Explora Journeys in Genoa

Genoa is a dense, layered port city that ran a maritime empire, with a UNESCO-listed core of Renaissance palaces and one of Europe's largest preserved medieval quarters threaded by the caruggi, its tall dark alleys. The terminal sits at the foot of the city, so an aquarium, a sea museum, and the palace street are all a flat walk from the ship.

What to do on a day in Genoa

• Acquario di Genova at the Porto Antico, one of Europe's largest aquariums, a flat ten to fifteen minutes from the terminal
• Galata Museo del Mare, the maritime museum charting Genoa's seafaring history, only a few minutes from the dock
• Via Garibaldi and the Palazzi dei Rolli, the UNESCO street of merchant palaces including Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco, and Palazzo Doria-Tursi
• Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, the striped marble cathedral in the heart of the old town
• The caruggi, the medieval alley network around Piazza San Lorenzo, best explored slowly on foot
• Mercato Orientale, the covered food market about fifteen minutes inland, strong for Ligurian pesto and focaccia

Getting ashore

Ships use the Stazione Marittima terminals (Ponte dei Mille and Ponte Andrea Doria) a few minutes from the Old Port and the Principe train station. It is a flat ten to fifteen minute walk to the Porto Antico and fifteen to twenty into the historic center, so most of the city is on foot; one full day covers the core if you pick two or three sights rather than trying for everything.

When to book the ship's excursion vs your own →

Weather and when to visit

• April to May. Typically mild and gradually sunnier, highs from the mid teens to around 20C, but spring is one of the wetter stretches and a sea-cloud bank can keep the coast cool. Carry a light rain layer.
• September to October. Typically warm in early September, highs in the mid 20s C with a still-warm sea, but late September and October bring Genoa's heaviest rains, with October usually the wettest month of the year.