the folklore. One rumor is that up to 50 percent of the island is made of human remains disposed of in “plague pits” or cremated ashes. Now abandoned, the site is in disrepair, which is why permission is needed to visit.
What to do
- Sail around the island and look at the ruins
- Check out the ruins of the church of San Vitale and the bell tower
11. Lido di Pellestrina
Pellestrina is the farthest barrier island from the city of Venice, so plan to come if you are here for a few days. You’ll find another long beach that’s rarely crowded, lots of biking paths, and few tourists. And similar to Burano and Sant’Erasmo, Pellestrina also has lace making, agriculture, and fishing.
What to know
You’ll see many locals visiting from other islands or living here on Pellestrina. There’s a seawall built along most of the eastern side of the island and cyclists enjoy using the path on the other side of it for leisurely exercise. The beach often has areas with seaweed, so some areas aren’t always the best for all-day lounging, but it’s never crowded. The residents have fished here for centuries, and many of the homes are brightly colored like Burano.
What to do
- Rent a bike and ride along the sea wall
- Explore any of the five churches here
- Enjoy a totally uncrowded island with green space, locals, and a beach
- Watch the sunset with totally unobstructed views
