Verona in 2 Days: everything you need to know

Verona is a city in northern Italy that attracts many people for various reasons. It is where the story of Romeo and Juliet is recreated and was one of the protagonist places for various civilizations and eras. From the Romans to the Middle Ages, the city is full of traces and you are invited to discover them.

To facilitate your visit and make sure you don't miss any of the essentials, I have prepared an itinerary with the best things to do in Verona for two days. See the list for each day below.

For the first day of the tour, it is ideal to start by visiting the most classic places of the city. This is a walk through emblematic spaces such as the Arena of Verona, Juliet's House, the Church of Santa Anastasia, the Stone Bridge, the Cathedral, among others. Here is a list of 8 options that I consider not to be missed.

The Arena of Verona

The Arena of Verona is a place of great importance for the city, as it is an amphitheater with capacity for 30,000 people and is the second best preserved in Italy. This makes it a kind of symbol of Verona and allows you to understand why its image is everywhere as a reference to the city.

If you are wondering how to visit the Arena of Verona you have basically two options: opt for a visit with a guide, who will tell you all about the history of the place. You can also live the experience of attending an opera concert or a philharmonic play, since this space still functions as an amphitheater. Of course, depending on the time of year you visit.

General Information

• Price: about €10 if purchased at the box office and about €11 online. Groups under 14 and over 65 pay a lower and variable cost.
• Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 18:00.
• Location: P. za Bra, 1, 37121 Verona.

Juliet's House

Just 9 minutes walking distance from the previous destination (approximately 750 meters), you will find another iconic space: Juliet's House. According to historians, this is the place where Juliet Capulet, who inspired the drama of Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, is presumed to have lived.

Upon entering this place, you must cross a small path to reach the main courtyard. There, you will see inscriptions on the walls and hundreds of padlocks, as signs of love left by various couples of visitors.

Next, you will reach the statue of Juliet, which gathers some myths about good luck. Then, head to the symbolic balcony that is so often mentioned in Shakespeare's narrative. At the end you can continue your tour on foot or on a hop on hop off sightseeing bus in Verona.

General information about Verona

• Price: about 6 euros at the ticket office and about 6,60 euros online. You will also have access to the attraction without buying the Verona Card.
• Hours: Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 18:00.
• Location: Piazzetta Navona, 37121 Verona.

The Church of Santa Anastasia

Continuing the itinerary, we recommend you to go to the church of Santa Anastasia, about 500 meters or 6 minutes from the previous location. This temple is considered the largest in the city, so it attracts a lot of attention from visitors.

Upon arriving at the church, you will immediately notice that the facade is incomplete. This is because its construction, which began in the 13th century, was not completed. However, over the years the temple has managed to preserve an important architectural value.

Inside, you will be delighted contemplating the symmetry of the paintings that decorate the vaults, as well as the statues of the hunchbacks, which look like movie characters. For all these reasons, this is one of the essential things to see on a visit to Verona in 4 days or less.

General information about Verona

• Price: from 3 euros per person.
• Hours: from 13:00 to 18:00 on Sundays and holidays, and from 09:00 to 18:00 from Monday to Saturday, from March to October. Also, from 13:00 to 17:00 on Sundays and holidays, and from 10:00 to 13:00 and 13:30 to 17:00 from Monday to Saturday, from November to February.
• Location: Piazza S.Anastasia, 37121 Verona.

Stone Bridge

Now it is time to go to the Stone Bridge, for which you will have to walk about 450 meters. You will arrive in approximately 6 minutes from the previous destination. This is the oldest monument you will find in the city, since its construction dates back to the first century BC.

This bridge was demolished during the Second World War. However, years later it was rebuilt, trying to place the stones and other elements of the structure as similar to the original.

During the visit you will not only see this imposing architectural work. You will also enjoy a beautiful view of the Adige River and this colorful region in general.

General information

• Price: free admission.
• Hours: open at any time of the day.
• Location: Stone Bridge, 37121 Verona.

The Cathedral of Verona

Continuing with your itinerary, it is time to walk for about 5 minutes or go about 400 meters to reach the Cathedral Santa Maria Matricolare, known as the Cathedral of Verona. It is a Romanesque style sanctuary, with some changes in its structure.

Upon entering the enclosure you will find a series of architectural elements that will catch your attention. You will see the various frescoes along the presbytery, the Cloister of the Canons, the Courtyard of Santa Elena and the Cappella Calcasoli, which enjoys a great artistic wealth.

To make your tour, you can opt for the option with audio guide in English, which, in turn, includes visits to other religious temples. This, with the Verona Card. In case you want to visit only the cathedral, you can also do so without any problems.

General information about Verona

• Price: from 3 euros per person.
• Hours: Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 13: 00 and from 13:30 to 17:00.
• Location: Piazza Vescovado, 37121 Verona.

If you are eager to learn much more about the history of Verona and Italy in general, then you only have to walk about 11 minutes on foot from the Cathedral to reach Ponte della Vittoria.

This structure was built in celebration of the First World War, so it has a high symbolic value. It was designed by Ettore Fagiuoli and, to build it, concrete was used with a stone very similar to marble.

To facilitate the passage of water from the Adige River, the bridge is formed by a central arch of 35 meters and two smaller ones of 32 meters, forming geometric shapes attractive to the eye. As you walk across it, you will notice that it has at its entrances various allusions to war, as well as some sculptures of mythological characters as a symbol of victory.

General Information

• Price: free tour.
• Hours: it is possible to visit at any time of the day.
• Location: Ponte della Vittoria, 37121 Verona.

Arch of the Gavi

Now it is time to visit the Gavi Arch. This structure gets its name because it was built with funds from the Gavi family, who were noble descendants of Rome around the 1st century.

To complement the historical interest of this place, you should know that it was used as a gate for the walls during the Middle Ages. If you look closely, you will notice architectural features such as the white marble arch.

Unfortunately, this monument was destroyed during the invasion of Napoleon Bonaparte and rebuilt in 1932 with some of the original pieces. All this gives it a cultural and historical value that attracts hundreds of tourists and probably you too.

General information about the museum

• Price: free and free of charge.
• Hours: open 24 hours a day.
• Location: Corso Cavour, 2, 37121 Verona.

Castelvecchio Castle

Just 2 minutes from the bridge, or 140 meters, you will find the imposing Castelvecchio. It is one of the most imposing places in Verona, for the size of its structure. The building began as a fortress to protect against enemies during the Middle Ages and its function changed over the years.

In this monument built in the fourteenth century, you will find various elements such as lanterns, columns and other spaces with the authentic appearance of centuries ago. If you travel in December, visiting this place is one of the things to do in Verona at Christmas, as the area hosts a small market to buy souvenirs.

From the architectural point of view, it is a structure with two cores, one with the main square and the main courtyard, and the other that served as a residence. In the middle you can see the Mastio Tower. If you go inside, you will find the Civic Museum of Verona, which displays various medieval, modern and Renaissance objects.

General information about Verona

• Price: about 7 euros per person.
• Hours: Monday to Friday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.
• Location: Corso Castelvecchio, 2, 37121 Verona.

For the second day of the itinerary, I invite you to tour the most important squares of Verona, stopping for lunch, a drink or an aperitif in the surrounding restaurants and bars. These are the most important places to visit.

Piazza delle Erbe

This square is known as one of the oldest in Italy and many agree that it is the main square of the city, as it serves as a meeting point for foreigners and locals. This place has a lot of historical importance, as it was the seat of the Roman Forum.

If you visit this place during a weekend, you can take advantage of the market that is erected in the area to buy travel souvenirs or any other souvenir of the region that you want to take with you.

Domus Mercatorum

If you stand in the center of the Piazza delle Erbe you will quickly identify the Domus Mercatorum or Casa dei Mercanti, which is currently occupied by the Banca Popolare di Verona. You can see the imposing medieval façade of this building, once home to a group of the city's merchants.

Palazzo della Ragione

In another of the surroundings of the Piazza delle Erbe you will see the Palazzo della Ragione or Palazzo del Comune, which was once the seat of the city government. There, you will admire the architectural forms of the building, as well as the paintings and sculptures inside.

Lamberti Tower

If you look at the facade of the previous destination, you will see that a tower stands out in the background. This is the Tower of Lamberti, a building built during the last years of the eleventh century.

You can access it and see the city from a height of 84 meters, as this monument currently serves as a lookout.

Case dei Mazzanti

After visiting the Lamberti Tower, you can continue exploring the Piazza delle Erbe and get to the Case dei Mazzanti. This is another element of high historical value in the city, which served as home to various members of the Scaligeri family and other members of the nobility.

It is a small group of buildings whose attraction lies in the facades, as they are composed of balconies and walls with various frescoes that still resist the ravages of time.

Gardello Tower

If you are a tower enthusiast, then in Piazza delle Erbe, you have to see the Torre del Gardello. It is a building dating from the thirteenth century and whose architectural style corresponds to the baroque. Also, look at the clock of the structure, which is one of the oldest in Europe, as well as the marble statues at the top.

Stop for lunch and rest

Once you finish your tour of the monuments in Piazza delle Erbe, you can stop at the bars and restaurants that line it. In this way, you will have lunch, have a drink and take a break before moving on to the next destination.

You also have the option of going to the picturesque market to try the different fresh products. In fact, you could connect with one of the best food tours in Verona and take the opportunity to get to know and taste the local preparations.

Arch of the Coast

After lunch and rest you should continue to the next destination on your itinerary, the Arco della Costa. It is only 15 meters from Piazza delle Erbe.

You will be amazed by the fossil of a rib, which is located under the arch. For a long time it was said to belong to Satan. Others tell that the piece was hung by a store to attract customers in medieval times.

Piazza dei Signori

From the Arco della Costa you should walk about 78 meters in the direction of Via della Costa and Piazza dei Signori. Thus, in just a few minutes you will reach Piazza dei Signori.

It is a central area, which has around it several striking elements, including important palaces and medieval buildings.

Some of the monuments you will see are usually:

• Casa dei Giudici or Domus nova, a monumental building and former courthouse.
• Palazzo di Cansignorio or Palazzo del Capitanio, with its impressive square tower.
• The Palazzo del Podestà or Palazzo di Cangrande, which served as lodging for important artists of history, such as Giotto and Dante.
• The Loggia del Consiglio, which is now the seat of the province and can be easily identified thanks to the large porticoes at the entrance.

Verona is a city you can get around on foot without any inconvenience. However, there are several public and private transportation options that you can use during your stay.

• Bike sharing service from 6:00 am to midnight. Just install the app on the Verona bike website and follow the instructions.
• Public transportation, available from 5:00 am to 2:00 am. Just install the Ticket Bus Verona app on your cell phone.

During your stay in the city, a good option to move around is the City Sightseeing Verona tourist bus, which offers free stops for 24 or 48 hours, depending on the ticket you buy. You will visit the main tourist destinations of the city: the Arena of Verona, the Capitular Library of Verona, Juliet's Balcony and much more. All this from the second floor of the bus, while listening to the audio guide. In addition, if you are traveling in a group, with City Sightseeing Verona you can request a private tour.

Verona is an Italian city that invites you to discover it little by little. For this reason, during your two-day stay, you should not waste a minute and set up an itinerary that will allow you to visit the most emblematic places of this city. You will be fascinated by the medieval-Roman history of the place, told through the architectural monuments arranged along the streets.