Things to Do in Genoa with Kids: 5 Ideas for a Family Day
If you're planning a day in Genoa with kids, it helps to choose a few stops and mix different types of activities. The Porto Antico area puts several family attractions close together, while the historic centre is easy to explore on foot. For some time outdoors, the Parks of Nervi are outside the city centre.
Things to Do in Genoa with Kids: 5 Activities to Choose From
1. Visit the Aquarium of Genoa
Photo by portoantico.it
The Aquarium of Genoa is located in the Porto Antico and is one of the easiest attractions to fit into a family day. Its route passes through different aquatic environments, with species including penguins, sharks, dolphins and jellyfish.
For a complete visit, allow about 2 hours and 30 minutes. The Aquarium is open 365 days a year, but opening and admission times vary depending on the period, so check the official calendar before your visit.
2. Explore the Historic Centre with a Puzzle Trail
If the kids still have energy after the Porto Antico, ClueGo turns Genoa's historic centre into a puzzle trail. You use a Web App on your smartphone, with no download, guide or reservation required, and solve riddles by observing streets, buildings and details along the way.
The trail is recommended from age 8, takes about 2-3 hours, covers 3 km and includes 10 stops. It starts in Piazza de Ferrari and ends at Porta Soprana, and you can pause the game and continue later.
Discover the ClueGo Genoa trail
3. Take the Castelletto Lift for a View of Genoa
Photo by visitgenoa.it
To add a viewpoint without walking uphill, take the Castelletto Levante Lift. It connects Piazza Portello with Spianata Castelletto, overcoming a difference in elevation of 57 metres.
The ride takes just a few minutes and brings you directly to the viewpoint, with views across part of the historic centre and the port. The lift operates from 6:40 am to midnight.
4. Walk Through the Parks of Nervi
Photo by visitgenoa.it
The Parks of Nervi bring together several historic gardens between Via Aurelia and the sea. The area covers about 92,000 square metres and includes monumental trees, numerous botanical species and a rose garden.
From here, the walk can continue along Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi, which runs for about 2 km along the coast. Nervi requires a trip out of the city centre, so it is easier to make it the main stop of a half-day rather than add it to an already packed itinerary.
5. Play and Learn at the City of Children and Youth
Photo by cittadeibambini.net
Also in the Porto Antico area, La Città dei Bambini e dei Ragazzi is an experience museum built around the five senses and hands-on activities. It was renovated and reopened in 2022, with spaces designed for children and teenagers.
It can be particularly useful when the weather makes it difficult to spend much time outdoors. Tickets are also available for children from 2 years old; children aged 0 to 1 enter free.
How to Plan a Day in Genoa with Kids
If you're wondering what to do in Genoa with kids in one day, there is no need to fit everything in. The Aquarium and La Città dei Bambini e dei Ragazzi are both in the Porto Antico area, while ClueGo crosses the historic centre from Piazza de Ferrari.
One possible plan is to spend the morning around the Porto Antico, then move towards the historic centre and choose a shorter activity for the afternoon. The Parks of Nervi require a separate journey and work better when you have at least half a day for that area.
With two days, the schedule can be spread out more comfortably, leaving part of the visit for the city centre and Porto Antico and a second day for Nervi.
FAQ: Genoa with Kids
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Indoor options include the Aquarium of Genoa and La Città dei Bambini e dei Ragazzi, both in the Porto Antico area. The Galata Sea Museum is another option: it has 31 rooms, multimedia stations and the Nazario Sauro submarine, which can be visited in the water.
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At this age, you can combine visits, interactive activities and time outdoors. The Aquarium, the historic centre, a puzzle trail and the Galata Sea Museum can be combined to create a day with different types of activities.
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A day can be enough to see some of the main attractions around the Porto Antico and historic centre if you choose only a few stops. With two days, you can add an area outside the centre, such as Nervi, at a more relaxed pace.
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A one-day visit works if you keep the number of activities limited. A possible itinerary can include one main attraction, a shorter second stop and enough time to walk between places and take breaks along the way.
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ClueGo trails are designed for adults as well as children and teenagers. For the Genoa trail, an age of at least 8 years is recommended so that children can take part in solving the riddles.