Genoa in 4 days: what to see, what to do

If you’re looking for a pretty destination, not very touristy, for the spring, think of Genoa in Italy! Located in Liguria, in the north-west of the country, Genoa is a city between sea and mountains, famous for its culinary specialities like pesto. Often reduced to its industrial port (the biggest in Italy, all the same), it intrigued us. So we decided to go and see what was hiding behind its reputation as a city that isn’t very appealing at first glance.

We flew for the first time with the Volotea airline, and we were very happy with it. When you search on the site, several fares are offered, including the one with the MegaVoloteaPlus membership (99€ a year) which gives access to lots of perks (discounts, cabin bag included, priority boarding…). After comparing all the prices and doing our sums, we signed up because it really is worth it – especially if you fly with them several times a year. So we paid 69,20€ return with a cabin bag. The flight takes 1h30 from Paris-Orly.

Genoa’s Cristoforo Colombo airport is tiny: you get out of it very quickly. There are two options for getting to the city centre:

• Volabus bus (operated by AMT): the trip costs 10€ per person, for about 30 minutes on the road (as far as Principe station in the city centre).
• Official taxi: the trip costs 25€ (fixed rate), for about 15/20 minutes on the road. That’s the option we chose to get to our accommodation faster, for only 5€ more than the bus.

In this article we’re giving you everything we managed to see and do during almost four days in Genoa. Enjoy the read!

See our stay in pictures on our Instagram account!

What to see in Genoa?

Genoa has one of the largest medieval centres in Europe (113 hectares in total)! Impossible to get bored there if you like old stones and places steeped in history. So, no need for a precise plan, we wandered through the maze of squares and narrow streets (called caruggi). The latter are sometimes so narrow, and the buildings so tall, that you can barely see the sky. Honestly impressive!

A few places and monuments not to be missed, in our opinion:

• Plaza Ferrari, one of the main squares in the city. It is lined with many palaces and emblematic monuments such as the Carlo Felice Theatre or the Ducal Palace of Genoa. At its centre stands a gigantic bronze fountain.
• Palazzo San Giorgio: a very beautiful palace with trompe-l’œil painted on its façade, facing the sea, on Piazza Caricamento. The story goes that Marco Polo was imprisoned there in the 13th century. Today this building houses the offices of Genoa’s port authorities.
• Piazza Banchi: the former wheat market square, where the merchants’ lodges and the bankers’ exchange desks stood (hence the name).
• Piazza dei Truogoli di S. Brigida: the old washhouse square surrounded by colourful buildings. As picturesque as you could wish!

The churches to visit

• Cattedrale di San Lorenzo: the city’s magnificent Duomo with its black and white marble façade. A small tip for photos: during the afternoon, the façade is half in shadow, which makes the shots very contrasty. Go for the morning instead, when the cathedral is entirely in the shade.
• Basilica di Santa Maria delle Vigne: a baroque jewel right in the city centre, hidden behind a neoclassical façade. Worth discovering, it’s a real free museum!
• Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vastato: a sublime church with impressive ceilings, at the end of via Balbi.
• Chiesa del Gesu: a magnificent church typical of Genoese baroque, which holds paintings by Rubens.
• Chiesa di San Luca: another very beautiful church not to be missed in the historic centre.
• Chiesa di San Petro in Branchi: a unique church, built above shops! The story goes that it’s the result of a compromise between the shopkeepers and the city’s residents, who wanted a church on that spot.

The museums and palaces to visit

The most impressive street in the city is without question the Via Garibaldi. Along the old Strada Nuova stand magnificent palaces in a row, the rolli, meant to host notable figures during their stay in Genoa. Today, out of 150 palaces, 42 are UNESCO-listed, and some are open to visitors like the Palazzo Rosso, the Palazzo Bianco, the Palazzo Tursi… the choice is wide. But some can be visited for free, like the current town hall or the ones that are now headquarters of international banks!

Palazzo Reale

We visited the Museo di Palazzo Reale at the end of the day: we were almost the only visitors in our time slot (5.30pm-7pm), it was perfect. The palace was built in 1643, under the aegis of the nobleman Stefano Balbi. It then passed into the hands of the Durazzo family from 1674 and was finally bought by the House of Savoy in 1824. We started the visit with the gardens (tiny): it’s more of a long landscaped terrace with a pretty pond. The interiors dazzled us more, with their sumptuous decoration. The palace even has its own Genoese “hall of mirrors”, with frescoes and gilded stucco reflected in the many mirrors. A must-see visit for us!
💰 12€ for adults for the combined ticket with the Palazzo Spinola.
⏲️ 9am-7pm Wednesday to Saturday; 1.30pm-7pm on Wednesday and on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month

Palazzo Spinola

Thanks to the combined ticket, we also visited the Gallerie Nazionale di Palazzo Spinola, which holds an impressive collection of paintings by great masters. This palace dates from the end of the 16th century and was given to the Italian State in 1958 with all its treasures. It is part of the set of “dei Rolli” palaces, UNESCO-listed since 2006. A very lovely visit, with few people!
💰 12€ for adults for the combined ticket with the Palazzo Reale (free on the first Sunday of the month)
⏲️ 9am-7pm Wednesday to Saturday; 1.30pm-7pm on Wednesday and on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month

The Castelletto district

Genoa is a vertical city, built on the flanks of the hills. So, to get around and gain height, you have to take public lifts or funiculars. We began our climb from Piazza del Portell, where we took the Ascensore Portello-Castelletto (free), which reaches the Spinata di Castelletto in a few seconds. It’s the oldest lift in the city, recognisable by its Liberty style and its coloured windows. At the top, a panoramic view is guaranteed, and above all a viewpoint over the whole of Genoa not to be missed.

From there, we walked through the bourgeois residential district of Castelletto, often left out of the tourist circuits. We went in particular through the park of the Villa Piaggio, where we could have believed we’d left the city, with the greenery and the calm all around. But one of the essential monuments of the district is the Castello d’Albertis, a neo-Gothic castle that houses the Museum of World Cultures. We didn’t visit the inside of the museum (paying) ourselves but we strolled through the gardens and on the ramparts, admiring the view over the sea (free entry). A very pleasant place!

The Porto Antico district

You can’t come to Genoa without visiting its port! The marina area was entirely redeveloped and modernised in 1992. Some of the city’s tourist attractions are here, like the Aquarium, the Bigo panoramic lift, the Biosphere… We simply strolled along the quays, in the sun, watching the boats (and the yachts). We recommend going by at night as well, when the port is lit up.

The Carmine district

Here’s a district of Genoa we loved visiting! Off the beaten track, this small picturesque district has tall narrow houses, all in different colours. In front of the covered market (Mercato del Carmine) there’s a detailed map of the area: all you have to do is follow the marked route to discover the churches and the pretty squares. Authenticity guaranteed!

From the Carmine district, we took the funicular up to Righi (the last stop on the Zecca-Righi line) to see the end of the sunset over the sea and the mountains. On the roof of the small station there’s a panoramic terrace: no need to go far! It isn’t an essential visit but if you have a bit of time ahead of you, it can be worth going up for a lovely view over the whole city of Genoa.

The Molo district

Another district we really liked: the Molo. It’s Genoa’s old medieval quarter, untouched, with its mazes of tight lanes and its shops from another era. We explored its southern part, and we can tell you that we were sometimes alone in the streets, tourists don’t venture there. We followed the signs for route 3 (put up by the Tourist Office), which means you don’t miss any of the district’s emblematic monuments (Chiesa Santa Maria di Castello, Torre degli Embriaci, Chiesa di San Donato, Museo di Sant’Agostino…). Also not to be missed, the Torre Porta Soprana, a remnant of the city’s old medieval walls, or the Columbus House of the famous navigator.

Boccadasse

We walked the famous Corso Italia, a promenade lined with mansions that runs along the sea from the Foce district. In forty minutes on foot, we reached Boccadasse, a very pretty fishing village with colourful houses, which strongly reminded us of the Cinque Terre. This district of Genoa with its steep lanes surrounds a small pebble beach. Apparently it’s packed at the weekend: so if you can, avoid going on Saturday and Sunday.

We began our visit of Boccadasse with the Sant’Antonio de Padova church (the sailors’ church): special mention for its modern stained glass on the theme of the sea. We then went down to the rocks of the breakwater for a lovely overall view of the village. From the beach, we took the Via Al Capo di Santa Clara up to the belvedere, which offers a panorama over the whole bay. Carrying on, we spotted the Rocca Tirrena castle perched above the village. A nice tour to do!

⏲️ Allow about 5 kilometres of walking there and back from Genoa, or take the number 42 bus from Piazza Dante (20 minutes’ ride).

What to do in Genoa

Take a cooking class with a chef

Looking for something to do in Genoa? We’ve unearthed the best experience to book if you’re passing through! A cooking class with a Genoese chef to learn to make pasta and pesto from A to Z. We met directly at chef Alberto’s place and he welcomed us into his kitchen (the class takes place on his terrace when the weather is nice): it was just the two of us, a real private class! We learned a huge amount about Genoese cooking, where the produce comes from, the age-old techniques… Alberto is fascinating and a very good teacher.

We started by making the dough for the pasta, then real Genoa pesto, and we finished with cutting the Picagge (pasta that looks like farfalle, for those in the know). The class ends with tasting the meal in Alberto’s living room, to the sound of jazz: an unforgettable evening!
💰 85€ per person for the class and the meal (3h30 long)

*Activity provided by GetYourGuide in exchange for content creation (affiliate link)

Accommodation: where to stay in Genoa?

We set our bags down for three nights at Casa Ramé, a magnificent B&B run by Fanny and Elena, right in the city centre, in the heart of the Palazzo Cattaneo Malone, entirely renovated and decorated by them. We slept in the beautiful and romantic Anastasia room, bathed in light, with a small balcony to sit in the sun. A living room and a kitchen, tastefully furnished, are also available, with tea, coffee and biscuits for the morning. A lovely spot that we highly recommend if you come to Genoa!
💰 From 85€ a night

*Nights provided in exchange for photo content

Food and drink: where to eat in Genoa?

• Tigelleria TiGè: a typical spot to discover the tigelle, a small round bread from northern Italy that you fill like a sandwich with cured meats, pesto, cheese… we had a feast and had a good chat with the owner, who comes from Colombia! 1,70€ for the tigelle.
• Pesto per amore: pesto pasta street-food style (3 shops in Genoa), it does the job for a quick lunch but they aren’t incredible. 16,50€ for two takeaway boxes of pasta.
• Trattoria Ugo: a good spot for pesto pasta on the go. 7,50€ for the trofie (large size).
• ❤️ Pestobene: a spot warmly recommended by chef Alberto, with whom we took a cooking class. Delicious! 8,50€ for the chestnut flour trogli with pesto.
• Pasta Street: a good spot to eat pesto pasta (we had trofie, with extra burrata). 33€ for two plates of pesto pasta and a tiramisu.
• Trattoria Genovese Ricci da Sonia: a typical Genoese spot recommended by our hosts, downstairs from the B&B. It was good, but still expensive for plain pasta. 45€ for two plates of pesto pasta and a tiramisu
• ❤️ L’Ostaia in Darsena: an excellent “fine dining” restaurant, with good produce, original pairings, revisited classics. We took four starters to share, two mains and two desserts to try a bit of the whole menu. We used our Yums on TheFork to pay for this meal, which came to 45€ for two.
• ❤️ Casanova Margherita: an excellent deli and cheese shop offering local produce at unbeatable prices. We bought guanciale, speck, cured ham, Grana Padano, Parmigiano Reggiano… there for 20€.

Our favourite spots for ice cream and sweet treats

• ❤️ Cremeria Buonafede: the best pistachio ice cream of the weekend! 3€ for 2 flavours (very generous portions)
• Gelateria Pisacane: a good ice cream spot (the cheapest we tried during our stay). 2,50€ for 2 flavours.
• Profumo di rosa: a good ice cream spot right opposite the B&B. 2,70€ for 2 flavours.
• ❤️ U Gelato di Caruggiu: a very good artisan ice cream maker with more original flavours (ginger, violet…). 2,50€ for 2 flavours.
• Gelateria Dallo Zio: a good spot near Genoa’s Duomo. 2,80€ for 2 flavours.
• GROM: a classic spot that you also find in Paris. We tasted their latest new flavour there: Madagascar vanilla and black pepper. 2,80€ for 2 flavours.
• Eataly: good ice creams and pastries on the port of Genoa, on the ground floor of the shopping centre. 2€ for the pistachio croissant and 3€ for the 2 ice cream flavours.
• Romeo Viganotti: the real Italian-style break, at the counter! 8,20€ for a tiramisu and a hot chocolate.

What we thought of Genoa

This Italian city, less well known to tourists, is worth the detour! It’s a destination you don’t think of spontaneously, and yet it has a lot to offer for a long weekend. Genoa has its own charm and an ancient history, and what can we say about its food and its specialities, which delighted us throughout the stay. Genoa is even mentioned in Lonely Planet’s Best Of 2025, as a “secret treasure” to discover as soon as possible.
If you’re looking for a destination idea for a city trip or a long weekend, think of Genoa! Between its exceptional heritage, how close the sea is, its delicious food and its gentle way of life, the city will charm you.
As a complement, also read the excellent article by Mi-figue, mi-raison, who spent several weeks in Genoa.

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