A quick 2nd visit to Venice: San Giorgio or Torcello or both?

We really enjoyed our visit to San Giorgio Maggiore. You can go up in the tower and have a view back on Venice. We then wandered around the gardens there so we probably spent a couple hours between that and seeing the church and going up in the tower. But you certainly don’t need to spend that much time.

We also have been to Burano and Torcello. This takes a lot longer than going to San Giorgio Maggiore. I think the vaporetto alone was about an hour each way to Burano and then later we went to Torcello. We left in the morning and probably got back about 3 pm. We enjoyed Torcello but if time is tight you could just go to Burano. Burano with its brightly colored houses is unique and I would probably put it at the top of your list. But I would guess it still might take an entire morning so maybe more time than you have.

Beth has identified the timing difference. There's also the walk from the Torcello vaporetto stop to the church to be considered. I haven't checked Google Maps, but I think it was at least 10 minutes. One additional factor some visitors might care about: Unless the policy has changed since 2022, you are not allowed to take photos in the church on Torcello. I was sorry about that, because the mosaics were lovely. They were very serious about that rule.

The Art Biennale will still be running at the time of your visit. The major exhibitions are over in Castello, near the eastern end of the sestiere, but you might see signs for small exhibitions in other locations around the city. Unlike the Castello exhibitions, most of the satellite exhibitions (maybe all of them) are free.

Just keep in mind that the bell-tower of San Giorgio Maggiore is closed until further notice: https://www.abbaziasangiorgio.it/

If you’re getting vaporetto day passes anyway for Torcello, you could also try squeezing in a trip to San Giorgio afterward. The waterfront there has incredible sunset views over the San Marco Basin and the church has a dazzling interior with a couple of works by Tintoretto.

The photography museum is also located on San Giorgio Maggiore. If that is of interest to you, you can look up whatever exhibits might be there that coordinate with your dates. I spent 2 hours in that museum on my last trip to Venice.

We loved San Giorgio Maggiore. The cafe there, on a patio with a view over to San Marco, is where we discovered the Aperol Spritz!

In early December 2023 we visited all three places, San Giorgio Maggiore, Torcello, and Burano, and thoroughly enjoyed all of them. Torcello was a huge favorite for all six of us, including two young kids.

There is great art in San Giorgio Maggiore, but without being able to go up in the belltower I'd be inclined to save it for a future trip. Burano is very cute with all the houses in different bright colors --- this was my husband's and my 2nd visit to Burano and we were a bit shocked at how heavily touristed it was in December.

Here's what we loved so much about Torcello. We went early in the morning in order to get to the church when it opened at 10:00am. We took the vaporetto straight there and the ride over the lagoon was a joy in itself and a nice contrast to being in the city. We enjoyed the walk along a canal to the church, seeing fields and flowers and one of the two remaining bridges without railings. Yes, you can walk across it. We had the path, the bridge, the church, and the tower all to ourselves, only running into other people when we left to go back to the vaporetto stop, and even then it was only a small tour group. I'm assuming there would be more visitors in October, but I bet nothing like the crowds in other spots.

The views from the tower are of farmland and water, so not as exciting as the views from San Giorgio Maggiore of San Marco and the city, but still lovely and interesting. The steps in the tower are unusual, being interspersed with short ramps, and the two of us with foot and ankle problems found them to be much easier than regular stairs.

Right, no photos allowed inside the church, but there are online photos and youtube videos --- here's an educational one about the history and restoration of t:he church and showing details of the mosaics Torcello church

We had lunch on Burano on the way back, but you could just return to Venice for your sauntering and soaking for the rest of the day.

In my opinion, if the bell tower at San Giorgio Maggiore is closed. then the trip would not be worth it. Consider getting an early morning start and go to Murano and have lunch. Then continue on to Burano. With an early start (8 a.m. or so), you should be able to visit both and be back in Venice by 4 p.m. or thereabouts.

I'd recommend going to Burano first. I did that in September 2022--still not arriving super early, because I am not a morning person--and there were few tourists around. It was getting somewhat busier as I was getting ready to leave 60 or 90 minutes later. I think timing matters more on Burano than on Murano. I think I've spent about 2-1/2 full days on Murano over the course of two recent trips (in September 2022 and September 2024), and I have never seen it crowded by the standards of major tourist cities. Most of the architecture on Murano isn't especially photogenic, anyway, so who cares how many people are on the sidewalk in front of the buildings? You go to Murano to look at glass, not so much to take photos.

folks above have it right. I'd usually recommend S Giorgio, but with the bell tower closed I wouldn't.

I'd get to Torcello first, then work back through Burano. If you have any time and energy left, maybe the glass museum on Murano.

Nice vacation.

Do you have the route to the cruise ship all set?

Thanks, all, for the suggestions and info. Extremely helpful.

We do have a transfer from our hotel to the cruise ship, through Regent Seven Seas...

Ciao!

Definitely head to Burano. Get off the #121 at Mazzorbo where you should be getting off all by yourself and walk across the wooden bridge to Burano and avoid the mad scramble at the Burano stop and enjoy a short leisurely walk to the Burano center. Torcello is like going to another world.