Here’s the bucket list for your day ashore: the most extraordinary thing to do at each stop, and the private, small-group, or expert-led way to make it yours — your own pace, real access, none of the crowd.
In port at Savona (Genoa), the bucket-list move is Portofino & San Fruttuoso Abbey by the local ferry. Servizio Marittimo del Tigullio (the Gulf of Tigullio's public ferry consortium) runs it — a private, expert-led experience at your own pace, not a 40-person coach. Below: all 5 bucket-list things to do on a Savona (Genoa) port day, each with the independent way to make it yours.
1scenic
Train ~1 hr from Savona to Santa Margherita Ligure, then board the historic Tigullio public ferry for the final glamorous leg into Portofino's pastel millionaire harbor -- arriving past the yachts the way locals do, not by tour bus. Continue on the same boat to San Fruttuoso, the medieval abbey tucked in a cove reachable only by sea. This is THE Italian Riviera postcard and the regret-if-you-miss-it pick for a first-timer.
Book it withServizio Marittimo del Tigullio (the Gulf of Tigullio's public ferry consortium)Santa Margherita-Portofino ferry EUR 12 one-way / EUR 20 round trip (~$13/$22); extend to San Fruttuoso EUR 16 one-way / EUR 24 round trip (~$17/$26). Per person, ferry leg only -- add ~EUR 11 (~$12) for the Savona<->Santa Margherita regional train round trip.
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2dive
Off the San Fruttuoso abbey lies Cristo degli Abissi, a bronze Christ sunk in 1954 with arms raised toward the surface, resting in 17m of clear water -- one of the most photographed underwater sights in the Mediterranean. Go with a Portofino Marine Protected Area dive center: snorkelers can see the statue from the surface on calm days, and a guided discover-dive puts you right at the figure. A genuine once-in-a-lifetime, unmistakably Ligurian moment.
Book it withDiving Group Portofino (PADI center inside the Portofino MPA)Guided Christ-of-the-Abyss discover-dive ~EUR 90-100 (~$100-110) pp including gear, guide and MPA fee; snorkel trips to the statue from ~EUR 50-70 (~$55-75) pp. Confirm exact rate on the operator's 2026 dive-rates sheet or by phone (+39 335 356975) before you go -- they don't sell a one-click online ticket, so book ahead by email/phone.
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3landmark
A ~45-60 min train from Savona drops you beside Renzo Piano's redeveloped Porto Antico, home to the biggest aquarium in Europe: 70 recreated marine ecosystems with dolphins, sharks, a penguin/Antarctic habitat and a glass tunnel. It's the rare 'big' bucket-list item that's weatherproof, family-proof and unmistakably Genoa's own -- ideal if the sea's too rough for boats or you've got kids in tow.
Book it withAcquario di Genova (Costa Edutainment -- the venue's own operator)Online direct: adult EUR 26 (~$28), child 4-12 EUR 16 (~$18), under 3 free; 'Pianeta Acquario' combo with Biosfera + Bigo panoramic lift EUR 37 (~$40) adult. Buy timed-entry online to skip the window queue.
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4city
Walk Via Garibaldi, the 16th-17th-c. 'Strade Nuove' where Genoa's merchant princes built frescoed Baroque palaces so grand that visiting kings were once assigned to them by lottery -- UNESCO-listed in 2006. Step inside the three Rolli museum-palaces (Rosso, Bianco, Tursi) for painted atriums, hanging gardens and Van Dyck portraits. It's one of Europe's most concentrated stretches of Renaissance grandeur and the heart of Genoa's old maritime-superpower identity.
Book it withMusei di Strada Nuova / Visit Genoa (official city museums & tourism office)The street itself is free to stroll. The official combined ticket to all three palaces (Palazzo Rosso, Bianco and Tursi) is EUR 9 (~$10) pp, EUR 7 reduced. Official guided Rolli walking itineraries via Visit Genoa typically run ~EUR 20-50 (~$22-55) pp.
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5city
Most passengers bolt for Genoa and never realize Savona itself is a Riviera gem: the massive seafront Priamar Fortress (1542), the Della Rovere old town along Via Pia, and a true 'Sistine Chapel' -- a Rococo mausoleum commissioned by Savona-born Pope Sixtus IV, the same pope behind Rome's Sistine Chapel. It's the lowest-effort, zero-train, walk-from-the-ship option and a real sense-of-place win if you only have a few hours or want a relaxed day.
Book it withComune di Savona / Visit Savona (official municipal tourism)Priamar grounds free to enter; the fortress museums EUR 5 (~$5.50) full / EUR 3 reduced. Cappella Sistina entry just a few euros (~EUR 3-5 / $3-5) pp. Everything is a short walk from the cruise terminal -- no transport cost.
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