What to Do in Verona: Arena, Juliet and Wine

October 30, 2026

What to Do in Verona

Verona is easy to cover on foot, and its main activities fall into five groups: the Arena, Juliet’s House, wine, the hill terrace and a few guided options on the river. The notes below give hours, ticket rules and the small details that trip up first-time visitors.

Arena di Verona, by day and by night

By day. The amphitheatre on Piazza Bra dates to the 1st century AD and held about 30,000 spectators. Visits run Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 19:00 (last entry 18:30). It is closed on Mondays, and on show days it shuts early, so aim for a morning slot. Expect to pay about 12 EUR, or about 9 for reduced tickets; confirm at museicivici.comune.verona.it .

By night. The 104th Opera Festival takes place from 11 June to 11 September 2027, starting with Beethoven’s Ninth on opening night. Announced productions include La Traviata, Nabucco, Carmen, Aida in two versions, a new Romeo and Juliet ballet, Carmina Burana and a Jonas Kaufmann gala. The steps are numbered, with no open seating, so there is no reason to queue for hours. Early-booking step seats start from about 28 EUR. The official sale point is shop.arena.it , and tickets from resale sites are best avoided.

Casa di Giulietta

You enter through Teatro Nuovo from Piazzetta Navona, and only with an online slot booked at verona.coopculture.it. A 5 EUR ticket gets you the courtyard and balcony; 12 EUR adds the house interiors and the tower. Children under 5 and VeronaCard holders go in free, although the card does not replace the booking. Opening hours are 09:00 to 19:00 Tuesday to Sunday and 14:00 to 19:00 on Mondays. The balcony was built in 1939 to 1940 from 14th-century marble pieces, which makes this a literary landmark more than a historical home. Rubbing the bronze Juliet for luck is a long-running custom but not one to encourage: touching damaged the original, and the statue in the courtyard now is a 2014 copy of the 1972 work by Nereo Costantini. Writing on walls, gum and padlocks are banned, and fines apply.

Wine bars

Try Osteria del Bugiardo on Corso Porta Borsari 17/A for cicchetti with Valpolicella, or Antica Bottega del Vino in Vicolo Scudo di Francia 3, which is owned by a group of historic wine families. Menus show current glass prices.

The Castel San Pietro terrace

Climb the stairs or ride the funicular from Via Fontanelle Santo Stefano 6. The ride is open 10:00 to 21:00 from April to 25 October and 10:00 to 17:00 from 26 October to March, except 25 December and 1 January. The terrace is free to enter. Read the official funicular page for changes.

The Adige

The river is fast and unsafe for swimming. Several local operators run guided urban rafting of about three hours, with lifejackets and helmets, at roughly 20 to 45 EUR. Compare them before booking.

One pass for several sights

The VeronaCard costs 33 EUR for 24 hours or 38 EUR for 48 hours, counted from first use. It includes city buses and many civic sights, and each site can be entered once. It does not cover the Aerobus airport link. Details are at veronacard.comune.verona.it .

A final note on safety: pickpocketing happens on buses and in busy lanes, and strikes can affect trains.

Look for guided options: Verona tours on Viator .