Portofino and Santa Margherita Tour from Genoa with Local Driver
Description
Enjoy a day trip along the Ligurian Coast, visiting the unique village of Portofino and the charming centre of Santa Margherita Ligure. Whether you arrive by ship or are staying at a hotel, a local driver will pick you up, and together, you'll take the scenic route to beautiful Portofino, one of Italy’s most exclusive destinations. Explore the quaint harbor and La Piazzetta (the main square) with its colorful buildings. Take the winding road uphill to reach San George’s church or Castle Brown, which offer the best views of the stunning cliff that shapes the coast. Stop for lunch and relax before heading to Santa Margherita Ligure. Stroll along the ancient fishermen’s port, where traditional houses coexist with luxurious modern hotels. After some free time to explore the streets of “Santa,” as the locals call it, your driver will take you back to the Genoa port or hotel.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Portofino is a fishing village and renowned vacation destination celebrated for its harbor and vibrantly painted buildings, which contribute to its distinctive shoreline. Visitors can explore the main square, "La Piazzetta," and take in the panoramic vistas from Brown's Castle.
Brown’s Castle is situated on the high part of Portofino and was used in the XV century as defense against enemies. From here you can enjoy a beautiful views of the harbor of Portofino.
Santa Margherita Ligure is considered unique for the presence of ancient styled houses and modern luxurious hotels. A product that distinguishes this town is the red shrimp, loved by the locals and enjoyed especially by the tourists in typical restaurants overviewing the port. In the city centre you can find the Sanctuary of Signora della Rosa, that is a masterpiece of baroque architecture.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Please specify the name of your hotel or your ship. The driver will meet you at the lobby of your hotel or if arriving by cruise, upon debarkation, please proceed to the cruise terminal. Your driver will be waiting for you outside the arrival gate after passing the sliding doors.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Infant seats available, advise at time of booking.
- Total Duration includes Travel Time
Reviews(13)
The private tour was so great!!! See so much and learn the history…highly recommend this company!!
Beautiful quaint villages… love Santa Margherita for pizza…..the employees worked so efficiently….great shopping everywhere …. very nice driver Andrea
We booked this tour as a convenient way to see Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure while on a cruise stop in Genova. It did provide all our transportation needs. The driver (Luca) picked us up at the port, had our name on a placard, so we knew he was waiting for us, drove us to Portofino and then to Santa Margarita, and then back to the port. So, all in all, it got the job done and we had a nice time. The negatives: the tour description indicated English-speaking driver. Our driver did not speak a word of English. This was not a problem for us, because it gave me a chance to try out my limited Italian, and we always think it's fun to learn and try to converse in other languages as a cultural immersion experience. However, if you absolutely want someone you can converse with in English, I wouldn't book with this company. Also, even though we tried conversing in Italian about the areas we were passing, the driver did not engage. He would smile and answer with one or two words, maybe a sentence, and then go back to silently driving. He obviously wasn't interested in being a tour guide, only a chauffeur. The only other negative was that, without warning, the company changed drivers and cars while we were sightseeing at Santa Margherita. So, when we walked back to the meeting spot, there was a completely different driver in a different car who saw I was looking around and called me by name. This driver, also named Luca, was able to speak English but provided no explanation really as to the change in drivers. Again, it wasn't a problem, just a little strange and unexpected. Finally, even though we weren't really done with our tour of the town, he insisted we get back because he said traffic was really heavy and he didn't want us to miss the ship. We of course agreed and we left, only to find there was absolutely no traffic whatsoever, nor was there any on my Apple Maps when we departed. I think he just wanted to be done with the tour and get back to his life. All in all, a solid way to get to these beautiful locations while in port but you can probably find a better company if you want 5-star service.
We booked this tour as a convenient way to see Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure while on a cruise stop in Genova. It did provide all our transportation needs. The driver (Luca) picked us up at the port, had our name on a placard, so we knew he was waiting for us, drove us to Portofino and then to Santa Margarita, and then back to the port. So, all in all, it got the job done and we had a nice time. The negatives: the tour description indicated English-speaking driver. Our driver did not speak a word of English. This was not a problem for us, because it gave me a chance to try out my limited Italian, and we always think it’s fun to learn and try to converse in other languages as a cultural immersion experience. However, if you absolutely want someone you can converse with in English, I wouldn’t book with this company. Also, even though we tried conversing in Italian about the areas we were passing, the driver did not engage. He would smile and answer with one or two words, maybe a sentence, and then go back to silently driving. He obviously wasn’t interested in being a tour guide, only a chauffeur. The only other negative was that, without warning, the company changed drivers and cars while we were sightseeing at Santa Margherita. So, when we walked back to the meeting spot, there was a completely different driver in a different car who saw I was looking around and called me by name. This driver, also named Luca, was able to speak English but provided no explanation really as to the change in drivers. Again, it wasn’t a problem, just a little strange and unexpected. Finally, even though we weren’t really done with our tour of the town, he insisted we get back because he said traffic was really heavy and he didn’t want us to miss the ship. We of course agreed and we left, only to find there was absolutely no traffic whatsoever, nor was there any on my Apple Maps when we departed. I think he just wanted to be done with the tour and get back to his life. All in all, a solid way to get to these beautiful locations while in port but you can probably find a better company if you want 5-star service.
Hello - We recently cruised with MSC Cruises and at the port of Genoa used the services of a local taxi driver Andre. We did not have a reservation but once we disembarked, Andre was there with his taxi and we negotiated a rate of Euro 230 (+ tips) for Portofino, Santa Margherita and then he left us at the Genoa square and it was a 10-15 mins back to the cruise port. Andre was polite, professional, friendly and safe to travel with and accepts credit cards. Andre and his colleagues are usually outside the Genoa cruise port.
This company went above and beyond to ensure we had a wonderful tour. They had fantastic communication before the tour (including a text the day before, just to make sure we knew the pickup location, time, and guide’s name). The car was VERY nice, and since we had an infant with us, they had an infant seat ready to go for him. Matteo was our guide and he was very informative and entertaining. We loved our day exploring spectacular Portofino and “Santa”.
Next year I will visit Portofino. It is best to rent a yacht and tour a good part of the beautiful islands that exist in that beautiful region. That’s where my great friend Paolo Alfieri Darra was born, that I lost touch like 20 years ago???
We got picked up by Roberto at the cruise terminal. He was very flexible with the pick up time and the itinerary. He recommended the town of Camogli which is a really nice little port. Then we went to Portofino and Santa Margherita. Talked us through the history and significant sights, recommended places to eat. After that we requested to go to Genoa city centre which he took us to few spots to see the nice views of the city. Roberto made the day more enjoyable and we would highly recommend this tour.
We had a marvelous trip from Genoa port to these beautiful port cities. Our tour guide was fabulous and she even bought some Olive oil for us to go home with. Although our vehicle lost air conditioning she found us an alternate ride home so we could be comfortable. We enjoyed a wine tasting in Portofino, and enjoyed lunch in Santa Margherita and dipped our toes in the Mediterranean in a wonderful little town Comogli that our tour guide recommended.
The title of the tour is proper, just our understanding was wrong. It was still VERY VERY GOOD. But if you are looking for a true full tour guide, look elsewhere. The driver was great and took us places as described, but she did not walk with us and just did pickup/dropoff. She was great during the drive and explained a lot... I would still recommend this tour!
Thank you for your review and recommendations! Hope to see you again in Italy. Kind regards, Melody
