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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 09 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Nicky Swallow

Murano became the capital of glass in 1291 thanks to a decree banning all furnaces from Venice proper to avoid fire risk. The island soon became centre for glass-blowing, shipping chandeliers, mirrors, vases and glass tableware across the world. Today, Murano remains a unique place where the skills of centuries are still practised by latter-day artisans.

Watching a top glass-blower is an absorbing sight, from the ferocious heat thrown out by the yellow glow of the furnaces to the balletic genius of the Murano craftsmen as they blow, snip, twist and tug at their fiery blob of liquid to transform it into an exquisite vase or seahorse. Afterwards, you can buy pieces in the showrooms.

Don't miss

The Museo del Vetro (Glass Museum) is housed in a beautiful 17th-century palazzo and has a vast collection of Murano glass from elaborate 18th-century chandeliers to exquisite glass beads.

Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience

Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 8+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

While it is perfectly possible to wander round the glass shops independently, you need to book an appointment at a furnace in advance. You’re best off booking onto a guide tour. If you want to buy glass, a few pointers to sort the schlock from true quality:

  • glass shops toting vetro di Murano are usually a rip-off
  • shops selling  vetro artistico di Murano are a little more reliable.
  • the real deal is VERY expensive; a wine glass costing under €10 will be an Asian import.

Newly-opened gallery/design shop/restaurant/bistro Punta Conterie is a good stop-off for snacks or a gourmet meal and some contemporary glass culture. It has a rooftop terrace with watery views.

When to do it

You can visit Murano seven days a week, all year round. But in the summer months it will be packed; go in winter for a more authentic experience.

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Venice: Murano Glass Masters of the Ex Chiesa Small Group Tour

Venice: Murano Glass Masters of the Ex Chiesa Small Group Tour

Venice

Join us for a remarkable and spectacular show of the Glass Masters of the "Ex Chiesa di Santa Chiara" which is dedicated to the lo...

€7 | Rating 4.4 / 5 [50 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Venice Murano Island Glass Factory Tour with Glass Blowing Demonstration

Venice Murano Island Glass Factory Tour with Glass Blowing Demonstration

Venice

Take part at the Colleoni Glass Factory tour and admire an expert glass Master creating an object with the blowing and the sculpture techniq...

€10 | Rating 4.04 / 5 [142 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Tour Fornace Arte di Murano original artistic glassware Murano glass

Tour Fornace Arte di Murano original artistic glassware Murano glass

Venice

More then 2000 square meters of ovens and new technologies that give the possibility to realize unique pieces in Murano glass. You can obser...

€17 | Rating 4.5 / 5 [8 ratings]

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Murano Glass Experience plus Visit to a Burano lace island

Murano Glass Experience plus Visit to a Burano lace island

Venice

Meet you local guide in Venice city center, then board a private boat and admire the lagoon of Venice. Stop in Murano island to see S. Maria...

€35 | Rating 4.50 / 5 [453 ratings]

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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Orologio

Venice, Veneto, Italy[2.6 miles]

A stylish, modern and good value alternative to some of Venice’s more traditional hotels. Just steps from the Rialto produce market and the Rialto bridge.

Official star rating:

Londra Palace Venezia

Venice, Veneto, Italy[2.9 miles]

A prime waterfront location minutes from Piazza San Marco, magnificent views over the water to San Giorgio Maggiore and lovely service make this a popular choice for stays in central Venice.

Official star rating:

Oltre il Giardino

Venice, Veneto, Italy[3 miles]

A romantic six-room Arcadian retreat of family-run homeliness. The shady, canal-side garden is a godsend at the end of a long, hot day’s culture fest.

Official star rating:

Hotel Corte di Gabriela

Venice, Veneto, Italy[3.1 miles]

An 11-room boutique hotel with a lovely courtyard, personalised service and a centralissima location within easy reach of the Accademia, the Rialto and Piazza San Marco. The contemporary, design-led interior provides a refreshing contrast to the usual flock wallpaper and swathes of brocade.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Venice

Veneto, Italy

Crammed with picturesque canals, Renaissance palazzos and artistic masterpieces, this unique and alluring city is heaven-on-earth for art lovers and romantics.

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Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

St. Mark’s Basilica

Venice, Veneto, Italy[2.9 miles]

Surely the most exquisite, beguiling and opulent place of worship in Italy, St Mark’s cathedral was built to satisfy the wildest dreams of the Doges and is rich in glittering Byzantine mosaics, Gothic carvings and sumptuous treasures.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

Saint Mark’s Square
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Saint Mark’s Square

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It’s huge, and often crowded, but St. Mark’s square is one of the most emblematic spots in the city and is lined with over-priced cafés that offer live music. But out of season, on a foggy winter’s evening or at dawn, it’s undeniably atmospheric.

Best for ages: 13+ | Free

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Doge’s Palace

Venice, Veneto, Italy[3 miles]

A glittering monument to the Golden Age of Venice – ducal, divine and downright decadent. From Casanova’s rooftop escapade to the twisty tale behind Tintoretto’s enormous Paradise paintings, these walls have seen Venetian history at its most decadent and devious.

Best for ages: 18+ | £25

Boat trip down the Grand Canal

Venice, Veneto, Italy[3.4 miles]

The Grand Canal is Venice’s busy, trafficked high street and an essential part of Venetian everyday life. Its winding two-miles of double waterfront is lined with magnificent palazzi and is crossed by four bridges.

Best for ages: 8+ | £5 | 45 minutes

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Church of Madonna dell’Orto
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Church of Madonna dell’Orto

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Best for ages: 18+ | £2

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Venetian Ghetto
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Venetian Ghetto

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Best for ages: 13+ | Free

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Palazzo Grimani
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Palazzo Grimani

Venice, Veneto, Italy[2.6 miles]

The little-visited Palazzo Grimani is one of the city’s great Renaissance palazzos, now a museum housing an extraordinary collection of classical sculptures, stuccoes, elaborate frescoes and paintings by Hieronymus Bosch.

Best for ages: 18+ | £5

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Exterior of the square market building
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Rialto Market

Venice, Veneto, Italy[2.7 miles]

Venetians have shopped and haggled at this food market on the banks of the Grand Canal since 1097 AD. It’s a mosaic of stalls piled with aubergines, tomatoes, vats of artichoke hearts and (under the arched Pescaria) a zillion varieties of wriggling, glistening fish.

Best for ages: 13+ | Free

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