Genoa is not on most American tourists’ radar. Maybe a cruise they are on stops here – maybe – but otherwise they may or may not even know where it is, let alone think it’s a place they should visit in Italy. And so it was with me until I planned a trip here to write about the storied history of the city.

Let me tell you: Genoa is awesome! No, it’s probably not a place you’ll see on your first Italy trip (Rome, Florence, and Venice dominate in that category), but if you are looking for a more off-the-tourism-path Italian destination for some cool history, great food, and picturesque coastline, well, this might just be a place you should seek out.

This guide will distill my experiences from my full month living in Genoa’s old city down to the basics of what you should know to plan your own trip here. Links throughout the guide will take you to more detailed looks at certain aspects of Genoese life, history, and culture, so be sure to click on those. And if you enjoy this guide, click here to visit our Ultimate Guides from all over the world!

Getting There

While Genoa is Italy’s sixth largest city, its airport is definitely not. You can get here direct from European hubs (probably), but it can be expensive, so if you are flying straight to Genoa from the US, you might be better off doing what I did and flying into Milan, from which Genoa is a two-ish hour train ride.

If you do fly into Genoa directly, the airport is connected to the city by regional rail or a taxi.

So it is more likely that you arrive in Genoa by train, even if you fly in and take the train to the city. So let’s talk about that. Piazza Principe is the main rail station. It is a 15 minute walk or two Metro stops from the old city, where most of what you’ll want to see is. (The walk is flat-ish once you walk down the hill from the station, but the sidewalk can be a bit uneven.) As mentioned, Genoa is roughly two hours by train from Milan. It is 3ish from Pisa (where you can change from Florence, so another hour or so), and about 6 hours to Rome. So it does take some intention to get here rather than just a quick add-on. (It’s a 3.5 hour bus from Nice, France as well.)

If you arrive by cruise ship, you’ll be able to hop on the Metro. Depending on where you dock, it will either be close to that central train station or one additional Metro stop beyond.

Getting Around

I’ve talked about the Metro, so we will start there. Genoa has one Metro line, which has a mere eight stops. It goes from the Brignole train station (the city’s secondary) in the south, through the old city, to the main station and the port. In a month here, I used it only either with my luggage or when it was raining, as the fifteen minute walk to and from the station was rather pleasant. Metro tickets are €2 and can be purchased from machines or via the city’s transit app, AMT Genova.

There are buses in the city as well, but the main portion of Genoa you will be in is basically that fifteen minute or so walk from side to side, so chances of needing one are slim.

Within the old city, walking is your only real bet, since the majority is car-free. Fortunately, while there are some hills and steps, it’s mainly gentle inclines or flat, and reasonably well paved. Just watch out for small golf cart sized trash vehicles.

What to Do

Within the city, there are two main categories of activities: those related to the city’s history and those related to the waterfront. Let’s start with history.

For 700 years, Genoa was a city-state controlling a vast trading empire, as wealthy as that of Venice. As a result, there were many hugely rich families who built palaces here in the city. About forty remain, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site called the Rolli Palaces. And five of those are now museums. Three are more art museums than showing off the palaces themselves (those three are the Strada Nuova Museums and have a combined €9 admission), and two (Palazzo Spinola and Palazzo Reale) show period decorations and furnishings. Those have a combined €12 admission. You can click here to read more about the Rolli Palaces and Genoa’s Golden Age.

The old city itself is incredible to walk around, with historical sights dating back to the 12th century in the form of the cathedral, city walls and gates, and even many of the narrow streets. (Click here to read about the earlier history of Genoa and how to see it.)

One site to skip: Christopher Columbus’ childhood home. Since it is right outside the Porta Soprana gate, you might walk to it, but it is NOT worth the €5 to go inside. (Click here to read about it to judge for yourself.)

As for the waterfront, my personal favorite museum in Genoa is the Galata Maritime Museum. You’ll need at least a couple hours, but between history, scale models of ships through the ages, and even life-sized replicas to explore in part, it’s a really fun trip. (You can even visit a modern submarine as part of it.) Or take a longer walk (it is about 25 minutes walk past the end of the Metro) and visit Genoa’s incredible 16th century lighthouse! There is also an aquarium along the waterfront that I didn’t visit but has good reviews. (Click here to read more about maritime Genoa.)

If you like cute seaside towns, you can either take a ferry (basically directly from the old city) or a 45 minute train to the town of Camogli. It is just as stunning as the towns of the Cinque Terre, but a) less crowded and b) so so SO much closer. Click here to read about Camogli.

I also took a day trip to Savona and loved it. You can read about it here, but I would only suggest making this trip if you have an extra day with no plans. Camogli is the more wonderful day trip if you only have time for one.

If you want to do some modern Italian clothes shopping, head from the old city to Piazza Raffaele de Ferrari, and from there walk down Via XX Settembre. The stunning (truly gorgeous) buildings lining this early 20th century street house some of Italy’s best (not necessarily most expensive) brands. The piazza here is also home to Genoa’s opera house.

Beyond that, stumble into random churches and open doors of other palaces. My favorite church might be the Basilica della Santissima Annunziato del Vastato right near the Palazzo Reale but you’ll find yours.

Where to Stay

If Genoa has an obvious weakness, it is US brand hotels. There is a Best Western in the old city, but otherwise it’s a 5-star Hilton property near the train station or a few others near the port or airport. It’s slim pickings. (There is a stunning hotel right near the old city run by NH Collections. I worked from the bar there one night when my apartment’s WiFi went out, so can speak to that place’s beauty and service, if not to the rooms or pricing.)

I stayed in an Airbnb within the old city itself, and can recommend that experience (even if I can’t speak specifically to the boutique hotels nearby). If you decide to do that, a couple things to keep in mind. It can be a bit loud at times, and buildings can be old and elevator-free.

What to Eat

Ah, food in Italy. It’s probably my favorite part of traveling in this country, and Genoa is no exception. I wrote specifically about some of the local staples here, but I’ll give you a quick rundown.

Pesto. Pesto comes from Genoa. Eat it. Eat lots of it. The most traditional pasta for it is called trofie, so look for trofie al pesto on every menu everywhere.

Focaccia also comes from Genoa. My favorite way to eat it was fresh and hot with my morning cappuccino, but focaccia al pesto (see a pattern?) makes a great lunch as well.

Genoa is on the water, so seafood is fresh and good here. Shrimp seems to be especially prevalent. I even had seafood pizza once!

But seriously, make sure to click that link above to read about my food experiences and recommendations of specific restaurants and dishes to order.

Other Useful Information

Many restaurants seemed to get crowded as evenings went on. Few open before 7, but unless you arrive close to opening, reservations can be handy. Fortunately, it seemed that many of them took reservations over WhatsApp, with their numbers on that app being available via my Google Maps searches.

If you buy a Metro ticket, make sure to activate it using the activation machine at the entrance. (If you purchase it on the app it will automatically activate.) It gives you about 90 minutes, but not activating it means you technically don’t have a ticket and those can randomly be checked. I am not sure what happens if you have an unactivated one.

Like basically all of Italy, tap water is fine to drink but isn’t offered at restaurants. Get a bottle of water, and a mezze (half liter) of house wine to share. That half liter will generally run less than €10, and sometimes considerably less. I’ve never had a bad one.

And while this is talked about frequently, a reminder about coffee. If you order “coffee” in Italy, you’ll get an espresso. If you order a “latte” you will get milk. If you want American-style coffee, order an Americana. If you want what we think of as a latte, it’s a latte macchiato here.

Conclusion

Genoa isn’t on the Italian tourist circuit. It doesn’t have the world-class sights of other cities. If you like that, if you want to see a bit more “real” of an Italian city, you might just love it here. I know I did.

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