Genoa

Genoa 3-day itinerary

3 days in Genoa on foot. The plan moves through Museums, Old City, Other sights, starting with Museum of Modern Art - Villa Croce, Museums of Fine Arts - Strada Nuova, Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art. No car.
Best for
A long weekend walking Genoa.
Pace
Three full walking days.
Base
Old City
Estimated budget
$240–$840

Day-by-day plan

Follow the stops in order. Walk times are estimates between nearby places.

  1. Day 1

    Museums

    Walk Museums in Genoa. Start at Museum of Modern Art - Villa Croce, then Museums of Fine Arts - Strada Nuova and Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art. Stay on foot.

    1. Stop 1

      Museum of Modern Art - Villa Croce

      Museum of Modern Art - Villa Croce is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

    2. Stop 2 · 20 min walk

      Museums of Fine Arts - Strada Nuova

      See both Palazzo Bianco (White Palace) and Palazzo Rosso (Red Palace).

    3. Stop 3 · 6 min walk

      Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art

      The biggest European collection of Oriental art.

    4. Stop 4 · 11 min walk

      Museum of St. Augustine

      A convent displaying various medieval works of art.

    5. Stop 5 · 10 min walk

      National Ligurian Gallery at the Spinola Palace

      National Ligurian Gallery at the Spinola Palace is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

    6. Stop 6 · 7 min walk

      Museum of the Ligurian Art Academy

      Museum of the Ligurian Art Academy is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

    Eat · Trattoria Da Maria: Traditional regional cuisine and a practical and crowded atmosphere. Possible opening for lunch only, no reservation.

    Browse Genoa tours
  2. Day 2

    Old City

    Walk Old City in Genoa. Start at Christopher Columbus House, then Spianata Castelletto and Via Garibaldi. Stay on foot.

    1. Stop 1

      Christopher Columbus House

      The house where Columbus lived as a child.

    2. Stop 2 · 11 min walk

      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.

    3. Stop 3 · 4 min walk

      Via Garibaldi

      also known as Via Aurea and Strada Nuova, Golden Street and New Street has very impressive baroque buildings.

    4. Stop 4 · 21 min walk

      The Old Harbour

      An entertainment area with museums, cinemas, cafés and also a beautiful promenade along the sea.

    5. Stop 5 · 18 min walk

      Lanterna di Genova

      The prominent Genovese symbol since 1128: the second tallest traditional lighthouse in the world

    6. Stop 6 · 30 min walk

      Castello d'Albertis

      Castello d'Albertis is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

    Eat · Il Tempio Dell'Hamburger: Il Tempio Dell'Hamburger is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

  3. Day 3

    Other sights

    Walk Other sights in Genoa. Start at Righi, then Corso Italia and Boccadasse. Stay on foot.

    1. Stop 1

      Righi

      A spectacular view of the city and the Mediterranean Sea. From here, one can have pleasant walks on the surrounding hills and to the fortifications.

    2. Stop 2 · 58 min walk

      Corso Italia

      Genoa's promenade.

    3. Stop 3 · 8 min walk

      Boccadasse

      A picturesque fishermen quarter.

    4. Stop 4 · 64 min walk

      Cimitero monumentale di Staglieno

      Huge cemetery known for its numerous, elaborate statues – interesting, haunting, and beautiful.

    Eat · Il Masetto: A Hamburger restaurant

Where to stay

Sleep near the walking base. Pick an area, then search hotels by neighborhood.

  • Old City

    Walking this plan

    Base here if you want Christopher Columbus House, Spianata Castelletto, Via Garibaldi on foot.

  • Museums

    Walking this plan

    Base here if you want Museum of Modern Art - Villa Croce, Museums of Fine Arts - Strada Nuova, Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art on foot.

  • Other sights

    Walking this plan

    Base here if you want Righi, Corso Italia, Boccadasse on foot.

Full where-to-stay guide →

Things to book

Tours and tickets that match this plan. Book anything that needs timed entry.

Budget

Rough mid-range spend for 3 days in Genoa, excluding long-haul flights. Hotel nights drive most of the range.

  • Budget: about $240 (hostel/budget hotel, transit, street food)
  • Mid-range: about $420 (3★ hotel, sit-down meals, a tour or two)
  • Comfort: about $840 (nicer hotel, taxis, paid attractions)

Trip budget calculator →

Transportation

Get in

* | url=http://www.airport.genova.it/en/ | email= | address= | lat=44.41504 | long=8.85034 | directions= | phone= | tollfree= | hours= | price= | wikipedia=Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport | image=Aeroporto-Genova-GOA.jpg | wikidata=Q1431383 | lastedit=2025-09-17 | content=Provides several daily flights from major European cities such as Rome, London, Munich, Amsterdam, Paris and Madrid. From the airport, it is fairly easy to rent a car or take a bus to the city centre. The main airport bus, Volabus, drops off at the ferry terminal (Via Milano) and the two train stations. On the way back, it picks up only at the two train stations and near the Metro at Piazza De Ferrari.

Get around

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. If you still decide to drive into the city, don't bet on available street parking (there are street parking fees anyway) go directly to a parking garage and hope not all of them are full.

Where to eat

Simple meal ideas near the day’s walking route.

  • Trattoria Da Maria

    Traditional regional cuisine and a practical and crowded atmosphere. Possible opening for lunch only, no reservation.

  • Il Tempio Dell'Hamburger

    Il Tempio Dell'Hamburger is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

  • Il Masetto

    A Hamburger restaurant

  • Ristorante La Pietra Genova

    Ristorante La Pietra Genova is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

  • Osteria La Lanterna

    This restaurant offers mainly fish dishes.

  • Antica Friggitoria Carega

    A takeout restaurant

  • Il Ristoro dei Grimaldi

    A pizza takeaway restaurant

  • Pastificio Artigianale di Canneto

    Pastificio Artigianale di Canneto is a listed stop in this neighborhood.

Before you go

Questions

Do I need a car in Genoa?
No for this plan. The days stay inside walking range, then local transit to XXX. 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. If you still decide to drive into the city, don't bet on available street parking (there are street parking fees anyway) go directly to a parking garage and hope not all of them are full.
Is 3 days enough?
Yes for the core around Museums. Switch to 5 days if you want a trip outside Genoa.
Where should I stay?
Base near Museums so the first walking day starts at the hotel. Hotel Nuovo Nord is a listed option, not a ranking.
Where do I eat?
Each day names one sit-down stop. Trattoria Da Maria is on the list. Keep the rest as bakeries and market counters.

Other Genoa trip lengths

Daily stops compiled from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA), and Wikipedia. Updated 2026-09-22. Edited by Lina Varela.