Veneto is a tapestry of floating palaces, Roman stones, Alpine horizons, and vineyards that have seasoned Italian culture for centuries. Venice dazzles with its marble-framed canals and Renaissance swagger; Verona serenades with operatic piazzas and Juliet’s balcony tucked in medieval lanes. Between them, artisans blow glass, fishermen cross painted lagoons, and trattorie serve recipes as old as the stones beneath your feet.

Founded on mudflats by lagoon-dwelling refugees, Venice became a maritime republic that once ruled trade routes from the Adriatic to the Levant. Verona thrived on Roman engineering—its arena still hosts summer opera under the stars—and later prospered under the Scala family. Today, both cities pair old-world grandeur with easy rail links, sipping spritzes where history lingers in everyday life.

Expect seasonal festivals (Carnival in Venice; opera in Verona), a cuisine anchored in seafood, risotto, and polenta, and wines like Prosecco and Amarone. Book trains in advance during peak months, wear comfortable shoes for cobblestones and bridges, and pack layers for lagoon breezes and mountain air. For flights to Europe and trains within Italy, you can search and compare on Omio (flights) and Omio (trains).

Venice

Venice is at once theater and city—a maze of sestieri where stone lions guard mosaicked basilicas and laundry sways over silver-green canals. San Marco dazzles with Byzantine gold, Dorsoduro hums with art students and galleries, and Cannaregio feels neighborly with bacari (wine bars) that fuel the city’s cicchetti culture.

Top highlights include St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, Rialto Bridge and market, the Grand Canal by gondola, and island day trips to Murano (glass) and Burano (lace and candy-colored houses). Fun fact: the Venetian spritz was born here—Austrian soldiers diluted local wine with a “spritz” of soda; Venetians perfected it with bitters like Select or Aperol.

• Where to stay: First-timers love San Polo/Rialto for central access; Dorsoduro for galleries and quieter evenings; Castello for a more local feel.
• Book stays: Browse apartments and houses on VRBO Venice or vetted hotels on Hotels.com Venice.
• Getting in: Fly into Venice Marco Polo (VCE). Consider a shared boat to your hotel on the Venice Marco Polo Airport Link Arrival Transfer or upgrade to a private motorboat with Venice Marco Polo Airport Private Arrival Transfer via Motorboat.

Day 1 — Arrival, Rialto wander, and your first cicchetti

Afternoon: Arrive in Venice and settle in. For an espresso and pastry within minutes of dropping your bags, stop at Torrefazione Cannaregio (house-roasted beans) or Pasticceria Rosa Salva (historic pastry shop known for zabaione cream puffs). Stroll to the Rialto Market if open, noting lagoon fish like moeche (soft-shell crabs in spring) and spider crab.

Evening: Do a cicchetti crawl in San Polo: try All’Arco for tramezzini and baccalà mantecato, Cantina Do Mori (since 1462) for a glass of house red under copper pots, and Osteria Al Portego for polpette and grilled sardines. For a sit-down dinner, book Antiche Carampane (seafood, handmade pasta) or La Zucca (vegetable-forward classics; reserve ahead).

Night: Cap the night with a private glide on the canals. Venice Private Gondola Ride: Explore Hidden Canals and Sights offers atmospheric back-canals away from the busiest routes.

Day 2 — St. Mark’s, the Doge’s Palace, and Dorsoduro art

Morning: Start with cappuccino and a frittella at Pasticceria Tonolo, then head to Piazza San Marco. Skip the long queues and join the Skip-the-Line: Doge's Palace & St. Mark's Basilica Fully Guided Tour to see golden mosaics, Tintorettos, and the Bridge of Sighs with context from a specialist guide.

Afternoon: Cross the Accademia Bridge into Dorsoduro. Visit the Peggy Guggenheim Collection for 20th-century greats, then pause for a long lunch at Osteria Enoteca Ai Artisti (seasonal Venetian plates) or Ristorante Al Covo back near the Arsenale (a beloved husband-and-wife spot for Adriatic seafood and Venetian heritage recipes).

Evening: Enjoy aperitivo at Campo Santa Margherita—try a Select spritz and cicchetti at Al Bocon di’Vino. For dinner, Anice Stellato in Cannaregio does refined lagoon cooking with a candlelit canalside terrace. Nightcap with gelato at Gelatoteca Suso (salted pistachio is a favorite).

Day 3 — Murano glass and Burano’s painted lanes

Morning: Take a dedicated small-group boat to the artisan islands on the Murano & Burano Islands Guided Small-Group Tour by Private Boat. Watch glassblowers work cane and filigrana in Murano, then learn about lace traditions in Burano, where fishermen once painted houses bold colors to spot them through fog.

Afternoon: Burano’s lunch is all about risotto di gò or fritto misto—look for simple trattorie on the canals. Return to Venice for a quiet wander through Castello’s backstreets; peek into the Arsenale gates where the Republic once built fleets at assembly-line speed.

Evening: Dine near Rialto at Trattoria Alla Madonna (classic scampi, fegato alla veneziana). If you love cocktails, slip into Il Mercante near Frari for inventive, travel-inspired drinks in a 19th-century salon.

Day 4 — Neighborhood markets, hidden corners, and opera night

Morning: Breakfast at Caffè del Doge (specialty roasts), then browse the Rialto fish and produce market—arrive before 10:00 a.m. to see the bustle. Cross to San Polo’s Basilica dei Frari to admire Titian’s Assumption of the Virgin and the painter’s own tomb.

Afternoon: Explore Cannaregio’s Fondamenta della Misericordia for relaxed canal life. Snack at Al Timon (cicchetti; grab a seat on a moored boat) and stroll the nearby former Jewish Ghetto, where Venice’s banks and book printers shaped Renaissance finance and learning.

Evening: Consider a guided visit or performance at La Fenice opera house if in season. For dinner, book Osteria Bancogiro overlooking the Grand Canal (lagoon-to-table small plates and well-curated wines). Pack tonight for tomorrow’s train to Verona.

Verona

Verona is a compact city of Roman bones, medieval towers, frescoed palazzi, and wine bars that treat aperitivo like ritual. The Arena—an impeccably preserved first-century amphitheater—anchors a historic center where lanes spill into Piazza delle Erbe and toward the Adige River’s stone bridges.

Highlights include the Arena, Juliet’s House (a literary pilgrimage), Sant’Anastasia’s frescoes, Ponte Pietra, the funicular to Castel San Pietro for sunset, and easy day trips to Lake Garda and Valpolicella’s Amarone wineries. Fun fact: Verona’s “horsebutchery” heritage still shows up in traditional pastissada de caval—ask before you order if you prefer to avoid it.

• Where to stay: Centro Storico near Piazza Bra for walk-everywhere convenience; the riverside by Ponte Pietra for views; or San Zeno for a calmer, local vibe.
• Book stays: Compare apartments on VRBO Verona or hotels on Hotels.com Verona.
• Getting there from Venice: Morning trains from Venezia S. Lucia to Verona Porta Nuova run ~1–1.5 hours. Regionale Veloce is ~€10–€15; high-speed options are ~€20–€30. Search and book on Omio (trains).

Day 5 — Venice to Verona, Roman Arena, and riverside sunset

Morning: Depart Venice after breakfast; aim for a train around 9:00–10:00 a.m. (about 1h10). Drop bags at your hotel and refuel at Caffè Borsari—tiny, elegant, and beloved for espresso and mignon pastries—or Pasticceria Flego for fruit tarts and croissants.

Afternoon: Walk Piazza Bra and tour the Arena; step through marble corridors that once held 30,000 spectators. Browse Via Mazzini’s boutiques en route to Piazza delle Erbe’s produce stands and frescoed façades; detour to Sant’Anastasia for Pisanello’s fresco detail.

Evening: Aperitivo at Osteria Le Vecete (historic wine bar; great by-the-glass list) or Osteria del Bugiardo (Buglioni winery’s Verona outpost). Dinner at Trattoria al Pompiere (excellent salumi and risotti) or Locanda 4 Cuochi (creative takes on local pasta). End with a walk over Ponte Pietra and a gelato from Gelateria Savoia.

Day 6 — Lake Garda day trip: castles, thermal waters, and boat-hopping

Morning: Take a quick train (15–20 minutes) to Peschiera del Garda or Desenzano; from there, hop a ferry to Sirmione’s peninsula. Plan boats with Omio (ferries) and trains with Omio (trains). Explore Scaliger Castle’s crenellations and stroll the Roman villa ruins (Grotte di Catullo) framed by olive trees.

Afternoon: Lunch on the lakeside: try bigoli with lake sardines or a zesty lake-fish carpaccio. Ferry to Desenzano for café-lined piazzas or linger in Sirmione’s thermal quarter for a soak if time allows.

Evening: Return to Verona for cocktails at Archivio (craft classics and bitters-forward originals). Dinner at Ristorante 12 Apostoli (historic setting, tasting menus) or La Bottega Vini for a deep cellar and Veronese staples like pear-and-monteveronese risotto.

Day 7 — Valpolicella flavors, hilltop views, and departure

Morning: Coffee and a slice of sbrisolona almond cake at Pasticceria Barini, then ride the funicular to Castel San Pietro for sweeping views over terracotta rooftops and river bends. Swing by Juliet’s House before the crowds if you want a quick photo.

Afternoon: If you have time before your flight or train, head into Valpolicella (short taxi/bus to Negrar or Fumane) for a winery lunch and tastings—ask about appassimento, the grape-drying method behind Amarone. Otherwise, enjoy a leisurely lunch back in town at Osteria Il Ciottolo (try risotto all’Amarone) before departing from Verona Porta Nuova or Verona Villafranca Airport. For onward flights in Europe or homeward connections, compare options on Omio (flights) and rail on Omio (trains).

Optional Full-Day: Dolomites & Cortina (from Venice)

If Alpine scenery beckons during your Venice days, carve out one full day for the Dolomites & Cortina Small Group Tour from Venice—mirror-lake reflections, jagged limestone peaks, and postcard villages like Cortina d’Ampezzo. It’s an unforgettable contrast to the lagoon’s soft horizons.

Trip Logistics at a Glance

• Trains: Venice ↔ Verona ~1–1.5 hours; book on Omio (trains). Buses also run if trains sell out: Omio (buses).
• Airports: Arrive Venice (VCE) and depart Verona (VRN) or return to Venice, Milan, or Rome depending on fares. Search with Omio (flights).
• Local transport: Venice vaporetti (waterbuses) sell 24/48/72-hour passes; Verona is best on foot, with a handy funicular to Castel San Pietro.

Day-by-Day Tour Add-ons (Venice)

• Day 1 night: Private Gondola Ride

  

• Day 2 morning: Skip-the-Line Doge's Palace & St. Mark's Basilica

  

• Day 3 day: Murano & Burano Small-Group Tour

  

• Optional full day: Dolomites & Cortina Small Group Tour

  

In one week you’ll hear water lap at marble steps, taste Amarone among vine-striped hills, and watch sunset gild stones set by Romans and Renaissance masters. It’s a compact, culture-rich itinerary that balances icons and hidden corners, letting Venice and Verona unfold at a human pace.