What is the Genoa self-guided walking tour?
The Genoa self-guided walking tour takes you through the narrow lanes of the old town, the caruggi, with audio narration on your phone in place of a guide. Count on about 3 hours: walking takes just 30 minutes, the route is 2.3 km long, and the rest of the time belongs to the 10 stops, each with its own story. The pace and the day are yours to choose.
At Palazzo San Giorgio by the Old Port you hear the tradition that Marco Polo was held prisoner there in 1298 and dictated his travels to Rustichello da Pisa. At San Lorenzo Cathedral, consecrated in 1118, the narration tells of the British naval shell that hit the church in 1941 and never went off. Porta Soprana brings in the walls raised in 1155 against Frederick Barbarossa, and the last stop is the small house where Christopher Columbus is believed to have grown up, the son of a wool weaver.
- Durationabout 3 hours
- Walkingabout 30 min · 2.3 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch
What you do on the walking tour
Listen
Every stop has its chapter about doges, bankers and saints, including the legend of Saint Syrus and the basilisk in the well. Prefer reading? The same text is on screen.
Stroll
Google Maps steers you through lanes where it is easy to lose your bearings: 30 minutes of walking over 2.3 km, with a few slopes between the port and the upper town.
Break off
Stop for focaccia or spend an hour at an exhibition in the Doge's Palace, then pick the walk up later or on another day.
Eat and browse
Tips for food and shops close to the route come with the stops. The first stop and the order of the others can be changed in the app.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of people. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Walk when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Who the walking tour is for
A first visit
One walk turns the tangle of alleys into a clear line, from the noble palaces down to the port and back up to the medieval walls.
A short stay in Genoa
3 hours covers the historic centre and leaves the rest of the day for the Aquarium or the palace museums of Via Garibaldi.
Anyone who avoids groups
The caruggi are too narrow for a crowd behind a flag: you stop where you like and walk on when you have heard enough.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Groups of up to 5 work best; larger groups split up, one ticket per person.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
The walk stop by stop: San Siro, Palazzo San Giorgio, San Lorenzo, Columbus' House
10 stops · about 30 min walking · start: Basilica of San Siro · finish: Christopher Columbus' House
The Basilica of San Siro, Genoa's first cathedral, opens the walk in the lanes of the old town. The first stretch climbs to the noble quarter, with the painted sundial of Palazzo Grimaldi della Meridiana and Piazza Fontane Marose at the start of Via Garibaldi. Then the caruggi lead down past Santa Maria delle Vigne to Palazzo San Giorgio on the Old Port, and the route climbs again to San Lorenzo Cathedral, the Doge's Palace and Piazza De Ferrari. The twin towers of Porta Soprana stand just above the final stop, Christopher Columbus' House. Another first stop or another order can be set in the app, and nothing on the route charges admission.
Open the route map ↗
1Basilica of San SiroStart
San Siro was Genoa's first cathedral before the bishop's seat moved to San Lorenzo, and the present church was rebuilt from the late 16th century by the Theatine order. Its interior is covered with Baroque frescoes, stucco and gilding. According to legend, Saint Syrus drove a basilisk out of a well in the city.
2Palazzo Grimaldi della Meridiana
This palace was built in the 16th century for Gerolamo Grimaldi, one of the city's great noble families. It takes its name from the large sundial, the meridiana, later painted on its façade, and it belongs to the Palazzi dei Rolli, the noble palaces listed by UNESCO in 2006.
3Piazza Fontane Marose
This square at the start of Via Garibaldi, the old Strada Nuova of Genoa's nobles, takes its name from fountains that once stood here. On one side rises Palazzo Spinola dei Marmi, a 15th-century palace with black and white marble stripes and statues of Spinola family members in niches.
4Basilica of Santa Maria delle Vigne
The basilica takes its name from the vineyards, the vigne, that covered this area when the first church was built in the Middle Ages. Its Romanesque bell tower survives from the medieval church, while the interior was remade in Baroque style in the 17th century.
5Palazzo San Giorgio
Built in 1260 for Guglielmo Boccanegra, this palace by the Old Port later housed the Bank of Saint George, one of the oldest banks in Europe. Tradition says Marco Polo was held prisoner here in 1298 and dictated his travels to Rustichello da Pisa. The sea-facing façade is painted with Saint George slaying the dragon.
Read the full story →
6San Lorenzo Cathedral
Genoa's cathedral, consecrated in 1118, has a façade of black and white marble stripes guarded by stone lions. Inside you can see a British naval shell that hit the church in 1941 and did not explode, and a chapel dedicated to John the Baptist, the city's patron saint.
7Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale)
From the 14th century this palace was the seat of the Doges, the elected rulers of the Republic of Genoa. After a fire in 1777 the architect Simone Cantoni gave it its neoclassical façade, and the medieval Grimaldina tower beside it was used as a prison. Today it hosts exhibitions and events.
8Piazza De Ferrari
Genoa's main square is named after Raffaele De Ferrari, Duke of Galliera, a 19th-century benefactor of the city. Its large bronze fountain dates from 1936, and around it stand the Teatro Carlo Felice, the former stock exchange and a side of the Doge's Palace, with Garibaldi on horseback nearby.
Read the full story →
9Porta Soprana
The two tall towers of Porta Soprana were part of the walls built in 1155 to defend Genoa against Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. Also called Porta di Sant'Andrea, the gate was one of the main entrances to the medieval city.
10Christopher Columbus' HouseFinish
Just below Porta Soprana stands a small ivy-covered house, rebuilt in the 18th century on the site of the home where Christopher Columbus is believed to have grown up. His father Domenico was a wool weaver. Next to it are the remains of the Romanesque cloister of Sant'Andrea.
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Nathalie– France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Rey– France –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Nous avons adoré la proximité des monuments à visiter, du port et de l’aquarium. Sans oublier la bienveillance et les conseils du propriétaire
Valerio– Italy –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Va molto bene per avere una prima idea del centro storico di Genova
Annabelle– United Kingdom –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Was probably ok – but poor phone reception around the narrow winding streets meant that it was impossible to navigate from the map. We resorted to using the local tourist signage and maps instead
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
bien, pero la información contenida es demasiado corta
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Wir hatten diverse Schwierigkeiten beim Finden diverser Sehenswürdigkeiten, da z.B. die Eingänge nicht immer klar zu finden waren.
Rossana– Mexico –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Muy practico
New Zealand –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Took a bit to set up but then worked well