Fabio Massimo Rapanà, licensed guide · Piazza Bra, Verona
A licensed local guide, Fabio Massimo Rapanà, takes your group alone around the outside of the Arena and then through its corridors to the places where gladiators and wild beasts waited. Pick it for families and small groups who want the full story, told for them, with time to stay inside afterwards.
Fabio meets you in front of the Town Hall, under the Italian flag, at the south end of Piazza Bra. The hour starts outside: the shape and original size of the amphitheatre seen from the north side of the square, the 'wing' (the last surviving piece of the outer ring) and the system of gates that moved up to tens of thousands of people in and out. Then you go in and follow the corridors to the vomitoria, see where gladiators and animals were kept, walk out onto the arena floor and sit on the stone tiers. The tour ends in a quieter corner of the building, and you can stay as long as you like.
Read the price carefully. $168 is for the whole group, up to six people, and Arena entry tickets are not included. The listing gives adult entry at EUR 12, EUR 9 over 65 and EUR 3 for EU citizens aged 18 to 25; minors and Verona Card holders go in free. You buy tickets online or on the spot, and Fabio helps with that. For four adults that's about $42 each for the guide plus EUR 12.
It's a daytime visit of the monument, not an opera; for a festival night, buy on arena.it. Reviews mention tours in English and German. The listing says it isn't suitable for wheelchair users, and on opera days the Arena closes to visitors early (15:00, last entry 14:00, per the Ministry of Culture), so pick a morning.
Fabio waits in front of Palazzo Barbieri, the Town Hall, on the south side of Piazza Bra.
From the north of the square: the original size, the 'wing' of the outer ring and the access system.
Show your Arena tickets, or buy them on the spot with Fabio's help.
Through the arches to the vomitoria, the gladiators' and animals' areas, then out onto the arena and up the steps.
The tour ends in a hidden corner of the Arena, and your free time inside starts there.
★★★★★One of the best tours we have done over years of travel to Italy thanks to an excellent guide. Fabio is very engaging and shares a lot of information with enthusiasm and professionalism. Our group of four was entertained for the entire time and the stories have stayed with us. Worth every cent.
★★★★★Fabio was a great guide and managed to explain the history of the arena to me and my 13-year-old son in a very exciting and lively way. Not only was he super personable, but he was also able to convey the information in an understandable and entertaining way. My son was enthusiastic about his way of telling the story and thought he was really cool.
★★★★★Fabio's a really experienced guide. He told us a lot about the history and use of the arena from the beginning to the present. It was a really nice tour that we'd recommend to anyone.
★★★★★Our group of four (ages 22-48) all really enjoyed our tour with Fabio. Best time spent in Verona, learned so much in 1 hour.
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No. The price covers the guide for your group. Entry is extra: EUR 12 adults, EUR 9 over 65, EUR 3 for EU citizens 18 to 25, free for minors and Verona Card holders.
From $168 for the group, up to six people. Six adults pay about $28 each plus their entry tickets.
In front of the Town Hall (Palazzo Barbieri) on Piazza Bra, under the Italian flag.
Yes. Reviews from parents of children up to 13 are glowing; the gladiator stories keep them listening, and minors enter the Arena free.
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A licensed guide for your group only, inside and around the Arena. Entry tickets are extra.
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