Best Things to Do in Verona, Italy

Verona has a way of feeling both grand and easy to get around. You’ve got Roman ruins, medieval lanes, elegant squares and river views, all packed into a compact historic centre that’s simple to explore on foot. That mix is a big reason the city was recognised by UNESCO for the way it preserves monuments from antiquity, the medieval period and the Renaissance.

It’s also a city that suits different kinds of trips. You can come for a quick stop on a northern Italy itinerary, stay for a romantic weekend, or use it as a base and still feel that Verona itself deserves proper time. If you’re deciding how to fill a day or two, these are the best things to do in Verona, Italy!

No visit to Verona makes sense without starting here. Built of pink-tinged marble in the 1st century CE, the Arena dominates the city’s Piazza Brà and is one of Italy’s most astounding buildings, one of the world’s best-preserved ancient structures. It predates the Colosseum in Rome and gives you a far more intimate encounter with the scale of Roman engineering.

Piazza Brà is Verona’s largest and most impressive square, the perfect place to begin your visit. This wide, open piazza sits at the edge of the historic centre and is lined with cafés, restaurants, and historic buildings. In the warmer months, outdoor tables spill into the square.

From Piazza Brà, the walk to Piazza delle Erbe takes just a few minutes through the main pedestrian street, Via Mazzini. Originally a Roman forum, Piazza delle Erbe is ringed with buzzing cafés and some of Verona’s most sumptuous buildings, including the elegantly baroque.

Just off Piazza delle Erbe, you’ll find Piazza dei Signori, a quieter, more refined square where the famous pensive statue of Dante stands, marking the spot where he lived from 1312 to 1318 under the patronage of Cangrande.

Every guide to Verona includes Juliet’s House, and this one is no exception, but it’s worth going in with clear expectations.

Situated off Piazza delle Erbe, along Via Cappello, the house is one of Verona’s most popular attractions. Juliet’s bronze statue stands in a small courtyard below the famous balcony. Visitors can enter the courtyard for free to see the statue. To access the house itself and stand on the balcony, you’ll need a ticket or the Verona Card, and you must pre-book a time slot in advance.

One of Verona’s most popular attractions, this 84-metre watchtower provides panoramic views over the city and the nearby mountains. Construction started in the 12th century and finished in 1463. It has an octagonal bell tower whose two bells retain their ancient names, the Rengo bell once called meetings of the city council, while the Marangona warned citizens of fire.

A lift carries you two-thirds of the way up the tower, but you’ll need to walk the last few storeys. The views over the terracotta rooftops and out to the surrounding hills are well worth it. On a clear day, you’ll spot the Alps on the horizon.

Castelvecchio and its adjoining bridge, Ponte Scaligero, are two of the most iconic sights in Verona. Built in the 14th century by the powerful Scaliger family, this red-brick medieval castle now houses an art museum featuring paintings, sculptures, and historical artefacts. Even if you don’t enter the museum, it’s worth walking through the castle courtyard.

Step out onto Ponte Scaligero for one of the most dramatic views in the city. The fortified bridge spans the Adige River with impressive battlements and towers, a striking contrast to the Roman architecture elsewhere in Verona. This area feels slightly less crowded than Piazza delle Erbe or Juliet’s House, making it a pleasant place to slow down before finishing your day.

The Scaligeri tombs, the elaborate Gothic funeral monuments of Verona’s medieval ruling family, are also nearby and can be admired from outside the iron fence at no cost. The highlight for many visitors is the large equestrian statue of Cangrande on top of his tomb, which is a popular spot for photos

At the northern edge of the city centre, Ponte Pietra is a quiet but remarkable testament to Italian love of national artistic heritage. Two of the bridge’s arches date from the Roman Republican era in the 1st century BCE, while the other three were replaced in the 13th century.

Located on the eastern side of the river, Giardino Giusti is one of Italy’s most beautiful Renaissance gardens. With cypress-lined paths, sculpted hedges, fountains, and statues, the garden is a peaceful retreat from the busy streets of the historic centre. A climb to the upper terrace rewards visitors with one of Verona’s best panoramic views.

Admission is not covered under the Verona Card’s free tier, but card holders do receive a reduced entry price.

San Zeno is one of the most important Romanesque churches in northern Italy and, in the view of many, the most rewarding church visit in Verona. A masterpiece of Romanesque architecture, the striped brick-and-stone basilica was built in honour of the city’s patron saint. The main bronze doors, dating from the 11th and 12th centuries, are extraordinary, each panel tells a biblical story in relief, and the craftwork is astonishing for its age.

The church is located a short walk west of the main historic centre and is included with the Verona Card or available on a joint churches ticket. It is far less crowded than the central sights and gives you a genuine sense of Verona’s depth as a city.

Built in the 1st century BC, only a portion of the Roman Theatre (Teatro Romano) remains today, but you can still identify the most important elements: the stage, orchestra, and auditorium. Despite its scenic location near Ponte Pietra, this is one of the quieter and lesser-known attractions in Verona.

Above the theatre, the hill leads up to Piazzale Castel San Pietro, the city’s finest viewpoint. Perched atop a hill overlooking the city, this spot offers sweeping vistas of the Adige River, historic rooftops, and landmarks including the Lamberti Tower and San Giorgio in Braida. You can ascend via the historic funicular railway, located near the Roman Theatre on Via Fontanelle di Santo Stefano. Alternatively, a staircase beginning near Ponte Pietra offers a scenic climb through the hillside.

The funicular is a small but charming piece of Verona infrastructure and a worthwhile experience in itself. Note that it is not included in the Verona Card. The viewpoint is free to visit at any time of day.

This deserves its own section, because an evening at the Arena Opera Festival is genuinely one of the finest live experiences in Europe.

The 103rd Arena di Verona Opera Festival 2026 runs from 12 June to 12 September 2026, with productions including a new staging of Carmen, Verdi’s Aida in the legendary Zeffirelli production, Nabucco, La Bohème, and a centenary celebration production of Puccini’s Turandot.

You do not need to be an opera devotee to enjoy it. The Festival obviously attracts aficionados from around the world, but tickets remain accessible at a range of price points. Even without a deep knowledge of opera, witnessing a performance under the stars in this 2,000-year-old amphitheatre is genuinely transformative.

Verona sits at the heart of one of Italy’s most celebrated wine regions, and a half-day trip into the surrounding hills is one of the most rewarding things you can do during your stay.

Valpolicella is the most famous wine-producing area in the Verona province, covering seven of the ten valleys that surround the city to the north and extending for around 40 kilometres from west to east.

Getting to Valpolicella from Verona takes around 20 to 30 minutes by car. Guided wine tours depart from the city centre and typically include visits to two or three family-run wineries, a tasting of Amarone, Ripasso, and Valpolicella wines, and sometimes a lunch at a local trattoria.

For most visitors spending a full day or more in the historic centre, yes.

The Verona Card comes in two versions: a 24-hour card for €30 and a 48-hour card for €35. It gives you free admission to more than 15 attractions, including the Arena di Verona with fast-track entry, the Castelvecchio Museum, and Basilica San Zeno.

It also covers unlimited travel on Verona’s city buses.

A few important things to know before you buy:

Juliet’s House requires advance booking regardless of whether you have the card. Reserve your time slot at verona.midaticket.it before you arrive, selecting the VR Card option.

Most city museums are closed on Mondays. This includes the Arena, Juliet’s House, Castelvecchio, and the Torre dei Lamberti. Plan accordingly.

The best months to visit Verona are April through June and September through October, when temperatures are pleasant and crowds are moderate. July and August are hotter and busier, especially during the Arena opera season.

Spring is particularly lovely, with the city in full colour before the main tourist wave arrives. If you’re coming specifically for the opera, June through early September is your window, with the festival running nightly at the Arena through summer.

Winter visitors will find a quieter city, a series of charming Christmas markets, and free admission to public museums on the first Sunday of each month from November to March, just €1 entry.

Getting there: Verona is well connected by rail. High-speed trains from Milan take around an hour and 20 minutes; from Venice, the journey is about an hour and 10 minutes. The main station is Verona Porta Nuova, a 20-minute walk from Piazza Brà or a short bus ride.

Getting around: Verona is super easy to explore on foot, and the historic centre is completely walkable. Public buses are useful for reaching San Zeno or the Giusti Gardens if you’d prefer not to walk.

Avoiding queues: Arrive at the Arena and Torre dei Lamberti early in the morning or later in the afternoon. The Verona Card’s priority entry at the Arena is a genuine advantage on busy summer days.

Food to try: Look for bigoli (a thick pasta local to the Veneto), risotto all’Amarone, and the classic Veronese pastissada, a slow-cooked meat stew with a history stretching back to the 5th century. For something lighter, the aperitivo culture here is excellent, and a well-made Spritz in Piazza delle Erbe at early evening is one of the simpler pleasures of Italian travel.

Verona has a habit of making you slow down. The city is compact enough to feel manageable, but deep enough in history and character that a single day only scratches the surface. The Arena at dusk, the view from Castel San Pietro at golden hour, a glass of Amarone in a dimly lit osteria, these are the details that stay with you.

.Give Verona two full days if you can. And if you’re building a wider northern Italy trip, it connects effortlessly with Venice, Milan, and a string of day trips from Verona that are well worth your time.