Verona: romance, opera and wine next door
Updated October 2026
A romantic old town, with the wines of Valpolicella and Soave next door.
Verona at a glance
- Best time
- April to June, September to October
- Price level
- pricey
- Getting around
- easy without a car
- Best for
- food, wine, history and art
- The catch
- The main shopping street is packed. Walk a few streets off it.
When to go
Temperatures are average daily highs in °F and °C (WeatherSpark). Ratings are our own. $ = cheapest, $$$ = most expensive. 🔥 = heat, ★ = big event.
Who Verona is for
Verona is excellent for couples and good for solo travelers. It works for families too. Walking is flat and easy.
When to go
The best months are April, May and October. March, September and December are good too. Skip July, when the heat takes over. December brings a big Christmas market, and summer brings the opera festival in the Arena, the Roman amphitheater in the middle of town.
Getting around
Verona is easy to reach by train, and the center is easy on foot. Lake Garda is a train and bus ride away.
What Verona costs
On a budget, about $100 to $140 per person per day. In comfort or luxury, about $330 to $415. The lower number is the quiet season, the higher one peak season.
Includes your stay, food, activities and local transport, not flights. Converted at about $1.10 per euro. Estimates only.
Flights from the US and Canada
Fly into: Verona (VRN) or Venice (VCE). Typical economy fares per person, round trip, with a connection. Canadian fares are in Canadian dollars. Not live prices, so always check before you book.
What Verona does best
Its strengths: food and restaurants, wine, and history and art.
Soccer in the 2026-27 season: Hellas Verona (Serie B). The season runs from late August to May.
Day trips
Verona makes a good base: trains run often, and Lake Garda and the wine country are close.
Home of Amarone. Tastings at the estates, book ahead.
We haven’t been here ourselves, so this is based on other travelers’ reports.
A moated castle and the ruins of a Roman villa on a Lake Garda peninsula.
A moated town on the lake, and the easiest way to see Lake Garda.
The palaces of the Gonzaga family, and an old town surrounded by three lakes.
We haven’t been here ourselves, so this is based on other travelers’ reports.
Canals and alleys. Leave early, ahead of the day trippers.
The food city where you eat better than anywhere.
Where to eat
Breakfast and brunch
Lunch
Dinner
We picked these places from Google ratings and reviews in October 2026, and we haven’t eaten at all of them. Many Italian restaurants take reservations on WhatsApp, and a reservation only counts once they reply. The Map link opens the restaurant in Google Maps, where you’ll also find a booking button if they take online reservations. Opening hours change, so check before you go.
Food and wine
Veneto on a plate: a typical four-course menu, and the wine to go with each.
Soccer
Even if soccer isn’t your sport, a home game is one of the best evenings you can have in Italy: the singing, the flags, the whole crowd living every pass. Tickets usually cost a fraction of a pro game in the US or Canada.
- Hellas Verona, Serie B, in town · Tickets
Kickoff times are set only a few weeks ahead, so check the club’s website for the schedule.
Golf
Green fees are estimates and vary by season and day of the week. Most courses ask for a handicap certificate. The links go to the course or a golf directory with booking and contact details.
Shopping
- Via Mazzini: the marble street from Piazza Bra to Piazza delle Erbe, Verona’s main shopping street. 📍 Map
- Piazza delle Erbe: market stalls in the heart of the old town. 📍 Map
Culture and events
- The Arena opera festival, June to early September: shows several nights a week. Hotel prices rise all summer, and the area around the Arena fills up on show nights.
- Vinitaly wine fair, about four days in April: hotels fill up and get pricier across the region, Lake Garda included.
- Christmas market, mid-November to just before Christmas: the center is busy on weekends, and prices rise a little.
Check the exact dates on the event’s own website, as they can change from year to year.
Plan it
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