Savona cruise port

Walk off the ship into a Riviera old town, with Genoa 45 minutes up the line.

Savona is Costa’s home on the Italian Riviera: the Palacrociere terminal sits right against the old town, and you cross a short pedestrian bridge by the medieval Torretta and are in the lanes, the Priamar fortress and the cafes of Via Paleocapa in under ten minutes. Most cruisers do Savona on foot, take the train to Genoa and its aquarium, or ride a coach to the painted villages of Noli and Finalborgo. 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.

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DockedPalacrociere terminal, walk-off, about 300 m to the old town

Eurocards everywhere; Italian, English in the terminal and tourist spots

May to Jun, Sep to Oct70s, sunny, Riviera at its best without the August crush

All inevery price includes taxes and fees

Start here

Three ways to do Savona

The old town on foot, Genoa by train, or a coach along the Riviera di Ponente: pick your style and the buttons filter the list of sailings below.

Old town on foot

The Priamar fortress, the Sistine Chapel and the caruggi

Cross the footbridge by the Torretta Leon Pancaldo and you are in the medieval center; the Priamar fortress is a 5 minute walk, free to roam with museums inside for a few euros
Savona has its own Sistine Chapel, built for Pope Sixtus IV’s parents next to the cathedral, free and almost never crowded; the Torre del Brandale and the arcaded Via Paleocapa are the rest of the loop
Lunch on farinata and a glass of Pigato for about €15 to €20 in the lanes; the whole walk is flat and 3 hours is plenty

Best for: first-timers, walkers, anyone who wants a lazy day

Genoa by train

The aquarium, the Porto Antico and Europe’s biggest old town

Savona station is a 15 minute walk or €10 taxi from the terminal; regional trains to Genova Piazza Principe take 35 to 55 minutes for about €5 to €6 each way, running every half hour
Genoa’s aquarium at the Porto Antico is Italy’s largest, about €25 to €31 for a timed online ticket as of 2026; the Via Garibaldi palaces and the Cathedral of San Lorenzo are a 15 minute walk away
Give it 6 hours door to door; ship excursions do the same trip by coach for roughly $70 to $100 with a guide and a guaranteed return

Best for: families, repeat visitors, city lovers

Riviera villages

Noli, Finalborgo and the ceramics of Albisola

Noli is a walled seaside village 20 minutes west with a sandy beach; Finalborgo is a medieval walled town 10 minutes inland from Finale Ligure; Costa and the other lines sell the pair as a half day for about €45 to $70
Albisola, 3 km east along the coast road, is the ceramics town: the mosaic Passeggiata degli Artisti and a dozen studios where you can watch and buy; bus or a €15 taxi
Portofino and the Cinque Terre are offered as long excursions (8 to 9 hours, about $150 and up) and are a lot of coach for the day; the near villages give you more time ashore

Best for: couples, photographers, shoppers

Live from the cruise lines

Savona cruises: SmartCruiser picks first

Every cruise that calls at Savona 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

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Every cruise that calls at Savona

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Prices 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.

Where you start

Home ports that sail to Savona

Savona is both Costa’s turnaround port and a stop on Western Mediterranean loops that pick up guests in several cities; pick a home port and the list above filters to cruises leaving from there.

GenoaCosta’s 7 night Western Med loops embark in Genoa or Savona on consecutive days, so the same cruise shows under both Rome (Civitavecchia)Costa Smeralda, Toscana and Fascinosa 7 nighters from Rome that call at Savona on the Riviera day MarseilleCosta loops with a Marseille embarkation that reach Savona the next morning Barcelona7 night Costa circuits that board in Barcelona and spend a day in Savona midweek SouthamptonFred. Olsen and other UK-based ships on 14 to 21 night Mediterranean cruises with a Savona call

In port

Things to do in Savona

No shuttle, no transit time: the old town starts at the end of the footbridge, so every hour of your call is yours.

Priamar fortressThe 16th century Genoese fortress on the headland beside the terminal, a 5 minute walk. The ramparts and courtyards are free with sea views over your ship, and the archaeological and art museums inside cost a few euros each; allow an hour and wear flat shoes for the ramps and steps.

The Sistine Chapel of SavonaSixtus IV, the pope who built the Vatican’s chapel, built this one in his home town as his parents’ mausoleum, later dressed in rococo stucco. It sits beside the Cathedral of the Assumption, is free, and takes 20 minutes; the cathedral cloister next door is worth a look.

Torretta and Via PaleocapaThe 14th century Leon Pancaldo tower at the harbor mouth is the symbol of the town; the arcaded Via Paleocapa behind it is the shopping street, with Art Nouveau facades, bakeries selling focaccia and the covered market. Free wandering, best before the 1 pm shutters.

Genoa and the aquariumTrains from Savona station reach Genoa in 35 to 55 minutes for about €5 to €6. The aquarium at the Porto Antico is about €25 to €31 timed online, then the Via Garibaldi palaces, the Cathedral of San Lorenzo and the maze of the old town. A 6 hour outing; ship coaches do it with a guide for about $70 to $100.

Albisola ceramicsThree km east, the Albisola twins are the ceramics capital of Liguria: walk the mosaic Passeggiata degli Artisti along the beach, visit the Museo della Ceramica and buy from working studios. Local bus from Piazza Mameli or a €15 taxi; 2 to 3 hours.

Noli and FinalborgoThe medieval walled fishing village of Noli (20 minutes) and the walled market town of Finalborgo (30 minutes) are the classic ship excursion from Savona, about €45 to $70 for 4 hours with a guide. Finalborgo has a Saturday market and the best gelato on the Riviera di Ponente.

Beach daySavona has a sandy town beach a 15 minute walk south of the fortress at Le Fornaci, with lido clubs renting loungers from about €15 to €25 for the day in summer; Spotorno and Bergeggi, 15 minutes by train or taxi, are prettier and clearer.

Sanctuary of Our Lady of MercyA 1536 pilgrimage church in a wooded valley 6 km inland, the spiritual heart of Savona with a baroque interior and a small museum. Bus 6 from the center or a €20 taxi; 2 hours round trip, and quiet when four thousand people are shopping Via Paleocapa.

Pick your style

Which lines call at Savona?

Savona is Costa’s Mediterranean home port, with a handful of other lines calling on longer itineraries; these are the ones with the most sailings.

      Costa CruisesThe home team: Costa Smeralda, Toscana, Pacifica, Fascinosa and Favolosa on 7 night Western Med loops from Savona and Genoa almost every day of the week, year roundSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      Costa long voyagesCosta Fascinosa and Serena transatlantics from Savona to the Caribbean each November and December, plus 10 to 11 night Canaries and Morocco sailings on Costa Smeralda in the winterSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      Fred. OlsenBalmoral and Bolette on 14 to 21 night Mediterranean cruises from Southampton and Dover with a Savona day on the RivieraSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      Oceania CruisesOccasional Oceania Sirena calls and turnarounds on Riviera and Western Mediterranean itinerariesSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
    

Timing

When to go

Savona has a mild Riviera climate with dry, warm summers and rain mostly in the autumn; Costa sails every month, so the calendar is about crowds and sea temperature more than weather.

April to JuneHighs from the mid 60s to the upper 70s, wisteria and bougainvillea on the old walls, sea warm enough to swim by June. May and June are the sweet spot: Genoa’s aquarium is uncrowded and the villages are open but not yet packed.

July to AugustLow to mid 80s and humid, with the whole of northern Italy at the Riviera beaches in August. Go to Genoa early or stay in the shade of the caruggi; Costa runs two or three ships a week through Savona.

September to OctoberUpper 70s easing to the upper 60s, the sea at its warmest in September and the olive and chestnut harvests in the hills. October brings the first real rain, usually short and heavy. Our favorite months.

November to MarchHighs in the low 50s to upper 50s, the rainiest weeks in November and a crisp, sunny stretch in January and February. The old town is empty and Costa keeps sailing all winter; bring a jacket and plan an indoor Genoa day if it pours.

Good to know

Savona questions we answer every day

Where do cruise ships dock in Savona, and how far is it to town?

At the Palacrociere terminal, a three-story Costa-built building with a second terminal attached for busy days, on a quay that can hold three ships. There is no tendering and no shuttle because none is needed: the old town is about 300 m away across a flat pedestrian bridge by the Torretta, under 10 minutes on foot and wheelchair friendly. The railway station is about 1.5 km inland, a 15 to 20 minute walk or a €10 taxi.

How do I get around Savona and the Riviera?

On foot in town. For Genoa, the regional train from Savona station takes 35 to 55 minutes for about €5 to €6 each way; validate paper tickets before boarding. Local TPL buses reach Albisola, Spotorno and the Sanctuary for a couple of euros. Taxis wait at the terminal and are metered; agree the fare before a long run to Finalborgo or Noli, about €50 to €70 each way. Ship excursions cover the villages, Genoa, Portofino and even Turin and Milan on long calls.

What money do I use, and will my phone work?

Italy uses the euro and cards and tap-to-pay work in nearly every shop and cafe; carry a few coins for the market and small bakeries. Italian is the language, and English is spoken in the terminal and the places tourists go, less so in the villages. Savona 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; the terminal has free Wi-Fi.

Is Savona safe for cruise passengers?

Yes. Savona is a quiet provincial town and neither the cruise lines nor the U.S. State Department flag anything beyond the usual Italian advice: watch for pickpockets on crowded trains to Genoa and around the Genoa station, keep your passport in the cabin safe and carry a photo of it, and use the marked taxis. Genoa’s old town lanes are atmospheric but stick to the main ones after dark on an overnight call.

What is the best excursion, and should I book it through the ship?

Savona itself needs no excursion, so the question is Genoa or the villages. Genoa is easy and cheap by train on any call of 8 hours or more; book the aquarium slot online before you sail. The Noli and Finalborgo half day is the one most people remember and it is awkward on your own, so take the ship’s tour. Portofino and the Cinque Terre are long coach days from Savona and better done from La Spezia or Genoa if your itinerary also stops there.

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. Italy is in the Schengen area: 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 Savona and Italian Riviera cruise specialist

Tell us your dates and whether you want to board in Savona or just stop there and we will find the Western Mediterranean 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.

1-800-444-1560