Veneto
5
Day Itinerary •
Italy
Five days in the Veneto lets you explore the full extraordinary range of northeastern Italy's finest region. Venice at dawn, the forgotten island of Torcello, the Shakespeare city of Verona, Palladio's magnificent Vicenza, Padua's extraordinary Giotto frescoes, the dramatic Bassano del Grappa and the breathtaking foothills of the Dolomites. This route covers the complete hidden Veneto. The authentic Venice of the quiet sestieri and lagoon islands. The wine cities of Verona and Soave. The Renaissance architecture of Vicenza. Padua's Scrovegni Chapel, containing the most important fresco cycle in Western art. And the extraordinary mountain landscapes of the Dolomite foothills that most visitors to Venice never reach.
Best Time To Visit
April to June or September to October
Getting There
Fly into Venice Marco Polo (VCE) or Verona (VRN)
Getting Around
Rental car essential throughout
Budget Per Day
Approx 100 to 160 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking and driving
DAY 1
HIDDEN VENICE
MORNING
MIDDAY
TORCELLO AND BURANO
Torcello was the original Venice, now almost uninhabited. The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, built in 639 AD, has Byzantine mosaics that rival Ravenna. Burano is the island of brightly coloured houses where the finest Venetian lace has been made for 500 years. The colours of the house facades are officially regulated by the municipality. Drive: 30 min vaporetto back
AFTERNOON
THE HIDDEN SESTIERI
The Dorsoduro and Castello sestieri are the parts of Venice most tourists never reach. The Scuola Grande dei Carmini has extraordinary Tiepolo ceiling paintings with no queue. The via Garibaldi in Castello is Venice's widest street, lined with local bars and markets visited entirely by Venetians.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Madonna dell'Orto church in Cannaregio contains the finest collection of Tintoretto paintings in existence, including two enormous canvases filling entire walls. Tintoretto is buried here. Entry approx 3 euros and visited by a fraction of those who queue for the Accademia.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Rialto fish market bar Cicchetti and ombra from 7am. The Venetian tradition of small snacks and small wine glasses starts here. | Lunch: Osteria alle Testiere Finest small restaurant in Venice. 22 covers only. Freshest lagoon seafood. Book weeks ahead. | Dinner: Trattoria da Jonatan, Cannaregio Beloved neighbourhood trattoria where the Venetians eat. Bigoli in salsa and local wines.
DAY 2
VERONA
MORNING
THE ARENA DI VERONA
The finest surviving amphitheatre in the world outside Rome, extraordinarily well preserved and still hosting opera in summer. Entry approx 10 euros. The adjacent Piazza Bra is the most beautiful large piazza in northern Italy. Drive: 15 min walk to old town
MIDDAY
VERONA HIDDEN
The Piazza delle Erbe, the Roman forum still serving as a market after 2,000 years. The extraordinary scaligeri tombs and the Roman Theatre above the Adige river with its theatre museum. The real Verona far beyond Juliet's balcony. Drive: 15 min walk to Castelvecchio
AFTERNOON
CASTELVECCHIO
One of the finest Gothic castles in Italy, built 1354. The Museo di Castelvecchio designed by Carlo Scarpa in the 1960s is one of the most beautifully curated art museums in northern Italy. Entry approx 6 euros. Walk the Ponte Scaligero for the finest view of the castle and the Adige.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Giardino Giusti above Verona, laid out in 1580, is one of the finest Renaissance gardens in Italy. Goethe declared it the most beautiful garden he had seen. Entry approx 10 euros and visited by a fraction of those who see the Arena.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Caffe Dante, Verona Most beautiful cafe on the Piazza dei Signori. Coffee under the medieval loggia. | Lunch: Osteria al Duca, Verona Finest traditional trattoria. Risotto all'Amarone and local wines. | Dinner: Il Desco, Verona One Michelin star in a Renaissance palazzo. Outstanding modern Veronese cuisine.
DAY 3
VICENZA AND SOAVE
MORNING
VICENZA, PALLADIO'S CITY
The entire historic centre is UNESCO listed. The Basilica Palladiana, the Palazzo Chiericati and the Teatro Olimpico, the oldest surviving indoor theatre in the world completed in 1585, are all extraordinary. The permanent stage set of a Roman city in perfect trompe l'oeil perspective has been unchanged since opening night. Drive: 20 min drive to Villa Rotonda
MIDDAY
VILLA ROTONDA AND VILLA VALMARANA
La Rotonda is the most imitated building in history, directly inspiring Monticello, Chiswick House and hundreds of others. Exterior and gardens accessible approx 5 euros. The nearby Villa Valmarana ai Nani has extraordinary Tiepolo frescoes. Entry approx 10 euros. Drive: 30 min drive to Soave
AFTERNOON
SOAVE, THE WALLED WINE TOWN
Soave is one of the most beautiful small walled towns in the Veneto, completely intact with its medieval walls, castle and vineyard-covered surrounding hills. The local Soave Classico white wine from Garganega grapes grown on volcanic soils is extraordinary. Several small bodegas offer tastings directly. Entry to the castle approx 5 euros.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Valpolicella wine region between Verona and the Lake Garda hills produces Amarone, one of the greatest red wines in Italy. A short detour from Verona through the Valpolicella hills passes extraordinary small family bodegas offering tastings of Amarone, Ripasso and Valpolicella Classico directly from the producer.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Caffe Garibaldi, Vicenza Most beautiful cafe in Vicenza on the Piazza dei Signori. | Lunch: Ristorante Tre Visi, Vicenza Finest traditional restaurant since 1483. Local baccala alla vicentina and Soave wine. | Dinner: Enoteca della Valpolicella Outstanding wine bar in the Valpolicella hills. Amarone, Ripasso and extraordinary local food.
DAY 4
PADUA
MORNING
THE SCROVEGNI CHAPEL, THE MOST IMPORTANT FRESCO CYCLE IN WESTERN ART
The Cappella degli Scrovegni contains Giotto's extraordinary fresco cycle of 1305, considered the most important work of art in the history of Western painting. The 38 scenes from the life of the Virgin and Christ prefigure the entire subsequent development of European art. Entry approx 15 euros, strictly timed at 20 minutes maximum. Book weeks in advance at cappelladegliscrovegni.it. Drive: 10 min walk to Basilica
MIDDAY
THE BASILICA OF SANT'ANTONIO AND DONATELLO'S BRONZE
The Basilica of Sant'Antonio is one of the greatest pilgrimage churches in the world, drawing 6 million visitors annually. But most miss the extraordinary thing: the bronze equestrian statue of Gattamelata in the piazza outside, created by Donatello in 1453, is the first large-scale bronze equestrian statue since antiquity and among the most important sculptures of the Renaissance. Free to view. Drive: 15 min walk to Prato
AFTERNOON
THE PRATO DELLA VALLE AND HIDDEN PADUA
The Prato della Valle is the largest public square in Italy and one of the finest in Europe, an extraordinary elliptical island garden surrounded by a canal and 78 statues of Paduan worthies. The Bo Palace, the ancient university where Galileo taught and where the world's oldest anatomical theatre (1594) still stands, offers guided tours of extraordinary interest. Entry approx 5 euros.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Oratorio di San Giorgio adjacent to the Scrovegni Chapel contains frescoes by Altichiero da Zevio from 1379, the finest follower of Giotto. The Scuola del Santo above contains three early Titian paintings from 1511, his first documented works. Combined entry approx 5 euros and almost entirely unvisited.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Caffe Pedrocchi, Padua The most famous cafe in Padua, open continuously since 1831. The Greek-Egyptian-Moorish interior is extraordinary. | Lunch: Osteria L'Anfora, Padua The finest traditional osteria in Padua. Local bigoli pasta, baccala and excellent Colli Euganei wine. | Dinner: Ristorante Dotto di Campagna Outstanding restaurant in the countryside around Padua. Local game, truffles and Veneto wines.
DAY 5
BASSANO AND DOLOMITE FOOTHILLS
MORNING
ASOLO, THE FINEST HILL TOWN IN THE VENETO
Asolo is considered the most beautiful small town in the Veneto. The medieval town on its hill above the Treviso plain was home to Caterina Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus, Robert Browning who wrote Pippa Passes here, and the extraordinary travel writer Freya Stark. The Castello della Regina Cornaro has extraordinary views over the Dolomite foothills. Free to walk and extraordinarily beautiful. Drive: 20 min drive to Bassano
MIDDAY
BASSANO DEL GRAPPA, THE BRIDGE AND THE GRAPPA
Bassano del Grappa is one of the finest small cities in the Veneto. The extraordinary covered wooden bridge (Ponte degli Alpini) over the Brenta river has been rebuilt on the same site since 1209, most recently by Palladio in 1569. The Poli Grappa Museum on the bridge contains the extraordinary story of the local grappa distillery, with free tastings of the finest grappa in Italy. The museum also documents the extraordinary First World War Alpini soldiers who used the bridge. Drive: 30 min drive into foothills
AFTERNOON
THE DOLOMITE FOOTHILLS AND THE VALSUGANA
The valley road north from Bassano into the foothills of the Dolomites passes through extraordinary mountain landscapes within 30 minutes of the Veneto plain. The Altopiano di Asiago above Bassano is one of the finest mountain plateaux in northern Italy, with extraordinary views over the entire Veneto below and the Dolomite peaks above. The villages and trails on the Altopiano are extraordinary and almost entirely unvisited.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Brenta Riviera between Padua and Venice along the Brenta river contains an extraordinary sequence of Palladian villas built by Venetian aristocrats as summer residences. The Burchiello boat tour from Padua to Venice passes Villa Foscari (La Malcontenta), Villa Pisani and Villa Widmann. Tours run April to October. Book ahead.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Caffe in Asolo Coffee in the extraordinary hill town before the Dolomite drive. | Lunch: Ponte degli Alpini grappa bar Grappa tasting and cicchetti on the extraordinary wooden bridge. The finest free tasting in Italy. | Dinner: Ristorante Al Sole, Asolo The finest restaurant in the Veneto's finest hill town. Local game, truffles and Prosecco Superiore.
Where To Stay
Venice, Night 1 Hotel Bucintoro, Castello. Quiet with extraordinary lagoon views. Approx 130 to 200 euros per night. Verona or Vicenza, Nights 2 to 3 Hotel Gabbia d'Oro, Verona, or Hotel Palladio, Vicenza. Approx 130 to 220 euros. Padua or Bassano, Nights 4 to 5 Hotel Majestic Toscanelli, Padua, or Hotel Palladio, Bassano. Approx 90 to 160 euros per night.
Top Tips
1. Venice at 6am is a completely different city. Set the alarm and walk the Cannaregio before 8am.
2. Book Osteria alle Testiere weeks ahead. Only 22 covers and the finest seafood in Venice.
3. The Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza is the oldest surviving indoor theatre in the world. Book ahead.
4. Torcello vaporetto runs from Fondamente Nove. Take Line 12 via Burano. Allow a full morning.
5. The Verona Arena opera season runs July to September. Tickets from approx 25 euros. Book ahead.
6. Venetian cicchetti culture: order a small glass of wine (ombra) and one small snack per bar. Move every 20 minutes.
Total Budget
85 to 140 euros/day