Genoa packs more history into its narrow medieval center than almost any Italian city its size. The birthplace of Christopher Columbus and once one of Europe’s four great maritime republics, Genoa’s wealth from 500 years of Mediterranean trade built the Rolli Palaces, a UNESCO World Heritage collection of 42 Renaissance and Baroque palaces along Via Garibaldi and Via Balbi. This guide covers Genoa’s essential attractions with hours, prices, and practical tips.
Top Things to Do in Genoa
Aquarium of Genoa (Acquario di Genova)
The Aquarium of Genoa at Ponte Spinola in the Porto Antico is Italy’s largest aquarium and the city’s most visited attraction. The 27,000-square-meter complex holds 70 tanks with 12,000 animals from 600 species, including dolphins, sharks, penguins, and manatees. The highlight is the shark tank viewed from a transparent tunnel. Open daily 09:00-20:00 (until 22:00 in July and August). Tickets cost 29 EUR adults, 19 EUR children 4-12, free under 4. Book online at least a day ahead in high season to skip the ticket queue. The attached Biosphere (Bolla di Renzo Piano), a glass sphere containing a tropical ecosystem, costs an additional 5 EUR. Give yourself 3 hours minimum.
Via Garibaldi and the Rolli Palaces
Via Garibaldi (formerly Strada Nuova), a 250-meter street laid out in the 1550s, holds Genoa’s greatest concentration of Rolli Palaces. Three of them form the Strada Nuova Museums: Palazzo Rosso (number 18), Palazzo Bianco (number 11), and Palazzo Tursi (number 9). Palazzo Rosso holds works by Van Dyck, Veronese, and Guercino in lavishly frescoed rooms. Palazzo Bianco focuses on Genoese and Flemish paintings. Palazzo Tursi displays Niccolo Paganini’s Guarneri violin. Combined ticket: 9 EUR. Open Tuesday through Friday 09:00-19:00, Saturday and Sunday 10:00-19:30. Closed Mondays. The Rolli Days (two weekends in April and October) open additional palaces not normally accessible to the public for free.
Genoa Cathedral (Cattedrale di San Lorenzo)
The Cathedral of San Lorenzo at Piazza San Lorenzo is Genoa’s main church, built between the 12th and 16th centuries in a striking black-and-white striped Romanesque-Gothic style. The cathedral holds the ashes of John the Baptist in a 15th-century silver reliquary and an unexploded British naval shell from 1941 that pierced the roof without detonating, still visible in the right aisle. Entry is free. The Treasury Museum (Museo del Tesoro, 8 EUR) holds medieval goldwork and religious artifacts. Open daily 08:00-12:00 and 15:00-19:00. The black-and-white marble facade is best photographed in morning light.
Porto Antico (Old Port) and the Bigo Panoramic Lift
Boccadasse: Genoa’s Fishing Village
Boccadasse is a former fishing village absorbed into eastern Genoa, 4km from the city center. The pastel-colored houses stacked around a small pebble beach, the tiny Church of Sant’Antonio, and the gelaterias lining the waterfront create Genoa’s most photogenic corner. The beach is small and crowded in summer but the seawater is clean. Reach Boccadasse via bus 31 or 42 from Brignole station (15 minutes) or walk the 3.5km Corso Italia promenade from the Foce district. The walk takes about 40 minutes along the seafront. Best visited at sunset when the western-facing houses glow.
Galata Maritime Museum (Museo del Mare)
The Galata Maritime Museum at Calata De Mari 1 is the Mediterranean’s largest maritime museum, covering Genoa’s 800-year seafaring history across 12,000 square meters. The highlight is a full-scale reconstruction of a 17th-century Genoese galley that you can board. The museum also covers Italian emigration through Ellis Island with immersive exhibits. Open daily 10:00-19:30 (March-October) and Tuesday through Friday 10:00-18:00, Saturday and Sunday 10:00-19:30 (November-February). Tickets: 12 EUR adults, 8 EUR reduced. The panoramic terrace on the top floor has harbor views. Plan 2-3 hours.
Spianata Castelletto Belvedere
The Spianata Castelletto is Genoa’s best viewpoint, a terrace 80 meters above the old city with a panorama stretching from the Lanterna lighthouse to the eastern hills. Reach it via the Art Nouveau Castelletto lift (Ascensore di Castelletto) from Piazza Portello. The lift runs 06:40-00:00 and costs the standard AMT bus ticket of 1.60 EUR. The terrace is free and open 24 hours. Sunset is the best time, when the Mediterranean light turns the city’s slate roofs silver.
