Verona - Our 2 Day Itinerary!

Our two day itinerary for Verona, the city known for its beauty and romance. We caught the train from Venice which took just under 2 hours as part of our Northern Italian tour.

Verona is most famous for Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’, as well as its history and architecture. It’s located within central northern Italy, with good transport connections to neighbouring cities such as Venice, Bologna and Milan.

Day 1 Overview:

• Juliet's House
• Castel San Pietro

Day 2 Overview:

• Castelvecchio
• Verona Old City
• Arena di Verona

Day 1.

1. Juliet's House.

One of the most popular spots to visit was first on our list in Verona, the Casa di Giulietta or also known as Juliet’s House. Here you can see the famous balcony overlooking the courtyard which is accessed from the main street, the courtyard is only open at certain times to restrict tourists within evening hours so check if you're visiting later in the day and it can be quite crowded due to the courtyard being quite small in size.

As you walk into the courtyard you can see a golden statue at the back of Juliet, where many people believe it’s good luck to rub the breast of the statue of Juliet for good luck.

2. Castel San Pietro.

View of Castel San Pietro from Piazzetta Bra Molinari.

Next stop for us was Castel San Pietro, which is a romanesque fortress with impressive views across the whole of Verona.

If you aren’t keen on walking or climbing uphill, there is a cable car option available at the base of the hill which will take you up to the top of Castel San Pietro for a small charge. We chose to climb the up steps, where you can find the main route via Ponte Pietra bridge. After you’ve crossed the bridge heading towards Castel San Pietro, a series of stairs across the main road will lead you up and around the hill.

There are several viewpoints on the route up, with the Punto panoramico being the final panoramic viewpoint at the top. If you fancy a drink from all that climbing, there is a small cafe next to the cable car drop off point which do Aperol Spritz’s and other drinks.

After admiring the view and making your way back down, cross back over the Ponte Pietra bridge and walk through the main gate - Torre di Ponte Pietra. We decided to stop for a spot of late lunch!

As we didn't want to overdo the touristy items on our first day we chose to spend the evening wandering the historical streets and soaking up the live music, before finding a spot for dinner (Italien food is just too good)!

Day 2.

1. Castelvecchio.

On the west side of Verona is the Castelvecchio Museum, which is a medieval fortress which houses collections of art and medieval weapons, armour and artefacts. Just besides the museum is the famous bridge, Ponte di Castelvecchio, which was originally built within the 14th Century, and reconstructed during the Second World War.

You can walk along the bridge and pose within the bridge’s architectural reveals. As you come back off the bridge, next to the museum is Arco dei Gavi, a reconstructed historical landmark, which would have served as a gate to the city surrounded by walls.

After this we then went for a spot of lunch, we stopped in Il Punto Rosa, which was recommended to us, for a traditional eatery which was reasonably priced and is on route towards the main city.

Me stood on the Ponte della Vittoria in front of the Ponte di Castelvecchio.

2. Verona Old City.

Continuing north you’ll reach Porta Borsari, which is the main entrance gate to the old city. The streets seem to transform to smaller cobbled streets with many shopping outlets. We explored some of the shops, particularly if you’re looking for any designer clothing as there seemed to be quite a bit!

Afterwards, head towards Piazza delle Erbe, a large open plaza where local market stalls can be found selling souvenirs, jewellery and local food. Within the plaza you can see the Fontana Madonna Verona, a famous water fountain, and the Torre dei Lamberti which is a medieval bell tower.

Just round from the medieval bell tower is the Piazza die Signori, which is a beautiful square surrounded by palaces such as the Palace of the Podestà, Loggia del Consiglio and Palace of Cansignorio.

A small square within the streets of Verona.

3. Arena di Verona.

For the evening head towards the Arena di Verona, which is a large Roman amphitheatre (they often hold different events, it’s worth checking if there are any good musical events on the evening you’re visiting!).

The arena is surrounded by gardens and plenty of restaurants with outdoor seating, many people are dressed rather well here, for if they aren’t attending the amphitheatre they are likely attending an opera event in the area.

If visiting during the summer months there is plenty of outdoor seating to sit, enjoy a drink and observe the area.

Staying in Northern Italy?

Check out our other posts on Trieste, Venice and Treviso!