Verona is a perfect city to visit on foot in a day as the centre is pedestrianised and attractions are located within walking distance of each other.
Declared a Unesco World Heritage Site for its urban peculiarities and its artistic and cultural heritage, Verona is best known for the Arena and Juliet’s house.
We have been to Verona several times, both as a couple and with the girls and, personally, I am never bored.
So let’s explore Verona with an itinerary and a description of the most important sights.
What to see in Verona in a day
Our Verona walking itinerary starts in Piazza Bra and winds its way around the most important monuments for about 3 kilometres.
Piazza Bra and the Arena
Piazza Bra is the largest square in Verona, which houses a public park, several buildings of interest such as the Town Hall, the Palazzo della Gran Guardia, and the famous Arena, one of the symbols of the city.
Arena of Verona is a Roman amphitheatre dating back to the 1st century B.C . that originally could seat up to 30,000 people.
Thanks to various restorations carried out since the 16th century, the Arena is one of the monuments that have come down to us with the best degree of preservation.
Used for various events and concerts, the Arena di Verona can be visited inside after purchasing a ticket.
Via Mazzini
Once out of the Arena di Verona, make a small diversions to the famous 120-metre-long, three-arched Castelvecchio Bridge (or Ponte Scaligero).
From here, continue along the riverfront to the Ponte della Vittoria, where you can return to the centre through the Porta Borsari, once the main entrance to the city and now one of the entrances to the historic centre.
Reach Via Mazzini, the shopping street, overlooked by another symbol of the city of Verona: Juliet’s House!
What to see in Verona in one day: Juliet’s House
To visit Juliet’s House and climb onto the famous balcony, you need a ticket.
The queues to access the courtyard are very long, so we advise you to book your visit in advance.
It may be useful to purchase the VeronaCard, which allows free use of public transport in the city and access to various monuments, including the famous balcony.
For information, click here.
What to see in Verona in one day: Piazza delle Erbe
From Juliet’s House, a few steps lead to Piazza delle Erbe, a beautiful square teeming with life, with a curious rectangular shape (in the past, it was the Roman Forum).
Many important buildings overlook Piazza delle Erbe, such as the ancient Palazzo del Comune, Casa Mazzanti, Casa dei Giudici, Palazzo Maffei and Casa dei Mercanti, seat of the Banca Popolare di Verona.
The 84-metre Lamberti towers over the square and access to its interior requires the purchase of a ticket.
The panoramic terrace can be reached on foot, up 386 steps, or by a convenient lift.
Piazza dei Signori
From Piazza delle erbe, slip under the Arco della Costa leading to Piazza dei Signori, also known as Piazza Dante as it houses the statue of the Supreme Poet.
Continue further until you reach the Arche Scaligere, a funerary complex housing the Gothic tombs of the most important members of the Della Scala family.
What to see in Verona in one day: Verona Cathedral
To get to Verona Cathedral, walk past the basilica of Santa Anastasia, a jewel of Gothic art and Verona‘s largest church.
Verona Cathedral is part of a large architectural complex that includes the Palazzo del Vescovado, the Chiostro dei Canonici, the Baptistery of San Giovanni in Fonte, the Biblioteca Capitolare and the Church of Sant’Elena.
The Cathedral is open with the following opening hours: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm; Sat 11am-3.30pm; Sun and holidays 1.30pm-5.30pm.
Visits to the Duomo complex are subject to payment. If you have a VeronaCard, admission is included. Full information HERE.
Verona with children
Verona lends itself very well to visiting with children as the centre is flat and, as mentioned, the most important attractions are all close together.
If you are travelling with children, it is a must to take a couple of hours to visit the Children’s Museum of Verona, which is just over a kilometre from the city centre.
The Children’s Museum is an interactive museum in which children aged 0 to 12 can – and should – touch, play and experiment. I talk about it HERE.
If, on the other hand, you are looking for a playground where the little ones can let off steam for an hour, you have to go to the Alessandro Canestrari Gardens.
Also very nice to do with children, or if you want to admire the city from above, comfortably seated, is the Hop-On Hop-Off tour offered by GetYourGuide.
Getting to Verona
- For those arriving by car, the nearest motorway exit for visiting the historic city centre is Verona Sud. From here, take Via del Lavoro and you will soon reach Piazza Bra, the square of the Arena. Right here, you will find the Saba Arena car park (€3.00 per hour).
- If you arrive in Verona by camper van, there is a parking area with loading and unloading at Porta Palio (10.00€ 24 hours).
- For those arriving by plane, Verona Valerio Catullo Airport is 12 kilometres from the centre. From the airport, you can take a shuttle bus to Porta Nuova in 20 minutes. If you plan to take a trip around the area, it might be useful to rent a car.
Where to stay in Verona
Corte Realdi Suites Piazza Erbe – Wonderful flat, with everything, in the historic centre of Verona. Private parking available nearby at €35.00 per day and cot 0-2 years old provided free of charge – Book here.
New: ClueGo routes
ClueGo routes were created to discover the most authentic side of the city by deviating from the classic tourist route.
Through a series of puzzles and riddles, which you can use completely independently from your smartphone, they will lead you to discover local legends and traditions, often unknown even to locals.
Want to put yourself to the test? Find out all the details at the following link!
What to do around Verona
Verona is half an hour’s drive from Lake Garda, which offers various entertainment options.
Some of these are Gardaland and the wonderful but lesser known Parco Natura Viva.
But also pretty lakeside towns like Sirmione and Peschiera and, a short distance away, the Park Giardino Sigurtà.
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