Places to visit in Padua

Top Things to Do in Padua, Italy

Places to Visit in Padua


Book these experiences for a close-up look at Padua.


Top Attractions in Padua

These rankings are informed by traveller reviews—we consider the quality, quantity, recency, consistency of reviews, and the number of page views over time.
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From quick jaunts to full-day outings.



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What travellers are saying

  • Ana Maia
    Helmond, The Netherlands5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The basilica is beautiful both inside and out, entry is free, and inside is the tomb of Saint Anthony, lots of paintings and history.
    Written 16 March 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Deborah A
    Sydney, Australia56 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This is a gem in a wonderful city with so many important monuments, churches and other sites. The preview video is very helpful to understand the chronology of the frescoes and it is absolutely worth the admission price.
    Written 15 March 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Ana Maia
    Helmond, The Netherlands5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    a very comfortable park to have a picnic, spend the afternoon and watch the sunset, from there you also have a view of the back of Saint Anthony's Basilica!
    Written 16 March 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • ANGELO V
    Milan, Italy2,939 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A medieval market hall, town hall and palace of justice building, Palazzo della Ragione is one of the largest medieval halls still extant. It was begun in 1172 and completed in 1219.
    The ground floor has hosted the market hall of the city for over 800 years, and the upper floor was divided into three spaces until 1420, when the current great hall was formed.
    All four walls of the great hall are covered with more than three hundred different scenes that were frescoed between 1425 and 1440 by Nicolò Miretto and Stefano da Ferrara.
    A wooden horse inside the Great Hall was built in 1466 and modelled on Donatello's Equestrian statue of Gattamelata.

    Palazzo della Ragione is part since 2021 of Padua's fourteenth-century fresco cycles, with Scrovegni Chapel, Church of the Eremitani, Chapel of the Carraresi Palace, Cathedral Baptistery, Basilica and Monastery of St. Anthony, Oratory of St. George, Oratory of St.Michael. A cumulative ticket called “Urbis Picta” (painted town) is available to visit all the UNESCO sites in Padova.
    Written 28 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Heli K
    Lappeenranta, Finland1,526 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    World's oldest university's botanical garden and UNESCO World Heritage site. Most precious plants are palm tree from 16th century and Europe's oldest Magnolia-tree. Also the new green houses representing different climates were worth visiting. Nice place to visit in a hot day. I would recommend this place also for families with children.
    Written 5 July 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Hendrik_NL
    Vlaardingen, The Netherlands7,385 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    When you think of the most famous cities in Italy, the 'usual suspects' pop up almost automatically. Rome, Firenze, Venezia, Milano. But Italy can be proud of an untold number of cities and towns, worth a visit, just like the famous ones. I visited Padova, of course overshadowed by its famous neighbour Venezia, but I can assure you that Padova has it all. A splendid historic center with buildings going back to the 13th Century, magnificent churches, streets and squares with restaurants, Italian bars and speciality shops and everything you may expect from an Italian city on the Unesco World Heritage List. Arriving by car, using the multilevel car park close to the train station is the best option. But it is a 15 minute walk to Padova center. There are parking garages closer by, but those tend to be more expensive.
    Written 25 November 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • ANGELO V
    Milan, Italy2,939 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The Baptistery of the Cathedral of Padova is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. Preserved inside is one of the most important fresco cycles of the 14th century, a masterpiece by Giusto de' Menabuoi.

    Entrance is by small groups, every 30 minutes, from the ticket office managed by Kalata', on the opposite side of the square, at the entrance of the Diocesan Museum. Audioguides are provided, explaining the history of the frescoes and their meaning.

    The Baptistery was built starting from the 12th century. In the following century it underwent various reworkings , and was consecrated in 1281. Between 1370 and 1379 it was restored and adapted as a mausoleum for prince Francesco il Vecchio da Carrara and his wife, Fina Buzzaccarini. The latter oversaw the decorative work, entrusting it to Giusto de' Menabuoi.

    The cupola shows a Christ Pantocrator, around which turns a wheel with multi-layered spokes made of angels and saints, and the Mother of God. The paintings that cover the walls show scenes from the life of St. John the Baptist (to the left of the entrance), Mary, and Jesus.

    The entire fresco cycle is breathtaking, and the Baptistery is part since 2021 of Padua's fourteenth-century fresco cycles UNESCO world heritage site, together with Scrovegni Chapel, Church of the Eremitani, Palazzo della Ragione, Chapel of the Carraresi Palace, Basilica and Monastery of St. Anthony, Oratory of St. George, Oratory of St.Michael. A cumulative ticket called “Urbis Picta” (painted town) is available to visit all the UNESCO sites in Padova.
    Written 1 March 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Dominik Kiezik
    Warsaw, Poland4,729 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    It gives an additional star for the contribution of the University of Padua to the history of the emergence and strengthening of the Polish State in the late Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque. From this and next to the University of Bologna emerged scholars who often wrote down and constituted the laws of Poland in past centuries. The buildings themselves are also beautiful and worth visiting.
    Written 11 June 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Uday T
    London, UK1,975 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We visited teh square at various times of teh day, when visiting buikldings, looking for lunch, sipping coctails in teh evening. It is always buzzing, interesting and wonderful to contemplate. The buildings are fantastic especially the clock tower. The different times of days gives a different perspective and is worth doing
    Written 30 August 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Relax60848390694
    4 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Modern and very informative exhibition. Most of the information is also in English and we spent about 2+ hours, but we were thoroughly reading the descriptions of each sessions.
    Written 22 December 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • ANGELO V
    Milan, Italy2,939 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Chiesa degli Eremitani (Hermits' Church) is a 13th century Gothic style church, very close to the Cappella Scrovegni with Giotto frescoes and the municipal archeology and art gallery (Musei Civici agli Eremitani). The church was damaged during WW II: the façade, the ceiling and the apse were partly destroyed and the two chapels (Dotto and Ovetari) were completely destroyed.

    The frescoes in the Ovetari chapel (by Andrea Mantegna, Ansuino da Forlì and Bono da Ferrara) were almost completely destroyed: only two scenes detached previously and a few fragments were saved. Scattered fragments were recomposed during the restoration completed in 2006.

    This church is part since 2021 of Padua's fourteenth-century fresco cycles UNESCO world heritage site, together with Scrovegni Chapel, Palazzo della Ragione, Chapel of the Carraresi Palace, Cathedral Baptistery, Basilica and Monastery of St. Anthony, Oratory of St. George, Oratory of St.Michael. A cumulative ticket called “Urbis Picta” (painted town) is available to visit all the UNESCO sites in Padova.
    Written 1 March 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • ANGELO V
    Milan, Italy2,939 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    The Basilica di Santa Giustina is a huge church, the ninth biggest in the world, and the seventh biggest in Italy: it is 122 meters long (over 133 yards) and 82 meters wide (269 ft). The original church dates back to the 6th century. It was rebuilt after the 1117 earthquake, and then rebuilt again between 1501 and 1606.

    There are several side chapels, with very ornate altars, and several saints are buried in this church, such as St. Justina, St. Luke the Evangelist, St. Julian the Hospitaller, St. Matthias the Apostle, St. Prosdocimus first Bishop of Padova.

    Very beautiful frescoes, paintings, altarpieces, statues can be seen in the church.
    Written 1 March 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.