What to see, what to do Genoa?
The 10 good reasons to go Genoa
A complicit climate
Excellent climatic conditions: mild temperatures all year round.
A strategic position
Strategically located, Genoa is the ideal starting point for discovering the region.
What a landscape!
From its heights or by taking the funiculars, the views are magical.
A village in music
Genoa has been sung by countless singers, including Fabrizio De André and Gino Paoli.
The sea in town
The basis of its power, an economic resource, a tourist attraction: in Genoa, the sea is everything.
An open-air museum
With the largest historical center in Europe, in Genoa art and history are everywhere.
A model of modernity
Renzo Piano's city is a model of its kind in terms of urban requalification.
A dream for the little ones
Aquarium, museums, parks, beaches, gastronomy... Genoa has everything to please the little ones.
Gastronomic tradition
Street food, trattorie, pastry shops and bakeries: Genoa is an explosion of delights.
The lungomare walks
You'll never tire of strolling along the lungomare, in Genoa as in Nervi.
What to visit Genoa?
Interview: Genoa, an unexpected surprise
Marie-Isabelle Corradi, a Genoese by adoption
Italian in style, but Parisian at heart, an inveterate traveler, Marie-Isabelle Corradi is a passionate travel reporter. Author of numerous guidebooks, she reveals here the best addresses in Genoa and Liguria, where she has spent many vacations. From the picturesque alleys of the historic center to the sumptuous salons of the Rolli palaces, Genoa has no secrets for her
See the video of the interviewGood to know to visit Genoa
Timetable
Museums and national sites are generally open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., often closing a little later in summer and a little earlier in winter. Closing day is Monday or Tuesday. Churches are usually closed between noon and 2 or 4pm, and visits are not possible during religious celebrations. Likewise, proper attire is required to enter a religious building: short skirts, tank tops and tank tops should be avoided.
To be booked
In Genoa, it is highly recommended to buy tickets for the Aquarium online to avoid long queues at the ticket office.
Budget & Tips
The price of admission to a museum in Liguria ranges from €4 to €12, depending on the importance of the site and the size of its collections. In many cases, combined packages allow you to visit two or more partner sites for a reduced price, as in the case of the Musei di Strada Nuova, the three palaces on Via Garibaldi.
Genova Museum Card. An advantageous package giving access to 28 of the city's museums, including unlimited use of public transport. Valid for 24 hours from the first admission, it costs €15. On sale at the reception desk of all partner museums, or online (www.museidigenova.it/it/card-musei).
Genova City Pass. Another "à la carte" visit package available for 24h, 48h or 72h, including many advantages including entry to the city's museums and public transport. From €20 (www.genovacitypass.it).
Main events
A coastal region, Liguria lives to the rhythm of the seasons and... the arrival of holidaymakers. Tourist numbers rise sharply between June and September, but from the spring vacations onwards, Genoa's museums, the Cinque Terre hiking trails and navigation services such as those on the Golfo Paradiso are all much more popular.
Rolli Days. Two or three weekends a year, sometimes in January, always in May and October, this Genoese version of Heritage Days opens the doors of some twenty ancient palaces listed on the famous Rolli and usually closed to the public.
Guided tours
The Genoa Tourist Office regularly organizes guided tours, the calendar of which is updated on its website (in Italian or English, www.visitgenoa.it). On the menu: a visit to the historic center and the Palazzi dei Rolli, as well as a tour of the historic stores of old Genoa (between €14 and €20, booking required).
More unusual are the downtown Segway tours (www.genovasegway.it), or one of the themed tours (www.genovacultura.org), which are fascinating but only in Italian.
Tourist traps
Beware! There are a lot of fancy agencies offering online ticket bookings for sites and museums (e.g. the Aquarium) at much higher prices. Avoid them!
