Best Things to Do in Verona: 17 Sights Ranked

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Verona is a compact river city where the main sights sit inside one bend of the Adige and can be reached on foot. One full day covers the first eight entries on this list; two days cover almost all of it, including an evening at the opera in summer.

At a glance

Time needed: one day for the Arena, the two squares, Castelvecchio and the view from Castel San Pietro. Two days for the churches and gardens.
Book ahead: Juliet's house (compulsory timed slot, online only) and opera tickets. A slot is recommended for the Arena and the Torre dei Lamberti in high season.
Closed on Monday: the Arena, Castelvecchio, the Roman theater museum and the modern art gallery. Juliet's house opens at 14:00 on Mondays.
City pass: the Verona Card costs €33 for 24 hours and €38 for 48 hours, as of November 2026.

How this list is ordered

The order follows what a first-time visitor should see first, not fame. Juliet's house sits fifth because the visit is short, paid and tightly scheduled. UNESCO lists the whole historic center as a World Heritage Site for two reasons: the city kept building for about 2,000 years without erasing earlier layers, and it is a clear example of a fortified town. Much of it is streets, gates and bridges that cost nothing. For transport, areas and seasons, start with the Verona travel guide.

The first eight: do these on any visit

1. The Arena

The Roman amphitheatre on Piazza Bra was finished around AD 30 and is still used for performances. A daytime visit takes 30 to 45 minutes. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 19:00 with last entry at 18:30, and closed on Mondays, 25 December and 1 January. From April to October it hosts shows: on those days it closes early and parts of the seating are covered by staging. The official ticket shop listed the full ticket at €12 in 2026, €3 for ages 18 to 25 and free under 18. Verona Card holders use gate 5. Details are in the Verona Arena guide.

2. Piazza delle Erbe

The market square stands on the site of the Roman forum. It has frescoed house fronts, a fountain and the column with the lion of Venice. It is free. Allow 20 minutes. The stalls in the middle sell mostly souvenirs; the square itself is the reason to come.

3. Torre dei Lamberti

The 84-metre civic tower rises between Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza dei Signori and gives the closest view over the roofs. A lift goes up to the viewing terrace. The full ticket is €6. It is open Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00 and at weekends and holidays from 10:30 to 19:00, with last entry 20 minutes before closing. The operator recommends booking a slot. With the Verona Card the stairs are free and the lift costs €1. Allow 30 minutes.

4. Piazza dei Signori and the Scaliger tombs

One archway from Piazza delle Erbe, this quieter square was the seat of government under the della Scala family, who ruled Verona in the 13th and 14th centuries. Just beyond it are the Arche Scaligere, their Gothic tombs from the 14th century. The tombs are fully visible from the street through the wrought-iron fence. The inner enclosure opens only at weekends in the warmer months. Allow 20 minutes for both.

5. Juliet's house

A medieval house with a courtyard, a bronze statue of Juliet and the balcony. The story is fiction. Rules changed on 1 April 2026: entry is by timed slot only, sold online at verona.coopculture.it, and there is no ticket office on site. The courtyard ticket costs €5 and the ticket that adds the house interior costs €12. Both enter from Piazzetta Navona through the Teatro Nuovo, not from Via Cappello. Hours are Monday 14:00 to 19:00 and Tuesday to Sunday 9:00 to 19:00, closed 25 December and 1 January. Verona Card holders enter free but must still book. Allow 20 minutes for the courtyard, 45 with the house. If slots are sold out, you lose little.

6. Castelvecchio and its bridge

The brick castle of the della Scala lords holds the city's main collection of medieval and Renaissance painting and sculpture. The rooms were redesigned in the late 1950s by the architect Carlo Scarpa. One ticket covers the rooms and the walkway on the walls. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:15. Allow 90 minutes. The fortified bridge behind it was built between 1354 and 1356, blown up by retreating German troops in 1945 and rebuilt. Crossing it is free.

7. Basilica of San Zeno

The largest Romanesque church in the city stands in a residential district west of Castelvecchio, a walk along the river beyond the castle. It has bronze door panels, a triptych by Andrea Mantegna, a crypt and a cloister. Entry costs €4, or €8 for a pass to all four historic churches, valid 90 days. Children under 11 enter free. Until 28 February 2027 it is open Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00, Saturday from 9:30 to 17:30 and Sundays and religious holidays from 13:00 to 17:30. Allow 45 minutes plus the walk.

8. Ponte Pietra and the view from Castel San Pietro

Ponte Pietra is the oldest Roman monument in Verona, dated to the early 1st century BC. It was blown up in 1945 and rebuilt between 1957 and 1959 with the original stones recovered from the river. It is open to pedestrians and cyclists only. On the far bank a stairway and a funicular climb to the terrace in front of Castel San Pietro, the main viewpoint over the city. The fortress, a 19th-century Austrian barracks, cannot be visited inside. The funicular costs €2 one way or €3 return and runs daily from 10:00 to 21:00 from April to October and from 10:00 to 17:00 from November to March. It is not included in the Verona Card. Allow an hour, near sunset if you can.

With a second day

9. Roman theater and archaeological museum

The theater is cut into the hill beside Ponte Pietra, with the museum in a former convent above it. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00, last entry 17:30. In summer the theater hosts a festival and a modern stage covers part of the ruins. Allow one hour.

10. Sant'Anastasia and the Duomo

Two churches a few minutes apart at the northern tip of the old town, both on the €8 four-church pass. Sant'Anastasia is the large Gothic one, known for Pisanello's fresco of Saint George. The cathedral complex includes an altarpiece by Titian. On Sundays and religious holidays all four churches open only in the afternoon, from 13:00 or 13:30. Allow 30 minutes each.

11. An evening at the Arena opera

The 2027 Arena di Verona Opera Festival lists performances from 12 June to 11 September, with Aida, La Traviata, Carmen and Nabucco on the program. The festival site shows prices starting from €22 for the cheapest seats on the stone steps. Performances finish late, so sleep in the city that night. See how to get Arena opera tickets and the opera season guide.

12. Giardino Giusti

A Renaissance garden on three levels across the river, with statues, fountains, grottoes and viewpoints at the top. The ticket also covers the palace rooms known as Appartamento 900. Open every day except 25 December: from 10:00 to 18:00 between October and March, until 19:00 in April, May and September, and until 20:00 from June to August. Last entry is one hour before closing. The upper levels have steps. The price is on the garden's site. Allow one hour.

13. Roman gates and Piazza Bra

Porta Borsari, a Roman city gate, still spans a shopping street, and the Arco dei Gavi stands beside Castelvecchio. Both are free and take five minutes each. See them on the walk from Piazza Bra, the wide square in front of the Arena, along Via Mazzini to Piazza delle Erbe.

14. Modern art gallery in Palazzo della Ragione

The Galleria d'Arte Moderna Achille Forti shows 19th- and 20th-century art inside the medieval town hall next to the Torre dei Lamberti. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. It suits a wet hour.

Outside the center

15. San Fermo

The fourth church on the pass is two churches stacked on top of each other near the river south of Piazza delle Erbe, with a wooden ship's-keel ceiling in the upper one. Allow 30 minutes if you bought the pass.

16. Valpolicella wine tasting

The Valpolicella hills north-west of the city produce Amarone. Wineries receive visitors by appointment, so book directly or join a tour. Allow half a day. Start with the Amarone and Valpolicella wine guide and the page on tastings in Valpolicella. Soave, a walled wine town to the east, is the alternative for white wine.

17. Half a day on Lake Garda

Peschiera del Garda and Desenzano are stops on the Milan to Venice railway west of Verona, so the southern shore of the lake is reachable without a car. From there boats and buses continue to Sirmione. It works as a half day in good weather; summer weekends are crowded. See the Lake Garda guide.

What to skip if you are short on time

The interior of Juliet's house. The courtyard ticket shows you the balcony and the statue.
The daytime Arena visit, if you hold an opera ticket. You will see the same tiers at night.
One of the two towers or viewpoints. Castel San Pietro has the wider view; the Torre dei Lamberti is closer to the rest.

How to group them by day

One day

Start at the Arena at 9:00. Walk Via Mazzini to Piazza delle Erbe, go up the Torre dei Lamberti, see the Scaliger tombs and use your Juliet slot around midday. After lunch walk along the river to Castelvecchio and cross its bridge. End at Ponte Pietra and take the funicular to Castel San Pietro. This is the route in the one-day Verona itinerary.

Two days

Keep day one as above but move Castelvecchio to the second morning and pair it with San Zeno. Spend the afternoon across the river at the Roman theater and Giardino Giusti, with Sant'Anastasia and the Duomo on the way back. The two-day itinerary has the timings.

Three days

Use the third day for Valpolicella, Lake Garda or a train trip to Mantua or Vicenza. The three-day itinerary covers both options.

Avoid Monday for a one-day visit: four of the paid sights are closed. On Sundays the churches open only in the afternoon.

What to book ahead

Juliet's house: always. Slots are sold only online, and the Verona Card does not exempt you from booking.
Opera: as soon as you fix your dates.
Arena and Torre dei Lamberti: a booked slot is recommended, not compulsory.
Winery visits: by appointment.
Churches, funicular, Giardino Giusti: no booking.

The Verona Card covers the Arena, the civic museums, the Torre dei Lamberti, Juliet's house and the four churches, plus city buses. It excludes the funicular and the airport bus. The sums are in is the Verona Card worth it. Rooms are harder to find on opera weekends and during Vinitaly; see where to stay in Verona and Verona hotel areas. For seasons see the Verona Christmas markets and best time to visit Verona. Getting in is covered by the Verona airport guide, Venice to Verona by train and the Verona public transport guide.

Questions travelers ask

How many days do you need for the main sights in Verona?

One full day is enough for the Arena, Piazza delle Erbe, the Torre dei Lamberti, Juliet's courtyard, Castelvecchio and the view from Castel San Pietro. A second day adds San Zeno, the Roman theater and Giardino Giusti. See also is Verona worth visiting.

Do you have to book Juliet's house in advance?

Yes. Since 1 April 2026 the courtyard and the house are entered by timed slot only, sold only online at verona.coopculture.it. The courtyard ticket costs €5 and the ticket with the house costs €12.

Is the Verona Card worth it for these sights?

The 24-hour card costs €33 and the 48-hour card €38. The Arena at €12, Juliet's house at €12, the Torre dei Lamberti at €6 and the four-church pass at €8 add up to €38, so the card pays off once you add Castelvecchio or another museum within its validity.

What is closed on Monday in Verona?

The Arena, the Castelvecchio museum, the Roman theater museum and the modern art gallery are closed on Mondays. Juliet's house opens at 14:00. The Torre dei Lamberti, the four historic churches, Giardino Giusti and the funicular are open.

Can you visit the Arena on a day with an opera performance?

Usually yes, but for fewer hours. From April to October closing time is brought forward on performance days and part of the interior is occupied by the stage. Go in the morning.

Keep planning: Best day trips from Verona.

Sources

More Verona guides

Author: the TourLeaderPro.com editorial team, a network of tour leaders and registered tourist guides in Italy.

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Best things to do in Verona: 17 sights in order of priority