Meet with your private guide in Venice, in front of the famous Florian café. Leave on boat for the three main islands of the Venetian area: Murano, Burano and Torcello.
Arrival in Torcello and visit of the main sights of the island: The former splendor of Torcello’s numerous Palazzi, its twelve parishes and its sixteen cloisters has almost disappeared since the Venetians recycled the useful building material. The only remaining medieval buildings form an ensemble of four edifices. Today's main attraction is the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, founded in 639 and with much 11th and 12th century Byzantine work, including mosaics (e.g. a vivid version of the Last Judgement), surviving. Other attractions include the 11th and 12th century Church of Santa Fosca, which is surrounded by a porticus in form of a Greek cross, the Palazzo dell'Archivio and the Palazzo del Consiglio, which was once the seat of the communal government.
Departure for Burano and visit of the island, which is the most colorful of the whole archipelago. It is in fact known for its small, brightly-painted houses, popular with artists. The colors of the houses follow a specific system originating from the golden age of its development; if someone wishes to paint their home, one must send a request to the government, who will respond by making notice of the certain colors permitted for that lot. Other attractions include the Church of San Martino, with a leaning campanile and a painting by Giambattista Tiepolo (Crufixion, 1727), the Oratorio di Santa Barbara and the Museum and School of Lacemaking.
Departure from Burano to Murano, the biggest and most important island in Venice surroundings, famous for its glass making. Murano’s reputation as a center for glassmaking was born when the Venetian Republic, fearing fire and the destruction of the city’s mostly wooden buildings, ordered glassmakers to move their foundries to Murano in 1291. Murano’s glassmakers held a monopoly on high-quality glassmaking for centuries, developing or refining many technologies. Today, Murano is home to the Museo del Vetro or Murano Glass Museum in the Palazzo Giustinian, which holds displays on the history of glassmaking as well as glass samples ranging from Egyptian times through the present day. During the visit you will admire Campo Santo Stefano, notable for its 19th Century clock tower, which was built on the foundations of a bell tower from a 12th Century parish church. You'll see a handful of other ancient palazzi and houses as you explore the island, along with plenty of brick glass factories and other industrial buildings from the 19th Century.
End of the tour. For those who wish, a lunch in Murano island based on typical Venetian specialties can be organized.