Savona, Italy - This private Savona to Genoa shore excursion visits Genoa, the city where Christopher Columbus grew up. You enjoy a private tour of the city's famous aquarium, a walking tour of the old town, and photo stops at panoramic overlooks above the historic center.
After meeting your guide, you drive along the Italian coastline from Savona to Genoa, about 29 miles (47km), roughly 40 minutes each way. Your first stop is the Aquarium of Genoa, often ranked among the largest aquariums in Europe. Seals, dolphins, penguins, sharks, and fish of every shape and color accompany you along the path of discovery through this marine world, with roughly 2.5 hours to explore the exhibits.
Following the aquarium visit, you have free time for lunch in a local pizzeria or restaurant (meal not included).
After lunch you begin your Genoa city tour with a stop at the panoramic terrace of Castelletto, where you take in views over the historic center of Genoa, the port, and the Lanterna, the lighthouse considered the symbol of the city.
Next you enjoy a walking tour of the old town, starting at the House of Columbus near the medieval gate of Porta Soprana. This 18th century reconstruction stands on the site where Columbus lived as a child after his family moved here in 1455. You visit Piazza De Ferrari, the contemporary heart of the city, home to the Carlo Felice Opera House and several striking fountains. You also see the Ducale Palace, with its neoclassical facade, once the seat of government for the Republic of Genoa.
Then you walk to Piazza San Matteo, the best preserved example of a medieval residential quarter in the city. This was the square of the Doria family, and it still holds most of its medieval character, including historic palaces, porticoes, and the traditional black and white striped facades typical of Genoa's old town.
Churches on this walking tour include Saint Andreas, considered a masterpiece of Genovese baroque architecture, the most important period in Genovese art, and the Cathedral of San Lorenzo. Built starting in the 13th century, it is a strong example of Gothic architecture, with later renovations across the centuries adding their own layers of style. Seeing this variety of art side by side offers a real course in Italian art history over the span of a single walking tour.
You return to the port in Savona later that afternoon.
Review Location- Savona 
