How to spend a day in Verona, Italy: top things to see and do

Where in Italy is Verona?

Verona is the largest city in the Veneto region of Italy, in the country’s north-east, around 75 miles west of Venice and just to the east of Lake Garda.

What’s the weather like in Verona?

Verona’s weather varies throughout the year, with temperatures dropping below zero during the winter months and rising to around 30C in July and August. Rainfall is relatively consistent year-round, with five to seven days of rain in most months of the year, peaking during June. The best time to visit Verona is from April to May, and September to October with average high temperatures hovering between 20C and 25C. Lightweight layers are usually the best option, as spring and autumn can be cooler in the morning and evening, while you’ll need to cover shoulders and knees if you’re entering the city’s churches. If you’re planning to visit the opera in the city’s UNESCO-listed amphitheatre, you’ll also be expected to dress smartly although you won’t need anything too formal. Comfortable, flat shoes are best for Verona’s cobbled streets.

How big is Verona?

The largest city in the region, in terms of both size and population, the city of Verona covers around 80 square miles. However, the UNESCO-listed Old City, or centro storico, which houses most of the main attractions, is much smaller at less than two square miles. The historic heart is pedestrianised and extremely walkable, so it’s easy to see many of the highlights in a day. If you do want to venture further afield, there’s a good urban bus network; if you buy the Verona card, which includes entry to the city’s main attractions, you also get free travel on buses, or you can buy tickets using the bus network’s app, as well as paying on board.

Is Verona expensive?

Verona is less expensive than some of Italy’s bigger cities in the north, such as Venice, Florence and Milan, but is still more expensive than the cheaper south of Italy. Prices tend to rise during the summer months, when the city is busiest, but accommodation, public transport and food are all still more affordable than neighbouring Venice.

Does Verona have a tourist tax?

Yes, Verona has a tax for overnight visitors known as the imposta di soggiorno, with a fee charged per person, per night. The cost ranges from 1 Euro to 5 Euros and is charged by your accommodation, dependent on where you stay, with the lowest cost for 1-star hotels, up to the highest charge for five-star hotels. It is usually applied for a maximum of five consecutive nights.

Arena di Verona

How much time should you spend in Verona?

Verona’s compact historic centre means you can explore most of the key sights of the city within 24 hours in Verona, so if you have only one day to spend here, you’ll be able to see many of the highlights. If you have more time to spare, two days in Verona allows you to explore at a more leisurely pace, and the city also works well as a base to journey further afield, including to Venice and Lake Garda.

How to spend 24 hours in Verona

The historic centre neatly packages the city’s biggest sights into an easily walkable area so it’s easy to see the highlights if you only have 24 hours in Verona.

Spending the morning in Verona

Start your day by heading straight to Juliet’s House (Casa di Giulietta), one of the main attractions in Verona as it gets busy very quickly – even if Juliet herself never existed. The courtyard and museum open early; the courtyard is free to visit and home to a brass statue of Juliet, but if you want to join the many thousands who send a letter to Juliet each year, you’ll need to pay for entry to the museum. Inside, there are also props from various films of Romeo & Juliet alongside items from the period when the tragedy is set, while you can also walk onto the balcony itself.

After exploring, stroll the historic streets, as well as visiting Piazza delle Erbe, Verona’s commercial centre in the Middle Ages, and medieval Piazza Bra. Then head to the Scaliger tombs; these impressive Gothic monuments are the last resting place of the Scala family who ruled Verona.

Spending lunchtime in Verona

You’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to places for lunch in Verona’s historic centre, including plenty of restaurants in the streets around Piazza delle Erbe serving traditional dishes such as risotto, polenta and gnocchi.

You’ll also find plenty of restaurants around the amphitheatre on Piazza Bra, but it’s worth stepping away from this square to discover the less touristy alternatives in the streets nearby - Il Punto Rosa is a fantastic option for pizza and pasta, or Signorvino is part wine shop, part bar, with platters of antipasti, cheese and meat to enjoy alongside, with branches near the arena and Juliet’s house.

Or look out for one of the city’s Salumeria, where you can pick up local cheese, meat and other treats from the delicatessen to eat by the banks of the Adige River.

Spending the afternoon in Verona

Travel back further in time to Roman Verona, including the beautifully preserved Mercato Vecchio and one of the city’s biggest highlights, the 1st century Roman amphitheatre. During the summer months, it hosts the annual Verona Opera Festival, as well as other concerts throughout the year, but you can explore when there isn’t a performance taking place. Older than the Colosseum in Rome, head into the tunnels under the arena, before climbing up to the banked seats to gaze down as spectators would have done centuries ago.

Once you’ve looked around, finish the afternoon by heading to one of the wonderful viewpoints in the city to enjoy the golden light or sunset. The Ponte Scaligero (also known as the Ponte di Castel Vecchio) is a reconstruction of a much older fortified bridge, with some lovely views along the river. Or at the opposite end of the old town, the Ponte Pietra is another reconstruction, this time of a Roman bridge completed in around 100BCE.

Back towards Piazza delle Erbe, Torre dei Lamberti is Verona’s tallest medieval tower at 84m, built by the Lamberti family in 1172, with fantastic views across the city’s rooftops. The best views of the city have to be from Castel San Pietro, across the river from Ponte Pietra; there’s a funicular to the top if you don’t fancy climbing the steps to the viewpoint.

Spending an evening in Verona

There’s no better way to finish your day than with a performance under the stars at the Roman arena, even if you’re not normally a fan of opera – needless to say, you’ll need to book ahead. If you’re visiting during the colder months or when there’s no performance on, the Teatro Filarmonico is a great alternative.

For a more unusual performance, you can also find local actors performing scenes from Romeo & Juliet on summer evenings near the Scala family tombs, most often on Wednesday and Saturday nights between May and September.

Or enjoy an aperitivo at one of Verona’s many bars and cocktail lounges; the Terrazza Arena Sky Lounge Bar & Restaurant has more spectacular views, while traditional Osteria al Bugiardo is ideal for a glass of Amarone or Bardolino.

No trip to Italy is complete without gelato, so if you haven’t had chance for a scoop so far, you can end the day with a cone. Gelateria Savoia on Via Mazzini opened in 1939 and is known for its mix of classic flavours and more unusual options, such as bergamot and sage. Depending how late you visit, you might need to head down the alley beside Santo Stefano church where there’s a window open late.

Verona’s must-sees

From Roman history to medieval architecture and a slice of romance courtesy of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, here’s what not to miss in Verona.

Arena di Verona

This impressive amphitheatre predates the Colosseum in Rome, built in the early decades of the 1st century CE. Open to visitors during the day, you can also become a spectator by night with various musical performances and opera performances.

Juliet’s House (Casa di Giulietta)

Verona is famously where Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet is set, and the Montagues and Capulet families were inspired by local feuding clans with similar names. While neither Romeo nor Juliet ever existed, Juliet’s House is still one of the city’s biggest sights for a photo with her statue and chance to stand on the balcony.

Piazza delle Erbe

Piazza delle Erbe

The heart of historic Verona, this was the medieval centre of the city, and you’ll find attractive colourful buildings surrounding the area, plus a market in the square itself.

Torre dei Lamberti

Sitting in the middle of Piazza delle Erbe, the 84m-high Torre dei Lamberti dates back to the 12th century, with some fantastic views out across the city.

Verona’s bridges

Crossing the Adige river that surrounds the historic centre, you’ll find several notable bridges, including the fortified Ponte Scaligero (Ponte di Castel Vecchio) and Ponte Pietra, originally built by the Romans in around 100BCE. Both are careful reconstructions after the bridges were damaged during the war.

Castel San Pietro

Sitting on the hill across the Ponte Pietra, you can’t enter the castle itself, but outside, you’ll discover one of the best viewpoints over Verona. Steps lead up the hillside, or there’s a funicular to whisk you to the top.

Verona Cathedral (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Matricolare)

This 12th century Romanesque cathedral houses some beautiful frescoes and decorative stonework, along with relics and other artefacts in the cathedral crypt.

Basilica di Sant’Anastasia

The Gothic Basilica is Verona’s largest church, a riot of frescoes as well as housing several works by major artists, such as the fresco by Pisanello above the entrance to the Pellegrini Chapel.

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