Aquarium of Genoa
One of the largest aquariums in Europe, set in a Renzo Piano building on the old harbour. Sharks, seals, dolphins, jellyfish and a rainforest pavilion make it the city's best rainy-day anchor.
Liguria, Italy
Genoa
Genoa is Italy's great port city and its best-kept secret: a steep, layered town of marble palaces, medieval lanes and a harbour that once financed kings.
The old town is one of the largest medieval centres in Europe, the Strade Nuove and the Palazzi dei Rolli are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Porto Antico, remade by the Genoese architect Renzo Piano, holds one of Europe's biggest aquariums beside a maritime museum and a panoramic lift. Food is a reason to come by itself, with focaccia for breakfast, farinata, pesto made in a marble mortar and Vermentino from the terraced coast. Pastel Boccadasse is a fishing village inside the city, and the Riviera is on the doorstep, with trains to Camogli, Santa Margherita Ligure and Portofino, boats to the abbey of San Fruttuoso and quiet coves along the Gulf of Tigullio. This guide books the city and the coast properly, with tickets, tours, classes and hotels in the districts that suit each kind of trip.
Don't miss
Aquarium of Genoa
One of the largest aquariums in Europe, set in a Renzo Piano building on the old harbour. Sharks, seals, dolphins, jellyfish and a rainforest pavilion make it the city's best rainy-day anchor.
Strade Nuove and the Palazzi dei Rolli
A UNESCO World Heritage street of Renaissance and Baroque palaces, built for the merchant families who financed Europe. Via Garibaldi and its museums are the heart of it.
Boccadasse
A former fishing village folded into the eastern edge of Genoa, with pastel houses around a tiny pebble cove, narrow lanes and the best gelato walk in the city.
Palazzo Ducale
The former palace of the doges, now Genoa's main cultural centre. A courtyard, a grand staircase and major exhibitions sit in the middle of the old town.
Things to do in Genoa
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
Strade Nuove and the Palazzi dei Rolli
A UNESCO World Heritage street of Renaissance and Baroque palaces, built for the merchant families who financed Europe. Via Garibaldi and its museums are the heart of it.
Palazzo Ducale
The former palace of the doges, now Genoa's main cultural centre. A courtyard, a grand staircase and major exhibitions sit in the middle of the old town.
FreeCattedrale di San Lorenzo
Genoa's cathedral, with a striped black-and-white marble facade, carved lions on the steps and a treasury museum behind it. It is free to enter and sits on the old town's main route.
30 to 60 minutesDetails →
Lanterna di Genova (Genoa Lighthouse)
The symbol of Genoa, a 77 metre stone lighthouse that has guided ships into the harbour for centuries. A museum and views over the port reward the climb.
Galata Museo del Mare
The largest maritime museum in the Mediterranean, on the Porto Antico waterfront. Galleons, a navigators story and a real submarine you can walk through.
FreePorto Antico and the Bigo
Genoa's reinvented old harbour, redesigned by Renzo Piano. Promenades, the Bigo panoramic lift, boats, cafes and the aquarium all sit within a few minutes' walk.
1 to 3 hoursDetails →
Genoa Harbour Boat Tour
A short cruise around one of the busiest ports in the Mediterranean, with the Lanterna, cruise ships, shipyards and the city skyline seen from the water.
Boccadasse
A former fishing village folded into the eastern edge of Genoa, with pastel houses around a tiny pebble cove, narrow lanes and the best gelato walk in the city.
Genoa Old Town Walking Tour (the Caruggi)
A guided walk through Europe's largest medieval old town, a maze of narrow lanes called caruggi, with churches, palaces, markets and hidden squares.
FreeStaglieno Monumental Cemetery
A vast nineteenth-century cemetery of marble statues, arcades and family chapels. Often called an open-air museum of sculpture, and free to enter.
1 to 2 hoursDetails →
Castelletto Lookout and Genoa Funiculars
Ride an Art Nouveau lift up to Spianata Castelletto for one of the best free views in Genoa, then try the funiculars and rack railway to the hills above.
1 to 2 hoursDetails →
Where to stay
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
$$$Bristol Palace Hotel
Via XX Settembre
A grand belle epoque hotel on Via XX Settembre, a short walk from Piazza De Ferrari, with a sweeping marble staircase and a classic Genoese address.
Check rates →
$$$Grand Hotel Savoia Genova
Principe
A historic grand hotel near Principe station, a short walk from the Strade Nuove, with period interiors, a large breakfast room and easy rail connections.
Check rates →Melia Genova
Brignole and Foce
A modern hotel in the Brignole and Foce area, close to the station, the seafront and the exhibition quarter, with contemporary rooms and good transport links.
Check rates →
$$Hotel Continental Genova
Principe
A well-located mid-range hotel beside Principe station, convenient for arrivals by train or cruise ship and a flat walk from the Via Balbi palaces.
Check rates →Best Western Hotel Moderno Verdi
Brignole
A comfortable mid-range hotel on Piazza Verdi, opposite Brignole station, handy for trains, buses and the walk to the centre.
Check rates →Hotel Cairoli
Strade Nuove
A small, well-placed hotel on Via Cairoli, in the historic Strade Nuove district, close to Via Garibaldi, Via Balbi and the old town.
Check rates →Best Western Hotel Metropoli
Piazza Fontane Marose
A traditional hotel on Piazza Fontane Marose, in the middle of the historic centre beside Via Garibaldi, with views over a lively square.
Check rates →Imperiale Palace Hotel
Santa Margherita Ligure waterfront
A historic waterfront grand hotel in Santa Margherita Ligure, with period interiors, sea views and the ferry to Portofino close by.
Check rates →Excelsior Palace Hotel
Rapallo and the Gulf of Tigullio
A classic hillside hotel above the Gulf of Tigullio at Rapallo, with terraced gardens, sea views and a calm, resort-style atmosphere.
Check rates →Splendido Mare
Portofino harbour
A small luxury hotel right on the Portofino harbour, steps from the Piazzetta, with sea-facing rooms and a boutique atmosphere.
Check rates →Genoa guides
Genoa in Three Days: Palaces, Harbour and the Riviera
A practical three-day Genoa itinerary that balances the old town, the Strade Nuove palaces, the aquarium and harbour, and one day on the Riviera coast.
Where to Stay in Genoa: Old Town, Principe, Brignole and the Riviera
A guide to the best areas to stay in Genoa, from the historic centre and Via Garibaldi to the station districts, with ideas for a Riviera base in Santa Margherita, Rapallo or Portofino.
Eating and Drinking in Genoa: Focaccia, Pesto and Seafood
A guide to Genoese food, from focaccia for breakfast and farinata to pesto, stuffed vegetables, fresh seafood and the local wines of Liguria.
Best Time to Visit Genoa: Weather, Crowds and Seasons
When to visit Genoa and the Ligurian coast, with notes on weather, sea temperature, crowds, events and what is open in each season.
Day Trips from Genoa: Portofino, Camogli, San Fruttuoso and the Riviera
The best day trips from Genoa along the Ligurian Riviera, with transport tips, timing and how to combine Portofino, Camogli, San Fruttuoso, Santa Margherita and Rapallo.
One Day in Genoa from the Cruise Port: A Practical Plan
How to spend a port day in Genoa, from the cruise terminals to the old town, the aquarium and the Riviera, with timing, transport and shore excursion tips.
