Verona in 1 Day: all you need to know

Verona has so many attractions to offer that touring it in a single day sounds practically impossible, but with the right organisation and the right itinerary you can discover some of the main sites in the city that inspired William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, but which is so much more than that.

Among the best things to see and do in Verona during a day trip you can visit the Verona Arena and Piazza Bra, tour Juliet's House and the most famous balcony in the world, see the city from the heights of the Torre dei Lamberti, visit the Verona Cathedral and the Stone Bridge and discover the sunset from the viewpoint of Castel San Pietro.

The Arena of Verona is a Roman amphitheatre almost 2000 years old and is also one of the most visited attractions in the city, second only to Juliet's House. Musical events and shows are held there every year, including the Verona Festival, which consists of a series of opera concerts that take place every year between June and August.

I suggest you start your tour at the Arena di Verona, since in the morning you'll avoid the long queues and you'll also be able to enjoy this Roman amphitheatre, the best preserved of its kind in the world, with fewer crowds. During the tour, which you can do on your own or with a guided tour, you can get to know the interior of the Arena and also learn about its history and the multiple uses it has had over the years.

The tour of the Arena of Verona will take you about 1 hour and a half and once outside I recommend you to take a short walk through Piazza Bra, which is located at the exit of the amphitheatre and is one of the busiest and most famous public squares in the city and also a meeting point for the best tours of Verona.

Interesting facts

• Price... Tickets to visit the interior of the Arena have an initial cost of approximately 10 euros per person.
• Where... Piazza Bra 1, Verona.
• How to get there... You can get there on bus lines 11, 12, 31, 32, 33 and 52 or on the city's hop on-hop off tourist bus.

Juliet's House is Verona's most visited attraction and also the focal point of the city that breathes through the drama of Romeo and Juliet, which is one of William Shakespeare's most famous creations. You can get there from the Arena in a 10-minute walk down the seven streets or use buses 11, 13 and 52.

The Juliet's House Museum is a showcase of some of the elements related to Shakespeare's play and also a look at the history of the medieval palace, which is recorded to have existed at least since the 12th century, when it was inhabited by the Capulets, Juliet's family. However, most of the house was rebuilt in 1940 and of its original structure only the entrance door remains.

The main attractions of the museum are the statue of Juliet, which according to Veronese urban legend must be touched to bring good fortune, and the balcony where one of the most important dialogues of Shakespeare's play takes place.

Note that Juliet's House is always very crowded and you may have to queue to visit it or take a picture with the front of the palace. If you want to visit the museum, the best option is to buy your tickets in advance online.

Interesting facts

• Price... Tickets to visit the museum have an initial cost of approximately 6 euros per person.
• Where... Piazzetta Navona, Verona.
• How to get there... You can get there on bus lines 11, 13 and 52 or on the city's hop-on-hop-off tourist bus.

Two streets away from Juliet's House is the Torre dei Lamberti, which is an ancient medieval civil tower 84 metres high that was once considered one of the tallest buildings in the city and is now one of the panoramic points for viewing the city's skyline and doubles as a clock tower.

The Torre dei Lamberti is striking for the complexity of its construction, for the materials used and for the two bells at the top, one that signals fires and the time of day and the other that is used to call the people to arms to defend the city. If you visit it you can also discover the spiral staircase that takes you to the top and a lift that was added at the beginning of the 20th century.

From the Torre dei Lamberti you will be able to see a wide panoramic view of the city, including the Adige river reaches, the Castle of San Pietro, the old town, the Arena and the Cathedral. If you plan to visit Verona in summer you will also be able to see the first mountain range of the Alps.

Interesting facts

• Price... Tickets to access the viewpoint have an initial cost of approximately 6 euros per person.
• Where... Via della Costa 1, Verona.
• How to get there... You can get there on bus lines 11, 13 and 52 or on the city's hop-on-hop-off tourist bus.

One of the best things to do in Verona is to enjoy Italian food and that is why I suggest, once you have finished your visit to the Torre dei Lamberti viewpoint, that you go for lunch in Piazza delle Erbe, which is one of the central points of the city and is located two streets away from the tower.

Piazza delle Erbe is one of the most famous public spaces and if you plan to visit Verona at Christmas time you will see a giant Christmas tree installed here every year, but it is also known for being home to some of the city's best restaurants and bars, making it the ideal place to have lunch.

Since you won't be able to do a food tour in Verona due to lack of time , you can at least visit some of the places that are usually included in food tours, such as Ristorante Maffei, Billy Paletta or Osteria del Bugiardo. In the Piazza delle Erbe area you will find restaurants of all kinds and menus in all price ranges, so you can choose the option that best suits your palate.

If after lunch you also want to try the traditional Italian gelato, you can opt for the famous Gelateria Impero or Amorino, two of the most famous gelato shops in the streets near Piazza delle Erbe.

After lunch in the Piazza delle Erbe area I suggest you move towards the Adige side of the river to the Verona Cathedral, which is located six streets away from the square. You can take a 10-minute walk, bus line 70 or the hop-on-hop-off tourist bus from the city

Verona Cathedral stands out for its simple, Romanesque-style structure and striking gable-roofed façade. In addition, the interior houses Renaissance frescoes and sculptures and the altar is built from the remains of the two churches that formerly occupied the Cathedral grounds and were demolished by an earthquake in the 11th century.

As a distinctive feature, Verona Cathedral has an unfinished bell tower and between the characteristic central aisles you can make out stained glass windows in a single colour of blue, which is striking. Although the Cathedral is one of the most important Catholic buildings in the city because of its investiture, it is not one of the most visited churches in Verona, as that place is occupied by the convents and chapels mentioned by Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet.

You can visit Verona Cathedral every day and also attend the religious hospices on Sundays. Admission to the interior of the building is free, but the entrance to the bell tower is currently closed.

Interesting facts

• Price... Admission to the Cathedral is free.
• Where... Piazza Vescovado, Verona.
• How to get there... You can get there on bus lines 70 or on the city's hop on-hop off tourist bus.

Very close to the Cathedral, four streets away, is the Stone Bridge, which is one of the eight Roman bridges that crossed the Adige River in Antiquity and is nowadays the only one still standing, even if it was partly rebuilt after the end of the Second World War. You can reach the bridge by a 10-minute walk or by bus on line 70.

The Stone Bridge is not only the oldest bridge in the city but also one of the main features of Verona's skyline, which stands out for its medieval constructions and the Roman influence of its main buildings. From this bridge you can take some of the best pictures of the city and you can also photograph yourself on it.

The importance of the Stone Bridge was central in antiquity, as it linked the old part of the city with the Castle of San Pietro, which crowned the city's resistance against invaders. That is why the bridge is included in most of the guided tours that cover the history of the city, even in those that are aimed at children, so if you plan to visit Verona with children, visiting it can be an ideal option, as it is very striking.

Interesting facts

• Price... The visit to the bridge is free.
• Where... Stone Bridge, Verona.
• How to get there... You can get there on bus lines 70 or on the city's hop-on-hop-off tourist bus.

On the other side of the bridge is the Roman Theatre, which is over 2000 years old and is one of the oldest buildings still standing with its original structure in Verona, without having been rebuilt throughout its history. The theatre, which hosts concerts and shows, also houses the Archaeological Museum.

The museum is an archaeological exhibition centre that includes more than 600 works on display indoors and another 200 outdoors. Among the items you can discover there are inscriptions, sculptures, mosaics, bronzes, vases, stelae and funerary altars, Etruscan urns and Greek inscriptions, as well as ceramic bowls and metal furniture.

A visit to this museum will be of interest to you if you are a history buff, although you will also be able to find curious elements to find out what life was like in the city during Roman times and how social customs changed during the successive conquests. Without a doubt, the archaeology museum is one of the best museums in Verona.

Interesting facts

• Price... Entrance to the museum has an initial cost of approximately 4.5 euros per person.
• Where... Regaste Redentore 2, Verona.
• How to get there... Buses 11, 12, 31, 32, 33 and 90 and the hop on-hop off tourist buses in the city.

A few metres from the Roman Theatre, the Castel San Pietro is one of the highest points in the metropolitan area of Verona and also the ideal place to enjoy a panoramic view of the city and its surroundings from the lookout point. To reach the main viewpoint at the top of the castle, you can use the stairs or the San Pietro funicular.

The main attractions of the city that you can see from the Castle of San Pietro are the flowery houses on the banks of the Adige River, the different colours, textures and materials of the Stone Bridge and the narrow streets of the old part of Verona, which is one of the most picturesque parts of the city.

From the height of the viewpoint, if you go up during the last shift, you can also see one of the best sunsets in Italy, so I recommend that you leave the visit to the Castle of San Pietro for the end of the tour, so that the sunset catches you watching it from the top.

Interesting facts

• Price... Entrance to the castle and the viewpoint has an initial cost of approximately 10 euros per person.
• Where... San Pietro Castle, Verona.
• How to get there... You can get there on bus lines 21, 22, 23, 24 and 61 or on Verona's hop on-hop off tourist buses.

Towards the end of the tour I suggest you get off the Castel San Pietro, cross the Stone Bridge and start a slow walk along the banks of the Adige. If you plan to visit Verona in January you' ll find that the cool breeze from the river will help you beat the heat and if you're visiting during the cooler season a light coat will help protect you, but it's worth starting your farewell to the city from the river.

If you still feel like walking around the city you can opt for a stroll through the old part of the city and if not you can head straight to Via Mazzini for dinner at one of the restaurants in the area. I recommend you choose Le Vecete or Il Bacaro dell'Arena, but you can certainly find other interesting places.

You can say goodbye to the city by going to a local bar or café for a coffee or tasting some of the local desserts, which are very tasty.