Top Things to Do in Genoa — Complete Guide 2026
Published June 13, 2026 · 10 min read
Genoa is a city that rewards curiosity. Its treasures are not lined up in a neat row like Florence's — they hide down alleyways too narrow for cars, behind unmarked doors, up creaky staircases in 16th-century palaces. The reward for exploring is immense: frescoed ballrooms that rival the Vatican, Europe's largest medieval centre, Italy's biggest aquarium, and a food culture that gave the world pesto. This guide covers 25 of the best things to do in Genoa, from the headline attractions to the local secrets that most tourists miss.
1. Get Lost in the Caruggi
The caruggi — Genoa's medieval alleyways — are the soul of the city. Over 200 narrow lanes, some barely two metres wide, weave through the Centro Storico between Piazza de Ferrari and the old port. There is no right route — the point is to wander. Look up constantly: washing lines strung between buildings, trompe-l'œil façades, tiny shrines to the Madonna tucked into alcoves. Start at Porta Soprana (the 12th-century city gate near the supposed Columbus house), head downhill through the Maddalena district, and let the alleys carry you toward the sea. You will emerge at improbable piazzas, stumble upon artisan chocolate shops, and discover the extraordinary density of Genoese life. Allow at least two hours — three if you stop for focaccia and a caffè in vetro along the way.
2. Walk the Palazzi dei Rolli on Via Garibaldi
Via Garibaldi (formerly Strada Nuova) is one of the most beautiful streets in Europe. Sixteen palaces line the straight, broad avenue — a deliberate urban statement built in the 1550s by Genoa's wealthiest families. Three are now museums collectively known as the Musei di Strada Nuova: Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco, and Palazzo Tursi. Palazzo Rosso alone contains works by Van Dyck, Veronese, and Guercino, while Palazzo Bianco holds Caravaggio's Ecce Homo. The combined ticket (€9, or free on Rolli Days) grants access to all three plus the panoramic rooftop terrace of Palazzo Rosso. The 42 Palazzi dei Rolli across the city centre were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006, and during Rolli Days (usually one weekend in May and one in October), many private palaces fling open their doors for free.
3. Explore the Aquarium of Genoa
The Acquario di Genova is Italy's largest aquarium and the second-largest in Europe. Built in the Porto Antico for the 1992 Genoa Expo (the Columbus quincentenary), it houses over 12,000 animals across 70 exhibition tanks. The dolphin pavilion, the shark tank, the manatee lagoon, and the jellyfish gallery are the highlights, but the biodiversity pavilion with its tropical rainforest microclimate is equally impressive. Budget 2–3 hours. The aquarium is extremely popular — book a timed-entry ticket online (€29 adult, €19 child) to avoid the longest queues. An early-morning or late-afternoon slot means fewer crowds.
4. Take in the View from Spianata Castelletto
Spianata Castelletto is Genoa's quintessential viewpoint — a broad terrace perched above the old town where the entire city unfolds like a postcard: terracotta roofs cascading down to the port, the Lanterna lighthouse on its promontory, the Alps shimmering in the distance on clear days, and the endless blue of the Ligurian Sea. Reach it via the Art Nouveau Ascensore Castelletto lift from Piazza Portello (€1.50, included in the AMT transport pass), which itself is a belle époque gem dating from 1909. Sunset is magical, but any time of day works. There is a small bar for an aperitivo with a view.
5. Visit the Cathedral of San Lorenzo
Genoa's duomo is a striking black-and-white striped confection — Romanesque at its core (consecrated 1118), with a Gothic façade and a Renaissance dome. The treasury museum (€6) holds the Sacro Catino, a green glass dish long believed to be the Holy Grail, brought back from the Crusades. The cathedral also houses an unexploded British naval shell from 1941, displayed in the right aisle as a testament to survival. The lions flanking the entrance steps are beloved Genoese icons. Entry to the cathedral itself is free.
6. Ride the Zecca–Righi Funicular
This historic funicular has been climbing from Largo Zecca to the Righi hilltop since 1895. The ride itself (€1.50, included in AMT pass) takes 12 minutes and delivers you to 300 metres above sea level with a panoramic terrace offering 360° views. From Righi, a network of footpaths leads into the Parco delle Mura — the park that follows Genoa's 17th-century defensive walls. One trail links to Forte Sperone (30 minutes), the highest point of the fortification system, with sweeping views across both the city and the Apennine valleys behind it. The area is popular with Genoese walkers and joggers on weekends.
7. Discover the Porto Antico
Renzo Piano's 1992 redesign of Genoa's derelict old port is a masterclass in urban regeneration. The Porto Antico now houses the Aquarium, the Biosphere (a glass sphere by Piano containing a tropical ecosystem), the Bigo panoramic lift (a reconstruction of a cargo-ship crane offering 40-metre-high views), and the Galata Museo del Mare. The waterfront promenade stretches past the Magazzini del Cotone, a converted cotton warehouse now hosting exhibitions and events, toward the 16th-century Porta Siberia gate. Il Galeone Neptune, a full-scale replica of a 17th-century Spanish galleon built for Roman Polanski's film Pirates, is permanently moored here and open for tours (€6).
8. Walk the Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi in Nervi
The two-kilometre cliffside promenade in Nervi, Genoa's most elegant residential district, is arguably the most beautiful urban walk in Italy. Perched above the sea with the waves crashing against the rocks below, the path passes the Parchi di Nervi — four connected historic villa gardens with rose collections, palm groves, and exotic plantings. The promenade was named after Anita Garibaldi, the Brazilian-born wife of Italian unification hero Giuseppe Garibaldi. It's most magical at sunset when the light turns golden and the silhouette of Portofino appears across the Golfo Paradiso. Allow 1.5 hours to walk the promenade and explore the parks. Reach Nervi by train from Genova Brignole (15 minutes, frequent) or by bus 15.
9. Explore Boccadasse
Boccadasse is the village that time forgot — a cluster of pastel-coloured houses huddled around a tiny pebble beach, still technically within Genoa's city limits but atmospherically a world apart. Once a separate fishing hamlet, it was absorbed by the expanding city in the 19th century but retained its character: wooden fishing boats pulled up on the shore, nets drying in the sun, gelaterie serving the same recipes for decades. The Corso Italia promenade connects Boccadasse to the Foce district (a 3 km walk), or take bus 42 from Brignole station. Come for sunset gelato at Gelateria Amedeo (a Genoese institution since 1958) and stay for seafood at Trattoria Osvaldo with tables overlooking the beach.
10. Visit the Galata Museo del Mare
The largest maritime museum in the Mediterranean occupies a converted 17th-century dockyard building near the Porto Antico. Its highlight is a full-scale reconstruction of a 17th-century Genoese galley — you can walk the decks, peer into the rowing benches, and grasp the brutal reality of galley life. The museum also covers Genoa's role in transatlantic migration (over 3 million Italians departed from Genoa for the Americas between 1861 and 1914), with a moving interactive exhibition on the immigrant experience. Budget 2 hours. The rooftop terrace has a café with views over the port.
11. Climb to Castello d'Albertis
Captain Enrico Alberto d'Albertis, a 19th-century Genoese explorer, built this neo-Gothic fantasy castle on a hilltop in 1892 and filled it with artefacts from his travels across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Today it houses the Museum of World Cultures, but the real draw is the setting: lush terraced gardens, a crenellated tower, and panoramic views that stretch from the port to the mountains. The ascent is steep — take the Ascensore Montegalletto lift from Via Balbi (a combined vertical-and-horizontal lift, an engineering curiosity).
12. Browse the Mercato Orientale
Genoa's covered market, housed in an 1899 iron-and-glass structure, is both a functioning food market and a culinary destination. The ground floor remains a traditional market with butchers, fishmongers, cheesemongers, and produce stalls where Ligurian grandmothers haggle over basil. The upper floor, opened in 2019, is the MOG Mercato Orientale Genova, a gourmet food hall where 20+ artisan vendors serve everything from fresh pesto to craft beer. It's the perfect lunch spot — graze across multiple stalls, sampling farinata, focaccia, fresh pasta, and gelato under one roof. Open daily except Sunday.
Day Trips from Genoa
13. Portofino & Santa Margherita Ligure
Portofino is the poster child of the Italian Riviera — a horseshoe harbour filled with superyachts, pastel buildings, and designer boutiques. It is beautiful but small and can feel crowded. The smarter play is to base yourself in Santa Margherita Ligure (the next town over, a 5-minute train or 30-minute coastal walk from Portofino), explore its charming seafront and castle, then either walk the stunning 5 km coastal path to Portofino or take the frequent bus. In Portofino, climb to Castello Brown for the postcard view and to the lighthouse at Punta del Capo for solitude. Train from Genova Brignole to Santa Margherita: 35 minutes, €4.50.
14. Camogli
Camogli is the unsung hero of the Ligurian coast — a tall, narrow seaside town of painted houses stacked vertically against the hillside, a long pebble beach, and a genuinely lived-in feel that Portofino lacks. The Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta dominates the seafront, and the medieval castle on the promontory offers excellent views. The town is famous for the Sagra del Pesce (Fish Festival) on the second Sunday of May, when an enormous frying pan — allegedly the world's largest — cooks thousands of portions of fresh fish. Train from Genoa: 25 minutes, frequent departures.
15. Cinque Terre
The five jewel-like villages of the Cinque Terre National Park — Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore — are reachable from Genoa in 60–90 minutes by regional train. A Cinque Terre Treno card (€18.20/day in 2026) gives unlimited train travel between the villages and trail access. The coastal path between Monterosso and Vernazza (3.5 km, 90 minutes) is the most dramatic section. Arrive early — the 7:30 AM train from Genova Brignole — and aim to visit three villages in a day. Monterosso (the only one with a proper sandy beach), Vernazza (the most photogenic harbour), and Manarola (the best sunset spot) make an ideal trio.
More Genoa Highlights
16. Palazzo Reale
The Royal Palace on Via Balbi was home to the Savoy dynasty and later the Italian royal family. Its Hall of Mirrors rivals Versailles, the hanging gardens offer port views, and the art collection includes works by Tintoretto, Van Dyck, and Bernardo Strozzi. Entry is €10, and it is rarely crowded.
17. Villa del Principe
The 16th-century palace of Admiral Andrea Doria, Genoa's greatest naval commander, sits just outside the old port area near the cruise terminal. Its frescoed loggias, tapestry rooms, and Italian gardens with a dolphin fountain are spectacular. Andrea Doria himself lived here and entertained Emperor Charles V in the grand salons.
18. Lanterna di Genova
Genoa's lighthouse is the symbol of the city — standing 77 metres tall, it is the second-tallest traditional lighthouse in the world and has guarded the port since 1128 (rebuilt in 1543). You can climb 172 steps for views of the port and the city. The adjacent museum explains Genoa's maritime history. Located near the ferry terminal, a 20-minute walk from the Porto Antico.
19. Cimitero Monumentale di Staglieno
Staglieno is one of Europe's great monumental cemeteries — an open-air sculpture museum on a hillside east of the centre, opened in 1851. Its arcaded galleries and family mausoleums contain some of the finest 19th-century funerary sculpture in existence, including the famous Angel of the Resurrection by Giulio Monteverde. Friedrich Nietzsche and Mark Twain both visited and wrote about it. Reachable by bus 34 from Brignole.
20. Attend an Opera at Teatro Carlo Felice
Genoa's opera house, rebuilt after World War II bombings destroyed the original 1828 theatre, is one of Italy's finest. The season runs from October to June, with a programme spanning Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, and contemporary works. Even if you do not attend a performance, the neoclassical portico on Piazza de Ferrari is worth admiring.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the must-see attractions in Genoa?
- The unmissable sights are: the Palazzi dei Rolli on Via Garibaldi (three museum palaces in one ticket for €9), the Aquarium of Genoa (Italy's largest), the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, the caruggi medieval alleyways, Spianata Castelletto viewpoint via the art-nouveau lift, and the Porto Antico waterfront. Add Boccadasse fishing village, the Nervi seaside promenade, and Castello d'Albertis for a complete 3-day itinerary.
- Is Genoa worth visiting for tourists?
- Absolutely. Genoa has Europe's largest medieval quarter, a spectacular UNESCO-listed collection of Renaissance palaces, Italy's best aquarium, the food culture that created pesto, and dramatically lower prices than Florence, Venice, or Rome. It is consistently rated as Italy's most underrated major city — visitors who give it 3–4 days routinely call it their trip's highlight.
- Can you do a day trip from Genoa to the Cinque Terre?
- Yes, easily. Direct trains from Genova Brignole or Piazza Principe reach the Cinque Terre villages in 60–90 minutes. A Cinque Terre Treno card (€18.20/day) covers unlimited trains and trail access. Leave on the 7:30 AM train and plan to visit three villages — Monterosso, Vernazza, and Manarola are the ideal combination for a single day.