When a friend of mine, who grew up and lives in Genoa, invited me for a weekend I immediately accepted, I had never been to Genoa before and it really seemed a good idea to visit this city with a local.
I was curious to discover what Genoa had to offer and wanted to see as much as possible during my visit. I am sure that whether you are a foodie, history lover, urban explorer or traveling with your family this itinerary will without any doubt satisfy your curiosity and that you will enjoy Genoa as I did.
Let me start by giving you basic information on this beautiful city, Genoa has loads of things to do and see and if you only have one day to visit, you will need a good walking itinerary including the most interesting places.
As my friend Martina says “Genoa isn’t Florence, Venice or Rome, but Genoa is able to reveal countless works of art and secrets. You will be able to admire paintings by Rubens, small churches which are true treasure troves (including the Holy Grail!), dark and narrow alleys that will bring you back in time.
My friend Martina, was born and raised in Genoa, I am therefore sure that this itinerary will make you fall in love with Genoa.
Useful tips to visit Genoa in one day
One of the main attractions in Genoa is the Aquarium, entry tickets should be purchased online, this because as indicated on their website: for safety reasons, the number of admissions is limited, only online purchase guarantee admission to the facility; advance online ticket purchase is strongly recommended!!!
Genoa’s Aquarium offers various activities and promotions that you can find on their Official website by clicking here
If you are interested in the AQUARIUM +WHALE WAYCHING TOUR it can be purchased here
If you decide to arrive in Genoa by train, you should get off at the Brignole or Principe Station. If the first place you want to visit will be the Aquarium then you should get off at the Principe Station as it is just a short walk to get there, while Brignole Station is closer to Via XX Settembre.
If you arrive by car the best exit to visit Genoa or to get to the Ferry or Cruise Terminal is Genoa West (Genova Ovest). There are quite a few parkings nearby the Aquarium and the Old Port Area.
If, you arrive by plane at the Cristoforo Colombo airport, remember that it is located in Sestri Ponente and is not very close to the city center. You will need to take the Volabus or book a private transfer.
If like me and my friend Martina you want to explore Genoa by foot you will not need public transport, but if walking is not your thing then Genoa has an excellent public transport system. Keep in mind that traffic in Genoa is crazy, don’t even think of going around with your car!!
If walking is a problem for you, remember that the caruggi go uphill and downhill. A good option could be the HOP-ON HOP-OFF sightseeing bus, the only one in the city, that will allow you to hop on and off at each of the 11 stops during the validity of your ticket. On the bus you will find an attendant who will be at your complete disposal to help you throughout your journey.
Tickets for the Hop-on Hop-off bus can be purchased here.
If you want to reach the higher parts of Genoa in a much easier way, you can use the elevators or the funiculars, avoiding a lot of uphill walking.
Should you want help during your visit then you could book one of the many guided tours. These are a few of the best ones to visit Genoa:
- Genoa: 2-hours guided walking tour of the historical center;
- Genoa: guided of the Rolli Palaces UNESCO site;
- Genoa: Segway tour
Here is our one day itinerary
We started our walking tour at the Genova Principe Train Station, being a loop tour it will allow you to see most of the attractions located in the city center and arrive once again at the Genova Principe Train Station.
Via di Prè and the Commenda
Our first stop is Via di Prè, one of the city’s most iconic caruggi.
This zone was once considered dangerous and unapproachable, things have now changed and especially during the day you can walk around without any risk; however, as in any big city, you should always keep your eyes open and be careful with your bags and wallet.
The first building we see is the Commenda di San Giovanni di Prè, a complex consisting of two Romanic churches, an old convent and a hospital. This building used to be a ferry terminal for the sea routes to the Holy Land as well as a hospital for pilgrims (and at a later stage also for the city’s poor).
Since May 2022, the Commenda di San Giovanni di Pré, hosts the MEI, National Museum of Italian Emigration, a completely multimedia museum dedicated to the story of Italian migrations towards the world. The museum consists of 16 rooms, 70 multimedia stations, 65 monitors, 25 laser projectors, over 200 stories of emigration and 1,300 archive images.
As we continue our walk among ethnic shops and restaurants, we stop and take a look at the small square of the Truogoli di Santa Brigida, one of the last surviving public washhouses in the city.
At the end of Via di Prè, we crossed the street and entered Via del Campo passing through Porta dei Vacca, which was the ancient city gate.
As soon as we got there we where surrounded by the atmosphere that De André (a famous Ligurian songwriter) described in his songs, being in Piazza del Campo we take the time to visit the La casa dei cantautori genovesi, a small museum dedicated to Ligurian songwriters. From here we reached Piazza Caricamento which faces Porto antico and the Aquarium.
The Old Port and the Aquarium
Right behind Piazza Caricamento you will see Sottoripa an arcaded pedestrian street that used to host the cargo storage warehouses at the port.
The warehouses do not exist anymore they have been replaced by bars, fishmongers and typical Genoese fry shops where, believe me, you will be able to enjoy the best fried fish.
Palazzo San Giorgio built between 1257 and 1260 stands right in the center of the square, formerly the seat of customs and then of the Banco di San Giorgio. Nowadays it hosts the headquarters of the Port Authority of Genoa (Autorità di Sistema Portuale del Mar Ligure Occidentale).
The building is located in the docks area and is formed by two different parts: the old one, a typical example of medieval architecture, the front facade is pointed towards the Sottoripa arcaded pedestrian street, and the Renaissance part faces south.
Opposite what is one of the city’s iconic buildings is the Old Port area, completely renovated and modernized in the 1990s as by a project by Renzo Piano.
This is one of the most touristic areas of the city and where you will find the famous Aquarium of Genoa.
Visiting the Aquarium can take quite a long time, but unless you want to read and linger for hours in front of each tank, you should be able to see it in about 2 to 3 hours.
Having only one day I decided to not visit it this time, but if you want to visit it, you can buy the tickets in advance from the Official web site so that you do not wast time queuing up.
IF YOU CLICK HERE YOU WILL FIND MANY COMBINATIONS OF TICKETS
Walking really got me hungry therefore Martina and I decided it was time for a lunch break and obviously had to be traditional food!!!
There are plenty of trattorias and restaurants where you can eat well and try traditional food, obviously you can eat meat but a lot of the Ligurian cuisine focuses on bread, vegetables, pasta and fish. A must eat in Genoa are: trofie with pesto (which I love), pansoti with walnut sauce, the famous focaccia, and last but not least the farinata (its like a giant pancake but made with chickpea flour, water, olive oil and salt, pressed into a big copper pan and cooked in the oven, believe me it is just delicious!!!
I would of loved going to the MOG Mercato Orientale Genoa, which has ben recently transformed into a multi-purpose food and tourism facility but it was too far. The MOG is really worth a visit if you want to enjoy traditional Genovese cuisine. MOG is open seven days a week from 10 am to midnight.
The Caruggi
After our lunch break we strolled around the Old Port and wandered through the Caruggi. Do you know what the word “caruggi” means!!! Well Caruggi in Genoese dialect means the particular narrow streets, alleys or covered walkways which are typical of the Ligurian Historic centers.
We reached the amazing Piazza Banchi and the famous Loggia della Mercanzia, the origins of this building date back to the Middle Ages and was the seat of the grain market and later of the currency exchange banks.
I suggest that you take your time and wander aimlessly among stores, boutiques and cafes. Look around and don’t forget to look up: as in the nearby caruggi, you will be able to admire richly decorated facades hidden by the hanging laundry, which let you immagine the splendor of the past. The houses in the caruggi might seem “poor” to you, but don’t get duped as many have huge patios, marble staircases, a feast for the eyes!!!
I also recommend you see Piazza delle Vigne and its beautiful church, Piazza Campetto, Via di Soziglia and its historical shops as well as the Church of San Matteo and it’s little square.
Cattedrale di San Lorenzo
The Cathedral of San Lorenzo, with its typical black-and-white striped facade, is the most important in Genoa, it was erected in 1098 and hosts the urn with the ashes of St. John the Baptist.
The outside is beautiful but you should take your time and go inside as you will be able to admire frescoes by Luca Cambiaso and Lazzaro Tavarone.
If you enter the cathedral, in the right aisle, you will see a bomb: it is a British grenade that hit the church during a bombardment in 1941. The bomb destroyed the roof of the building but did not explode. Today it stands there as a reminder of the horrors of World War II.
For a complete visit of the Cathedral you should consider buying a ticket for the Treasury Museum: this is where the Sacred Basin is kept, a relic that some legends say to be the Holy Graal.
At this point before taking a decision on how much time you want to spend in the Cathedral, you should consider how much time you still have available.
Piazza Matteotti and Palazzo Ducale
After visiting the Cathedral, we continued on Via San Lorenzo and reached Piazza Matteotti.
Here you will see two very important buildings: the Chiesa del Gesù and the Palazzo Ducale.
The Chiesa del Gesù is without any doubt one of the most beautiful churches of the city: you should go inside where you will be able to admire artworks of Rubens and Domenico Piola.
The Palazzo Ducale is one of the most important historical buildings of the Ligurian Capital. In 1339 it became the seat of the doge – hence the name Palazzo Ducale or Doge’s Palace, nowadays it is one of the most important museum of the city.
Piazza De Ferrari and Via XX Settembre
Leaving Palazzo Ducale, we arrived in Piazza De Ferrari, the favorite meeting place of the Genoese.
This square is famous for the huge central fountain built in 1936.
Here you will see the Carlo Felice Theater, the opera house, the Linguistic Academy of fine Arts, the Stock Exchange building and the Palace of the Region.
From here start some of the most important streets of Genoa as Via XXV Aprile, Via Roma (luxury shopping street), Via Dante and Via XX Settembre.
If you want to take a walk and window shop I suggest you do it in Via XX Settembre: the most popular shopping street in the Ligurian capital.
On this street you will find the most popular market place the Mercato Orientale di Genova (MOG). Once a traditional market and now transformed into a multi-purpose food and tourism facility. On the ground floor you will find fruits and vegetable stands, the second floor hosts the a dinning hall, and is certainly worth a visit as you will find Ligurian wine, craft beer and obviously traditional Genovese cuisine. It is open seven days a week from 10 am to midnight.
The elevator for Spianata Castelletto
At this point we returned in Piazza De Ferrari, where we took Via XXV Aprile and continued towards Piazza Fontane Marose and reached Piazza Portello. Here you will be able to take an elevator to reach the higher part of the city and Spianata Castelletto.
This is the best spot for breathtaking views of the city, slate roofs, the Old Port, the Lantern in the distance, the parks, villas and also the churches and sanctuaries, Genoa will be at your feet.
Via Garibaldi and the Palazzi dei Rolli
You cannot immagine how many photos I have taken of this incredible view, obviously all has an end and had to return in Piazza Portello using once again the elegant Liberty style elevator.
We took Via Garibaldi, which is one of the most beautiful streets of Genoa and where you will see the most important historical buildings of the city.
Palazzi dei Rolli are the historic aristocratic residences that during the Republic era could host important persons visiting Genoa (officials, princes, bishops, emperors and popes). The choice of the Palace depended of the guest’s rank, the higher the rank the more the palace was sumptuous and the hosting family rich!!!
These palaces as well as Via Garibaldi (also known as Strada Nuova), which are part of the Unesco World Heritage Site. The UNESCO sites includes 42 Palazzi dei Rolli, among the 100 existing, on Via Garibaldi you can see Palazzo Tursi, Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Rosso, which constitute the Strada Nuova Museums, one of the most interesting museum in Genoa.
Unfortunately we did not have time to visit them on this occasion but will certainly do it next time. A good idea would be to book a guided tour.
Here you can book the guided tour of Rolli Palaces Unesco Site
Via Balbi and Palazzo Reale
From Via Garibaldi we reached Piazza della Nunziata to visit the Basilica of Santissima Annunziata del Vastato. This church is incredible and is a treasure chest rich in art: here you can admire masterpieces by Luca Cambiaso, Domenico Piola, Guercino and Bernardo Strozzi.
From here we took Via Balbi, home to the University of Genoa and also beautiful historic buildings, including the Royal Palace.
The building dates back to 1643 and was commissioned by the Balbi family, wealthy merchants of the Republic of Genoa. The property, over the centuries, passed first to the Durazzo family and then to the Savoys, who used the palace as an official royal residence. Today it houses an interesting museum where you can admire original furnishings as well as a rich collection of paintings.
We continued our walk on Via Balbi and at the end of the street we where back in front of the Genoa Piazza Principe Station. Well my day ended where it started and hope that if you try this itinerary of one day in Genoa you will be able to appreciate this city as I did.
Other things to do and see in Genoa
The itinerary I have herewith suggested is in my opinion the best that you could do in one day. However, there are other things to do and see in Genoa and that are worth visiting.
1 – Porta Soprana and the Columbus’s House
From Piazza De Ferrari which is just a few steps away from Piazza Dante, if you look up you will see at the end of a short climb Porta Soprana, the access gate to the medieval city from the east built between 1155 and 1158. The gate had been built to defend the city from an attack (which did not happen) by the troops of Federico Barbarossa. This is why the walls which constitute the main passage are called “del Barbarossa”.
If you continue in this direction you will see on the right the so-called Columbus’s House, where according to written sources, the famous Genoese navigator lived as a child, between the age of 4 to 9. You can visit the inside of the house and even if small is a great memorial dedicated to history’s most important explorer.
Immediately after, the Columbus’s House you will see the medieval cloister of the monastic Church of Sant’Andrea, the only remaining evidence of the medieval church and convent that were here and were demolished.
Whale watching
Did you know that you are able to see whales and dolphins in the mediterranean!!! The Pelagos Sanctuary established in 1993 by an agreement between Italy, France and Monaco, has the highest population of cetaceans in the entire Mediterranean Sea.
Whale watching (observing whales and dolphins in their natural environment) is a unique and incredible experience that will amaze the whole family.
A boat trip to watch whales, zifi, dolphins and sea turtles is without any doubt one of the best things to do while in Genoa.
The tours leave from the Old Port, where you can choose the one that best suits your needs and usually last 4 hours, fantastic sunset tours are also available.
FIND THE WHALE WATCHING TOUR HERE
Galata Maritime Museum and Submarine
You and your family will be surprised on what you can do and see at the Old Port.
One of them is the Galata Maritime Museum which is the largest museum dedicated to the sea in the entire Mediterranean area and with very high standards of modernity.
The 5 exhibition floors narrate the story of Genoa’s Maritime Republic and Christopher Columbus, you will see equipments and arsenals, they also tell of distant places and overseas.
In front of the Galata Maritime Museum, on the stretch of water facing it, there is another museum that I suggest you visit. This time it is a floating exhibition area: the Nazario Sauro submarine, in fact is a fascinating extension of the Galata Museum.
Visit the Lighthouse of Genoa
Another interesting thing to do while you are in Genoa is visit the Lighthouse (in italian Lanterna), it is the main lighthouse and symbol of the city.
This big lighthouse, about 77 meters high, is the world’s fifth tallest lighthouse and second tallest “traditional” one. The lighthouse stands on a small hill facing the sea and dominates the Genoese harbor since 1128!
Next to the Lighthouse there is also a small multimedia museum where you can trace the history of the lighthouse and the port of Genoa.
If you want to enjoy a breathtaking view of the city called “Superba” by the poet Petrarca, you must “climb” up to the top of the Lighthouse.
Boccadasse and Corso Italia
Corso Italia is Genoa’s Promenade, and a beautiful place to take a stroll up to the quaint village of Boccadasse, a former fishing village and now one of the most beautiful areas of the city.
While walking down Corso Italia you will see people jogging, families with children on roller sakes, Genovese on bicycles and children flying kites on windy days.
Corso Italia is where most of the Genoa’s beach facilities are located.
The view from Righi
If you want to enjoy the most beautiful view of all of Genoa, you should go to Righi.
How to get there:
- by funicular Zecca – Righi: once you get to the top you will never forget the breathtaking view
- by foot, walking uphill along the “creuze” typical mule tracks
- by car
- by bus
Righi is one of the most popular places for the Genovese especially on weekends to enjoy the greenery and fresh air. Many hiking trails also start from here.
Nervi and Anita Garibaldi Promenade
Another gem of the Genoese is without any doubt the Anita Garibaldi’s Promenade, better known as the Nervi Promenade.
About two kilometers of walk overlooking the sea, towering over the characteristic Genoese cliffs will make you relax and give you an overall impression of eastern part of the city.
From the Nervi Promenade, you will also be able to catch a glimpse of the Portofino mountain to the east and to the west the beautiful harbor of the Nervi district.
D’Albertis Castle
Perched above the city of Genoa there is a neo-Gothic castle that was once owned by an eclectic man named Captain Enrico Alberto d’Albertis.
He was a traveler and collector who crossed the world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, bringing back all sorts of unusual objects.
The castle is open to visitors as a museum of world cultures, with some of the city’s most beautiful views, all within distance of the Montegalletto facilities.
Where to eat in Genoa
If you want to try real Genoese food, let me give you the name of 3 trattorias where you will be able to enjoy delicious food.
Antica Osteria di Vico Palla (Vico Palla, 15 r – at Porto Antico): when Genoese want to eat tradition food, Antica Osteria del Vico Palla is one of their favorite destinations. Here you will find typical dishes of the region as: anchovy bagnum, cod fritters, pansoti with walnut sauce, mandilli with pesto and stockfish.
Trattoria dell’Acciughetta (Piazza Sant-Elena): you are looking for a place with good value for money!!! Then this trattoria is the place for you. The atmosphere here will bring you back in the history of this city. Here you can enjoy codfish, frisceu, fritto misto, trofie al pesto and many other fantastic dishes.
Locanda Pesciolino (Vico Domoculta, 14): if you love fish well this is the place for you.
Where to stay in Genoa
Genoa is a small city and fairly easy to get from one side to the other. Traffic may be a problem and sometimes public transportation is jammed despite the express lanes, and getting around by car is quite difficult.
All or most of the downtown area is blue zone and parking spaces are metered therefore if you arrive by car and decide to sleep in this area, you should check that the hotel has parking facilities for their guests.
The best place to stay in Genoa if you do not have a car, is the downtown area between the Caruggi, the Old Port and Via XX Settembre or find a hotel that has a parking.
Here are a few hotels that I would reccomend:
Hotel Palazzo Durazzo Suites : this 5 * hotel is located in the center of Genoa, 400 meters from the Genoa University and in front of the Old Port. Popular points of interest near the hotel: Gallery of the White Palace, Palazzo Rosso and Palazzo Doria Tursi. Rooms all have WI-FI, AC, coffee machine, minibar, safety box, breakfast is available daily and includes buffet, continental and Italian options. Parking is available
Grand Hotel Savoia : this 5* hotel is opposite Piazza Principe Train Station, just a few steps from the Genoa Aquarium. Rooms and suites have free WI-FI access, there is a fitness area and small wellness center called La Spiaggia Segreta, with sauna, large hot tub and aromatherapy showers. Salgari Restaurant offers Italian cuisine and Ligurian specialities. Private parking available.
NH Collection Genova Marina: this 4* hotel is perfect if you are arriving in Genoa via cruise ship, it’s only a 10 minute walk into the old city and 5 minute walk if you want to catch a ferry to Portofino. This hotel also has Private Parking
