Venice to Verona, Sirmione & Lake Garda Boat Cruise

Verona's Arena and a Boat Ride Around Lake Garda's Cliffside Ruins

You leave Venice early and spend the day moving between three places: Verona's medieval center and its famous Arena, Sirmione's lakeside village, and a private boat tour around the peninsula with views of Scaliger Castle and Roman ruins. The tour includes your guide, headsets, and the boat cruise. Entry fees to attractions are separate, and free time in each location lets you choose what to visit. You return to Mestre by evening.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Verona and Sirmione with boat cruise

• Depart from Mestre
• Walking tour in Verona
• Visit Arena di Verona or Juliet's House
• Free time for lunch in Verona
• Travel by bus to Sirmione
• Walking tour in Sirmione village
• Private boat tour around Lake Garda peninsula
• Free time to explore Sirmione
• Return by coach to departure point

The experience

The coach is already rolling when you settle in: departure happens early from Mestre, which means you're moving toward Verona while most of the city is still waking up. Your licensed tour leader hands out headsets so you can hear over the engine noise, and the rhythm of the drive gives you time to actually look out the window instead of rushing through a checklist. When you arrive in Verona, the medieval streets open up around you: Juliet's House sits quiet in its corner, the Arena di Verona rises pale and enormous in the piazza, and there's enough unstructured time to choose what matters to you. Some people buy tickets to walk inside the Arena. Others grab lunch, or just wander the narrow streets where the buildings lean toward each other. The guide is there if you have questions, but the morning is yours to move through at your own pace.

Then comes the part that changes the day. You board a private boat in Sirmione, and the captain takes you out onto Lake Garda with the peninsula falling away behind you. Scaliger Castle rises on the rocky point: medieval and fortress-like, the kind of thing that looks different from the water than it does from shore. You pass the Grottoes of Catullus, ancient Roman ruins that sit right at the waterline, their stones still standing after nearly two thousand years. The boat moves slowly enough that you can actually see the detail: the villas with their terraces, the way the landscape drops into the lake, the light changing on the water. Weather permitting (and the tour operator is clear about this, the boat only goes out when conditions are safe). You get something you can't get from land.

After the cruise, Sirmione itself is open to you. The village is small enough to walk through in an hour, but there's no schedule pushing you. You can sit by the water, browse the local shops, or if you want to add another ticket, visit the Grottoes or the Scaliger Castle from the ground. The coach waits, and when you're ready, the return to Venice begins: more travel time, but by then you've already seen what you came for.

What’s included

• Your day includes hotel pickup from your Venice accommodation (or departure from Mestre), transport by private coach, a licensed English or Spanish-speaking tour leader, headsets for hearing the guide during travel, a private boat cruise around the Sirmione peninsula on Lake Garda, and free time to explore Verona's medieval streets and Sirmione village at your own pace.
• Lunch and entry fees to attractions (Arena di Verona, Juliet's House, Grottoes of Catullus, Scaliger Castle) are not included.
• Return transport to your original departure point is provided.

Options for this experience

4 options

Mestre: Tour Option in EnglishAvailable from 14 Mar 2027This option offers a bilingual tour (English plus a second language), though it may occasionally be run in one language only. Starting point: Hotel Plaza Venice, Viale Stazione, 36, 30171 Venezia VE, Italy

Mestre: Tour Option in SpanishAvailable from 14 Mar 2027This option offers a bilingual tour (Spanish plus a second language), though it may occasionally be run in one language only. Starting point: Hotel Plaza Venice, Viale Stazione, 36, 30171 Venezia VE, Italy

Venice: Tour Option in EnglishAvailable from 14 Mar 2027This option offers a bilingual tour (English plus a second language), though it may occasionally be run in one language only. Starting point: Tronchetto, parcheggio BUS, Isola Nova del Tronchetto, 9, 30135 Venezia VE, Italy

Venice: Tour Option in SpanishAvailable from 14 Mar 2027This option offers a bilingual tour (Spanish plus a second language), though it may occasionally be run in one language only. Starting point: Tronchetto, parcheggio BUS, Isola Nova del Tronchetto, 9, 30135 Venezia VE, Italy

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 14 Mar 2027

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (11 and older) · Child (3 to 10 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 50

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Moderate physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Veditalia

Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you want to see Verona and Lake Garda in a single day without arranging your own transport or timing between stops: the fixed schedule and included coach handle the logistics, and the private boat cruise is the part you can't easily do on your own.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 10 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What's included and what costs extra?

The tour includes the licensed guide, headsets, transport by coach, and the private boat cruise around Sirmione. Entry tickets to the Arena di Verona, Juliet's House, the Grottoes of Catullus, and Scaliger Castle are not included and must be purchased separately. Lunch is also on your own.

How long is the drive from Venice to Verona?

The itinerary includes several hours of bus travel during the day. The exact timing depends on traffic and stops, but plan for a full day of travel alongside the sightseeing.

Can the boat cruise be cancelled?

Yes. The boat only operates in favorable weather conditions. If the sea state is unsafe, the cruise cannot run for safety reasons. This is considered force majeure, and no refund is given if the cruise is cancelled due to weather.

Is there time for lunch?

Yes. Free time in Verona includes a lunch break, and you can eat at one of the local restaurants or cafés in the city. In Sirmione, you also have free time, though lunch is not included in the tour price.

Where does the tour depart from?

The tour departs from Mestre, which is the mainland area of Venice. Hotel pickup can be arranged. Provide your accommodation details at booking or a few days before the tour.