Genoa (Italian: Genova, Ligurian: Zena) is a historic port city in northern Italy, the capital of the Liguria region. As a tourist attraction, it is often overshadowed by cities such as Rome or Venice, even though it has a long history as a rich and powerful trade centre. However, with its multitude of hidden gems behind cozy alleyways, excellent cuisine (notably pesto, focaccia, and seafood), renovated old port, beautiful sights (including one of Europe's biggest aquariums), and its position as the European Capital of Culture in 2004, the birt…
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
When visiting northwestern Italy (Milan, Turin) it is absolutely worth staying for a couple of days or a weekend in Genoa. The city is a good base to explore the Italian Riviera and world-famous places like Portofino and the Cinque Terre. Genoa is a place where you discover daily new surprises, even if you stay for years. The city may be less known by major tourist operators, but its splendor is often hidden inside the narrow streets of the historical center, called "vicoli". Genoa is a sort of decayed glorious port town, whose decay, however, is what makes it so interesting and pretty.
Locals will say driving around the city is somewhat faster than public transportation (traffic jams at rush hours notwithstanding), but once you have reached your destination you are faced with the nightmare and frustration of looking for a nonexistent parking spot. It is not just chance that most locals switched from cars to scooters - to the extent that even finding a spot for a scooter has become difficult too. All attractions within the center are in walking distance or well served by public transportation, therefore a car is of no use at all.
Genoa has one of Europe’s largest preserved historical centers, made up of an incredible number of tiny streets and alleys called Caruggi. Walking through it will plunk you right back to olden times when Genoa was the most important harbor of the Mediterranean sea. 1 Cristoforo Colombo house (In piazza Dante). The house where Columbus lived as a child. (updated Mar 2017) The impressive fortification belt built on the hills surrounding the city, originating in the 16th Century. 2 Spianata Castelletto. A nice belvedere where one can have a pleasant view of the city and of the seaport. It can be reached by public lift from Piazza della Nunziata or on foot from that very same square.
There are plenty of things to do in Genoa, although it is very advisable to visit in spring and summer. A lot of young kids spend their time playing with their friends in Parks found within certain antique Villas, some of them are also museums (i.e. Villa di Negro- oriental arts museum Edoardo Chiossone). Go for ice cream along the beaches and beach promenades. There are a lot of paintings in the town and on the brick floors which a lot of people admire. Fishing for catfish is also a hobby you might enjoy. Genoa's main street Via XX settembre, is filled with cafes and high street fashion shops. Start from Brignole station and head towards Piazza De Ferrari.
The vast majority of places charge service for a fixed amount per person (called coperto), as is customary in Italy. A trattoria, cafe or bar will not charge this fee for lunch, and this is often a good place to get pasta or a sandwich in the afternoon. Restaurants are open from approximately 12:30 - 15:00 for lunch and 19:30 - 22:00 for dinner. Pesto sauce originates from the city of Genova. It is used in many dishes, including pastas and pizzas. Another must try from the Genovese or Ligurian cuisine is focaccia, which is a flat oven-baked Italian bread that may be topped with onions, herbs, or other foodstuffs. Focaccie are quite tasty and often cheaper than pizzas.
Piazza delle Erbe: small square in the old town, with nice bars (5 min. walking from Piazza De Ferrari and Palazzo Ducale) open until 01:00. On Fridays and Saturdays it is crowded with young people. . Riviera hotel Pl Area of Porto Antico. Down of piazza Caricamento and close to the Bigo there is a float restaurant with the nose of it being a night bar, with sometimes offering live music. Wide wood chairs to relax and see the sea in summer.
Streets in Genoa are usually quite safe, especially in the main tourist areas and residential areas. Downtown, Quarto dei Mille, Quinto del Mare and Nervi are all safe districts during the day as well as the evening. However, some limited areas in the historical centre off the main alleys might be subject to petty crime or just be uncomfortable for the general tourist (e.g. prostitutes waiting for clients in the middle of the day in dark side alleys just a couple of blocks away from a tourist attraction).
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
Top-rated tours and tickets from €30 — book ahead for the popular ones.
Tours and tickets provided by Viator (a Tripadvisor company). Some links earn Stayonomy a commission.
In Jul, Genoa typically sees ~28°C daytime highs and 11 rainy days.
Cheapest destinations travellers searched recently — refreshed daily.
Flight prices are real fares travellers found in the last 48 hours, refreshed daily — the booking site confirms the final price. Train, bus and ferry fares are shown on the operators' booking sites. Weather data by Open-Meteo; exchange rates: ECB reference. Data updated 2026-07-22. Some links earn Stayonomy a commission at no cost to you.