Verona In One Day Itinerary
Verona In One Day Itinerary
As a born and raised theater girl, I always dreamed of visiting the iconic city of Verona. It is where Shakespeare set the most legendary play of all time, Romeo and Juliet. I imagined the city would evoke feelings of romance, history and beauty. And it most certainly did!
We stayed in Verona for several days with our Indie Campervan but if you’ve just got one day in the city of love, here’s what I recommend.
Itinerary Overview
- Juliet’s Balcony & House
- Volunteer with Letters to Juliet
- Coffee at Piazza Bra
- Tour the Arena di Verona
- Lunch at Piazza delle Erbe: pasta & gelato
- Shop Piazza delle Erbe markets
- Juliet’s Tomb/Romeo & Juliet tour
- Dinner through The Fork for 50% off
- Sunset at Castel San Pietro
Juliet’s Balcony & House
Begin your day in Verona at the most visited spot in the city, Juliet’s courtyard!
Get there early to avoid the afternoon crowds. It’s 6 euros to enter the house, see the small exhibit and go out onto the balcony.
While Juliet herself is a fictional character, there is some truth to Shakespeare’s story. Two Veronese families, the Montecchi and the Cappelletti, did have a long-standing feud like the Montagues and Capulets in the play. And this house was once inhabited by the Cappello family—a name similar to the Italian version’s Capelletti—and dates back to the 13th century. However, the famous balcony wasn’t added onto the house until many years later.
And although, the story of Juliet isn’t real… the emotion that draws people here is very much real.
Pro tip: If you want a photo from below with you on the balcony, ask someone you’re traveling with to wait outside and take the picture of you on the balcony before joining you inside the house.
Tradition says if you want luck in love, you’re supposed to rub the right breast of her statue. However now you’ll see signs up asking you to not touch the statue.
And while you’re there, write your own letter to Juliet and leave it in the mailbox in her courtyard. Over 50,000 letters arrive at the house each year to addressed to Juliet from all over the world! Again, this fictional character holds a special place in the lives of so many!
Volunteer with Letters to Juliet
You may have seen the Amanda Seyfried movie Letters to Juliet but did you know the organization is real?
Club di Giulietta is a real place you can actually volunteer. If you’re a hopeless romantic, this organization will have you swooning.
People write in letters from literally all over the world to Shakespeare’s Juliet asking for advice in love and heartbreak. Some of the letters are tear-jerkers, some will have you beaming ear to ear and some are downright heartbreaking.
The tradition of sending letters to Juliet goes back centuries. People started by leaving notes on a local landmark said to be Juliet’s tomb. Later, many started sending mail directly to the city. By the 1990’s Verona was receiving so many letters, it created an office to deal with it all.
So for over 30 years this organization has been writing back to each and every letter it receives.
This was a real highlight of our time in Verona. If you have multiple days to commit, I suggest you do it!
It is free to volunteer. You can sign up and find out more information here.
Where to send your own love letter:
JULIET CLUB
Vicolo Santa Cecilia 9, 37121
Verona – Italy
Shop the movie and book:
Arena di Verona
The Verona Arena was built in 30 AD. It’s still used today and is world famous for its large scale opera performances.
In fact, I suggest you check what’s playing before your trip and get tickets if you can!
The arena is one of the best preserved ancient structures of it’s kind. In ancient times, it’s capacity was approximately 30,000 people.
You can tour it during the day time and stand right where the gladiators stood thousands of years ago. It’s incredibly surreal.
Juliet’s Tomb
If you have time, you could book one of the many Romeo and Juliet walking tours around the city to see all the key sights. Otherwise if you plan to visit Juliet’s balcony on your own time, I suggest checking out her tomb while doing the arena.
The tomb itself is further away from the key Verona sights so it’s not usually included in walking tours but only in specific Romeo & Juliet tours. I recommend reading about the tomb here and booking a tour with the company if you’re interested!
Shop the Piazza delle Erbe Markets
The historic main square of Verona is filled with market shops that sell everything from souvenirs to clothing to trinkets.
This market is a great place to have lunch, people watch and shop!
Most of the stalls take card but we ran into a few that were cash only.
Have a nice dinner for 50% off with the Fork
While in Verona, we ate at several AMAZING restaurants for 50% off using the totally free app, The Fork.
Just download the app and it will show you restaurants nearby that have anywhere from 20-50% off if you book through the app.
Pro tip: There will be more options for 50% off if you eat outside of peak times. Have a late lunch or an early dinner!
You can get an extra sign up bonus when you use code 827BCC50.
We were able to eat at really nice Italian restaurants in the main square for 50% off, I highly recommend this app!
Sunset at Castel San Pietro
After you eat your fill of Italian food for dinner, head up to Castel San Pietro for sunset. It’s located across the river so if you have a car, I’d suggest driving. Otherwise you can walk or take the funicular. If you do walk, be prepared for a steep uphill climb.
Locals and tourists alike will bring wine or a picnic and enjoy the views over the city.
If it doesn’t work with your schedule to go at sunset, this viewpoint is worth visiting anytime of day!
Enjoy Verona!
Overall, Verona is an incredible city. You’re going to love it! Even one day of busy sighting is enough to see most of the key sights.
And if you use this itinerary, tag me on Instagram
so I can repost you!
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More on Italy:
- A COMPLETE GUIDE TO ORVIETO: THE HIDDEN GEM OF ITALY
- TASTE BOLOGNA : A BUCKET LIST FOOD TOUR IN THE ITALY’S FOODIE CENTER
- BEST DAY TRIPS FROM ROME BY TRAIN
- TUSCANY 2 DAY ITINERARY FROM PISA: HOW TO SPEND 2 PERFECT DAYS
Shop my Verona favorites:
Thigh-High Boots
Cross-Body Phone Case
How To Travel The World On $50 A Day
My Camera
