My Top 15 Things to Do in Padua | 1-Day Padua Itinerary and Map

Padua (or Padova) is a city not far from Venice in Northern Italy. And with Venice getting all the flocks of international tourists, anyone would wonder “Is Padua worth visiting at all?” Yes, it totally is—even if just for a one-day trip—and I’m going to prove it to you with my ranking of top things to do in Padua and Padua 1-day itinerary.

I went to explore Padua in November 2024 with my girlfriend, and previously, in 2020. In total, I’ve spent about a week in Padua, I’ve seen everything worth seeing, and now, I’ve ranked it all according to my own judgement, and will tell you how to spend the best day in Padua.

In this article, you’ll find my top 15 Padua attractions, a map with walking tour route, the perfect one-day itinerary, and my planning tips. You’re welcome!

Pro tip: Visit Padua (and Italy in general) in spring or fall. Tourist attractions will be quieter, and the weather is still pleasant enough. Learn more about Italy right here...

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What is Padua best known for?

Padua is famous for its historic university (one of the oldest in the world), Giotto’s frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel, and the Basilica of St. Anthony, a major pilgrimage site. It also boasts Prato della Valle, one of Europe’s largest squares.

Padua by night: is it a medieval mystery, a secret vampire gathering, or just a building showing off?

 

The best things to see in Padua—ranked based on my experience

 

1. Scrovegni Chapel
2. MUSME—the Museum of the History of Medicine
3. Museum of Geography
4. Eremitani Museum
5. Prato della Valle
6. Giardini dell'Arena and the Arena Romana
7. Ponte Molino
8. Abbazia Di Santa Giustina
9. Basilica of Saint Anthony
10. Botanical Garden
11. Palazzo Zuckermann
12. Palazzo della Ragione
13. Padua Cathedral
14. Palazzo Bo
15. Piazza dei Signori
     

What is Padua, Italy like?

But first, just to give you an overall impression, Padua is a charming and quintessentially European city that’s compact enough that the major sights are all within walking distance. It’s nothing too dramatic or showy; just a solid, good-looking place with plenty of history (my favorite) tucked into its streets. There’s a good chance that you’ll like it more than Venice...!

 
 

Padua travel mystery: same weather, same location... yet one of us is bundled up like we're in the Arctic, and the other is casually posing like it's spring @ Basilica of Saint Anthony

How much time do you need in Padua?

You can see the highlights of Padua in one day, but two days would let you explore at a relaxed pace. With one day, prioritize the Scrovegni Chapel, Basilica of St. Anthony, and Museum of the History of Medicine. With two days, add Palazzo Bo, the Botanical Garden, and Prato della Valle.

 
 

No big deal, just another casual stroll through history in Padua

 

Here’s what I think is the best itinerary for one day in Padua, Italy:
 

The best things to do in Padua: ultimate 1-day itinerary

If you only have one day in Padua, this itinerary is the most efficient way to get around all the best things to see:
 

• Stop 1: Scrovegni Chapel (for 30 minutes)
• Stop 2: Eremitani Museum (for 45 minutes)
• Stop 3: Palazzo Zuckermann (for 30 minutes)
• Stop 4: Palazzo Bo (en route)
• Stop 5: Palazzo della Ragione (for 20 minutes)
• Stop 6: Piazza dei Signori (en route)
• Stop 7: Padua Cathedral (for 30 minutes)
• Stop 8: Prato della Valle (en route)
• Stop 9: Abbazia Di Santa Giustina (for 30 minutes)
• Stop 10: Basilica of Saint Anthony (for 45 minutes)
• Stop 11: Museum of Geography (for 45 minutes)
• Stop 12: MUSME—the Museum of the History of Medicine (for 1 hour)
   

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Map of Padua, Italy

Map showing stops on your Padua itinerary

 

Visiting Padua, Italy: quick tips for your trip

Further reading: 10 things to know before you visit Italy
 

• Padua is certainly walkable, especially if you don’t leave the historic center.
   
• When driving outside the city center, I recommend using the EasyPark app. It’s super useful for finding and paying for parking.
   
• Italians are surprisingly polite drivers these days. It must be a generational thing...
   
• Prepare yourself for the fact that there are no good restaurants open in Pauda before 7 pm. This might mean supermarkets for lunch.
   
• If you do eat in a restaurant, you can’t get away without paying a small coperto (“cover charge”—essentially a cost for the table). BUT you might be able to cheapen it by refusing the bread that the waiter will bring to you.
   
• Never order a cappuccino with a meal. They’re strictly for mornings—that’s the Italian way, no arguments!
   
• Eat spaghetti/tagliatelle/any other long pasta with a fork only. On an Italian table, the spoon is for soup.
   
• Tipping isn’t technically obligatory, but it’s a thing. Don’t be cheap.
• If you only have one day in Padua, try to stay until the evening. It’s a gorgeous place at sunset and when it’s lit up.
   
• Finally, my hotel recommendation is Hilton Garden Inn Padova City Center. Amazing location right in the middle of the Old Town, comfy beds in relatively spacious rooms, and lots of good breakfast options. No notes!
   

For more Italy travel inspiration, check out my recent articles on things to do in Parma and things to do in Bologna!

 

When in Padua, do as the locals do: admire the fresh produce and pretend you know what ‘cime di rapa’ is. More about delicious Italian food

 

How do you get from Padua to Venice Marco Polo Airport?

• By car: It’s roughly a 40-minute drive from the airport to the center of Padua, on a 44-km (27.3-mile) route (Google Maps link).
   
• By train: Catch a train from Padua to Venice Mestre or Venice Santa Lucia and change to catch a city-airport bus operated by AVTO.
   
• By bus: Direct coaches between Padua and Venice Marco Polo Airport are operated by Busitalia.

 

Final approach to Venice Marco Polo Airport, surrounded by the stunning lagoon

 

1. Scrovegni Chapel (a UNESCO World Heritage Site)

The 1300s frescoes in Scrovegni Chapel serve drama, symbolism, and a warning about bad life choice
 

• Opening hours: 9 am–7 pm daily
• Price: EUR 15 (includes entry to the Eremitani Museum and Palazzo Zuckermann)
   

Is the Scrovegni Chapel (also known as the Arena Chapel or Cappella degli Scrovegni) worth seeing? Absolutely, even if it does require some forward-planning (i.e. you need to book a 30-minute visiting slot beforehand at cappelladegliscrovegni.it).

This entire UNESCO-listed chapel is a masterpiece by Giotto, the guy who single-handedly changed the course of Western painting. His frescoes tell an epic, full-wall visual story, packed with drama, emotion, and some risqué details for its time.

The way virtues and vices are depicted is completely next-level, almost sci-fi-like. I thought the portrayal of the Last Judgment was particularly brutal; borderline terrifying for the 1300s. Every color has symbolic meaning, and the storytelling is so ahead of its time, it’s mind-blowing even today.

Practical information: Before you step inside the chapel, you’ll spend 15 minutes in a decontamination chamber so the air can stabilize. Why? Because humidity and pollution are the frescoes’ worst enemies.

 

2. MUSME—the Museum of the History of Medicine

Welcome to MUSME
 

• Opening hours: 2:30 pm–7 pm Tuesday–Friday; 9:30 pm–7 pm Saturday–Sunday
• Price: EUR 12

We spent over an hour at MUSME, an interactive museum at the University of Padua that’s fun for both kids and adults. The ticket grants access to three floors: the first covers the history of medicine, while the others focus on anatomy, physiology, and pathology.
 

What exactly should you expect from this place? Here’s a quick rundown...

• Interactive screens which let you chat with historical scholars once you knock on their virtual doors (I know this doesn’t make much sense—you just have to see it for yourself)
   
• The chance to test your anatomical knowledge
   
• A reconstruction of the first human dissection, which was performed in Padua
   
• Vital signs tests—measure your blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen levels (I don’t like to brag, but mine were optimum!)
   
• A pathology section that’s both fascinating and disturbing
   
• Tons of fun facts on vaccines (a must-visit for, ahem, certain people)

 

3. Museum of Geography

The Geography Museum, where you learn that geographers do a lot more than just pointing at maps
 

• Opening hours: 3 pm–6 pm Tuesday; 2:30 pm–6:30 pm Sunday
• Price: EUR 3
   

This was such an amazing gem which we found completely by accident. And we were even luckier, given that it’s only open on two afternoons a week!

The museum is another affiliation with the university. Everything, including the bonus audio guide, is entirely in English and packed with fun information about what geographers actually do (yeah, me neither). Booking is a bit odd, though—you buy tickets online at musei. unipd.it, but need to verify entry in person.

Inside, it’s divided into three sections. These are on measurement (the science behind maps and geography), exploration (what geographers are discovering today), and philosophy (the deeper impact of geography on our world). I was glad the philosophy bit came last as my brain needed to warm up for it.

Did you know that the worst polluters are the least affected by climate change (SO frustrating), and that accurate maps only emerged in 1450?! The museum’s motto is “Explore, measure, and tell the world,” and I’m obliging: I got my money’s worth of education here, and I can’t recommend it to you enough.

 

4. Eremitani Museum

Eremitani Museum
 

• Opening hours: 9 am–7 pm daily
• Price: EUR 15 (includes entry to the Cappella degli Scrovegni and Palazzo Zuckermann)
   

This is a solid archeology museum that kicks off with pre-Roman and Roman history, then unexpectedly veers into ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Plan for about an hour here, though you could spend longer if you read Italian; only about a third of the exhibit descriptions are in English. Oh, those charmingly inconsistent Italians...

Pro tip: The layout of this place can be a bit confusing, so make sure to pick up a map at the entrance.

The courtyard is scattered with medieval and Roman columns, setting the stage for what’s inside. One quirky touch for me was the placement of modern sculptures among ancient artifacts, making for a fun little Easter egg hunt! And one of the museum’s more unusual surprises is its impressive collection of tapestries—something you don’t often see in this country.

There's also a section dedicated to Padua’s history. Upstairs, we found a vast collection of medieval paintings—including a Crucifix from the nearby Cappella degli Scrovegni. If you're deep into Italian galleries, you might just skim this part, but for first-timers, it’s worth a proper look.

 

5. Prato della Valle

Prato della Valle, Italy’s second-largest square
 

Fun fact: Prato della Valle is the second largest square in Italy. I imagine it’s for this reason only that it’s considered one of the best things to see in Padua. Yes, it’s impressive in size (90,000 m² [nearly 1 million ft²]) and it tries to make out it’s an oval, but at the end of the day, it’s still just a city square.

There are 78 statues around its two rings, but in my opinion, the highlight of the place is the Abbazia di Santa Giustina on one corner (which is actually worth a look—I’ll come back to this). Otherwise, the Prato della Valle is a pleasant spot to stroll, sit, and soak in the atmosphere, but yeah, don’t expect anything mind-blowing.

 

6. Giardini dell'Arena and the Arena Romana

Giardini dell'Arena

 

Tip: Ideally, stick the Cappella degli Scrovegni before or after these spots on your Padua itinerary—the chapel is located inside the gardens.

Stop the presses: at some point, I—yes, I felt I needed a break from the museums. And Giardini dell’Arena felt like the perfect place to go about it. These peaceful, luscious gardens are dotted with statues and shady trees. And overall, it’s a more inviting place to wind down than Prato della Valle.

Within the gardens, we came across the Arena Romana, the remains of a once-massive Roman amphitheater. Today, it’s more of a scenic ruin than a Colosseum-level spectacle, but it was still my favorite part of this gorgeous green space. I guess I can never resist history for too long...

Fun fact: The amphitheater’s stones were repurposed over centuries, including for local buildings. The Italians may be inconsistent, but at least they know how to reuse and recycle!

 

7. Ponte Molino

Prato della Valle

 

The Ponte Molino may not be the flashiest bridge in Italy, but it’s one of Padua’s oldest, dating back to the 1st century BCE. Originally part of the city's fortifications, it once had actual water mills. Those Romans and their bright ideas, am I right?

The bridge is still in use today and marks one of the historic entrances to the Old Town, so expect some dynamic Italian traffic to be crossing it. It’s survived floods, wars, and centuries of wear, proving again that Roman engineering was built to last—unlike most modern roads!

 

8. Abbazia Di Santa Giustina

Abbazia di Santa Giustina: A massive abbey with heavy-duty doors
 

• Opening hours: 7:30 am–12 pm and 3 pm–6 pm daily
• Price: free
   

Now, I said I’d come back to the massive head-turner on the corner of Prato della Valle, and here we are. The huge Abbazia Di Santa Giustina (“Abbey of Santa Giustina”) has a surprisingly modern vibe thanks to its contemporary statues on the facade and sleek bronze doors. They’ve got to be some of the heaviest doors in creation...

Practical information: Like most churches in Italy, annoyingly, it’s closed from noon to 3 pm. (Apparently, divine inspiration takes a siesta.) But as is for all active churches in this part of the world, entry is free, so there’s your compromise.

Inside, you’ll find impressive organs, stunning sculptures, and a deep connection to relics—most notably, the remains of St. Luke (not St. Lucas). You can also take a guided tour of the monastery, led by volunteer guides. It’s grand, it’s historic—if only Baroque hadn’t happened!

 

9. Basilica of Saint Anthony

Basilica of Saint Anthony: Where grand architecture meets a surprising touch of Islamic influence
 

• Opening hours: 6:30 am–7:30 pm daily
• Price: free
   

We gave ourselves nearly one hour to take in the grand Basilica of Saint Anthony, hands down the most monumental in Padua. The architecture shows a strong Islamic influence, adding an unexpected twist to the usual Italian church aesthetic.

Inside, the tomb of St. Anthony is incredibly ornate and has a dramatic, almost villain-lair level of luxury. My initial impression was that it looks like somewhere you’d battle the final boss in a video game.

The sacristy is stunning and the ceiling is a starry masterpiece. But the chapel of relics is where things get wild. St. Anthony’s 800-year-old tongue is preserved here, which is both impressive and—let’s be honest—pretty unsettling. I mean, why hasn’t it decomposed?!

In total, the relic collection includes 24 items, including a couple of parts of his body. Yum.

 

Basilica of Saint Anthony is definitely one of the more... memorable church visits.

 

Tip: If you haven’t been put off by this point and are up for more than just the main basilica, there are additional chapels and stunning sculptures surrounding it. The Oratory of Saint Giorgio (entry: EUR 7) has got some particularly stunning frescoes.

 

10. Botanical Garden (another UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Padua’s Botanical Garden is a nice place to chill out
 

• Opening hours: erratic throughout the year—find out more at ortobotanico1545.it
• Price: EUR 10
   

This isn’t just any garden—it’s the world’s oldest university botanical garden, founded in 1545 to study medicinal plants! Now it blends historic charm with modern biodiversity, and it seems to have everything—from tropical greenhouses to a centuries-old arboretum.

It’s another refreshing break from the intense information overload you get from the rest of the things to do in Padua, perfect for strolling and pretending you’re a Renaissance-era botanist.

Fun fact: The garden is home to the Goethe Palm, a fan palm planted in 1585(!!!) that inspired the poet Goethe’s theories on plant evolution.

 

11. Palazzo Zuckermann

Palazzo Zuckermann
 

• Opening hours: 10 am–7 pm daily
• Price: EUR 15 (includes entry to the Cappella degli Scrovegni and Eremitani Museum)
   

If you love archeology, shiny things, and unexpectedly fascinating coin collections, the Palazzo Zuckermann is well worth your time. Plus point: Entry is included with the Cappella degli Scrovegni- Eremitani Museum combo ticket.

It’s not a huge museum, so you only need to allow about 30 minutes for it. The first two floors showcase excavated artifacts, including beautiful ancient jewelry—because even centuries ago, people knew the power of good accessories (or so said my girlfriend). But the real surprise to me was the third-floor coin collection. Seeing how money evolved over the centuries is oddly satisfying!

 

12. Palazzo della Ragione

Palazzo della Ragione is a medieval market hall turned fresco-covered masterpiece
 

• Opening hours: 9 am–6:25 pm daily
   

Along with the Cappella degli Scrovegni and the Basilica of Saint Anthony, Palazzo della Ragione is part of Padua’s UNESCO-listed fresco cycle. This is a collection of stunning 14th-century murals that transformed the city into an open-air Renaissance masterpiece. (And when it comes to things to see in Padua, this is by far the most obvious.)

Inside is one of Europe’s largest medieval market halls, with a ship-like wooden ceiling and walls covered in those incredible frescoes. The market still operates downstairs, which I felt brought some much-needed life to a space so vast.

I’ll be honest—I’m glad I saw this place, but we didn’t stick around for long because there was a Yoko Ono exhibition on, which is not my kind of thing. Life’s too short to waste time gawping at some avant-garde trash.

 

13. Padua Cathedral

Padua Cathedral: Majestic, historic, and a great backdrop for practicing your Italian pronunciation struggles. Cacio-ca-what now?
 

• Opening hours: 7:30 am–12 pm and 4pm–7:30 pm Monday–Saturday; 8 am–12 pm and 4 pm–9 pm Sunday
• Price: free
   

Padua Cathedral is massive, easy to spot from the main square, and—pro tip—great for wide-angle photos. Up close, though, it’s a classic Baroque cathedral (which isn’t as exciting as a Gothic or Romanesque masterpiece, let’s be real). But what it lacks in over-the-top decoration, it makes up for in sheer size and presence.

This isn’t just a historical relic—it’s still an active place of worship, adding to its authentic atmosphere. If you visit during a service, expect to see locals gathering for mass rather than just tourists snapping photos. It’s the everydayness that makes it feel more alive than museum-like.

Fun fact: The cathedral was designed by Michelangelo... or at least, that was the plan. Let’s just say they didn’t exactly follow his blueprints.

 

14. Palazzo Bo

Palazzo Bo
 

• Opening hours: 9 am–8 pm daily
• Price: EUR 8.70
   

Fun facts: The University of Padua, established in 1222, is the second-oldest university in Italy. Palazzo Bo has been the seat of the university since 1493. Around 100 years later, it became the location of the first anatomical theater in the world—Galileo’s old stomping ground. And in 2025, you can see all this on a guided tour!

There’s something truly amazing about seeing what university education was like all those years ago, and especially so when there’s some weird anatomy stuff involved. On the same trip to Italy, we saw another anatomical theater in Bologna and ended up awesomely creeped out. Read more about this right here:

 

 

Practical information: You need to book the tour tickets online via unipd.it/en/bo, but don’t stress—you can do it on the day.

 

15. Piazza dei Signori

Piazza dei Signori is a historic square where politics once ruled, and now it's mostly about espresso and people-watching

 

Finally, this is one of Padua’s main squares, historically a center of political power and now mostly a place to grab an espresso. Its highlight for me was probably the 16th-century clock tower, an impressive piece of Renaissance engineering—except it’s missing one zodiac sign (poor Scorpio).

Piazza dei Signori is lively, especially in the evening, but visually? Meh; it’s not the most jaw-dropping spot in town. Compared to Prato della Valle, it feels small, and it’s not Venice, that’s for sure. It’s worth a glance on your way between A and B, but despite its fame, don’t expect to be blown away by this square.
 

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