Liguria · Italy · UNESCO World Heritage
Renaissance palaces, medieval lanes and a great harbour on the Ligurian Sea. We drive you to Genoa for the day or as a stop on the way to Portofino and the Cinque Terre, and bring you back to Nice in the evening.
Why go
Once the capital of a powerful maritime republic, Genoa kept from its golden age the Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Below those painted façades lies one of the largest historic centres in Europe, a maze of caruggi running down to the Porto Antico, redesigned by Renzo Piano. People also come for focaccia, pesto and the evening light on the Lanterna.
The city is steep and dense, and much of the centre is a limited traffic zone. Arriving with a chauffeur makes all the difference: you are dropped at the closest permitted point, explore on foot as you walk down towards the sea, then your driver meets you at the harbour or takes you on to Boccadasse. Genoa also works beautifully as a stop on the road to Portofino.
Not to be missed
One day is enough to see it all at an easy pace, choosing between museums and wandering.
01 · WORLD HERITAGE
The former Strada Nuova is lined with the Renaissance palaces of Genoa's great families. Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Doria-Tursi now form the Musei di Strada Nuova, with frescoes, gardens and painting collections.
02 · FOR FAMILIES
The old harbour redesigned by Renzo Piano brings together the crane-like Bigo, the glass Biosphere, the maritime museum and the Aquarium of Genoa, one of the largest in Europe. A pleasant waterfront walk among the boats.
03 · THE MEDIEVAL HEART
Narrow lanes, small squares and focaccia shops lead to San Lorenzo Cathedral and its façade striped in white and black marble. Inside, a naval shell that fell without exploding in 1941 is still on display.
04 · THE CENTRE
Genoa's grand square, with its bronze fountain, is framed by the Palazzo Ducale, the Carlo Felice theatre and the former stock exchange. It is where the old town meets the nineteenth-century shopping streets.
05 · THE MOST CHARMING
East of the centre, a former fishing village of colourful houses packed around a small pebble beach and its boats. You reach it along the seafront Corso Italia, for an ice cream or a sunset.
A typical day
An example programme, adjusted to each request: times, visits and breaks are agreed with you before departure.
08:00 · NICE
Saloon or van depending on your group, water on board. The route follows the Autoroute des Fleurs, with the Italian Riviera rolling past between Ventimiglia and Savona.
10:30 · VIA GARIBALDI
Your driver leaves you at the closest permitted point to Via Garibaldi. A morning among the Palazzi dei Rolli and the gardens of Palazzo Bianco.
12:00 – 15:30 · HISTORIC CENTRE
Walk down through the lanes, stop for focaccia, see San Lorenzo Cathedral and Piazza De Ferrari, then the old harbour and the aquarium if you wish.
16:30 · BOCCADASSE
Your driver meets you at Porto Antico and takes you along Corso Italia to Boccadasse, for an ice cream facing the sea.
20:30 · NICE
Back by motorway, with no train timetable to worry about. Possible variation: carry on to Portofino or the Cinque Terre and stay the night.
The road from Nice
Nice
Departure
Monaco
Optional stop
Ventimiglia
Into Italy
Sanremo
Riviera of Flowers
Savona
Ligurian coast
Genoa
Via Garibaldi · Porto Antico
Practical information
Much of the historic centre is a limited traffic zone. Your driver drops you off and picks you up at the closest permitted point, agreed in advance.
The lanes climb and drop constantly, so wear comfortable shoes. Public lifts and funiculars, such as the one up to Castelletto, reach the viewpoints.
From spring to autumn, boats leave Porto Antico for Camogli, San Fruttuoso or Portofino, depending on the weather and the seasonal timetable.
Genoa can be visited all year round. Spring and autumn bring soft light and pleasant temperatures for walking through the old town.
Focaccia, basil pesto, chickpea farinata: Ligurian cooking is best tasted in the small places of the caruggi. We can build a lunch stop into the programme.
Italy is in the Schengen Area, but bring a valid identity document for every passenger.
Our options
TRANSFER
From Nice or the airport to your hotel in Genoa, the railway station or the cruise and ferry terminal, luggage included.
Price per vehicle, on quotation
MOST REQUESTED
There and back in a day, with your driver at your disposal and a programme planned with you, from Via Garibaldi to Boccadasse.
Price per vehicle, on quotation
SHORT BREAK
Two days or more with Genoa, Portofino and the Cinque Terre, nights on site and all journeys arranged.
Price per vehicle, on quotation
Just need a transfer?
For a one-way or return trip without sightseeing, the route page covers pick-up, luggage and booking.
Frequently asked questions
Another question? Message us on WhatsApp and we will reply with a programme and a quotation.
Allow about 2 h 30 for 197 km, depending on motorway traffic and the drop-off point chosen in the city.
Much of the historic centre is a limited traffic zone. We drop you at the closest permitted point and you explore on foot from there.
Yes, it is our most requested option. Around five hours of driving in total still leaves a full day in the city.
Yes. Send us your boarding time and terminal and we will set the departure time from Nice with a margin for traffic.
The price is set per vehicle, not per person, depending on duration, number of passengers and stops. Send your date on WhatsApp for a quotation.
Yes, as a stop on the way or over a stay of several days. We adjust the programme to keep enough time at each stop.
Guest experiences
Discover experiences displayed by Google Maps after a transfer, airport welcome or private day with OK VTC.
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Combine with
Your day in Genoa
Number of passengers, your hotel in Nice, whether you prefer museums, the harbour or the seafront: we will come back to you with a programme and a price per vehicle.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, published by their authors under free licences.
