Venice: 7-Day Veneto Grand Tour
A week from a Venice base covers the whole Veneto: the city, its four great rail cities, a lake, the Dolomites, and the Prosecco hills. Only the last day needs a car; everything else runs on trains and one bus. Stay overnight in Venice to keep your access-fee exemption. Prices are 2026 figures, so treat each as verify on site.
Day 1: the Venice core
Piazza San Marco before 9am: St Mark’s Basilica on a timed slot (nave free, dress code enforced), then the Doge’s Palace (about EUR 30 to 35) to the Bridge of Sighs. Bacaro lunch, the Rialto market side.
Tip: pre-book both sights so day one is queue-free.
Day 2: Padua
Regional train to Padua, 25 to 30 minutes, roughly EUR 4 to 9. The Scrovegni Chapel (about EUR 15 plus a EUR 1 fee, booked ahead) and the Basilica of Saint Anthony.
Tip: reserve the Scrovegni before anything else on this trip.
Day 3: Verona
Fast train to Verona, around 54 minutes, from about EUR 9. The Roman Arena (about EUR 12), Piazza delle Erbe and a rooftop climb.
Tip: skip Juliet’s House and spend the time on the Arena.
Day 4: Vicenza
Regional train to Vicenza, 45 to 50 minutes, roughly EUR 5 to 8. Corso Palladio, the Teatro Olimpico and the Villa Rotonda if open.
Tip: put the Villa Rotonda first if its limited days align.
Day 5: Lake Garda
Train to Peschiera or Desenzano, roughly 1h15 to 1h30 via Verona. Sirmione and a lake boat trip.
Tip: check the last return train before you leave the lakeside.
Day 6: the Dolomites
Direct bus from Piazzale Roma to Cortina, 2h45 to 3h10. A cable-car viewpoint or an easy trail among the peaks.
Tip: start at first light to make the long round trip worthwhile in one day.
Day 7: the Prosecco road
Pick up a rental car at Piazzale Roma and drive the UNESCO Conegliano-Valdobbiadene hills, a scenic loop of about 90km, with cellar-door tastings along the way. Ravenna’s Byzantine mosaics, 2.5 to 3 hours each way by train, are the train-based alternative if you would rather not drive.
Tip: designate a non-drinking driver for the wine road, or book a guided minivan tour instead.
Read more: the Veneto day trips guide ranks all these trips, the Veneto base guide covers the hubs, and the Veneto region page sets the whole trip in its region.