Genoa is Italy's underrated maritime giant — a dense, atmospheric port city with one of Europe's largest medieval centres, a UNESCO set of opulent Renaissance palaces, the country's best aquarium, and the birthright of pesto and focaccia. It's also the gateway to the Italian Riviera: the Cinque Terre and Portofino are short trips away. This is our shortlist of what's worth booking in a city most travellers rush past.
Live availability and prices from GetYourGuide, sorted by what travellers actually rate. The Cinque Terre and Portofino day trips and food tours are the headline bookings.
Genoa has a mild Ligurian coastal climate. Spring and autumn are ideal; summer is warm and humid; the Riviera day trips are best outside the August crush.
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Pre-booked transfer from Genoa Cristoforo Colombo (GOA), ~15 min to the centre. A volabus runs too, but a fixed-price car is simplest with luggage.
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Compare rental providers across Genoa. Free cancellation on most. The coastal trains are the best way to the Cinque Terre and Portofino, but a car helps for the Ligurian back country and the Lakes.
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Two days for the city — the historic centre, the Rolli palaces, the old port and aquarium, and a focaccia-and-pesto food crawl — plus a day or two for the Riviera. Genoa makes an excellent, affordable base for the Cinque Terre and Portofino, so many travellers add days for those day trips.
Yes, and it's underrated — most travellers use it only as a Cinque Terre gateway and miss a fascinating city with one of Europe's largest medieval cores, the UNESCO Rolli palaces, a great aquarium, and a superb, unpretentious food scene. Give the city itself a day or two rather than passing straight through.
Yes — the five villages are about 90 minutes south by train, and Genoa is one of the most convenient and affordable bases for visiting them, as well as Portofino and Santa Margherita closer by. A day trip by train is easy; the regional and Cinque Terre trains connect the villages along the coast.
Genoa is the birthplace of pesto alla genovese (basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic and Ligurian olive oil) and of focaccia, including the cheese-filled focaccia di Recco from nearby. Trofie pasta with pesto, farinata (chickpea pancake) and the local seafood round it out. A food tour is the most rewarding way in.
April to June and September to October — warm, clear and ideal for both the city and the Riviera day trips, without the August crowds that overwhelm the Cinque Terre. Summer is hot, humid and very busy on the coast; winter is mild, quiet and good value for a city break.
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