Tourism: caruggi, Palazzi dei Rolli, Porto Antico and the Riviera
The medieval old town, the UNESCO-listed Palazzi dei Rolli and Strada Nuova Museums, the Porto Antico with the Aquarium, Boccadasse and Nervi; exhibitions at Palazzo Ducale, the Boat Show in September and Rolli Days in spring and autumn. Growing but manageable visitor numbers; day trips to Camogli, Portofino and the Cinque Terre.
Sections: Attractions · Museums · Nature · Itineraries · Excursions · Accessible visits
- Old town: the caruggi between via del Campo, the Maddalena and piazza delle Erbe; San Lorenzo cathedral, piazza De Ferrari and Palazzo Ducale; San Matteo and the Doria houses; via Garibaldi with the Strada Nuova Museums (Palazzo Rosso, Bianco and Tursi).
- Palazzi dei Rolli: the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century aristocratic palaces on the UNESCO list; many open only during Rolli Days, two weekends a year with free visits.
- Porto Antico: the area redesigned by Renzo Piano for 1992 with the Aquarium (Italy's largest), the Bigo, the Biosphere, the Galata Sea Museum and the Lanterna lighthouse reached by the walkway from the ferry terminal.
- Out of the centre: Boccadasse, the fishing village at the end of Corso Italia; Nervi with the Anita Garibaldi promenade, parks and museums (GAM, Wolfsoniana, Raccolte Frugone); the monumental cemetery of Staglieno; Castello d'Albertis and the Spianata Castelletto.
When and how
Palazzo Ducale is the main venue for temporary exhibitions, with calendar and tickets on the Foundation's site. State museums and participating civic museums are free on the first Sunday of the month. Queues concentrate at the Aquarium on weekends and holidays; the rest of the city is uncrowded, with peaks during the Boat Show (September, at the Waterfront di Levante), Rolli Days and when large cruise ships arrive. Spring and early autumn are the best seasons.
Day trips and UNESCO
By train in under an hour: Camogli and, by boat or on foot, San Fruttuoso and Portofino; Santa Margherita, Sestri Levante and the Cinque Terre to the east; Varazze, Finale Ligure and Albenga to the west. Turin and Milan are also day-trip distance (about an hour and a half). UNESCO heritage in Genoa: the Strade Nuove and the Palazzi dei Rolli system (2006); nearby, Portovenere and the Cinque Terre and, in Piedmont, the vineyard landscapes of Langhe and Monferrato.
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Reviewed: 10/23/2026 · by piero.avolio · rev. 1 · Period: → 2027-10-31
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