7 best day trips from Verona

Day trips compared

The day trips

40 km · About 40–60 minutes by train and bus

1.Sirmione, Lake Garda

Sirmione sits on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Garda, with the moated Scaliger Castle at its entrance, thermal spas and the ruins of a large Roman villa known as the Grotte di Catullo at its tip. In summer, ferries link it with other lake towns.

Getting there

Train to Desenzano or Peschiera, then bus or boat

Best for

Couples, Families, First-timers

20 km · About 20–30 minutes by car

2.Valpolicella

The hills northwest of Verona produce Amarone, Ripasso and Recioto. Estates around San Pietro in Cariano, Negrar and Fumane offer cellar tours and tastings, and the Romanesque church of San Giorgio di Valpolicella sits on a hilltop with views towards Lake Garda.

Getting there

Car, wine tour or ATV bus

Best for

Food lovers, Couples

120 km · About 1 hour 10 minutes by high-speed train

3.Venice

Fast trains make Venice an easy if full day out: walk from Santa Lucia station through Cannaregio and over the Rialto Bridge to St Mark's Square, then ride a vaporetto back along the Grand Canal. Check whether the day-visitor access fee applies on your date.

Getting there

Train from Porta Nuova to Venezia Santa Lucia

Best for

First-timers, Couples

55 km · About 25–30 minutes by train

4.Vicenza

Andrea Palladio's city has the Basilica Palladiana on Piazza dei Signori, the Teatro Olimpico with its painted wooden stage set of receding streets, and Villa La Rotonda just outside the centre, all part of a UNESCO listing.

Getting there

Regional or high-speed train

Best for

Culture, Quiet stays

45 km · About 45 minutes by regional train

5.Mantua

The Gonzaga capital is surrounded on three sides by lakes formed by the Mincio river. Highlights are the Ducal Palace with Mantegna's painted Camera degli Sposi and Giulio Romano's Palazzo Te with its Room of the Giants.

Getting there

Regional train from Porta Nuova

Best for

Culture, Couples, Quiet stays

85 km · About 40–50 minutes by train

6.Padua

Padua's Scrovegni Chapel holds Giotto's fresco cycle from the early 1300s, visited in small timed groups. The Basilica of Saint Anthony, the vast Prato della Valle square and one of the world's oldest university botanical gardens fill the rest of the day.

Getting there

High-speed or regional train

Best for

Culture, First-timers

65 km · About 1.5 hours by bus or car

7.Malcesine and Monte Baldo

On Lake Garda's northeastern shore, Malcesine has a castle above its harbour and a cable car with rotating cabins that climbs Monte Baldo to about 1,750 metres, with hiking trails and views along the length of the lake.

Getting there

ATV bus or car along Lake Garda's eastern shore

Best for

Families, Couples

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• Buy tickets before boarding at tobacconists or machines and validate them on board.
• Verona Porta Nuova has high-speed trains to Venice in about 1 hour 10 minutes, Milan in about 1 hour 15 minutes and Bologna in under an hour, plus regional trains to Peschiera del Garda, Vicenza and Padua.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask