Genoa: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
In the 16th century Genoa was the bank of the Spanish crown, and its merchant families spent the money on palaces. Since the republic had no royal court, the state kept official lists, the Rolli, of private palaces that had to host visiting kings and ambassadors. This walk goes through the best of them, from the Strada Nuova to the doges' palace and the cathedral. About three hours on foot, with steep alleys in between; the palace museums close on Mondays.
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A short history of Genoa
The Ligurians were already living on this bay in the 6th century BC; in 209 BC the Carthaginians destroyed the town and the Romans rebuilt it. Great Genoa was born in the Middle Ages: its ships took part in the capture of Jerusalem in 1099, and its republic founded colonies from the Black Sea to North Africa. In 1284 it defeated Pisa at the Battle of Meloria, and it fought Venice for a hundred years. In 1407 the Bank of Saint George, one of the first banks in Europe, was founded here, and in 1451 Christopher Columbus was born in the city. The republic fell to Napoleon in 1797, and in 1815 it was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia. In 1860 Garibaldi set out from here with the Thousand, the volunteers who unified Italy.
The ten best sights in Genoa
1Palazzo DucaleThe doges' palace now hosts the big exhibitions; the courtyards are free to walk through
2San Lorenzo CathedralBlack-and-white striped marble outside; inside, look for the unexploded shell
3Palazzo RossoOne ticket covers it with Palazzo Bianco and Tursi; take the lift to the roof terrace
4Palazzo TursiToday the city hall; Paganini's own violin is kept upstairs
5Via GaribaldiThe Strada Nuova of the Rolli palaces, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006; look into the open courtyards
6Palazzo RealeGo for the Hall of Mirrors and the garden terrace over the port
7Teatro Carlo FeliceThe opera house on Piazza De Ferrari; check what is on that night
8Galata Museo del MareClimb aboard a full-size Genoese galley; plan two hours
9Columbus HouseA small rebuilt house by the old gate; ten minutes is enough
10Staglieno CemeteryA whole hillside of marble sculpture; take the bus, it is out of the centre
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Genoa →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Genoa:
Free walking tours in Genoa
Palaces of the Rolli
In the 16th century Genoa was the bank of the Spanish crown, and its merchant families spent the money on palaces. Since the republic had no royal court, the state kept official lists, the Rolli, of private palaces that had to host visiting kings and ambassadors. This walk goes through the best of them, from the Strada Nuova to the doges' palace and the cathedral. About three hours on foot, with steep alleys in between; the palace museums close on Mondays.
- Palazzo Rosso · The palace was built for the Brignole-Sale family, and in 1874 Maria Brignole-Sale, Duchess of Galliera, gave it to the city together with its paintings. Its rooms still hang the family's portraits by Van Dyck.
- Palazzo Tursi · Niccolò Paganini, born in Genoa in 1782, left his favourite violin, a Guarneri he called Il Cannone, to his home city. It is kept here and is still taken out and played on special occasions.
- Palazzo Reale · The palace was built for the Balbi family in the 17th century, enlarged by the Durazzo family, and bought in 1824 by the House of Savoy, who made it their royal residence in Genoa.
- Spianata Castelletto · The Art Nouveau public lift that climbs here opened in 1909. The poet Giorgio Caproni wrote that when he went to paradise he would go up in the Castelletto lift, and the line is now on a plaque at the top.
- Palazzo Ducale · From 1528 the doges of Genoa were elected for two years only, a rule meant to stop any family from taking over the republic. They lived and ruled here during that term.
- San Lorenzo Cathedral · On 9 February 1941 a British naval shell broke through the roof and landed inside without exploding. It is still on display in the right aisle.
Genoa and the sea
Genoa grew as a port before it was anything else, and its fleet once ruled trade from the Black Sea to Flanders. This route follows the waterfront from the lighthouse past the old harbour that Renzo Piano, a Genoese, rebuilt for the 1992 Columbus celebrations. It ends in a fishing cove the city swallowed but never changed. Good for the afternoon before boarding; the old port is flat and pedestrian.
- Lanterna · The present tower was rebuilt in 1543 and rises about 77 metres, making it one of the tallest and oldest working lighthouses in the world. It is the symbol of the city.
- Galata Museo del Mare · Besides the galley, a whole floor tells the story of Italian emigration by sea, when millions left from this port for the Americas. Outside on the water you can go inside the submarine Nazario Sauro.
- Genoa Aquarium · Renzo Piano designed the aquarium for Expo 1992, held to mark 500 years since Columbus reached America. It stands on an old pier of the port.
- Bigo · Piano shaped the white structure after the cargo cranes, called bighi, that once worked this harbour. Its arms hold the sails of a tent over the square and a cabin that turns as it rises.
- Columbus House · The house is an 18th-century rebuild on the site where Columbus's father, a wool weaver, is believed to have lived. It stands just outside Porta Soprana, the 12th-century gate of the city walls.
- Boccadasse · The cove was a fishing village outside the walls until the city grew around it. Its boats are still pulled up on the pebbles in front of the coloured houses.
The Riviera di Levante
East of Genoa the mountains drop straight into the sea, and the coast road winds through a string of small harbours. This drive goes as far as Rapallo, about 30 km, past the headland of Portofino, which is a protected nature park. The road is narrow and busy in summer; the train stops in most of these towns and is often quicker. A boat from Camogli is the only easy way to San Fruttuoso.
- Nervi Promenade · The Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi runs about two kilometres along the rocks of Nervi. It is named after Anita Garibaldi, the Brazilian-born wife of Giuseppe Garibaldi, who fought beside him.
- Recco · Recco is the home of focaccia col formaggio, two thin sheets of dough with soft cheese between them. Since 2015 it has had EU protected status, and only the towns around here may sell it under that name.
- Camogli · Every May the town holds a fish festival where the catch is fried in a giant pan on the harbour and handed out free. The tall painted houses were said to help sailors spot home from the sea.
- San Fruttuoso Abbey · The abbey sits in a cove with no road. In the water off it stands the Christ of the Abyss, a bronze statue placed on the seabed in 1954, which divers and snorkellers visit.
- Castello Brown · The fort over Portofino harbour was bought in 1867 by Montague Yeats-Brown, the British consul in Genoa, and turned into a home. His name has stayed on it since.
- Rapallo · Two treaties carry the town's name: in 1920 Italy and Yugoslavia agreed their border here, and in 1922 Germany and Soviet Russia signed their own Treaty of Rapallo.
Getting to Genoa and getting around
- Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport · On a strip of reclaimed land by the sea, about 20 minutes from the centre
- Genova Piazza Principe Station · The station for trains along the Riviera, a short walk above the cruise terminal
- Stazione Marittima Cruise Terminal · Cruise departure port at Ponte dei Mille. From Piazza De Ferrari take the metro three stops to Principe, then walk down about 5 minutes; a taxi takes 10 minutes. Arriving by car, follow the signs to the terminal car park and drop bags first
Cheap eats in Genoa
Genoa eats with its hands. The city's focaccia is thin, oily and salty, and locals dip it in their morning cappuccino. Farinata, a flat chickpea pancake, comes out of wood ovens in wide copper pans, and pesto was born here, made with small-leaf basil grown on the hills above the port. A good slice and a coffee rarely cost more than a few euros.
- Antico Forno della Casana · Focaccia straight from the tray in the old town, about €2-4 a piece
- Panificio Mario · Focaccia and farinata near Brignole, about €2-4
- Antica Sciamadda · Chickpea farinata and vegetable pies by the slice, about €3-6
- Sa Pesta · Farinata and torte from a wood oven, about €3-7
- Antica Friggitoria Carega · Fried fish and vegetables in a paper cone under Sottoripa, about €4-8
Museums in Genoa
- Galata Museo del Mare · The biggest maritime museum in the Mediterranean; galley, emigration hall and a submarine
- Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art · Japanese armour, prints and Buddhas in a park above Piazza Corvetto
- Palazzo Rosso · Van Dyck portraits in a furnished palace
- Palazzo Bianco · Italian and Flemish painting across the street from Palazzo Rosso
- Sant'Agostino Museum · Medieval sculpture in a cloister, quiet and rarely crowded
Nature and day trips near Genoa
- Forte Sperone and the Walls Park · The 17th-century walls run along the ridge above the city; walk them from Righi
- Zecca-Righi Funicular · A public funicular from the centre to the hill park at Righi
- Nervi Parks · Villa gardens joined into one park by the sea, with rose beds in May
- Villetta Di Negro · A terraced park with a small waterfall in the middle of the city
- Boccadasse · Pebble beach and rocks for a swim close to the centre
Things to do in Genoa with kids
- Genoa Aquarium · Dolphins, sharks and a ship of tanks; half a day for families
- Biosfera · A glass bubble on the water holding a small tropical forest
- Galeone Neptune · A pirate ship to climb aboard in the old port
- Città dei Bambini · Hands-on science for small children in the old port warehouses
- Bigo · The turning lift is a short ride children like
Where to eat in Genoa
- Trattoria da Maria · A cheap and crowded lunch trattoria; the menu changes daily, mains about €8-12
- Antica Osteria di Vico Palla · Ligurian fish by the old port, mains about €14-22
- Trattoria Rosmarino · Modern Ligurian cooking near Piazza De Ferrari, mains about €14-20
- Il Genovese · Pesto made to order in a mortar, pasta about €12-16
Frequently asked questions about Genoa
What is there to see in Genoa?
The top sights in Genoa are Palazzo Ducale, San Lorenzo Cathedral and Palazzo Rosso. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Genoa?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Genoa without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Genoa?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Genoa, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Palaces of the Rolli.
How do you get to Genoa and get around?
The main ways are Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport, Genova Piazza Principe Station and Stazione Marittima Cruise Terminal. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Genoa, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Genoa that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Genoa for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.