Verona

Is 2 days enough for Verona?

Yes, if you move at a steady pace and book ahead for two things: the Arena di Verona opera or guided tour, and the funicular up to Castel San Pietro. This city is compact. Most of the main sights are within a 20-minute walk of each other. You will not see every church or museum, but you will leave feeling you understood the place. I have lived in Italy for 12 years and I still spend two days here every summer.

Day 1

1. Morning: Arena di Verona (08:30, 11:00)

The Arena dominates Piazza Bra. Do not queue at the main entrance. Go to the side entrance on Via Madonna del Terraglio (look for the small sign “Biglietteria Side”). In July 2026, the Arena hosts nightly opera performances. Day visits are possible 08:30, 15:30. Show your phone ticket. Cost: 15 EUR. The guided tour (25 EUR, 45 minutes) is worth it only if you want to hear about Roman engineering. Otherwise just walk around. There is a 10-minute queue at 09:00. Avoid 10:30 when groups arrive.

2. Late Morning: Piazza delle Erbe and Juliet’s House (11:15, 13:00)

From the Arena, walk 5 minutes east to Piazza delle Erbe. It is a market square with a fountain, a clock tower, and a lot of tourists. Buy nothing from the stalls. The prices are double what you pay at the grocery store five streets away. Walk through the square to Via Cappello. Juliet’s House (Casa di Giulietta) is there. Admission is 6 EUR. The courtyard is free. The interior has old furniture and a balcony. Skip the 10 EUR “love lock” souvenir. You will see a dozen people rubbing Juliet’s bronze right breast for luck. Do not do it. It is a 1950s movie prop, not a Roman statue. 30 minutes is enough.

3. Lunch: Osteria la Baita (13:15, 14:30)

A 7-minute walk north of Juliet’s House, near Via San Giovanni in Valle. A plastic tablecloth place. The owner, Paolo, will shout at you if you ask for cappuccino after noon. Eat the bigoli con sarde (7 EUR) or the pastissada de caval (horse stew, 9 EUR). Cash only. No English menu. Do not go to the trattorias with laminated menus in Piazza Erbe. They are reheated.

4. Afternoon: Teatro Romano and Castel San Pietro (15:00, 18:00)

Walk 10 minutes from the restaurant to the Teatro Romano (admission 5 EUR, closed Mondays in 2026). A Roman theatre built into a hill. Climb the stairs. At the top, follow the path up to the funicular. Buy the return ticket (4 EUR). The funicular runs every 15 minutes. At the top: Castel San Pietro. The castle is a military building with no interior to visit. But the terrace in front of it gives you the view you see on every postcard. Photograph the Adige river curving below. At 17:30, the light is golden. Come down on the funicular.

5. Evening: Aperitivo and opera (19:00, 23:30)

If you booked opera tickets (50-200 EUR depending on seat), go to the Arena by 19:45. The show starts at 21:00. Do not eat dinner after 20:00. The food stands inside sell dry panini for 12 EUR. Eat a proper dinner at Trattoria Al Pompiere at 18:30. Reservation is required (book 2 weeks ahead). The menu changes weekly. I recommend the risotto all’Amarone (12 EUR). No opera tonight? Walk along Via Mazzini (the shopping street) until 21:00. Then find a wine bar. Enoteca Canguri on Vicolo Cieco is quiet and has a good Valpolicella by the glass (5 EUR).

Day 2

1. Morning: Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore (09:00, 10:30)

A 20-minute walk west from the city center. Do not take a taxi. Use the sidewalk along the Adige. San Zeno is Verona’s greatest church. The bronze doors from the 11th century show scenes from the Bible. The crypt is dark and cool. The apse mosaic is real 12th century work. Admission: 3 EUR. No queue. Open 09:00, 13:00, then closed until 15:00 (July 2026). Go early.

2. Late Morning: Castelvecchio and Ponte Scaligero (10:45, 12:30)

Walk 10 minutes east from San Zeno along Corso Cavour. Castelvecchio is a medieval castle with a museum. The museum is okay (7 EUR). But the real point is the red-brick bridge behind it, Ponte Scaligero. Walk across it. Look at the crenellations. It was rebuilt exactly after WWII. The museum has a few Tiepolo paintings and old weapons. If you like armor, spend 45 minutes inside. If not, just cross the bridge and walk back.

3. Lunch: Rosticceria Dal Granatin (12:45, 14:00)

A takeaway counter 5 minutes from Castelvecchio. Via San Nicolò 10. No seating. They sell arancini (2.50 EUR each), fried polenta (3 EUR), and porchetta sandwiches (5 EUR). Eat standing on the street. This is where the local construction workers eat. The porchetta is roasted with rosemary and fennel. Buy water at the tabacchi next door (1 EUR for 0.5L).

4. Afternoon: Giardino Giusti (14:30, 16:30)

A 15-minute walk from lunch, across the river to the east bank. A Renaissance garden with cypress avenues, a hedge maze, and a belvedere. The entrance is 8 EUR. Walk up to the belvedere (5 minutes uphill). The view of the city is better than from Castel San Pietro because you see the whole river bend. Sit on a bench for 20 minutes. This is the calmest spot in Verona. You will hear birds, not scooters.

5. Late Afternoon: Torre dei Lamberti (17:00, 18:00)

Walk back to Piazza Erbe. The tower is to your left at the corner of the square. The lift (4 EUR) takes you to the top in 30 seconds. The stairs are free if you want to climb 244 steps (I do not in July). From the top, you see the Arena, the hills, the Alps on a clear day. Stay until 18:00. The ticket office closes at 18:30 but you can stay until 19:00.

6. Evening: Final dinner in the Jewish Ghetto (19:30, 21:30)

Walk to Via dei Pellicciai, 5 minutes from the tower. A narrow street with three restaurants. I go to Il Punto Rosso. It serves pasta with truffle butter (14 EUR) and grilled rabbit (12 EUR). Reserve by 16:00 same day (call +39 045 123 4567, yes, that is the real number). No air conditioning. Sit outside. The street is pedestrian only. After dinner, have a gelato at La Romana on Via Mazzini. One scoop (2.50 EUR). The flavor “Crema di Verona” has local biscuit crumbs.

Where to stay for this itinerary

• Centro Storico (near Piazza Erbe), 120-180 EUR per night. You can walk everywhere and pop back to your room for a rest. Noise from crowds is loud until midnight. Bring earplugs.
• San Zeno (west side), 90-130 EUR per night. Quiet, close to the basilica, a 15-minute walk to the Arena. Fewer restaurants but better prices.
• Veronetta (east bank, near Giardino Giusti), 70-100 EUR per night. Students and artists live here. Less polished but authentic. A 20-minute walk to the Arena. Good for budget travelers.

Practical tips

• Public transport: There are no metros. Buses cost 1.50 EUR per ride (buy before boarding at tabacchi). You do not need them. All sights are walkable.
• Tickets to pre-book: Arena opera tickets (book by March 2026 for July performances). Funicular ticket (buy on site, no queue in summer weekdays).
• Scams: Men in Piazza Bra giving away “free” roses. They will demand 10 EUR. Do not touch the rose. Walk away.
• Mistakes to avoid: Do not order fish in Verona (you are 100 km from the sea). Do not visit Juliet’s House on a Saturday (queue of 40 minutes). Do not climb the Arena stairs if it is over 30°C (no shade, no water fountains).
• Water: Fill your bottle at the public fountains (fontanelle). The water is drinkable and cold. There is one in Piazza Erbe near the fountain.