Genoa: your first hour after landing
You have just landed at Colombo, on a platform over the sea 7 km west of the centre — Italy's working port, a vertical city of palaces and alleys squeezed between the mountains and the Ligurian Sea. This guide covers the Volabus ride in, where to sleep from a Belle Époque grand hotel to a station-side hostel, the tourist tax, the focaccia and trofie al pesto, and the boat days to Camogli, Portofino and the whale sanctuary that fill day two.
In this guide
You just landed in Genoa. The airport sits 7 km west at Sestri Ponente — the move is the Volabus, €6 to Principe, De Ferrari and Brignole city transport hour included, an Airalo eSIM live for maps and train times, the tourist tax settled at the hotel, and the boat days that sell out first — Camogli, Portofino and the whale sanctuary — worth booking ahead through GetYourGuide.
Quick facts
Airport
Getting in
Currency
Languages
Time zone
Emergency
Plugs
Tap water
Tourist tax
Best months
Map
Stays, sights, and landmarks in Genoa — live hotel prices plus the key places from this guide.
Settle in
Touch down at Colombo and the city starts almost at once: Genoa fills the strip between the mountains and the sea, the airport sits 7 km west, and the two stations, Principe and Brignole, anchor everything you will do next.
Set up data before you leave home — an Airalo eSIM loads in minutes, so maps and train times work from the arrivals hall. For a longer Italy trip, compare Saily and Yesim.
The arrival checklist, in order:
- Ride the Volabus, a rank taxi or the Airlink train connection in — never a ride offered by a tout in the hall
- Have the hotel address in Italian on your phone: the old town is a maze of caruggi (alleys) that defeats vague directions
- Keep some euros in cash for the tourist tax if your property asks for it at check-in
If a delayed or cancelled flight wrecked the arrival, AirHelp checks whether the airline owes you compensation — worth five minutes.
Getting around
Times are airport to city centre.
Volabus (AMT airport bus)
Runs about every 30 to 60 minutes from 05:50 to 00:20 towards the centre; the fare includes 60 minutes on the whole AMT network — buses, the metro, funiculars and public lifts
Taxi
White licensed taxis wait at the rank outside arrivals; the fare runs on the meter with airport and luggage supplements possible — ask for a rough total before you ride
Genova Airlink bus and train
The shuttle runs about every 15 minutes, 06:00 to 22:00, to Sestri Ponente Aeroporto station; Trenitalia sells through tickets with the €1.50 shuttle supplement added to the train fare
Pre-booked private transfer
Booked ahead through services like Kiwitaxi or Welcome Pickups; the driver tracks the flight and waits in arrivals with a name board — the price never changes with traffic
One airport, one shuttle bus that matters: the Volabus links GOA to both main stations and Piazza De Ferrari in about half an hour, and its fare includes an hour on the whole AMT network of buses, metro, funiculars and public lifts. The rides in from GOA:
Choose the Volabus in daylight with a station-side hotel; choose a taxi late at night or with heavy bags, when Volabus gaps stretch. The Airlink is the local's route: shuttles every 15 minutes to Sestri Ponente station, then a train along the coast.
Prefer to be met? A Kiwitaxi transfer or a Welcome Pickups driver puts a name board in arrivals at a fixed price. Driving yourself, price the airport pickup on AutoEurope first — a car earns its keep on the Riviera, never in the centre, where parking and restricted zones bite.
In town, walk the old town and ride everything else: one AMT ticket covers buses, the metro (Brin to Brignole), the funiculars and public lifts like the Castelletto lift up to the Spianata viewpoint. Validate every ticket before you ride — inspectors do check.
In the city
Start at the Porto Antico, the old port Renzo Piano rebuilt for Expo 92: the Aquarium — Italy's largest — the Bigo panoramic lift and the galleon Neptune along the quay. Boats for Portofino and the whale sanctuary leave from these piers.
Climb into the old town, one of Europe's largest medieval centres: a warren of caruggi opening onto sudden squares. Find San Lorenzo Cathedral with its striped facade, then Piazza De Ferrari, the city's fountain-centred living room.
Walk Via Garibaldi next — the Strada Nuova, a street of pure palaces. The Rolli palaces are UNESCO-listed; Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Tursi now hold the city's art. End above it all at Spianata Castelletto, reached by the Castelletto lift in a minute.
Give a morning to Boccadasse — the fishing village folded into the city's east — pastel houses, a pebble cove and gelato on the rocks — and ride back along Corso Italia.
Browse GetYourGuide for Rolli palace tours, aquarium tickets and boat days, and compare Klook when stacking activities.
After you land in Genoa: Bookable experiences
Where to stay your first nights
Grand Hotel Savoia Genova, Curio Collection by Hilton.
Best for the grand-hotel splurge facing Principe station — Belle Époque rooms, a rooftop terrace and a spaSleep at Via Arsenale di Terra 5, facing Principe station — a Belle Époque grand hotel of 117 rooms, all marble and parquet, with a rooftop terrace and a spa. Book it for the fullest version of arrival-day Genoa: the Volabus stops almost at the door.
NH Collection Genova Marina.
Best for the waterfront base in the Porto Antico, the Renzo Piano building on stilts steps from the AquariumStay at Molo Ponte Calvi 5 in the Porto Antico — a Renzo Piano building on stilts over the old port, 140 rooms with harbour views, the Aquarium steps away and the old town a ten-minute walk. Book it for the waterfront base.
Ostello Bello Genova.
Best for social budget beds two minutes from Principe station — dorms and privates, a bar and a terraceBed down at Via Balbi 38, two minutes from Principe station — dorms and privates in a restored historic building with a nautical theme, a bar, a terrace and something social most nights. Book it for sociable budget Genoa, with the Cinque Terre trains outside the door.
Base by station on a first visit. Principe and Via Balbi suit first nights, trains and the Cinque Terre line; De Ferrari and the old town put the palaces and restaurants at your door; the Porto Antico suits families for the Aquarium. The city tax runs by stars — €3 a night at a four-star, €4.50 at a five-star — collected by the property.
Book ahead for summer weekends, when the city fills. Confirm whether your rate includes the tourist tax before you pay.
Where to eat first
Eat what Genoa invented. This is the home of pesto — basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan and pecorino with Ligurian olive oil — and of focaccia genovese, the salt-brined, oil-glossed flatbread locals dunk in cappuccino at breakfast without embarrassment. Trofie and trenette are the pesto pastas; farinata, the chickpea pancake from the wood oven, is the street snack. Three first stops:
A focacceria near the Porto Antico.
Start the first morning standing at the counter like a local: a warm square of focaccia, a coffee, no cutlery involved. Ask what else came out of the oven — the onion and cheese versions sell out first.
Mercato Orientale, Via XX Settembre.
Graze the city's covered market near Brignole: basil by the bunch, trofie to cook, cheese, olives and Riviera produce. Best before lunch, when the stalls are fullest.
A trattoria in the caruggi.
Settle into an old-town trattoria for the full first dinner: farinata to start, trofie al pesto, then whatever the port landed. House wine is Ligurian — a Vermentino or a Pigato.
For pesto-making classes and food walks, browse the Genoa listings on GetYourGuide and book a slot for your first free evening.
Day trips and more
Three escapes run on the water, because Genoa's coast is the point: two boat days east along the Riviera and one morning offshore in a whale sanctuary. Carry sunscreen and a swim kit — two stop for a swim.
Camogli, San Fruttuoso and Portofino by boat
A full day aboard the Città di Camogli from the Porto Antico: pastel Camogli first, then the abbey cove of San Fruttuoso, reachable only by boat or on foot, and finally Portofino's Piazzetta. Rated 4.4 from more than 4,500 reviews, from about US$24. Check availability →
Portofino by boat
The shorter version: sail from the Porto Antico in the late morning, then take two free hours in Portofino — the Piazzetta, the boutiques, the walk up to Castello Brown — and cruise back by mid-afternoon. Rated 4.5 from 954 reviews, from about US$33.Check availability →
Cetacean watching in the Pelagos Sanctuary
Four and a half hours in the protected waters off Genoa with a marine biologist guide, looking for the fin whales, sperm whales and dolphin pods that feed where the seabed drops away. Sightings are never guaranteed — the search is the experience. Rated 4.4 from more than 1,000 reviews, from about US$51.Check availability →
Leave a spare day for the train east: the Cinque Terre villages are a direct ride of about an hour from Principe or Brignole to Monterosso, and Genoa makes a calmer base for them than the villages themselves in season.
When to go and what it costs
May, June, September and October are the sweet spot: the sea is swimmable, the boats all run, and the summer surge has either not arrived or just left. July and August bring the heat, the cruise-ship crowds and the highest rates. Winter is mild but wet, and some boat trips pause — the city keeps its year-round, working-port rhythm.
Budget in euros. A Volabus ride is €6; a coffee at the counter about €1.20; a focaccia lunch €5 to €8; a trattoria dinner with house wine €25 to €40 a person. A backpacker in a dorm, on focaccia lunches and picnic boat days: €60 to €90 a day. Mid-range — a four-star room, trattoria dinners, a paid boat day: €150 to €220 a day. A splurge day with the grand-hotel room and a long seafood dinner passes €350.
What to pack
Tap items to check them off — your list is saved on this device.
Pack for a vertical walking city between the mountains and the sea — the lanes climb, and boat-day weather can turn. This is the full list:
- Comfortable walking shoes Shop walking shoes on Amazon →
- Sunscreen Shop sunscreen on Amazon →
- Reusable water bottle Shop water bottle on Amazon →
- Phone charger and power bank Shop power bank on Amazon →
- Daypack Shop daypack on Amazon →
- Sunglasses Shop sunglasses on Amazon →
- Light rain jacket Shop rain jacket on Amazon →
Add the Genoa extras: a swim kit that lives in the daypack (every coast day ends in the water), a Type C, F and L adapter for Italian sockets, and a layer for the open deck — the run back from Portofino cools fast after sunset.
Language, visa and entry
✓ Visa-free entry
Italian runs the city, and Genoa runs it with a maritime bluntness that warms fast once you greet properly: buongiorno by day, buonasera after dark. Hotel and tour staff switch to English easily; the bakeries and markets where you will eat best mostly do not, and a few phrases unlock them. Four phrases do most of the work:
Sort your entry paperwork before you book anything non-refundable. US, Canadian, British, Australian and New Zealand passport holders enter Italy and the Schengen area visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180. Since October 2025 the EU Entry/Exit System has been registering fingerprints and a facial image at the border in place of passport stamps — allow extra minutes on your first entry.
ETIAS, the planned European travel authorisation, is not yet in operation, so in October 2026 there is nothing to apply for before you travel — be wary of any site selling one. Carry your passport for hotel check-in — hotels must register guests — and keep a photo of it on your phone.
Safety and health
Watch your bag around Principe station and in old-town crowds
Pickpockets work the station approaches, packed buses and the busiest caruggi. Carry a cross-body bag zipped shut, keep your phone in a pocket between uses, and use the hotel safe for passports and spare cards.
Take the lit lanes after dark
The caruggi are the city's charm by day, but side lanes empty and darken late. Stick to lit, busy routes between the port, De Ferrari and the stations at night, and take a taxi or the metro for the last stretch if your lane is deserted.
Validate every ticket, every ride
AMT and Trenitalia inspectors fine unvalidated tickets on the spot. Stamp paper tickets in the platform machines and activate app tickets before you board — the Volabus included.
Respect the sea and the summer sun
Swim at watched beaches and off the boat only when the crew says so, and treat the Ligurian sun as stronger than it feels on the water: sunscreen before the boat, not after. Summer heat on Genoa's climbs catches people out — carry water, and dial 112 for anything serious.
Related destinations
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Frequently asked questions
The arrival, the bases and the taxes, in short.
Facts verified October 2026
Ride the Volabus, AMT's airport bus: about 30 minutes to Principe station, Piazza De Ferrari and Brignole station, €6 (€5 in the AMT app), including 60 minutes on the whole city network. A taxi from the rank takes about 20 minutes for €20 to €30.
Principe and Via Balbi for a first night and the trains — the Cinque Terre line leaves from Principe and Brignole. De Ferrari and the old town for palaces and restaurants. The Porto Antico for families — the Aquarium is at the door.
No visa for US, Canadian, British, Australian or New Zealand passport holders: up to 90 days in any 180 across Schengen. Since October 2025 the EU Entry/Exit System records fingerprints and a facial image at the border instead of stamping passports. ETIAS is not yet in operation, so there is nothing to apply for before you travel.
By stars, per person per night: €1.50 in one- to three-star hotels, €3 in four-star and €4.50 in five-star, collected by the property at check-in or check-out. Since June 2026, B&Bs charge €4 and tourist apartments €5.
May, June, September and October: the sea is swimmable, the boats all run and the crowds are manageable. July and August are hottest, busiest and priciest; winter is mild but wettest, and some boat trips pause.
Yes, with normal city care. The risks are pickpockets around Principe station, on packed buses and in the busiest old-town lanes. After dark, walk the lit routes between the port, De Ferrari and the stations, and validate every ticket — inspectors fine on the spot.
Fares change — the AMT app and the airport's own pages always win.
Genoa, in your pocket
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Sources and last verified
Airport and transfers against airport and AMT sources: the Volabus fare of €6 (€5 in the app) including 60 minutes on the AMT network, and the €1.50 Airlink shuttle supplement per Trenitalia. In-town single fares are listed anywhere between €1.50 and €2.00 in current sources, so this guide prints none — the AMT app wins on the day. Tourist tax against Comune di Genova rates: hotels €1.50, €3 and €4.50 by stars, with the June 2026 revision setting B&Bs at €4 and tourist apartments at €5. Entry against the EU Entry/Exit System rollout (live since October 2025) and ETIAS, not yet in operation. GetYourGuide products opened and read: the Camogli, San Fruttuoso and Portofino boat tour, the Portofino boat tour and the cetacean cruise. Expedia returned rate limits during this build, so hotel URLs are empty pending the confirmation pass. Photo credits as in the guide data. Last verified October 2026.
Affiliate disclosure: hotel names, transfers, experiences, and products linked in this guide may earn After You Land a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and times were checked in Oct 2026 and change often — confirm before you book.