View Venice and the islands of its tranquil lagoon from the ideal vantage point—the water! Aboard a typical topetta motorboat, skim across the waves between Murano, Burano, and Torcello with an expert pilot and guide, scoping out the sights and attractions that interest you most.

Your guide choices you up at your hotel or a central location in Venice and welcomes you aboard a comfortable topetta, a classic Venetian motorboat that's ideal for moving around the city's winding waterways. Cruise past the canal-level porches of Renaissance-era palazzo as you make your way into the Grand Canal and across the lagoon.

Arrive at Murano, celebrated for centuries as the home of the world's finest glass-makers, and hop off the boat. See a master glassblower creating fragile, colourful works of art, and then soak up the island's relaxed atmosphere with a stroll by the Byzantine church of Santa Maria e San Donato and the brick facade of San Pietro Martire, which houses masterpieces by Venetian artists Tintoretto, Bellini, and Veronese.

From there, cruise across the lagoon to the brightly coloured homes that pack the fishing village of Burano. Browse workshops and boutiques that specialise in the island's famed lace, check out the menus of quaint seafood restaurants, and be sure to sample a bussola, an S-shaped cookie dipped in aromatic vin santo (dessert wine).