A day at the Porto Antico

What is near the Aquarium of Genoa?

The Bigo, Renzo Piano’s panoramic lift rising to 40 metres, the Biosfera, a steel-and-glass sphere on the water with a tropical environment, and La Città dei Bambini e dei Ragazzi.

These are the structures that Costa Edutainment manages in Porto Antico together with the Aquarium, and they can also be bought with the Aquarium. With PianetAcquario (Aquarium, Bigo and Biosfera) the online price starts from 37 euros for an adult. With AcquarioVillage (all four) it costs 51 euros and is valid for one year: Bigo and Biosfera without booking, while for the Aquarium date and time slot remain binding.

In practice, you can do the Aquarium in your half-hour slot and go up the Bigo on another day, within the ticket validity. The opening hours of the other structures are on the official calendar: check them for the day you have chosen.

Can you visit the Galata and the submarine with the Aquarium?

Yes: the GetYourGuide ticket includes the Aquarium, the Galata Museo del Mare and the submarine S518 Nazario Sauro, valid on the chosen date and slot.

It is the only combined ticket we follow where the booked time slot applies directly to the Aquarium: there is no second booking to make. The listing for Aquarium, Galata and submarine gives two warnings for families:

• bring a passport or ID card for children;
• tickets for children aged 4 to 6 are bought on site, separately.

Allow about 2 hours and 30 minutes for the Aquarium, plus time for the museum and the submarine. The ticket can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before.

Aquarium, Galata Museo del Mare and submarine Nazario Sauro with a single ticket, on the date and slot you choose.

★ 4.6 · 2.5 hours in Aquarium + museum · from $52

Discover Aquarium, Galata and submarine → Tour details

How do you climb the Lanterna?

On foot: with the combined Aquarium and Lanterna ticket, you climb 172 steps to the first panoramic terrace.

The Lanterna is the lighthouse of Genoa. In the listing for Aquarium and Lanterna, the booked time slot concerns the lighthouse; the date and time of the Aquarium must be booked separately on ticket.acquariodigenova.it/biglietti-open. If you do not book it, the listing states that you enter at the first available time slot.

The listing is clear about the steps. It is not suitable for pregnant women, people with back or heart problems, people with reduced mobility and wheelchair users. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes: high heels are not allowed.

What to see in the historic centre after the Aquarium?

The 2-hour walking tour passes by Casa di Colombo, Palazzo Ducale, Piazza San Giorgio, Piazza Banchi, Porta Soprana and the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, ending at Piazza De Ferrari.

This is the route described in the listing for Genova walking tour with a local guide: it starts from a central square and ends in Piazza Raffaele De Ferrari, the main square, from which you can continue on your own. Porta Soprana is the gate with the towers of the 12th-century walls.

If you are interested in Columbus, the Aquarium and Casa di Colombo ticket includes the childhood home of the navigator, just outside the medieval walls, with the shop on the ground floor and the attic. It is not suitable for those with reduced mobility. For dinner, the Genoa food tour lasts 3 hours with a guide in English and more than 4 stops: pesto pasta, focaccia, fried fish, wine and ice cream, with water and an alcoholic drink. The listing warns that you walk for 10-15 minutes at a time.

Which boat trips depart near the Aquarium?

Two, from Ponte Spinola: cetacean watching with a marine biologist (4.5 hours) and the boat to Portofino with 2 free hours in the village (5 hours).

Cetaceans. The excursion in the Pelagos Sanctuary departs from Ponte Spinola 2, next to the Aquarium, with a marine biologist on board who explains the species and their behaviour. Sightings depend on nature and are not guaranteed. With unfavourable sea or weather conditions, the trip may be cancelled the day before. Snacks and drinks are not included.

Portofino. The boat to Portofino departs in late morning from Porto Antico and arrives around noon; you have two hours for the Piazzetta and Castello Brown, then you return to Genoa. By law you must collect a paper ticket: the listing asks you to present yourself 30 minutes before at the blue ticket office at the beginning of Ponte Spinola, in front of the Aquarium entrance. This trip also depends on the sea.

How to plan the day around the Aquarium?

Start with the Aquarium slot, about 2 hours and 30 minutes, and add an activity before or after: a museum, the Lanterna, the historic centre or a boat trip.

Boat trips take up half a day, so they are generally not combined with each other on the same day. For everything else, pay attention to the Aquarium's opening hours: there are three opening time bands depending on the day (9:00-20:00, 10:00-19:30, 9:00-22:00) and the last entry is 2 hours before closing. The exact day is on the official calendar.

Here are the durations published by the Aquarium and the listings, to help you plan. How to get to Porto Antico is in the how to get there guide.

Four and a half hours in the Pelagos Sanctuary with a marine biologist, departing next to the Aquarium.

★ 4.4 · 4.5 hours · from $50

Discover cetacean watching → Tour details

Frequently asked questions