Focaccia, painted palaces and a boat to Portofino from a downtown pier.
Genoa is Italy’s biggest port and one of its most underrated cities, and the cruise ships tie up at the Stazione Marittima on Ponte dei Mille and Ponte Andrea Doria, a 15 minute walk from the Porto Antico, the Aquarium and the tangle of medieval lanes behind it. Most cruisers either wander the old town and the painted palaces of Via Garibaldi or take a boat or coach down the coast to Portofino. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls here from every line, priced with taxes, fees and port expenses included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.
Three ways to do Genoa
The old town on foot, the Riviera by boat, or the Aquarium and the waterfront with kids: pick your day and the buttons filter the list of sailings below.
Via Garibaldi, San Lorenzo and the caruggi
- Walk 15 to 20 minutes from the pier along the waterfront to Palazzo San Giorgio, then up into the caruggi, the medieval lanes that lead to the striped Cathedral of San Lorenzo and Piazza De Ferrari
- Via Garibaldi is lined with the Palazzi dei Rolli, the Renaissance palaces on the UNESCO list; the Palazzo Rosso and Palazzo Bianco museums are about €9 for the pair
- Stop for a slab of focaccia (about €2 to €3) and a pesto trofie lunch in a trattoria for about €12 to €15; most shops close 1 to 4 pm
Best for: walkers, foodies, repeat Mediterranean cruisers
The Riviera’s postcard harbor by boat or coach
- In season the Golfo Paradiso boats leave the Porto Antico for Portofino, about €26 round trip and roughly 90 minutes each way along the coast, with San Fruttuoso’s abbey cove on the same route
- By land it is a 35 minute train from Principe station to Santa Margherita Ligure (about €4) and a 15 minute bus or boat on to Portofino; the ship’s coach excursions do the same in 5 to 6 hours for about $100 to $150
- Portofino itself is tiny: the piazzetta, the climb to Castello Brown and the San Giorgio church, then a pricey espresso by the yachts
Best for: couples, photographers, anyone who has done the old town
Renzo Piano’s Porto Antico with the kids
- The Aquarium of Genoa is the largest in Italy, 70 tanks with dolphins, sharks and manatees on the old port right where the ship’s walk ends; about €25 to €31 online depending on the date, allow 2.5 hours
- Next door are the Bigo panoramic lift, the Galata maritime museum with a walk-through submarine and the Neptune galleon from the Roman Polanski film
- Ride the Castelletto elevator or the Zecca-Righi funicular for the rooftop view of the harbor and your ship
Best for: families, hot days, short port calls
Genoa cruises: SmartCruiser picks first
Every cruise that calls at Genoa from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery cruise that calls at Genoa
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Home ports that sail to Genoa
Genoa is a stop on most Western Mediterranean loops run by MSC and Costa, and on some longer Princess and Cunard itineraries; pick a home port and the list above filters to cruises leaving from there.
Things to do in Genoa
Most ships give you 8 to 10 hours here; the old town and the Aquarium are on foot, Portofino needs the whole day.
Which lines call at Genoa?
Genoa is MSC’s home base and a Costa turnaround port, so most calls are Italian loops; a few premium lines add it as a day stop.
When to go
Genoa is mild and bright from spring through fall, hot and humid in July and August, and wet in October and November; late spring and September are the best Riviera weather.
Genoa questions we answer every day
Where do cruise ships dock in Genoa, and how far is it to town?
Ships dock at the Stazione Marittima cruise terminals on Ponte dei Mille and Ponte Andrea Doria, right on the city waterfront; there is no tendering. Principe railway station is a 5 to 10 minute walk uphill, the Porto Antico and the Aquarium are about 15 minutes along the harbor, and Piazza De Ferrari in the heart of the old town is 20 to 25 minutes on foot. The terminal area is a working port, so follow the pedestrian signs or take the metro from Principe (two stops to San Giorgio or three to De Ferrari).
How do I get around Genoa, and what does it cost?
Mostly on foot: the historic center is compact and flat near the water, steep as you climb. The metro from Principe to San Giorgio and De Ferrari and the city buses use the same AMT ticket, about €2 for 110 minutes as of 2026, which also covers the Castelletto elevator and the funiculars. Taxis wait at the terminal; the old town is about €10 to €15 and Boccadasse about €20. For Portofino, the Golfo Paradiso boat from the Porto Antico is about €26 round trip in season, or the train to Santa Margherita is about €4 each way.
What money do I use, and will my phone work?
Italy uses the euro. Cards work in museums, restaurants and most shops, but focaccia bakeries, market stalls and bus ticket windows often prefer cash, so carry €40 or so. Italian is the language and English is thinner here than in Rome or Florence, though fine at the Aquarium and the port. Genoa is on Central European Time, six hours ahead of New York. Most US carriers sell a daily international pass of about $10 to $12, or buy an eSIM before you sail.
Is Genoa safe for cruise passengers?
Yes. Genoa is a working port city with the normal big-city cautions the cruise lines and the U.S. State Department note for Italy: pickpockets in crowds and on buses, and a few of the narrowest caruggi near the port that feel seedy after dark. By day, keep your bag across your body, stay on the main lanes (Via San Luca, Via Garibaldi, Via XX Settembre), use the white licensed taxis and leave the passport in the cabin safe. Portofino and Boccadasse are as safe as it gets.
What is the best excursion, and should I book it through the ship?
Portofino is the one everyone wants, and the ship excursion earns its price on a short call because the coach-plus-boat combination is timed to the sailing and the summer boats sell out. If your call is 9 hours or more and the sea is calm, the Golfo Paradiso boat from the Porto Antico is a glorious way to get there on your own; buy the return when you board. Genoa itself needs no tour: the old town, Via Garibaldi and the Aquarium are all a walk from the pier.
Do I need a passport for a Mediterranean cruise?
Yes. Every Mediterranean cruise needs a passport valid for at least three months beyond your return (we recommend six), and there is no closed-loop exception as there is for round trips from US ports. The EU’s new entry-exit system records your arrival at the first Schengen port, and the ETIAS travel authorization is being phased in; check the EU’s official site before you fly. Our specialists keep a current checklist for every sailing.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, government taxes, fees and port expenses, so the number you see is the number you pay for the cruise. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and onboard gratuities are extra, and SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit on the picks at the top that you cannot get booking direct.
Talk to a Genoa cruise specialist
Tell us your dates and whether Portofino or the painted palaces is the goal and we will find the Italy sailing with the most SmartCruiser value, then book it for you. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.