Murano and Burano

Based on my 2018 experience: I definitely recommend venturing out on your own. It's easy to figure out once you are there. There are ticket machines at F. Nove and all the other vaporetto stops. Get a day card, it's a good value and gives flexibility. I think the departure times are very flexible. Just stand there and watch the world go by until a boat arrives. I also recommend getting off at San Michele Island (enroute to Murano) and wandering through the cemetery. Peaceful, pretty, a few famous people buried there. Believe the mosquito warnings and take lots of bug spray. Depending on the day, you could have lunch or dinner at Trattoria Al Gatto Nero on Burano - nice fresh seafood or pasta on a homey setting right by the canal. Have a wonderful time!

This is Italy. Even if they had a timetable it wouldn't be followed. Just go to the Fundamente Nove stop, buy a day card from the machine (or check at a tabac as they may have them, too.) I did this with my daughter a few years ago and we had a lovely day. We had a spritz by a canal while waiting on Murano for our earrings to be finished, we watched some elderly ladies make lace on Burano. We had no plan, just walked around and had a great day. We wish we had stopped at San Michele to wander the cemetery.

I don't know about the Venice Card, because we bought a vaporetto pass, but we took a ferry from Piazelle Roma to Murano. I don't know if that's the best stop, but we had to have PCR testing done right near there, anyhow. There are machines there where you can buy 1-day vaporetto passes, also.

We caught a ferry from Murano to Burano and then one back to Venice from Burano.

It was easy to do on our own. We didn't worry too much about departure time to Murano, since we didn't have a choice about when our appointments would be finished. I think we had an idea about times departing Murano and Burano, but I don't remember for sure. We didn't need to be back in Venice for a specific time.

We spent about half a day visiting both--walking up and down along the main canal in Murano, looking in shop windows, watching people buy produce from a boat, and shopping for a couple of small glass souvenirs. Then we went on to Burano, and we had lunch there and looked around, took lots of photos, and bought a lace hankie for my mother-in-law before returning.

It's very doable.

you absolutely do not need a tour for Murano/Burano. VERY easy to take the vaporetto to Murano and then continue on.
We also ate at the 'Black Cat'. delicious. I believe we bought the multiday pass--my best recollection (this was just before Covid so a bit ago) was that I bought them online and then turned them into passes at the Tourist Info place just in the corner of St Marks Plaza.
ON THAT NOTE: look into the Civic Museum Pass--esp is you are a senior! I believe it was 12 museums (including the Doges Palace and the apartment) for an insanely inexpensive amount. We went to 10 of the 12 I believe--including the glass museum out on Murano which was spectacular. Have a wonderful time!

We didn’t feel the need for a tour. We chose to visit Burano and Torcello. We arrived in Burano first thing in the am. We explored, took photos and had an early lunch before catching the next boat to Torcello. Well worth seeing the main attraction of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. The mosaics are phenomenal. Our reason for deleting Murano was we felt their was plenty of glass to see in Venice. We were in Venice during the film festival and on another day we took the Vaporetto to Lido. Lovely beach area and easy walking to view the incredible architecture. Another highlight to consider is the 2 minute vaporetto ride from San Marco-San Zacharia to view Venice from San Maggiore Church. The view from the belltower is breathtaking.

Edited to add: may be a helpful link: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/venice-accademia-am-and-burano-torcello-pm

Thank you so much for your reply. I was just thinking maybe the vaporetto went to Burano and Murano a couple times a day so we need to make sure we didn't miss it. But if it goes often, we'll just get there, get a pass and watch the world go by. Thanks for all your suggestions for the islands too. I so appreciate you all. Can't wait to go!

Second the recommendation to see Torcello also. The church mosaics are indeed spectacular, and it’s also enjoyable to just wander around - the area is very quiet and rural, which feels refreshing. Also, when you’re on the vaporetto dock on Burano, you can take a small causeway on foot over to the island of Mazzorbo. It would be good to get vaporetto passes, in any case, which come in 1, 2, 3, and 7 day sizes, and allow you to hop a vaporetto anywhere at any time. You just hold it up to a sensor that activates the gate to the vaporetto dock. One beautiful thing is to just ride the vaporetto up and down the Grand Canal.

Here are the timetables.
https://actv.avmspa.it/en/content/orari-servizio-di-navigazione-0

You can't get lost.
Even if you get on the wrong boat, eventually you'll end up where you want to be!
A day pass lasts for 24 hours after you first validate it, which you do as you board each boat.

If you are in Venice for a few days consider getting a length of stay vaporetto pass- I think 2 day, 3 day and 7 day? You'll use it more than just to Burano/Murano and it will save you money as a single ride is pricey.
It is a true 24 hour pass- so first use at 12 noon til next day 12 noon.
Be sure to validate each and every time you board.

Last time we went to Burano was May 2019 and it was very crowded everywhere. When we got off vaporetto in Burano I took a picture of the return schedule that is posted there. We made sure to get back to the dock with time to spare. There was a super long line for the vaporetto, many did not get on that particular vaporetto and had to wait for next- just keep that in mind, line up early if you want to get on a certain one.

cheBateo app is excellent. We’ve been using it the last week-works well.

If you plan to eat at Trattoria Al Gatto Nero, make sure you made a reservation first https://www.gattonero.com/ . Otherwise you might get turn away at the door.

Don’t miss Torcello where Venice was founded. It is a short ride away from Burano.
We buy our Venetian glass at glass bower Carlo Moretti’s shop l’Isola in Venice, made on Murano.

Our experience was similar to ChristineH’s. I would recommend starting your day early. We did some other things before setting off for Murano & Burano. We disembarked first on Murano and the ended up in a very long line to Burano where we had to wait for the second boat. It’s about a 40 min.ride from Murano to Burano. By the time we got to Burano it was very crowded and less enjoyable. There were lots of people waiting to get the vaparetto back and not all the people in line made the boat. I wish we had started earlier. It did seem like they added a second boat in Murano to handle the crowd, but not sure if they do that. The second boat did come more quickly than the wait for the first one.

On the vap to Burano, get off at Mazzorbo, the last stop before Burano. Then walk through some gardens over the bridge to Burano.
On the way back to Venice, the line for the vaporetto on Burano can be very long and you miss the first boat. But if you walk back to Mazzorbo they have to let you board. And you get a spot near the rail.

Get the app Chebateo, it links to the vap timetables.

Thanks for all the info on the islands. Looking forward to it.

And also thanks for the tip on getting the Venice Museum Pass. It looks like it's only 24 euro for seniors like us. Seems it's worth it even if we go to Doge's Palace and the two museums on Burano and Murano. Does the pass let you skip the line and just enter through a pass entrance? Or how does that work?

Thanks for your help.

Hi, I was just there again last week. You don’t need to go all of the way to Fondamento Nove to start your ferry ride. It’s a lot handier to go to the farthest east San Marco vaporetto stop, and they go out to Murano & Burano. Just ask the workers at the vaporetto ticket office at San Marco, and they will tell you where to go. Burano is wonderful for gorgeous photos!

I didn't see this post till after I posed my questions on this topic. Thanks to all who posted here, very helpful to me. I did find this link when I followed the link above from Janis. It was from Susan and the post was from 2016. It's a blog and on it you can purchase and download the "Vap Map" ($1.95) I found the map to be easy to understand, great for a first timer. I found the official ACTV map is a little complicated.
https://livingveniceblog.com/venice-instructions/venice-vaporetto/vaporetto-map-routes-lines-stops/