8 days in Venice & Verona Itinerary

Virtually unchanged for the last six centuries, Venice is actually a group of islands made famous by a series of canals, bridges, monuments, piazzas, and narrow pedestrian lanes.

Bring the kids along to Canal Grande and Piazza San Marco. Change things up with these side-trips from Venice: Padua (Scrovegni Chapel & Basilica of St. Anthony). There's lots more to do: examine the collection at Doge's Palace, get a taste of the local shopping with Itaca Art Studio di Monica Martin, snap pictures at Ponte di Rialto, and appreciate the history behind Punta della Dogana.

For ratings, traveler tips, maps, and other tourist information, use the Venice online attractions planner.

Izmir, Turkey to Venice is an approximately 8.5-hour flight. You can also drive; or do a combination of bus and train. Due to the time zone difference, you'll gain 2 hours traveling from Izmir to Venice. Prepare for somewhat warmer weather when traveling from Izmir in August: high temperatures in Venice hover around 34°C and lows are around 22°C. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 5th (Sat) so you can go by car to Verona.

The famous setting for Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, Verona is one of northern Italy's main tourist destinations, largely owing to its incredibly rich artistic heritage.

Bring the kids along to Gardaland Park and Piazza delle Erbe. Explore the numerous day-trip ideas around Verona: Movieland Park (in Lazise) and Gardaland SEA LIFE Aquarium (in Castelnuovo del Garda). There's much more to do: see a show at Arena di Verona, stroll the grounds of Cimitero di Guerra Tedesco, make a trip to Piazza Bra, and explore the historical opulence of Museo di Castelvecchio.

For other places to visit, photos, ratings, and tourist information, go to the Verona tour itinerary planner.

Traveling by car from Venice to Verona takes 1.5 hours. Alternatively, you can take a shuttle; or take a train. In August, plan for daily highs up to 35°C, and evening lows to 20°C. On the 9th (Wed), wrap the sightseeing up by early afternoon so you can fly back home.