Genoa · Italy
Genoa Itinerary 2 Days - Caruggi, Palazzi and Harbour
Genoa climbs straight up from its port, a little salty and a little rough around the edges. This two-day plan runs from the Rolli palaces of Via Garibaldi through the caruggi to the Porto Antico and the fishing village of Boccadasse.
Published October 20, 2026
A lane barely wider than your shoulders, laundry strung between fifth-floor windows, a smell of warm focaccia drifting from a doorway. Then the alley ends and a palace staircase opens up, all frescoes and marble. That is Genoa in one minute. The city climbs straight up from its port, and it is a little salty and a little rough around the edges. It rewards anyone willing to walk.
This **Genoa itinerary 2 days** plan follows the city from its merchant palaces down through the medieval lanes to the old harbour, then out to a fishing village that somehow sits inside the city limits. Bring good shoes and an appetite.
Why Is Genoa Worth 2 Days?
Genoa can be seen well in two days because its historic centre, the Rolli palaces and the old harbour lie close together, all within walking distance of each other. Day 1 covers the old town and the palace street of Via Garibaldi. Day 2 moves to the waterfront, the Porto Antico and the fishing village of Boccadasse. The terrain is the only catch. The centre sits on a slope, so expect stairs, steep lanes and the occasional public lift that saves your legs. With **2 days in Genoa** you get the palaces, the cathedral, the harbour, a seafront sunset and at least three proper meals of pesto, focaccia and fried fish, without ever feeling rushed. A third day would let you add a trip along the Ligurian coast.
It also works as an antidote to Italy's headline cities. Fewer tour groups, more daily life. The list of **things to do in Genoa** is long, but the best of it happens between the sights.
Day 1 — Via Garibaldi, Caruggi and the Cathedral
Start where the money was. In the sixteenth century, Genoa's banking families built a street of palaces so grand that the republic kept an official list of them, the Rolli, to host visiting kings and ambassadors. That system earned a place on the [UNESCO World Heritage list](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1211/), and **Via Garibaldi** is its showpiece.
Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Doria-Tursi work as one museum cluster, linked by gardens and passages. Inside Tursi you will find Paganini's own violin, the one he called the cannon. Climb to the roof terraces of Palazzo Rosso for a view over slate roofs and church domes down to the cranes of the port. Check opening hours and ticket rules before you go, as they vary by museum.
By late morning, step downhill into the **caruggi**. These are the narrow medieval lanes that make up one of the largest historic centres in Europe. Light barely reaches the paving. Look up at the corners for the small painted shrines set into the walls, each with its Madonna watching over a crossing. This is where a **Genoa old town itinerary** stops being a list and turns into wandering.
Lunch should be simple. Grab a slab of focaccia from any bakery with a queue of locals, or a slice of farinata, the thin chickpea pancake baked in huge copper pans. If you want to sit down, order trofie al pesto. Pesto comes from here, and the basil grown on the Ligurian hills tastes sweeter than you expect.
After lunch, follow the lanes to Piazza De Ferrari and its big bronze fountain, the hinge between the old town and the grander streets above. Then head down Via San Lorenzo to the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, striped in black and white marble like a giant humbug. Inside, an unexploded naval shell from the Second World War sits on display.
Keep going toward the sea. Piazza Banchi was the old trading square, and the quiet lanes around Santa Maria di Castello hold some of the oldest towers in town. Slow down here. After dark, the caruggi stay lively around the bars near Piazza delle Erbe. Some side lanes get dark and empty late at night, so stick to the busier streets after dinner.
Day 2 — Porto Antico, the Aquarium and Boccadasse
Genoa turned its back on the sea for decades, behind warehouses and a raised road. Then architect Renzo Piano, a Genoa native, opened the old docks back up to the city. The result is the **Porto Antico**, a walkable harbour front of piers, cafés and boats.
Pick one or two stops rather than all of them. The Aquarium of Genoa is the big draw, one of the largest in Europe, and families can easily spend half a day inside. The Bigo, a white crane-like structure, lifts a panoramic cabin above the harbour. The Galata Maritime Museum tells the story of a city that sent sailors across the world, with a full-size galley you can walk through.
For lunch, walk under the arches of Sottoripa, the long medieval arcade facing the port. Friggitorie here sell paper cones of fried anchovies, squid and vegetables. Eat standing up. It is the most Genoese lunch you can have.
Later, head east to **Boccadasse**. It is a tiny fishing village of pink, yellow and ochre houses wrapped around a pebble cove, and it belongs to Genoa even though it looks like a postcard from a remote coast. You can reach it by local bus or by a long walk along the Corso Italia promenade, with the sea on one side the whole way. Wooden boats rest on the stones. Old men argue on benches.
Stay for golden hour. Buy a gelato, sit on the rocks and watch the houses turn orange. If you still have energy, ride the Castelletto lift back in town for a terrace view over the rooftops at night.
How Do You Get Around Genoa?
Mostly on foot. The historic centre is a maze best handled by walking, and many lanes are closed to cars anyway. Comfortable shoes with grip matter more than anything else you pack, because the stone gets slippery after rain.
For longer hops, the city runs a small metro line, buses and a set of funiculars and public lifts that carry people up the hillside neighbourhoods. All of them belong to the local [transport operator](https://www.amt.genova.it/), which publishes fares and timetables. Trains arrive at two main stations, Genova Piazza Principe on the western side of the centre and Genova Brignole on the eastern side. Choose the one closer to your hotel.
When Should You Visit and What Else Should You Know?
Spring and autumn are the easiest seasons. The air is mild, the lanes are cool and you can walk all day. Summer is hot and busy at the seaside, especially at Boccadasse on weekends. Winter is quieter, often grey, but the palaces and museums carry a rainy day well.
The caruggi of Genoa are the narrow lanes of the medieval centre, among the largest in Europe. They are best explored on foot, with no fixed route. Getting a little lost is part of the plan, and you are never more than a few minutes from a square or the sea.
Museum hours, ticket rules and lift operations change through the year, so check the [city tourism site](https://www.visitgenoa.it/en) before setting out. If rain arrives on your harbour day, swap Boccadasse for the Galata museum and the Aquarium, and save the cove for the next morning.
Where Do You Go From Here?
Create your own itinerary with Keptour: add the places that catch your eye, arrange them into days and share the plan with whoever is coming along.
Then leave space in the plan. Genoa gives its best to people who allow for a long lunch, a lane they did not mean to take and the sea waiting at the end of the day.