Things to Do in Verona: Arena and Juliet

October 30, 2026

Things to Do in Verona

Verona packs a Roman amphitheatre, a pilgrimage house for Shakespeare fans, wine bars, hill terraces and a fast river into a compact centre. This guide covers the activities most visitors fit into two or three days, with the practical details that save time at the gate.

Arena di Verona

The Arena on Piazza Bra is a 1st-century Roman amphitheatre that once held about 30,000 spectators. As a daytime sight it is open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 19:00, with last entry at 18:30, and it is closed on Mondays. On performance days it can close early, so check before you plan an afternoon around it. A full ticket costs about 12 EUR and a reduced one about 9 EUR; the civic museums site, museicivici.comune.verona.it , has the current hours.

The evening season is the other reason to come. The 104th Opera Festival runs from 11 June to 11 September 2027, opening on 11 June with Beethoven’s Ninth. The programme includes La Traviata, Nabucco, Carmen, Aida in two productions, a new ballet of Romeo and Juliet and two Roberto Bolle and Friends nights. Every seat on the stone steps is numbered, so there is no need to queue for a place. The cheapest steps start from about 28 EUR with early booking. Buy only from the official shop at shop.arena.it and see the rates and sectors page for the full table. ID is checked at the gate.

Casa di Giulietta

Juliet’s House at Via Cappello 23 is visited by timed online booking only, through verona.coopculture.it; there is no ticket office on site. Entry is from Piazzetta Navona through Teatro Nuovo. The 5 EUR ticket covers the courtyard and balcony, and the 12 EUR ticket adds the house interiors and the tower. Opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday 09:00 to 19:00 and Monday 14:00 to 19:00, with the last slot sold at 18:30. VeronaCard holders enter free but still need to book a slot. See the visit page for categories that enter free.

The balcony was assembled in the 1939 to 1940 restoration from 14th-century marble fragments, so treat the visit as a literary pilgrimage rather than a historic bedroom. The bronze Juliet in the courtyard is by Nereo Costantini (1972); the statue standing there now is a copy made in 2014. Writing on the walls, gum and padlocks are banned and fines apply.

Wine in the city

Two reliable stops in the old town are Osteria del Bugiardo at Corso Porta Borsari 17/A, known for cicchetti and Valpolicella by the glass, and Antica Bottega del Vino at Vicolo Scudo di Francia 3, run by a group of historic wine families. Ask for local reds such as Amarone and Valpolicella, and check prices on the menu.

Castel San Pietro and the river

The Funicolare di Castel San Pietro leaves from Via Fontanelle Santo Stefano 6. It runs daily 10:00 to 21:00 from April to 25 October and 10:00 to 17:00 from 26 October to March, and it is closed on 25 December and 1 January. The terrace at the top is free and looks over the Adige bend. The Adige is fast and not safe for swimming, but guided urban rafting runs for about three hours at roughly 20 to 45 EUR.

Passes and practical tips

The VeronaCard costs 33 EUR for 24 hours or 38 EUR for 48 hours from first use. It includes unlimited city buses and free or discounted entry to civic museums and monuments; the Aerobus airport service is not included. Check the list on veronacard.comune.verona.it before buying. Pickpockets work crowded streets and buses, and rail strikes happen, so check before long train trips.

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