A visit to the Aquarium is one of the main attractions for Genoese and tourists alike and is an extraordinary experience that children will also love.
In this article you will find the most important information to best organize your visit to the Genoa Aquarium.
How to get to the Aquarium of Genoa
The Aquarium is located in the Porto Antico area of Genoa. Address Ponte Spinola 16128 Genoa.
Arriving by Car – The nearest highway exit is Genova Ovest. You must then drive along Via Milano – Via Gramsci in the direction of the center until you reach the parking lot of the Aquarium at Porto Antico.
Arriving by Train – The nearest station stop is Genova Principe. From the station, you can reach the Aquarium in about 15 minutes on foot via Via Balbi – Via delle Fontane – Via Gramsci, or take bus No. 1 from the Maritime Station with destination Piazza Caricamento (Turati / Metrò San Giorgio stop) or the subway San Giorgio stop.
If you are instead in the vicinity of Genoa Brignole Station, the most convenient way to reach the Aquarium is to take the subway in the direction of Brin and get off at the San Giorgio stop. Alternatively, you can take bus No. 13 to Piazza Caricamento.
Arriving by Bus – In the city you can take line No. 1 from Ponente or line No. 13 if you are arriving from Levante. If you are arriving from other cities, however, the Flixbus company offers several connections to the Maritime Station.
Where to park near the Aquarium of Genoa
The nearest parking lot is precisely the Aquarium parking lot. Once you get to Via Gramsci, there are directions. The rate for cars is 2.20 euros per hour.
There are then many other parking lots in the Porto Antico area, also within a few minutes’ walk of the Aquarium. The rate is 2 euros/h.
List of parking spaces near the Aquarium:
- Park 1 Calata Gadda
- Park 2 Autosilo
- Park 3 Siberia Gate
- Park 4 Gunboats
- Park 5 Mercanzia
Aquarium of Genoa: all the information. Hours and tickets
The days and opening hours of the Aquarium should be checked on the official website. In principle, however, the Aquarium is open daily with continuous hours 09:00-20:00 (last entrance at 18:00).
Tickets can be purchased online at the official website of the Genoa Aquarium, at the ticket office near the entrance and also at the IAT offices (Via Garibaldi 12r, Via al Porto Antico 2, C. Colombo Airport-Arrivals Floor).
Our advice is to buy your ticket in advance on the official website because you can take advantage of special offers, booking your entry on the day and at your preferred time slot without queuing at the ticket office.
Or you can purchase them on the GetYourGuide portal, which gives the option of free cancellation of the ticket purchase within 24 hours prior to the visit.
Ticket price – buy online and skip the line
Adults 22 euros, children (4-12 years) 14 euros, children (0-3 years) free.
Families consisting of 2 paying adults and at least 3 children can access the family discount that provides free admission from the 3rd child onwards.
There are cumulative tickets with some of the Old Port’s most characteristic attractions, such as the Bigo, the Biosphere, and the City of Children and Youth. Just select the desired option during purchase.
▶ Buy your Aquarium ticket online and skip the line – Click here.
Night with the Sharks
A couple of times a month, the Genoa Aquarium organizes an extra-ordinary adventure just for 7-11 year olds, which is to spend a night with the sharks!
The adventure begins at 9 p.m. with a night tour of the Aquarium, after which cots are set up in front of the shark tank to find out about their nocturnal behavior, and sleeping bags are pulled out. The adventure ends the following day after breakfast.
To view the schedule with dates and for all other information – click here.
Where to eat near the Aquarium of Genoa
If you want to have lunch inside the Aquarium, you can find a fast food bar and the “Gusto a Bordo” Restaurant, which also has a children’s menu.
However, there are so many trattorias in the Old Port area where you can enjoy typical Genoese cuisine that our advice is to have lunch outside!
Some examples: Sà pesta, Osteria Vico Palla, Cavour modo21 if you want to sit down, otherwise for a quick street food with panissa, cuculli, focaccia, fried fish, you can pop into Sottoripa.
Where to sleep near the Aquarium of Genoa
Nh Collection – Located right next to the Aquarium, in a spectacular location overlooking the marina. Family rooms are available and the child, if sleeping in the same room as the parents, up to 12 years of age is free – Book here.
La casa sul molo – Small apartment always located in the Old Port area, very functional if traveling with children, the manager also provides toys and a crib on request for a price of 5 euros per night – Book here.
Aquarium of Genoa: all the information. What to see and how long to stay
Genoa Aquarium was inaugurated in 1992 on the occasion of the Colombiadi, or celebratory Expo (hence the name Expo, which identifies the area of the old port) for the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America.
The design of the facility and the surrounding area is by architect Renzo Piano.
Genoa Aquarium currently has 70 tanks housing about 10,000 animals of 200 different species. The Aquarium’s tour is divided into the following thematic areas:
Moray Cave. In addition to moray eels and scorpionfish, seahorses and octopuses can also be viewed in this first room of the recommended tour.
Mermaid Lagoon where manatees, endangered aquatic mammals, are found;
Shark Bay which includes the gray shark, nurse shark, zebra shark, sawfish and fiddlefish.
Cetacean Pavilion which consists of 4 open-air tanks. Dolphins can be observed in their tanks at first from above, after which the visit continues downstairs through a glassed-in gallery where dolphins swim above visitors’ heads.
Ice Kingdom where penguins can be seen playing and diving in the water.
Jellyfish Hall
Biodiversity Pavilion with its 19 tanks, with environments mainly dedicated to the Mediterranean Sea and Madagascar. The latter section houses the touch tank where you can pet stingrays!
How long to stay at the Aquarium? Depending on your interest, count from a couple of hours to half a day. Once inside however, you will have as much time as you need to explore all the pavilions.
Curiosities
The Aquarium’s water is taken off the coast, analyzed and purified, and then placed in the tanks, which, thanks to filtration systems, guarantee a temperature and salinity appropriate for the fish they contain.
The Genoa Aquarium promotes the preservation of threatened aquatic ecosystems in some parts of the world through research and education activities to raise awareness of the need to respect the environment.
Nearby Aquarium of Genoa
The Porto Antico area, where the Genoa Aquarium is located, is full of attractions suitable for the whole family.
The City of Children and Young People
The first Experience Museum dedicated to the 5 senses. Continue reading…
Whale Watching in Genoa
In addition to inside the Genoa Aquarium, it is possible to watch dolphins (and, with luck, whales as well) by participating in an offshore excursion.
The tour takes approximately 4 hours; the boat departs from Ponte Spinola at the Porto Antico (the pier near the entrance to the Aquarium) and heads to the Pelagos Sanctuary, the so-called Cetacean Sanctuary.
One of the best excursions for cetacean sightings in Genoa is the one offered by the Liguria Via Mare Consortium.
During the tour there is an expert guide in marine biology who will give information about their behavior and feeding habits.
In case of missed sightings, it is possible to participate in a new excursion in the same season taking advantage of a 50% discount moreover, by purchasing the ticket on the GetYourGuide booking portal, you can take advantage of free cancellation up to 24h before the trip. For all information, click on the banner 👇
Neptune vessel: the pirate ship
The Galleon Neptune, moored at Genoa’s Old Port, was designed and built in 1986 by a Tunisian shipyard for the film “Pirates” directed by Roman Polanski.
Although it was designed for the filming of one movie (which was followed by others), it is equipped with an engine capable of sailing it at a speed of 3 knots.
It is 63 meters long and the interior is a faithful reproduction of a 1600s Galleon; you can go on board and browse around. For children it is a wonderful experience.
The visit takes about fifteen minutes and costs 6 euros/adult, 4 euros/child; tickets are bought at the ticket office near the Galleon (pos is often broken).
Bigo
From this panoramic elevator you have an excellent view of the harbor and the city of Genoa. You can buy ticket HERE.
Biosfera
It is the spherical glass and steel structure, designed by architect Renzo Piano, located in front of the Genoa Aquarium. Here more than 150 species of tropical plants can be observed thanks to a computerized conditioning system.
In addition to plants, one can observe a variety of animal species such as turtles, fish, insects, and birds such as the scarlet ibis, the tangerine diamond, or the rare weaver bird.
Finally, you can learn to recognize plants used by humans in the kitchen such as vanilla, coffee, chewing gum, and many exotic fruit trees.
Galata Museo del Mare
The largest Maritime Museum in the Mediterranean Sea. The ticket also includes a visit to the Submarine Nazario Sauro. For children, an itinerary explained step by step by Geronimo Stilton has been designed. Absolutely a must-see!
Historical Center
The historic center of Genoa is the beating heart of the city, referred to by us Genoese as the “caruggi.”
The historic center can only be traversed on foot and is characterized by a maze of alleyways, caruggi in fact, stretching from the hill of Carignano in the east to Genoa Principe station in the west.
You can still find artisans and historic stores as well as bakeries, butcher shops, delicatessens, and tripper shops, and I really enjoy wandering around. aimlessly admiring the buildings and eating a piece of focaccia or having an aperitif sitting at the small tables outside.
On Friday evenings the caruggi are the hangout for young people, and in the vicinity of the bars there are so many crowds that it is almost impossible to pass. It is very quaint.
Interested in participating in an organized tour? Click on the banners 👇👇👇
