Italy · GENOA & CINQUE TERRE TOURS
The good genoa & cinque terre tours fill weeks ahead and the best of them go first. Below: the 15 to lock in early, what each includes and how they differ.
Spend a full day at Genoa Aquarium, home to more than 5,000 animals in 70 tanks. See dolphins, penguins, sharks, seals, jellyfish, manatees, and colorful reef fish, then add focaccia, a sandwich, street food, or Panera ice cream when booking.
“An excellent aquarium but the signage was hard to follow. Not sure if we saw everything?”
You’ll ride Golfo Paradiso’s motorboat service from Genoa to Camogli, San Fruttuoso, and Portofino. This is a scenic ferry day, not a guided tour. Choose the included stops carefully, follow fixed departure times, and bring swimwear for San Fruttuoso.
“We had an awesome day visiting these 3 coastal stops. Camogli was our favorite. San Fruttuoso is really small- the tour could have done a better job directing us to the pier location there to leave for Portofino. There were signs, but for a different tour. Portofino was upscale, but did not have much time for much besides gelato. The ride was smooth and timely and our day was overall Perfecto!”
Sail from La Spezia to Cinque Terre aboard the Lord Byron with a multilingual guide. Depending on the day, visit Riomaggiore or Portovenere, then Monterosso and Vernazza, with free time for food, swimming, and village walks.
“This program was excellent, the staff was very kind and helpful, they created a good mood!🌸☀️”
Ride Genoa’s red Historical Route and blue Coastline Route for 24 or 48 hours. You’ll see Strada Nuova, Piazza De Ferrari, Boccadasse, the Aquarium, and Spianata Castelletto, with multilingual audio, Wi-Fi, live bus tracking, and a free walking tour in the app.
“Good value to see Genoa. Two different routes to hop on and off- Historic and Coastal. Downloadable app good to see where the buses are. Directions to start of bus journey accurate. Great way to see the city to save your legs! Hints- Get there early as very busy with cruise ship passengers and although there is some sort of queue, this is ignored as people push on. Angry people, quite rightly, who had got there early, were pushed out of the way. Headphones only given out if you get the first bus out and most didn’t work. Drivers were hit and miss over the bus speaker system letting you…”
Spend the day exploring the Aquarium of Genoa at your own pace, then stop at Tender Café for a sandwich, chips, and one drink. The café terrace looks across Genoa’s port. This self-guided ticket suits families and visitors who want a flexible indoor attraction with lunch included.
“Le point de rencontre a été difficile et j’ai eu de la difficulté à rejoindre le vendeur mais il s’est présenté. Sa ma cause un peu de stress . Par contre la visite était parfaite c’est un bel aquarium avec des lamantins et le repas était offert inclus dans notre billet . Je recommande.”
Travel from Florence to Cinque Terre in a minivan capped at eight people, with an English-speaking driver-guide, coastal train tickets, and a seasonal shared boat ride. You’ll visit Manarola, Vernazza, and Monterosso, or Corniglia in winter, with lunch and drinks on your own.
“Spectacular and truly unique coastline. Despite stormy weather, still very busy as expected although quite easy to get around via train once there (too rough for the boat ride). Wish our guide had mentioned we were leaving the bus for 5 hours as a result did not have my hat, water or towel. Still a great day.”
Take a roundtrip ferry from Genoa’s Porto Antico to Portofino without a guide or fixed walking group. The 4.5-hour outing includes coastal views, passing Camogli and San Fruttuoso Bay, and about 70 to 80 minutes to explore Portofino before sailing back.
“Fantastic trip to beautiful Portofino, great value for money, lovely boat trip & nice to see the other 2 villages in passing. Loved it thank you x 🩷”
From La Spezia, you get direct round-trip transport to Florence and Pisa, city maps, Wi-Fi, and help from a multilingual host. You have 3.5 hours in Florence and 1.5 in Pisa, with optional guided walking, Leaning Tower, or Accademia Gallery tickets.
“This was a great tour, despite the rainy day. Alexander our guide and Martina our driver were fabulous. Highly recommend this tour and hopefully you’ll end up with the same crew as ours.”
Meet the green-shirted escort outside La Spezia’s cruise terminal, ride a comfortable bus to Pisa, and enjoy about three hours on your own or choose a walking route through the medieval center. Add priority entry to climb the Leaning Tower and enter the Cathedral.
“Well organised, comfortable coach with knowledgeable guides plenty of time allowed to see the sites of Pisa and great value for money.”
Spend seven hours exploring Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza, and Monterosso by train from La Spezia. An English or Spanish-speaking leader handles train connections, points out photo spots, and helps you make the most of limited shore-excursion time. Expect lots of walking and little time to linger.
“Katerina was a great guide. Very friendly and helpful.”
Set out from Monterosso with a professional skipper and English-speaking host for a 2-hour-45-minute coastal cruise past all five Cinque Terre villages. Expect photo stops from the water, a swim from the boat, prosecco, bottled water, and Ligurian stuffed focaccia. Groups are capped at 12.
“This could be a very nice experience when the water is calm. The captain and guide was very nice and helpful but the tour should have been cancelled due to the rough water that day. Several people were seasick during our tour.”
Join a biologist-led cruise from Genoa’s Porto Antico into the Tyrrhenian Sea. After reaching 1,000 to 1,500 meters of water, the crew scans for striped dolphins, sperm whales, pilot dolphins, turtles, and seabirds. Sightings are never guaranteed, but a free return trip is offered if you see nothing.
“5 pods of dolphins, a juvenile mink whale and 4 adults. Awesome experience”
Meet at Genoa’s Aquarium Pier for a 4.5-hour search through the Pelagos Sanctuary. An Italian and English-speaking marine biologist explains cetacean behavior, feeding, and conservation while you look for fin whales, sperm whales, dolphins, and other species. Bar service and indoor seating are available onboard.
“Wir haben viele größere Delfin Gruppen gesehen. Insgesamt ca 100 Stück. Auch verschiedene rassen. Sogar einen pottwal konnten wir kurz sehen. Leider war er grad am abtauchen und wir noch recht weit weg von ihm. Snacks und Getränke gibt's gegen Gebühr an Bord. Toilette vorhanden. Innen und außen Sitzplätze vorhanden. 4,5 Stunden sich allerdings recht lang”
From La Spezia’s cruise terminal, walk with a guide to the station and ride through Cinque Terre. You’ll explore Vernazza, Monterosso, and Riomaggiore at an easy pace, with free time for food, swimming, shops, and views, plus a limoncino tasting in a traditional shop.
“My day trip was very good with Romana. Everything went smoothly. She gave us more info about the area. Be mindful this trip is almost self exploratory, the guide just helps you get from point to point on a train, great trip for someone who needs help navigating.”
Start on Via Garibaldi with an English and Italian guide, then follow Genoa’s narrow caruggi past Rolli palaces, San Matteo Square, San Lorenzo Cathedral, the Doge Palace, and the Opera House. Your ticket also allows same-day independent visits to the Strada Nuova and Sant’Agostino museums.
“She new all there is to no about Genova, great way to get around with all the narrow alleys. Really enjoyed and would recommend to anyone”
Pick a city, a coastline or a kitchen.
