Situated right between Milan and Venice, Verona makes for the perfect pit stop on your Italian adventure. It’s an incredibly beautiful ancient town bursting with history. The famous Roman Arena, despite being nearly 2,000 years old, is amazingly well-preserved—they even hold spectacular outdoor concerts there every summer! Verona is also globally renowned as the setting for Shakespeare’s classic masterpiece, Romeo and Juliet, earning it the romantic nickname "The City of Love." In this post, we're sharing all the essential details for planning your own Verona getaway, including must-visit attractions, transportation tips, and more! We hope you find this guide helpful for your trip planning~ (Updated July 2020)

💘 Verona Day Trip Guide Contents

Location & Transportation
Getting to the Attractions
Luggage Storage
Verona Summer Opera Festival
10 Must-Visit Verona Attractions
How Much Time Should You Spend in Verona?

💘 Location & Transportation

• Arrival Station: Verona Porta Nuova (Verona Central Station)
• From Venice: Departure Station Venezia S. Lucia. Approx. 1 hour 28 minutes, €9.45 one-way.
• From Milan: Departure Station Milano Centrale. Approx. 1 hour 50 minutes, €12.75 one-way.
• From Bologna: Departure Station Bologna Centrale. Approx. 1 hour 29 minutes, €10.30 one-way.

The prices and times listed above are for the more budget-friendly regional trains. If you prefer a faster journey, there are high-speed options available. Check out the Trenitalia official website for exact schedules and ticketing. (Updated July 2020)

💘 Getting to the Attractions

• By Bus: From Verona Porta Nuova, you can take buses 90, 94, 96, or 97 to Piazza Bra, or take bus 102 or 161 to the VR P.Za Bra stop.
• By Foot: It's about a 1.5 km walk, taking around 20 minutes.

💘 Luggage Storage

• You'll find luggage storage on the left side of the station exit. The cost is €5 for 5 hours (Info from September 2016).

💘 Verona Summer Opera Festival

Festival Period: June to August every year
Location: Arena di Verona (Roman Arena)
Official Website: https://www.arena.it/arena/en

Verona’s Summer Opera Festival is world-famous, primarily because it's held inside a spectacular Roman amphitheater that is nearly 2,000 years old! Sitting in the exact same arena where ancient Romans once gathered, now watching a world-class opera or music performance? That is just mind-blowing! If you're visiting Verona in the summer, this is an absolute must-do.

💘 10 Must-Visit Verona Attractions

The amazing thing about Verona is how close all the main sights are to each other. You can easily stroll around and randomly bump into a ton of historic landmarks! Cherry absolutely loves cities like this—you feel so incredibly efficient at sightseeing just by wandering around! Let's dive into the must-visit spots in Verona. (Listed in a logical walking order, not by preference)

🔖 I Portoni della Brà (Gates of Bra)

Part of Verona’s ancient city walls, these twin-arched gates sit right next to Piazza Bra. While it might not be Verona’s most famous landmark, Cherry personally adores these vintage, romantic arches. If you look closely, the brickwork below the clock has been restored, yet it blends in flawlessly. Peeking through the arches at the row of European-style buildings feels like stepping straight back into the Middle Ages.

🔖 Piazza Bra

This is the largest piazza in Verona—and some even claim it's the largest square in all of Italy! Besides a charming row of restaurants and cafes, Piazza Bra is home to several of Verona’s most iconic attractions, including the world-renowned Arena di Verona and the magnificent City Hall (Palazzo Barbieri).

🔖 Palazzo Barbieri (City Hall)

Located right on Piazza Bra next to the Arena, you'll find Palazzo Barbieri. Built in 1610 in a grand Neoclassical style, it originally served as a military fortress for Verona. Today, it functions as the city's municipal building and a venue for major public events.

🔖 Arena di Verona

Without a doubt, the most majestic building in Verona is the Roman Arena. Back in ancient times, this spectacular open-air amphitheater could hold up to 30,000 spectators! It currently stands as the third-largest surviving Roman amphitheater in the world. While it might not be as massive as the Colosseum in Rome, its history is even older!

Built in 30 AD, the arena is almost two millennia old (it will officially hit its 2,000th birthday in 2030 😱), yet it remains one of the best-preserved ancient structures on the planet. The summer Opera Festival held here draws over 500,000 attendees every year!

The most popular photo spot is this iconic section of the outer wall. A massive earthquake in the 12th century destroyed the majority of the original outer ring, leaving this single, spectacular "wing" as the sole survivor. Though it's a bit of a shame the whole wall didn't make it, we are so lucky that this piece remains intact, allowing us a breathtaking glimpse into the grandeur of a 2,000-year-old masterpiece!

The Arena's ancient walls contrasted against a bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds… it is simply gorgeous!

🔖 Via Giuseppe Mazzini

Right next to the Arena, you'll find the bustling shopping street, Via Giuseppe Mazzini.

This vibrant pedestrian street has everything you could possibly want, from trendy clothing boutiques and high-end luxury brands to even a Swarovski store! If you walk all the way down this street, it leads directly to the world-famous Juliet's House. Perhaps that's why Via Mazzini is always packed with people!

You'll spot signs pointing to "Casa di Giulietta" (Juliet's House) along the way—just follow them and you won't get lost!

🔖 Casa di Giulietta (Juliet's House)

Shakespeare’s beloved masterpiece, Romeo and Juliet, is set right here in Verona, chronicling the tragic tale of two feuding families: the Montagues and the Capulets.

When we first discovered there was an actual "Juliet's House" in Verona, we were a little confused. Wait, is Romeo and Juliet based on a true story?! A little research revealed that it’s actually fictional. In fact, the very first versions of the Romeo and Juliet tale weren't even set in Verona—they were set in Siena, another Italian city! However, locals eventually claimed that this 14th-century house, featuring a lovely courtyard with a balcony, was the exact "Casa di Giulietta" that Shakespeare envisioned.

Basking in the enduring glow of Romeo and Juliet, this house is widely regarded as the most visited attraction in Verona, bar none. The courtyard is constantly overflowing with tourists!

Everyone is fighting for a photo with the bronze statue of Juliet in the courtyard. Legend has it that touching her right breast will bring you good luck in love. Over the years, countless visitors hoping for romance have rubbed Juliet's bronze chest so much that it's now gleaming gold!

The other major highlight is, of course, Juliet’s Balcony. The house itself has been transformed into a museum, so if you want to actually stand on the famous balcony and snap a picture, you'll need to purchase a ticket to go inside!

Casa di Giulietta (Updated July 2020)

• Address: Via Cappello, 23, 37121 Verona VR, Italy
• Opening Hours: 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Closed on Mondays)
• Tickets: Standard €6; Children (must be accompanied) €1; Groups (15+ people) €4.5; Seniors (60+) €4.5
• Official Website (Italian): https://goo.gl/FSSNiq

🔖 Piazza delle Erbe

Just around the corner from Juliet's House is Piazza delle Erbe, another bustling hotspot for visitors. Built over the ancient Roman forum, this charming square is surrounded by a stunning array of colorful historical buildings.

Looking up from the square, you can't miss the Torre dei Lamberti, an ancient tower attached to the old city hall. Standing at 84 meters tall, it is the highest tower in Verona! If you have the time, we highly recommend heading up to the top for a spectacular panoramic view of the city!

Torre dei Lamberti (Updated July 2020)

• Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Saturday & Sunday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
• Tickets: Standard €8; Groups (15+ people) €5; Seniors (60+) €5
• Official Website: https://torredeilamberti.it/

Word on the street is that once you buy your ticket on the ground floor, you can take an elevator straight up towards the top! From there, you only need to climb about two flights of stairs to reach the outdoor observation deck. It's a fantastic way to enjoy a stunning 360-degree view of Verona's ancient cityscape without turning your legs to jelly on the stairs! The endless sea of terracotta rooftops dotted with historic church domes is incredibly beautiful!

Another super eye-catching landmark in the square is the Palazzo Maffei, a glorious Baroque building. It is intricately decorated with statues of Greek gods along its roofline, and right in front of it stands a white marble column topped with the winged Lion of St. Mark—the iconic symbol of the Venetian Republic!

🔖 Piazza dei Signori

Right next to Piazza delle Erbe is Piazza dei Signori, which historically served as the center of political power in Verona. The square is also commonly known as Piazza Dante, thanks to the prominent statue of the famous Italian poet Dante Alighieri standing right in the center.

🔖 Adige River

If you take a leisurely stroll down to the banks of the Adige River, you'll be treated to a gorgeous view of Castel San Pietro perched on the opposite hillside, along with Verona’s beautiful bridges and serene river scenery.

Even if you don't have enough time to hike up to Castel San Pietro, we still highly recommend taking a walk along the riverfront!

🔖 Castel San Pietro

If you've carved out enough time in your schedule, definitely cross the bridge and head up the hill to Castel San Pietro. From up there, you get a sweeping, bird's-eye view of the Adige River and the entire ancient city of Verona. We hear it’s also an absolutely phenomenal spot for watching the sunset and the city lights at night!

Just looking at the photos makes us realize how truly stunning it is!

💘 How Much Time Should You Spend in Verona?

If you're like us and just treating Verona as a quick pit stop between Milan and Venice, you'll need an "absolute minimum" of 3 hours. We literally only allocated 3 hours for our visit (it was definitely the most rushed day of our entire Italy trip; we pretty much forcefully squeezed Verona into our itinerary!). We arrived at Verona Porta Nuova around 2:00 PM and had to catch a 5:00 PM train out to Venice. We didn't have any time to queue up for a photo with Juliet's statue (the crowds were insane), and naturally, we didn't have time to tour the inside of the Arena. We sprinted through all the sights listed above (except Castel San Pietro) at the speed of light!

However, Verona is genuinely such a romantic, lovely little town that it easily deserves at least half a day of slow, relaxed wandering. If you happen to visit during the summer Opera Festival, then you absolutely must stay overnight! Experiencing an opera or music concert inside a nearly 2,000-year-old Roman ruin is an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience!

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