In a nutshell

  • What makes Burano so special? It’s pretty obvious: the colorful houses! We’ll show you all the best things to do in Burano and how to get there from Venice.
  • You’ll need about half a day for Burano. We recommend combining it with the other islands and booking a Murano, Burano & Torcello day tour.
  • Burano is also famous for its distinctive lace embroidery — the island’s seamstresses are said to have even dressed the King of France.
  • Want to experience Burano without the tourist crowds? Stay overnight at Casa Burano — the host even picks you up at the water bus stop.

What you should know about Burano

Burano is one of the must-see highlights in Venice. If you’re spending two or three days in Venice, you should definitely take a water bus trip out to Burano.

Among the guided tours of Venice, there are several excursion destinations within the lagoon, and Burano is one of the most popular.

Burano is best known for its colorful houses. Every house on Burano is painted a different, vibrant color. Red, pink, neon yellow, turquoise — you’ll find it all.

And if Murano‘s biggest export is Murano glass, Burano’s is lace embroidery.

Burano Map: Where is Burano located?

Map showing Burano highlighted in the Venice lagoon

Burano sits in the Venice lagoon, northeast of the city.

From Venice, it takes about 50 minutes by water bus to reach Burano.

From Venice to Burano: How to get there

You can reach Burano by taking water bus line 12. It departs from the Fondamente Nove stop in the Cannaregio neighborhood and takes about 50 minutes.

A water bus ticket costs €9.50.

The water bus also stops at Murano, so you can easily visit both islands in a single day. If you want to hop off at Murano and then continue on to Burano, the water bus day pass for €25 is the smarter option — single tickets expire after 75 minutes.

Get the water bus day pass

There’s also the island combo package, which lets you visit the three most famous islands in the lagoon in a single day: Murano, Burano, and Torcello. A glassblowing demonstration in Murano is included:

See the Murano, Burano, and Torcello day trip

Burano Lace and Embroidery

Hands of an elderly woman sewing
On Burano, you’ll often see women sitting at their front doors sewing
White parasols made of lace
On Burano, even parasols are made from traditional lace

Lacemaking is believed to have started on Burano in the 15th century and spread remarkably quickly across Europe.

The King of France, Louis XIV, is said to have worn a lace collar at his coronation that seamstresses from Burano reportedly worked on for two years.

Today, lace embroideries from Burano are still considered especially valuable. And it’s not just tablecloths and curtains — parasols, bed linens, and jewelry too.

When visiting Burano, you’ll often spot elderly ladies sitting at their front doors, needle and thread in hand.

Particularly well known is the atelier of Martina Vidal, where you can watch the seamstresses at work up close.

Things to Do in Burano

Colorful Houses

colorful houses along a canal
The colorful houses of Burano are the island’s trademark

The first thing you notice when visiting Burano is the brilliantly colorful houses. There are practically no white houses here.

Fishermen used to paint their houses this way so they could spot them from the sea even through fog and find their way home safely.

You can simply wander through the colorful alleyways at your own pace. Honestly, every single corner is incredibly photogenic!

I Tre Ponti

View of a wooden bridge over a canal with houses in the background
The bridge on Burano that connects three islands at once (© Laura Passavanti)

It’s easy to miss, but Burano is actually made up of several small islands separated by canals.
Between the three islands of Giudecca, San Martino Sinistro, and San Mauro there’s a special bridge called the Tre Ponti.
Translated, that means Three Bridges. The bridge has three staircases — one for each island — connecting all three via a single structure.

Leaning Bell Tower

Alleyway with colorful houses and a leaning bell tower in the background
The bell tower of Burano’s church has a noticeably strong lean

In Italy, Pisa isn’t the only city with a leaning tower!
The bell tower of the Church of San Martino Vescovo is one of the symbols of Burano. You can see it from a distance, and it’s immediately obvious: the tower leans quite dramatically.

It started tilting during construction in the 18th century. Over the centuries it leaned further and further, until it had to be stabilized in the 1950s to prevent it from toppling over.

Today the bell tower is still leaning — but safely under control.

Casa di Bepi

House wall painted with colorful geometric shapes
The artist Bepi took things one step further and painted his house even more colorfully

Right in the center of Burano stands a house that’s even more colorful than all the others: the Casa di Bepi. Why Bepi?

That’s the nickname of the artist Giuseppe Toselli, who lived here until the 1980s.

The house is covered in colorful geometric shapes — even the shutters and front door are painted in bright colors.

After Bepi’s death, the colorful plasterwork has been lovingly maintained and is now one of the most popular selfie spots on the island.

Fondamenta di Terranova

Canal with colorful houses on the left and trees on the right
The Fondamenta Terranova canal is off the beaten tourist path

The Fondamenta di Terranova is perfect if you want to explore Burano away from the tourist crowds.
It runs along a canal and is much quieter than the busy center.
On both sides, colorful little houses of varying sizes line up next to each other. In front of each house, a small boat floats on the canal — just like cars parked on any side street in an ordinary city. Except here, it’s boats.

Museo del Merletto

Facade of a Venetian palace with a blue banner reading Museo del Merletto
If you want to learn more about Burano’s lace tradition, the Museo del Merletto is well worth a visit (© Shawn Williams)

If you’re particularly interested in the art of lacemaking, or if you’ve hit a rainy day, the Museo del Merletto — the lace museum — is seriously worth your time.

It’s housed in the former lace school of Burano. Up to 100 years ago, every girl on the island attended it to learn lacemaking.

The museum displays historic lace creations made on Burano between the 16th and 20th centuries.

Admission costs €5, but the museum is also included in the Venice Museum Pass.

Staying overnight on Burano

View of a bright room with two windows and a modern canopy bed
The host at Casa Burano picks you up right at the water bus stop (© Booking)

There are no hotels on Burano, only a handful of vacation rentals and guesthouses. Very few tourists spend the night here — so in the evenings you’ll truly be among locals.

A wonderful change of pace compared to the crowds of Venice!

These are the places to stay we recommend on Burano:

  1. Double room at Tiffany Home

    Tiffany Home

  2. View of bright room with two windows and modern four-poster bed

    Casa Burano

Lies auch:

The best restaurants in Burano

Alleyway with restaurants and colorful houses
At Burano’s restaurants, you absolutely have to try a fish risotto! (©Svetlana Day)

There are several restaurants on Burano, but not all of them are worth your time. Here are our top three picks:

  • Trattoria da Romano: one of the most well-known restaurants in the entire lagoon — quite a few movie stars have dined here. The prices are still reasonable! Reservations are a must.
  • Osteria al Museo: tucked in a side alley off the church, perfect for an aperitivo!
  • Trattoria al Gatto Nero: If you love risotto, this one is an absolute must.