Let me take you on a day trip to one of my favorite Italian cities, VERONA! I’ve been to this picturesque town twice in the last few years!
It is one of the easiest places to reach from nearby destinations such as Milan, Florence, and Bologna!
Depending on where you are in Northern Italy, Verona is less than 2 hours away by train or car.
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Where is Verona Located & How to Get Here?
Verona, Italy is located in the Veneto Region of Northern Italy. It sits on the banks of the Adige River between Milan and Venice.
Verona does have airport, and could be a great place to start your trip if you plan to explore more of the Vento region.
If you are starting in nearby Italian cites, below is a quick look at how you can get to Verona.
➡️ From Milan: Travel to Verona via train from Milan is approximately 2 hours. Venice is even closer! If you are in Venice you can reach Verona via train in 1 hour and 15 minutes!
➡️ From Bologna: Verona from Bologna is just under one hour by train!
➡️ From Florence: Another popular route is traveling from Florence to Verona the journey via train is 2 hours.
Once you arrive at the train station Verona Porta Nuova, you go outside and find many public buses running every 9 minutes or so that go into the old town.
I downloaded the official Bus App for Verona before I arrived and looked up what bus would take me into the old town.
Alternatively, you can just walk from the station, it should take you about 20 minutes to reach the city center.
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❤︎ Quick Tip: The best way to save money in Verona is by getting the Verona Card! You will have free entrance to some of the most popular sites as well as free use of public transit!
What is Verona Famous For?
When planning a trip to Italy, you might be overwhelmed by the many sites each city offers. In Verona, you might have heard it’s the home of Romeo and Juliet!
Quite possibly the most famous love story of all time, written by William Shakespeare. But is that all there is to Verona?
Absolutely not! The city of Verona is a Unesco World Heritage site and one of the most magical villages in Northern Italy.
Verona is also home to the famous Roman amphitheater, the Arena di Verona, which hosts a variety of concerts and other events throughout the year.
As well as some of the most celebrated Roman monuments including Castelvecchio and Piazza delle Erbe.
We will explore all Verona has to offer for your trip further down the post.
The Best Day Trip to Verona Itinerary
Verona is fairly small, so seeing a good chunk of the city in just one day is possible! You will want to be strategic like I was and possibly join a day tour.
In my humble opinion, a day trip to Verona is better than a day trip to Florence. Verona is a bit more intimate and far less crowded than Florence.
So if you are trying to decide whether Verona is worth visiting, I hope this helped.
PRO TIP: If you want to cover as much ground as possible wear the most comfortable shoes you have!
Morning in Verona
Start the morning in Verona by having a traditional Italian breakfast comprised of sweets! Visit Caffe Borsari and fall in love with the pastries!
After stuffing your face here, it is time to walk to the most famous balcony in the world. You guessed it, Juliet’s balcony! Casa di Giulietta is just a few blocks away from Caffe Borsari.
If you want to go inside the house and step out on the balcony yourself you must get tickets. All the tours I found didn’t include the admission ticket to Juliet’s House.
GOOD TO KNOW: Don’t fret if the lines are too long for you to visit the interior of the house. It wasn’t worth waiting for in my opinion.
Also, I should mention that the Verona Card includes access to Juliet’s house and balcony among a list of other famous landmarks.
Afternoon in Verona
After spending the morning eating pastry and exploring Juliet’s house it’s time to move on to some of Verona’s most famous Piazzas!
Piazza delle Erbe, located in the center of the city is the heart of Verona. It is here where locals and tourists can come together for a bite to eat and aperitif.
It is here in Piazza delle Erbe where the Madonna Verona Fountain can be found, as well as many other monuments.
Make time to climb the tall tower of Torre dei Lamberti aka, the tower of love!
There is an excellent viewpoint of 360 degrees of Verona! (Tickets to the tower are included with the Verona Card!)
Meet at the Aread di Verona to learn about what took place here on February 13th, 1278! Then you will move on to the Sinagoga di Verona to learn of what happened to a Jewish family during WWII.
Moving on to the Piazza delle Erbe to learn of Medieval life and the cruelties that took place in the square!
Pass by the site where the ruler of Verona was murdered in 1277, then on to the Scala family tombs, and finishing at the site of the 2 star crossed lovers!
After you work up an appetite climbing the tower, it’s time for lunch!
Check out Yard Restaurant for a classic Italian menu served in a sleek and industrial-style restaurant. The pasta here is heaven!
If you saved room for dessert why not get some gelato on your walk to Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore?
The fastest route from Piazza delle Erbe is a 15-minute walk. But for a more scenic route, you can cross the Ponte della Vittoria bridge and Adige river reaching your destination in 20 minutes.
Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore was famously set for the marriage of Romeo and Juliet. There are beautiful buildings and neighborhoods to explore.
Hang out here for a while admiring the scenery and have a rest before heading off to the next stop.
Evening in Verona
Once you have explored all the great things to see at Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore, it is time to check out the Castel San Pietro!
The castle San Pietro has the best views of the city! The castle opening times are:
Summer opening hours (April-October): open every day 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Winter opening hours (November-March): open every day 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
The ticket office closes 15 minutes before the closing time.
Closed on December 25 and January 1.
Be sure and time your visit to watch the incredible sunset.
From Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore to the Funicolare di Castel San Pietro, an incline lift, it is a 35-minute walk. Once you arrive at the Funicular you can ride it to the top for 2€ oneway or 3€ roundtrip. I like to ride the lift up, and then leisurely walk down.
At the top, you will find there is a small snack cafe and place selling drinks. I would save your appetite and eat somewhere else after your visit.
After leaving the castle, a great restaurant for dinner is Ristorante Antica Torretta – Verona centro storico. You will find a delightful ambiance and incredible food. Bon appetite!
I hope you enjoyed this complete itinerary for your one day in Verona!
Top Guided Tours to Consider For One Day in Verona
- Best for Morning: Historic 2-hour walking tour
- Best for Afternoon: Shakespeare Tour
- Best for Evening: dark history tour of Verona!
❤︎ This tour is perfect for anyone making a day trip to Verona as it still leaves a lot of time to explore.
Is Verona Safe for Solo Female Travel?
Verona is a very safe city to visit as a solo female. I had no issues walking around and taking public transit by myself.
If you are worried about getting lonely traveling solo to Verona, I get it. But because the city has so much to do and explore, I didn’t get lonely once!
I tend to avoid beach holidays as I find those are the places where I tend to feel bored and a bit lonely.
Once you visit for yourself, you will see that Verona is like no other Italian city.
Its charm and charisma will lure you in right away. The smell of marinara sauce will intoxicate you!
Verona is far less crowded than most cities, especially if you are coming from Florence. You are free to really enjoy this city on your own terms.
I visited in August and it surprised me that there weren’t more people lining the streets.
Thoughts on Solo Travel in Italy
Visiting somewhere romantic by yourself doesn’t need to be sad. If you believe in the law of attraction, you know you should be surrounding yourself with the things you want.
Changing your mindset to a celebration and enjoy-life mode will most certainly bring you true joy. Promise!
These moments you create for yourself now tell the universe you love yourself and are ready for love.
Now once you arrive, you might get so carried away by all the beauty around that you may forget to visit some important sites.
The best part of doing this day trip from Verona is that it can all be seen in one day!
If you have extra time, you might want to consider staying the night. I would highly recommend looking into the hotels I will list below.
Accommodations In Verona
You can certainly just make a day trip to Verona. However, you can’t go wrong with choosing to stay longer in lovely Verona.
My top priority for hotels is finding one in a central area that is both stylish and charming.
Below is a list that entails my suggestions for the best places to stay solo in the city of love.
FAQs
Ideally, you want to stay 2 nights in Verona, but can easily see all the main attractions in one day. If you visit for the day be sure to plan out your itinerary well to ensure you see all the hot spots!
Verona is a very safe place to visit for solo female travelers! I have felt very safe walking alone in Verona. Taking public transport was very easy by myself.
The best time to visit Verona is in the summer months. Even though visiting Verona in winter is still lovely, the summer is better. The weather is better for walking around and exploring.
The major tourist attractions also stay open later in the summer months which is better if you are visiting for just a day.
Verona is a great place for solo travel! It is a very safe place to visit, and there is so much you can see on foot.
Verona is also well connected by public transit making it very easy to get around and travel to the next destination!
I hope whatever Northern Italy itinerary you create you found helpful information in this post!
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Verona sounds like such an amazing and romantic city! Thanks for sharing!
I didn’t know there was a Roman Amphitheater in Verona! I’ll have to add that to my list of things to do when I get there. Thanks!
Super enjoyed all your Solo Travel Inspiration articles! Have only ever travelled solo and don’t know how to do so otherwise – so glad to have a sister on board that train! 😀
Oh romeo, oh romeo! One day I will visit Italy. One day. ::::sigh::::
Traveling in big cities can be overwhelming but it’s good to know Verona is a great place to travel solo to! I would actually prefer it over big cities in Italy like Rome!
I love Verona! It’s such an adorable Italian town. Juliets statue cracks me up. I agree with you about how cool it is seeing the balcony as well!
In this small, cozy town, the passions of Romeo and Juliet blazed, in many respects it was to them that the sights of Verona owe their world fame.