Padua: Guided Tour + Train Transfers from Venice + Botanical Garden Entry

A day in Padua

Padua sits 30 minutes from Venice by train but feels like a different city entirely: a university town since 1222, home to Giotto's Scrovegni Chapel frescoes, and the site of the world's oldest botanical garden. This 10-hour day trip includes return train tickets, a 2-hour guided walking tour, and entry to the Botanical Garden.

The guided tour

Starting at Piazza Garibaldi, your guide leads a 2-hour walk through Padua's historic centre. The route passes the Basilica of Sant'Antonio (one of Italy's most important pilgrimage churches), the Palazzo della Ragione (a medieval market hall with the largest roof unsupported by columns in Europe), and the university where Galileo taught. The tour covers exteriors, leaving you free to enter buildings independently afterwards.

The Botanical Garden

Founded in 1545, Padua's Botanical Garden is the world's oldest academic garden still in its original location. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it preserves the original circular layout and contains plants from across the globe, including a palm tree planted in 1585 that Goethe wrote about. The garden provides a peaceful contrast to the city's busy streets and a window into Renaissance scientific thinking.

Free time

After the tour and garden visit, you have the rest of the day to explore independently. The Scrovegni Chapel (book separately), the Caffe Pedrocchi, and the lively market squares all reward further exploration. Return trains to Venice run frequently, letting you leave when you are ready.

Book your Padua day trip tickets

See the university city next door. Book your Padua day trip tickets today.