One Day in Verona Itinerary: What to See, Eat, and Do
Only have one day in Verona? Don’t worry, the city is incredibly compact and walkable, so you can easily see the main highlights without spending half your day getting from one place to another.
This one day in Verona itinerary combines the city’s must-see attractions with plenty of time for good food, drinks, and sunset views along the way. It’s a full day, but the route is easy to follow and won’t have you rushing from one stop to the next.
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Quick Travel Planning Tips for Verona
🏨 Where to Stay: I recommend staying in Verona’s historic center, where all the main attractions are within walking distance. Hotel Milano & Spa is hands down the best choice, while Hotel Mastino is a great budget-friendly alternative.
🌟 Best Tours: See Verona’s main highlights on this small-group walking tour with Arena admission and a funicular ride, or learn to make fresh pasta and tiramisu in this Italian cooking class.
🎟️ Tickets to Book in Advance: Online booking is mandatory for Juliet’s House, so reserve your preferred time slot before your visit.
🚶 Getting Around: Verona is compact and easy to explore on foot, so you won’t need a car for sightseeing.
🗺️ Best Day Trips: Visit Sirmione and Lazise on this Lake Garda day tour with a boat cruise, or spend a day in the mountains on this full-day Dolomites tour from Verona.
📱 Stay Connected: Use an eSIM from Airalo to stay online for maps, transport, and bookings without swapping SIM cards.
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Planning Tips for Your Verona Itinerary
Before getting into the itinerary, here are a few practical things to know about getting to Verona, moving around the city, and choosing where to stay.
How to get to Verona
Verona is well connected by train to Venice, Milan, Bologna, and other cities across northern Italy. Trains arrive at Verona Porta Nuova, which is around a 20-minute walk from Piazza Bra and the historic center. You can also take a local bus or taxi from outside the station if you don’t want to walk.
If you’re flying into Verona Airport, the Verona Airlink bus connects the terminal with Verona Porta Nuova in around 15 minutes. From the station, you can continue to the historic center on foot, by bus, or by taxi.
Since Verona is small and easy to explore in one day, it’s also a great stop on a Northern Italy itinerary!
How to get around Verona
You won’t need a car for this one day Verona itinerary, or any other means of transport. The historic center is compact, and everything included in the route can be reached on foot.
The only uphill section is the climb to Castel San Pietro, but you can take the funicular if you don’t want to walk. Wear comfortable shoes, as you’ll still spend most of the day exploring on foot!
Where to stay in Verona
If you’re staying overnight, I recommend choosing a hotel in or close to the historic center. This will allow you to start sightseeing early and walk back to your hotel after dinner.
Hotel Milano & SPA is hands down my top choice. It has an excellent location near the Verona Arena, and its rooftop is home to Terrazza Arena Sky Lounge Bar. For a more budget-friendly option, Hotel Mastino is another good choice close to Piazza Bra.
Morning of Your One Day in Verona
Breakfast at Elk Bakery
Start your one day in Verona with breakfast at Elk Bakery – The Garden. Located on Via Cappello, just a few minutes’ walk from Juliet’s House, it’s perfectly positioned for the first stop on your itinerary.
The menu includes both sweet and savory breakfast options, from pancakes and pastries to eggs, avocado toast, and granola. The garden seating is especially nice in the morning, but there is also plenty of space inside.
Of course, if breakfast is included at your hotel, you can enjoy it there and head straight to Juliet’s House afterward. In that case, simply skip this stop and start the itinerary a little later.
Visit Juliet’s House
Start your city sightseeing by visiting the most popular attraction in Verona, Juliet’s House. In case you’re not familiar with the story, this house is linked to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the tragic love story about two young people from rival families in Verona.
Of course the story and the characters were fictional, so this was never Juliet’s real home, and the famous balcony was added much later. Even so, visiting the house is still one of the best things to do in Verona and it’s quite enjoyable, so I wouldn’t miss it!
The courtyard of the house used to be free, but sadly it’s not the case anymore and now you need to book a ticket even if you just want to see the balcony. Moreover, booking online in advance is mandatory as you can’t buy tickets on site.
Talking about tickets, there are two main types. The first includes Teatro Nuovo and the courtyard with a view of the balcony from below, while the second also gives you access to Juliet’s House and allows you to step onto the balcony.
Since it’s very popular, I recommend booking the first timeslot available which is usually at 9 am.
Il Tiramisu di Giulietta
After you’ve finished touring Juliet’s House (or just the courtyard), you’ll exit through a small gift shop. But don’t leave just yet!
There’s a staircase on the right that leads up to a small tiramisu shop with the best panoramic views of the courtyard and balcony. The tiramisu is actually very good and comes in several different flavors, so it’s the perfect mid-morning break.
Actually, this is a very good alternative to see the famous balcony without paying for an entrance fee as you can access the gift shop directly from the street (it’s on Via Capello).
Explore Piazza delle Erbe
From Il Tiramisù di Giulietta, it’s only a few minutes’ walk to Piazza delle Erbe, one of the main squares in Verona. This area has been at the center of city life since Roman times, when it was home to the Roman forum.
Today, the square is filled with market stalls selling souvenirs, food, and drinks, with cafés lining the surrounding buildings. Take some time to walk around and look out for the colorful frescoes on the Mazzanti Houses, Palazzo Maffei, and the Madonna Verona fountain in the center.
Once you’ve explored the square, head to the nearby Torre dei Lamberti to see it from a completely different angle.
Climb Torre dei Lamberti
Now that you’ve seen Piazza delle Erbe from ground level, it’s time to see it from above! Torre dei Lamberti stands 84 meters high and is the tallest tower in Verona, with views over the two main squares and the terracotta rooftops of the historic center.
Thankfully, there’s an elevator that takes you almost to the top, so no need to climb hundreds of stairs. You’ll still need to climb a few steps to reach the highest viewing platform, but it’s much easier than walking the entire way.
Once you’re up, take your time at the top, as the view is different from every side of the tower. Just be prepared for the bells, because they’re incredibly loud if they ring while you’re standing nearby!
Afternoon of Your One Day in Verona
Lunch at La Prosciutteria
There are tons of great restaurants to choose from in Verona, but my personal favorite is La Prosciutteria. They have several locations across Italy, but the Verona branch is right on Piazza delle Erbe, making it a very convenient stop for lunch.
We ordered the Tuscan Gourmet Platter, which comes with a generous selection of cured meats and cheeses, along with a burrata salad, and both were really good. They also serve schiacciate, Tuscan flatbread sandwiches filled with different combinations of meats, cheeses, and vegetables.
Most of the seating is inside, but there are three small tables on the balcony upstairs. We managed to grab one and absolutely loved the view over Piazza delle Erbe, so definitely ask if a balcony table is available when you arrive!
Visit the Basilica di Santa Anastasia
After lunch, make your way to the Basilica di Santa Anastasia, the largest church in Verona. Its unfinished brick facade might not look too impressive at first, but the interior is a completely different story!
Inside, you’ll find gorgeous columns made from red Veronese marble, colorful frescoes, and beautifully decorated chapels. Make sure to look for the two hunchback figures supporting the holy water fonts near the entrance, as they’re very easy to miss!
Another highlight is Pisanello’s Saint George and the Princess fresco above the Pellegrini Chapel. There is a small entrance fee, but the church is absolutely worth adding to your one day in Verona itinerary.
Visit Verona Cathedral
Next, walk over to Verona Cathedral, which is only around five minutes from the Basilica di Santa Anastasia. The cathedral is tucked away in a much quieter part of the historic center, so it feels very different from Verona’s busier attractions.
The interior is beautiful, with pink marble columns, frescoed chapels, and an impressive altarpiece by Titian called The Assumption of the Virgin.
Your ticket also includes access to the Baptistery of San Giovanni in Fonte, where you can see its large octagonal baptismal font carved from a single block of marble.
Drinks at Terrazza Arena Sky Lounge Bar
By this point, you’ll probably be ready to sit down for a while, and Terrazza Arena Sky Lounge Bar is the perfect place for an afternoon drink! The bar is located on the rooftop of Hotel Milano & SPA and has an incredible close-up view of the Verona Arena.
You don’t need to be staying at the hotel to visit, but the rooftop is very popular, so it’s best to reserve a table in advance. However, we just walked in during the afternoon and got seated immediately so you can always try your luck!
See the Verona Arena
Once you’ve finished your drinks, head downstairs to Piazza Bra for a closer look at the Verona Arena. This Roman amphitheater is the most famous landmark in the city and still hosts operas, concerts, and other performances throughout the year.
If the arena is open, you can buy a ticket to explore the inside and walk along the ancient seating areas. However, there are many days when visits are limited or completely suspended because of performances, rehearsals, and technical preparations.
This happened when we visited too, so we simply walked around the arena and admired it from the outside. It’s still incredibly impressive, and an exterior visit only takes a few minutes, which works perfectly for this Verona itinerary.
Wander through Giardino Giusti
From Piazza Bra, it’s around a 20-minute walk to Giardino Giusti, a beautiful 16th-century garden on the quieter side of the Adige River. After a busy afternoon of sightseeing, it’s a lovely place to slow down and enjoy a bit of greenery.
The garden is filled with tall cypress trees, fountains, statues, hidden grottoes, and even a small hedge maze. Make sure to walk up to the belvedere at the top, where you’ll get a lovely view over the garden and the rooftops of Verona.
Some of the paths are quite steep and uneven, so comfortable shoes will definitely come in handy here.
Your ticket also includes access to Appartamento 900, a series of seven rooms inside Palazzo Giusti that show what everyday life was like for the family during the early 20th century. The rooms are decorated with period furniture, artwork, frescoes, and lots of plants, with each one looking slightly different.
Evening of Your One Day in Verona
Sunset from Castel San Pietro
If you only have one day in Verona, I recommend saving Castel San Pietro for last and heading up there for sunset!
The castle stands high above the Adige River, with a large viewing terrace overlooking Ponte Pietra and the historic center. This is easily one of the best views in Verona, especially when the rooftops start glowing in the warm evening light.
You can reach the terrace by walking up the staircase near Ponte Pietra or taking the funicular. The walk is fairly short but quite steep, so the funicular is a welcome option after a long day of sightseeing.
The opening hours can be a little confusing because the castle itself only has limited opening hours. However, the viewing terrace is open 24/7, and the funicular usually runs into the evening, so you can come up for sunset regardless of whether the building is open.
I recommend arriving a little early, as the terrace usually gets busy in the evening.
Pizza dinner
After sunset, head back down into the historic center for dinner. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from, but after a full day of sightseeing, you really can’t go wrong with pizza!
Gemma Pizzeria is my top choice, and its city-center location is especially convenient. Their pizzas are made with sourdough and organic flour, with plenty of creative toppings alongside the classics.
Little Italy Pizza & Food is another great option close to Juliet’s House, while Berberè Pizzeria sits just off Piazza delle Erbe and is known for its light sourdough crust and seasonal ingredients.
All three are popular, so you might need to wait a bit to get a table, especially if you’re visiting on a weekend. It’s the perfect way to wrap up your one day in Verona before heading back to your hotel!
