Things to do in Genoa
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Genoa
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best: camellias, Rolli Days, hiking and whale watch opening, trails before the crowds.
Excellent and warming: swimming starts, ferries in full schedule and long evenings.
Worst for the city: hot and humid, some trattorias close mid August, Riviera at peak crowding.
Best jointly: sea still swimmable, harvest food, boat show, autumn Rolli Days and best hiking.
Quiet, cheap and moody: rain can close trails, but palaces, food and markets are crowd free.
What's on
- Rolli Days 16-18 Oct (autumn edition); also spring April/May
Dozens of normally closed Rolli palaces open with volunteer guides, the best reason to time a trip.
- Euroflora late April-early May, roughly every 3 years
One of Europe's great floral exhibitions on the Levante Waterfront in edition years.
- World Pesto Championship spring, biennial
Mortar and pestle competitors at Palazzo Ducale, a fun excuse for a food focused weekend.
- Genoa International Boat Show late September
Salone Nautico, the port city at full throttle; hotels spike, book ahead or avoid.
- Villa Pallavicini camellias late February-March
Camellia season at Villa Durazzo Pallavicini, highlighted in city programming.
Best things to do in Genoa
Palazzi dei Rolli
UNESCO palace street where banking families hosted state guests, discreet outside and frescoed inside.
Musei di Strada Nuova
Palazzo Rosso, Bianco and Tursi hold Van Dyck and Rubens, and Rosso has the best paid rooftop view.
Centro Storico di Genova
Europe's largest medieval old town, a labyrinth of caruggi alleys best explored by getting lost.
Acquario di Genova
Italy's largest aquarium with dolphins, penguins and sharks, and Genoa's non-negotiable sight for children.
Spianata Castelletto
Belvedere above the old town where the whole city, port and sea explain themselves at sunset.
Galata Museo del Mare
Italy's largest maritime museum, with a walk-through galley and emigration galleries that explain Genoa.
Lanterna di Genova
Genoa's 1543 lighthouse and city symbol, reached by a promenade and best paired with Galata on a clear day.
Palazzo Reale
Savoy palace with Van Dyck and Tintoretto, a mirrored gallery and gardens, quieter than Strada Nuova.
Where to stay in Genoa
Piazza De Ferrari / Via XX Settembre / Brignole edge
first trip, all-round base
Flat, lit and populated, minutes to Palazzo Ducale, Porto Antico and Brignole station for day trips.
Porto Antico / Molo
first-timers with families
Aquarium, Galata and ferries at your door, with flat waterfront walking and the best night lighting.
Castelletto / Carignano / Albaro
quiet, views, repeat visitors
Elegant residential districts trading street buzz for sleep quality, views and a neighbourhood feel.
Boccadasse / Nervi
sea, romance, slower trip
A Riviera village holiday with the city on the train line, best when the coast comes first.
Foce / Marassi
budget base
Local, well connected and functional, with budget stays east of Brignole when centre prices spike.
Think twice about
- Via Pre and Genova Piazza Principe station fringe
Narrow, poorly lit streets at night with visible prostitution nearby. Use Principe for trains, base ten minutes east.
- Deep western caruggi around Via del Campo and Via della Maddalena after dark
Recognised red light and street dealing fringe with poor lighting. Visit by day, do not base deep inside.
Best restaurants in Genoa
Il Marin
Genoa's starred table, marrying Ligurian tradition with sustainable creative seafood.
Zeffirino
Historic grand restaurant since 1939, famous for handkerchief pasta with pesto done formally.
Il Genovese
The pesto purist's sit down choice, with trofie and testaroli al pesto in a room full of locals.
Trattoria Rosmarino
Traditional Ligurian revisited near De Ferrari, the best mid range dinner within five minutes of centre hotels.
Le Rune
Creative Ligurian in a vaulted romantic room uphill, ideal after a Spianata sunset.
Antica Osteria di Vico Palla
17th century sailors' osteria under the arcades for stockfish, anchovies, farinata and pesto.
Trattoria dell'Acciughetta
Anchovy led small plates and seasonal fish where a young Genoese chef would eat on a night off.
Locanda degli Adorno
Homestyle Genoese with hearty portions, trofie al pesto and focaccia di Recco, frequented by locals.
Outdoor things to do in Genoa
Camogli to San Fruttuoso hike
The definitive Riviera hike to an abbey cove reachable only on foot or by boat, with swimming.
Castello Brown
Castle above Portofino harbour with the best view over the piazzetta and bay.
Spiaggia di Paraggi
The sandy swimming cove a walk from Portofino, since the village itself has no real beach.
Whale watching in the Pelagos Sanctuary
Boat trip with a marine biologist into Europe's richest cetacean sanctuary, April to October.
Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi
Two kilometre cliffside promenade linking coves, bathing platforms and cafes in Genoa's garden suburb.
Parchi di Nervi
Historic villa parks with rose gardens above the promenade, Genoa's own Sunday excursion.
Sea kayak from Nervi
Guided paddling along the secret coast past villa parks, with swim and snorkel stops for beginners.
Laghetti di Nervi
Short canyon-like valley of clear pools and small waterfalls above Nervi, best in spring or autumn.
Best hotels in Genoa
Meliá Genova
Genoa's spa hotel luxury pick, with pools and quiet hill calm above the centre.
Grand Hotel Savoia
Belle Epoque five star opposite Principe station with a rooftop terrace over the old town.
Hotel Bristol Palace
Best located grand hotel in a Liberty palace, two minutes to De Ferrari and Palazzo Ducale.
Palazzo Durazzo Suites
Suite style luxury in a Rolli palace by the port, for sleeping inside the UNESCO story.
NH Collection Genova Marina
Family harbour view workhorse built into the Old Port marina, steps to the Aquarium.
Hotel Astoria
Review score outlier praised for cleanliness and a perfect exploring location near transport.
Best Western Hotel Moderno Verdi
Reliable chain mid range literally at Brignole station, extremely practical for rail day trips.
Starhotels President
Reliable chain mid range at Brignole station, forum recommended for rail based touring.
Is Genoa expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €70 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €140 a person |
| Splurge | €300 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Palazzi dei Rolli: a few days ahead
- Musei di Strada Nuova: a few days ahead
- Acquario di Genova: a few days ahead
- Pesto-making lesson in a Rolli Palace: weeks ahead
- Camogli to San Fruttuoso hike: a few days ahead
- Whale watching in the Pelagos Sanctuary: a few days ahead
- Sea kayak from Nervi: a few days ahead
- Cinque Terre day trip: a few days ahead
- Book Aquarium timed entry, Il Marin, Zeffirino, Le Rune and Rosmarino, Rolli Days tickets, whale watch in summer and Rapallo golf.
Is Genoa safe?
- Pickpocketing at the Aquarium, cathedral, stations and crowded transit: bag in front and phone off port cafe tables.
- Use lit main routes at night and reroute if a lane feels uncomfortable. Emergency number 112.
Genoa travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Spending your only day in Cinque Terre queues when Camogli and San Fruttuoso are closer and calmer.
- The Bigo and Biosfera as standalone paid sights, Columbus House as a headline, and the hop-on hop-off bus for the old town.
- Eating on the Porto Antico front line by default instead of walking one lane inland.
Getting around Genoa: public transport and more
- Walk plus vertical transit is the system: metro, funiculars, lifts and local trains on integrated tickets.
- Validate or tap every time, inspectors and fines are real, and download an offline map for the caruggi.
- Use Brignole for De Ferrari hotels and Riviera trains, Principe for arrival and departure, and do not bring a car into the centre.
Who Genoa suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Genoa your trip
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