Itineraries for Your Trip to Verona
1 Day in Verona for First Timers
Verona may be best known as the setting for Romeo and Juliet, but as I’ve discovered over multiple trips, there’s more to this northern Italian city than Shakespearean romance. In just one day in Verona, you can travel 2,000 years back in time inside ancient Roman theaters, tour some of the prettiest piazzas and palaces in Italy, and taste your way through the vineyards of Veneto at excellent local wine bars.
Just a 90-minute train ride from my home in Florence—and even closer to Milan and Venice—Verona is small, compact, and easy to explore on a tight schedule. Here’s how I’d make the most of a quick trip as a first-time visitor.
Verona is typically cooler and cloudier than Italian destinations to the south, so pack layers (which also come in handy when you need to cover up for church visits).
If you only have time for one thing, make it seeing an opera at the Verona Arena.
Conveniently for day trippers, it’s easy to check off most of the must-see attractions in Verona on a short walk through town. Start with a skip-the-line tour of the Verona Arena, one of the world’s best-preserved ancient Roman amphitheaters, then walk up Via Mazzini toward [Piazza delle Erbe]](https://www.viator.com/Verona-attractions/Piazza-delle-Erbe/d945-a19431). This is Verona’s main square, where you can sip espresso while admiring frescoed palazzi and the medieval Lamberti Tower. Juliet’s House, the best place to revel in Verona’s Romeo and Juliet–fueled romance, is just a few steps away on Via Cappello.
After lunch, enjoy a change of scenery by exploring Verona on the northern side of the Adige River—a greener area known as Veronetta—on foot or by bike. Crossing away from the historic center over the picturesque Ponte Pietra, the city’s only surviving Roman bridge, you’ll approach the hilltop fortress of Castel San Pietro. Continue up a steep staircase or ride the funicular to the top—either way, you’ll end up with a winning view over Verona’s burgundy rooftops, bell towers, and bridges. On the way back down, you can visit the Roman Theater and Archaeological Museum.
There are plenty of ways to spend an evening in Verona, from aperitivo and people-watching in Piazza Brà to a guided wine tasting of Valpolicella and other local libations. When hunger strikes, book a food tour to continue sightseeing while sampling Verona’s best bites. If you’d like to learn a new skill, cooking classes are the best way to discover the secrets of fresh pasta and homemade tiramisu, which proudly hails from the Veneto region.
