One Day In Verona Italy: Itinerary for a Day Trip

Are you headed to Italy and looking at your options for cities to stay in or take a day trip to? There are so many interesting things, but deciding what’s worth it and how long you need to spend is hard. If you’ve made it here, you’re considering Verona as a day trip option.

So, is Verona worth it? 

It’s full of history and romance. But it’s small enough that you can experience it in a day and not feel like you’ve been rushed or missed out. It’s a perfect combination. So, yea, I think spending one day in Verona is worth it! Plus, if you’re gluten-free like me, there’s a bonus reason to visit.

If you’re debating a day trip to Verona, this post will share an itinerary so you can decide if it’s worth it for you. I’ll give you all of the information so you can decide for yourself.

One Day in Verona: Overview

Morning: Piazza Bra, Ancient Roman Arena in Verona, Casa di Giulietta

Afternoon: Castelvecchio Museum and Bridge and Piazza delle Erbe

Is Verona Worth it?

Verona is a little town outside of Venice. Its history dates back to the ancient Roman Empire. The Roman arena in Verona is my favorite outside of the main Colosseum in Rome.

I love how it sits in Piazza Bra. It’s imposing and beautiful. I could spend much time staring at it and thinking about what life must have been like for the ancient Romans. I did that when I ate lunch there.

Verona is a UNESCO World Heritage site. UNESCO curates a list of places that have contributed to human history and culture. I always start my trips by looking at UNESCO sites to see if I’m interested in any of them. They’ve never steered me wrong. Every UNESCO site I’ve seen has been interesting. They’ve done the work of making a list of really cool places. I haven’t been steered wrong yet!

Plus, Verona is the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It’s a little touristy and not super authentic. But it still takes you to a place of love (and a bit of tragedy if you think too hard). I enjoyed it. 

The movie Letters to Juliet is set in Verona. There’s nothing like a 2010 rom-com to get me excited about a trip. It doesn’t add much to the experience, but you do recognize some things from the city in the movie and that’s always fun.

One Day in Verona- The Morning

After arriving in Verona, start your day by exploring the three most popular sites in the city: piazza Bra, the arena, and Juliet’s house.

Kick off your time in Verona by walking to Piazza Bra from the train station.  The walk is 20 minutes and takes you through some more modern parts of the city, but it isn’t difficult.

More information about how to get to Verona is below.

Piazza Bra is a beautiful open plaza. It’s picturesque and is honestly what I always picture in a European square. I think my favorite part of this plaza is watching people walk through it following their daily routine. That just can’t happen near the colosseum in Rome.

For breakfast, visit Ristorante Pizzeria La Costa in Bra. It serves gluten-free pastries and offers a view of the arena.

From the piazza, take in the ancient Roman arena in Verona. This arena is one of the largest in Italy. It’s impressive. It’s so well preserved and the acoustics are so good that it’s still used for concerts. There is an annual opera festival held here. It will also host part of the closing ceremonies for the Milano-Cortina Olympics.

You can visit the arena’s interior or take in the outside. 

I enjoyed visiting this arena because the crowds were much thinner than those in Rome. So I could enjoy it instead of being in the masses.  There will still be people around (probably even more as the Olympics get closer), but I appreciate the calmer atmosphere. This area felt like an incredible piece of history in a place where people live instead of a swarm of tourists. 

The arena opens for visitors at 9:00 a.m. and is closed on Mondays. With the Olympics using the arena in Verona, I expect it to become more popular.

Consider booking your tickets online before you visit so you don’t miss out. It would be really bad to take the train and miss out on something you wanted to do. I’ve been there- it’s not fun.

The exterior of the arena and the way you can admire it in the piazza make it worth the visit. You don’t necessarily need to visit the inside. 

After seeing what you want to see of the arena,  head to visit the Casa di Giulietta.

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is set in Verona. The families in Shakespeare’s fictional story are supposedly based on two families in Verona. Juliet’s family is thought to have lived in what is now the site of this landmark.

It’s one of the most popular things to do in Verona. But there’s not a ton of historical significance behind it. The balcony in the courtyard was added later, and there is a statue of Juliet. You may find love notes stuck to one of the walls in hopes that leaving them there brings luck in love. 

When I signed up to go, I knew it was a bit of a tourist trap, but it was still really fun. Just because it’s gimmicky doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing!

I enjoyed seeing the balcony and thinking about the love story. 

It doesn’t take too long to visit, and it will likely be busy. However, it was a fun part of my time in Verona, so I think it’s worth visiting. 

After visiting these sites, grab lunch. I recommend heading back to Piazza Bra so you can view the plaza and the arena.  

Ristorante Pizzeria La Costa in Bra is my pick for lunch if you’re gluten-free like me. The AIC-certified restaurant is excellent (for celiacs and gluten-eaters). Plus, the view can’t be beat.

One Day in Verona- The Afternoon

After lunch, head to Castelvecchio. There is a museum here from when Verona had its government and duke. This medieval castle is now a museum of art, weaponry, and more. It’s worth a visit if you have the time, but even if you don’t think you’ll head inside, it’s still worth walking by.

Tickets are €9. You can visit the museum exhibits, explore the castle, and walk on the walls. If you haven’t seen many medieval castles on your travels, this one is worth visiting. You can buy tickets early, but the website is buggy. I’d get them from this third-party Italian agency if you want to get them early. You’ll pay a premium, but it’s the best option for pre-purchased tickets.

It’s closed on Mondays, just like the arena. 

The Castelvecchio bridge is just outside the castle. It was an incredible engineering design for its time. It was put over the river to give the rulers a way to escape the castle if needed.

It stood on its own until it was destroyed at the end of World War II. 

Finally, head to Piazza dell Erbe. This piazza was the site of the ancient Roman forum, a gathering place for the Romans. 

Now, you’ll find a market with food and souvenirs. Open-air markets that combine produce for locals and souvenirs for tourists are a fun place to hang out. You can see and experience all kinds of things. I love how vibrant these markets are.

With any time you have left, walk along the river. There are some truly stunning views in Verona!

If you’re gluten-free, visit Bacio Di Cioccolato. It’s a dedicated gluten-free bakery that will change your life!

If you’re not gluten-free, find any other bakery and take in an afternoon snack and coffee. There’s no reason to rush around seeing sites. Spend time enjoying Verona.

One Day in Verona- A Day Trip

Verona is more or less the halfway point between Milan and Venice. So, you can easily take a day trip from either of them.

Check the timetables so you know what time the trains run. You can book your tickets ahead of time or the day of. However, the prices of high-speed trains are often more expensive on the day of. So, plan ahead if you can.

I love using the Trenitalia app. The city names are in Italian only. There’s no English option for the names but the rest of the app is super easy to use. You can even book your tickets online for the English city names and then log into the app to have your electronic tickets.

For this trip:

• Milan = Milano
• Venice= Venezia
• Verona= Verona

You can also buy your tickets from the ticket office at the train station. Give yourself some time to make sure you don’t miss the train waiting in line for a ticket.

If this is your first day trip on your own, pre-book your train tickets to make the trip easier.

I recommend setting an alarm on your phone to give yourself plenty of time to walk to the station before your train home. It’s easy to lose track of time and that’s one thing that can make a day trip a lot less fun.

If you’re not new to day trips and want to test out adding some flexiblity to your schedule, check the train timetables and make a note on in your phone of when the trains run. Then you don’t have to look it up over and over again.

Day trip From Milan to Verona

A day trip to Verona from Milan is not only doable, it’s pretty easy. As far as day trips go, it’s a perfect starter day trip.

Take the frecciarosa high-speed train from Milan Centrale to Verona Porta Nuova. The ride is around $30. You’ll make the journey in 1 hr and 15 minutes. 

You’ll have plenty of time to explore Verona before returning to Milan. 

Day trip from Venice to Verona

You can also take a day trip to Verona from Venice. It’s perfect for you if you haven’t done many day trips. 

From Venice Santa Lucia, take the frecciarosa highspeed train to Verona Porta Nuova.This train ride takes about an hour and 15 minutes and costs about $30. 

There are train options that would require a changeover in Bologna. Don’t do those. Day trips are much more manageable with direct trains. Since there is an option, pay attention to the train timetables so you can take the direct trains. It will make your day so much easier.

Is one day in Verona enough?

Verona is a cute little town, but if you’re trying to make the most of your vacation time, one day in Verona is plenty.  There are other things to do in Verona than those listed on this itinerary. You could always add them. 

After spending one day in Verona, I had plenty of time. I want to go back to visit the gluten-free bakery, but I don’t feel like I missed out on anything that was a must-see in Verona. 

Is a Half Day In Verona Enough?

You can see a lot of Verona even in a half-day. But you’ll want a plan to make sure you’re moving quickly. If a half-day is what you have and you want to see Verona, go for it. It’s going to feel rushed. There’s just no way around that. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as long as you sign up for it on purpose.

You can also combine Verona with a visit to Vicenza if you’re visiting from Venice. It’s a long day and requires you to navigate some train schedules, but it’s easy to do with the Trenitalia app. If you’re comfortable navigating, its worth considering.

Enjoy your One Day in Verona

There are so many little towns to explore in Italy. Verona is one of my favorites that I’ve explored. The gluten-free bakery helped, but it wasn’t the only reason! Enjoy your time exploring the intersection of Roman architecture and Shakespeare!