Things to Do in Verona: Arena, Juliet’s House and More
Six places that make a first visit, in the order most people see them. If a second day is free, the Basilica of San Zeno and the cathedral complex are the next two stops.
1Arena di Verona
Photo: Gáspár Ferenc / Pexels, Pexels License
The Roman amphitheatre on Piazza Bra is the landmark of the city and, in summer, its biggest stage: the Arena opera festival runs through June, July and August. On other days you can walk inside it.
Time
1 h to 1 h 30 min
Setting
Both
Best time
Right at opening time
Getting there
Piazza Bra, in the old town
Tip: Look at the official page the day before: the Arena is shut on Mondays and on show days, and the inner routes can be limited. On an opera night the better plan is a ticket for the performance itself.
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 9 am to 7 pm, except on show days; closed on Mondays.
A courtyard and a balcony that Romeo and Juliet fans queue for, and the least authentic sight in Verona: the balcony was assembled from reused marble pieces during the 1939–40 restoration. Inside, the civic museum shows Veronese frescoes, period furniture and paintings linked to the lovers’ story.
Time
30 min to 1 h
Setting
Both
Best time
First slot of the day
Getting there
Entrance from the Teatro Nuovo, Piazzetta Navona
Tip: Booking online is compulsory, even for visitors with free entry, and tickets are not sold anywhere else. The courtyard turns crowded and touristy as the day goes on, so the earliest slot is the calmest.
Courtyard and Teatro Nuovo route €5; route including the house €12. Open Tuesday to Sunday 9 am to 7 pm, on Mondays from 2 pm.
The old market square, framed by historic façades, with the Madonna Verona fountain in the middle and the Torre dei Lamberti rising behind it. It is where the city meets, shops and eats, and the place for the evening stroll.
Time
30 min to 1 h
Setting
Outdoor
Best time
Evening, after the day-trippers leave
Getting there
Old town, beside the Torre dei Lamberti
Tip: Come twice: once for the morning light and the market stalls, once after dark when the fountain is lit and the square feels Veronese again.
Built by the Lamberti family in 1172, the tower rises 84 metres above the old centre. From its terrace you look over the roofs and the bend of the Adige.
Time
30 to 45 min
Setting
Both
Best time
Late afternoon, in clear weather
Getting there
Via della Costa 2
Tip: The tower has 368 steps and a paid lift to the terrace; on a hot afternoon, pay for the lift.
Open Monday to Friday 10 am to 6 pm, weekends and holidays 10.30 am to 7 pm; last entry 20 minutes before closing.
A brick fortress on the Adige that now holds the civic art museum. In 2026 the museum marks a hundred years since its 1926 layout, with a trail around the statue of Cangrande as Carlo Scarpa later set it up.
Time
1 h 30 min to 2 h
Setting
Indoor
Best time
Mid-morning, or any rainy day
Getting there
Corso Castelvecchio 2
Tip: After the halls, cross the bridge beside the fortress and look back at the walls from the river.
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm, last entry 5.15 pm; closed on Mondays.
The oldest Roman monument in Verona, a stone bridge begun at the start of the first century BC, crosses the Adige towards the Roman Theatre. At sunset the arches glow orange and the bank fills with people photographing them.
Time
20 to 40 min
Setting
Outdoor
Best time
Sunset
Getting there
On the Adige, with the Roman Theatre on the far bank
Tip: Cross it, visit the archaeological museum at the Roman Theatre, then carry on to Giardino Giusti, whose belvedere looks back over Verona.
The bridge is free. The Archaeological Museum at the Roman Theatre opens Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm, last entry 5.30 pm. Giardino Giusti costs €14 and opens daily 10 am to 6 pm, last access 5 pm.
