Itineraries for Your Trip to Verona
3 Days in Verona for Families
Having visited Verona at both 13 and 30 years old, I can confirm that this storybook city is one for all ages. Sights that stood out to me as a teen, from the ancient arches of Ponte Pietra to the marble faces on the Madonna Verona Fountain, still impressed me as an adult. I’m sure when I return, maybe with my own teenager in tow, I’ll feel the same way.
Smaller and easier to navigate on foot than nearby Venice and Milan, Verona makes a charming home base for families on a northern Italian vacation. Whether your kids are curious about history or just in it for the gelato, plan your trip with this family-friendly itinerary for three days in Verona.
If you only have time for one thing, make it riding the funicular up to the panoramic Castel San Pietro.
Verona has cooler, cloudier weather than other Italian cities to the south, so pack layers in addition to comfortable walking shoes.
Start your trip with a kid-friendly crash course on Verona’s highlights. Little ones will love sitting on the upper deck of a hop-on hop-off bus, which zips past Piazza Brà, the Castelvecchio Museum, and other local landmarks in just an hour. Private tours, meanwhile, can be customized around the best things to do in Verona with kids.
In the afternoon, take a deep dive into the city’s top attraction: the Verona Arena. Travelers of all ages can appreciate the amphitheater’s ancient Roman roots, especially on guided tours that show you where gladiators once went head to head.
On your second day in Verona, experience the city through the story that made it famous: Romeo and Juliet. Your kids don’t have to be budding Shakespeares to enjoy Juliet’s House, where you can peer up at the balcony and picture the star-crossed lovers in conversation. Nearby, the lively Piazza delle Erbe has outdoor cafés to refuel and rest tired feet.
You’ve surely sampled pizza, pasta, and gelato by this point in your trip—which makes this evening the perfect occasion for a cooking class. Fold ravioli, whip up tiramisu, and learn other recipes to recreate your vacation back home.
With Lake Garda to the west and the Dolomites](/Venice-attractions/Dolomites-Dolomiti/d522-a76) to the north, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to kid-approved Verona day trips. Escape the city today on a full-day trip to Lake Garda that whisks you away to fairy-tale-like locales, such as Sirmione and its waterfront Scaliger Castle, by boat and private vehicle.
If your family is up for an all-day adventure in the mountains, the Dolomites are another excursion option. Explore scenic ski villages, let off steam in lakeside landscapes, and really impress your kids with a cable-car ride surrounded by some of the mountains’ highest summits.
