How to See The Best of Cinque Terre in One Day (+Map & Tips)
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Thinking of visiting Italy’s Cinque Terre and wondering if one day is enough and how to best plan your time if you only have 1 day in Cinque Terre? This guide will help you plan an unforgettable day trip. Find out!
Cinque Terre in Italy has been on our list of places to visit for many years. But when we finally decided to make a last-minute trip to the Italian Riviera, we had no idea how much time you actually need to visit all five little villages of Cinque Terre. Is one day enough for Cinque Terre?
After a lot of research, we decided to spend two days in Cinque Terre area: one day visiting and hiking Cinque Terre itself and the second day exploring the nearby hidden gem, a beautiful little town Portovenere.
In my previous posts, I talked about visiting Portovenere and shared practical tips for visiting Cinque Terre. In this article, I want to share our itinerary for the best of Cinque Terre in a day.
If you are wondering if one day is enough for Cinque Terre, the answer, of course, depends on what you are looking for. If you want to quickly see all five villages and hike the Cinque Terre trail, then yes, one day is enough. Of course, you can stay longer and explore deeper, but if you are short on time you can definitely see the best of Cinque Terre in one full day.
There are three ways to visit Cinque Terre: by boat, by train, or a combination of boat and/or train and hiking. The train is the fastest way to get around with lots of trains connecting the five villages at regular intervals throughout the day. The boat takes much longer, but gives you a different perspective. However, some of the best views of Cinque Terre are found on land and not from the water.
We only had limited time as the days were really short at the end of October/beginning of November when we visited, so we chose to explore Cinque Terre by train in combination with hiking. Below, you can find our detailed itinerary for one day in Cinque Terre and a map indicating all the places. Find out!
TIP: If you don’t want to plan anything yourself, here is an organized day tour from La Spezia that has a similar itinerary to what we did. It visits all the best villages and includes some hiking as well. Alternatively, this day tour from Florence is another great choice. These tours visit all the villages, foresee time to do some hiking (for those who want to), and also include a boat ride and lunch at a local restaurant.
TIP for cruise ship passengers: If you are visiting Cinque Terre as a shore excursion, then this highly-rated tour from the cruise terminal in La Spezia is by far the best option for you.
For your convenience, I created a custom map of Cinque Terre, so you have a better idea of where each place is located.
How to use this map: Use your computer mouse (or fingers) to zoom in or out. Click on the icons to get more information about each place. Click the arrow on the top left corner for the index. Click the star next to the map’s title to add it to your Google Maps account. To view the saved map on your smartphone or PC, open Google Maps, click the menu and go to ‘Your Places’/’Maps’. If you want to print the map or see it in a bigger window, click on ‘View larger map’ in the top right corner.
Here’s our recommended 1-day Cinque Terre itinerary:
Take a train to Monterosso al Mare
In the morning, take a train to Monterosso al Mare. We started our day at around 8 AM with a short (20min) train ride from La Spezia, where we were staying, to the furthest village of Cinque Terre – Monterosso.
You can, of course, also opt to stay at one of the Cinque Terre villages or at the nearby town Levanto which is also on the same train route. You can find the Cinque Terre train schedule here.
Visit Monterosso al Mare and hike to Vernazza
Monterosso al Mare, the most Northern of Cinque Terre villages, is the most visited in Cinque Terre, mainly due to its sand beach.
Monterosso has the only somewhat noteworthy sand beach in Cinque Terre, so it attracts many tourists in summer. It’s a great place to go swimming, sunbathing, or kayaking, so if you are visiting in summer and have more time in Cinque Terre than just a day, you could definitely plan a day at the beach here.
When we visited, on a late-October morning, the beach was completely deserted. After a short stop at the tourist information center to enquire which sections of the Cinque Terre hike were open we set towards Vernazza.
Before you reach the start of the hiking trail, you pass the old town center of Monterosso. The small town square has that typical laid-back feel of the villages along the Mediterranean.
An obligatory statue (in this case of Italian hero Giuseppe Garibaldi) stands in the middle of the square. It’s surrounded by trees offering some very welcome shadow (yes, even in October!). There were also a couple of benches where locals were catching up on the latest gossip and doing some tourist-watching.
You’ll find some restaurants and little shops here, as well as a little playground. A very cozy place! But – with just a day in Cinque Terre and a hike ahead, don’t linger here for too long.
The Monterosso – Vernazza hike starts here, just behind the communal building. If you look well you will see a tiny arrow ‘Vernazza’ pointing in the direction of a narrow path going up the hill.
Once on the trail, you cannot really go wrong – there is just one path.
The hike from Monterosso to Vernazza took us 2 hours. We were hiking together with our three kids age 7-9 and they did just fine. However, some parts of the trail are quite steep and also a bit narrow, so you have to keep an eye on the children.
Visit Vernazza
Vernazza is one of the most picturesque villages of Cinque Terre. There are several stunning viewpoints from the Cinque Terre trail, some 5-10 minutes before you reach the village coming from Monterosso. Even if you are not hiking the whole trail, you could walk to these viewpoints from Vernazza.
Vernazza itself is a colorful little village bustling with life. I can’t imagine how busy it must be in summer!
By the time we reached the village it was around 11 AM and really hot. Time for a gelato! There are several gelaterias, as well as many restaurants and shops in Vernazza. You can rent a kayak, go swimming, or just hang around and soak in the atmosphere.
TIP: refill your water bottles in Vernazza and buy some local food to take with you for a picnic along the trail. This will save you lots of time (and money).
Hike from Vernazza to Corniglia
After refilling our water bottles in Vernazza we continued further on the Cinque Terre trail to Corniglia.
The hike between Monterosso and Vernazza leads mainly through the vineyards and the forest and has more shadow. This section of the hike – Vernazza to Corniglia – is probably even more impressive than the hike from Monterosso to Vernazza.
The trail is more open and you can enjoy incredible views over Vernazza (at first) and the Ligurian coast almost all the way! Vineyards are replaced by olive trees, and then vineyards again… It’s a beautiful hike! But oh so warm in the middle of the day!
There aren’t many places to stop for a picnic, but there are a few nice spots overlooking the sea about halfway through the hike. You can, of course, continue further and have lunch in Corniglia. We did both – a small picnic along the way followed by pizza in Corniglia. Kids just couldn’t resist it when they saw the pizzas!
The hike from Vernazza to Corniglia takes about 90 minutes.
Visit Corniglia
Corniglia is probably the quietest village of Cinque Terre because it’s the most difficult one to access.
Located high on the hill it is the only Cinque Terre village that cannot be reached by boat. There is a train station, but it’s located down by the sea. So if you are coming by train, you will need to go up a couple of hundred stairs to get to the village. I think there is also a bus connecting the train station to the village, but we didn’t see it during our visit.
Since we came to Corniglia on foot, we didn’t have to mount the stairs. And time-wise you don’t waste much time by hiking here either. So if you want to visit Corniglia and you are moderately fit (and have walking shoes), you better hike there from Vernazza.
After our pizza lunch in Corniglia, we walked down the stairs to catch the train to Riomaggiore. I’m sure glad we didn’t do this trip in the other direction!
Good to know: In the past, you could hike the whole Cinque Terre trail between Monterosso and Riomaggiore. But due to some mudslides a few years ago, the paths between Corniglia and Manarola and between Manarola and Riomaggiore have been closed. So now you can only walk the two sections that I described here. It seems that there are no immediate plans to reopen the rest of the trail…
There are some other trails connecting the villages, but they are higher up the hill and more strenuous. If you want to do that, make sure to ask for up-to-date information at a local tourist information center.
Take a train to Riomaggiore
After a long wait (due to two canceled trains), we finally got on the train and in just a few minutes we arrived in Riomaggiore.
If you look at the map, you will see that we skipped one of the most beautiful villages – Manarola – at this point. But there is a good reason for it. We wanted to go to Manarola at sunset, so we decided to head to Riomaggiore first.
Riomaggiore is a rather big village, but we didn’t have much time to explore it properly. We wasted an hour waiting for the train in Corniglia and it was also going to get dark at around 5 PM in the period when we visited. So upon arrival, we went straight to the most beautiful place – the tiny waterfront area of Riomaggiore. It’s here that you can find the famous postcard-view that you have probably seen in the travel brochures.
If you have more time, you can explore the old town with busy shopping streets. Also, make sure to walk a part of the famous Via dell’Amore coastal trail. Only a very small section is open to the public but it’s really beautiful!
A friend who knows Cinque Terre really well also recommended having a drink at the local bar A Pie’ di Ma’ in Riomaggiore.
After visiting Riomaggiore, we took a train to Manarola.
Go to Manarola for sunset and dinner
Our last stop of the day in Cinque Terre was Manarola. One of the most beautiful villages in the world!
We arrived in Manarola about half an hour before sunset. Just enough time to walk through the village and get to the scenic viewpoint – the best place to be at sunset in Cinque Terre.
TIP: If you want to see the beautiful Cinque Terre villages at sunset from the water, you can also opt for this nice sunset boat tour. It starts in Monterosso and sails past all the Cinque Terre towns offering great sunset views. If you’re lucky, you may even see dolphins.
Afterwards, we had dinner at Nessun Dorma – a very good simple restaurant with some the best views in Manarola. They don’t take reservations and there was a queue waiting to be seated, but we only had to wait a few minutes. It was the perfect end to a beautiful day in Cinque Terre.
After dinner, we took a train back to La Spezia. And one train was canceled again (low season? not enough tourists?). So by the time we reached La Spezia, it was after 9 PM. A long, but very beautiful day in 5terre.
One Day in Cinque Terre – overview
Here’s an overview of our suggested itinerary for your day trip to Cinque Terre:
- In the morning, take a train to Monterosso al Mare
- Visit Monterosso and hike to Vernazza (count about 2 hours for the hike)
- Visit Vernazza (in summer, go for a swim and get some ice cream)
- Hike from Vernazza to Corniglia (count about 1.5 hours for the hike)
- Visit Corniglia and have lunch
- Take a train to Riomaggiore
- Visit Riomaggiore
- Take a train to Manarola
- Sunset and dinner in Manarola
Best Tours for a Day Trip to Cinque Terre
If you only have a day in Cinque Terre, one of the best ways to see a lot in the shortest time possible is to go with a local guide. They know just the right places and the best way to see it all, and – especially in the high season when it’s very busy – going with a local might save you a lot of frustrations.
Here are some of the very best day tours for visiting Cinque Terre:
- Best tour for those visiting by cruise ship – this is the best way to visit Cinque Terre in a day if you are arriving in La Spezia on a cruise ship and are looking to do a shore excursion without having to pay premium prices or having to arrange anything yourself. You get to see all the main villages, taste limoncino, and even have some free time to go for a swim if the weather is nice.
- Best tour from Florence – this is one of the most complete Cinque Terre day tours with a great itinerary and very good value. You visit all the villages and have time for a beautiful hike between two towns if you choose to. If you’re not interested in hiking, but want to have more time in the villages, this is a good alternative option and already includes lunch in the price.
- Best tour from Milan – this is a great option for those who want to visit Cinque Terre as a day trip from Milan. It’s a 3-hours drive one way, so going with a tour is definitely the best option if you only have a day.
- Best hiking tour – this is the best tour for those who want to do a longer hike between several villages of Cinque Terre, but rather go with a local guide. It starts in La Spezia.
So, this is our suggestion for a one-day Cinque Terre itinerary. As I said, there are many ways to explore this beautiful coastal area. But if you are planning a day trip and don’t know where to start, then I am sure that this post will give you a good idea of what you can see and do in a day and help you plan your trip.
And remember, we visited Cinque Terre in late October – the beginning of November, when it gets dark at around 5 PM (for more info, please check our guide to Italy in November). If you come in spring or in summer you will have much more time, so you can certainly make this exact same trip in one day (and have some time left for a swim).
More Info & Tips for Visiting Cinque Terre
- For all the practical tips in regards to visiting Cinque Terre please refer to our complete guide to visiting Cinque Terre. It contains a lot of information and should answer any questions you may have. Check it out!
- If you decide to stay at least a few nights in Cinque Terre area, please check our guide to where to stay in Cinque Terre (and book ASAP – accommodations here sell out really quickly).
- If you are traveling to this part of Italy and looking for more ideas on what to see and where to go, please also check these articles for more inspiration: Most Beautiful small towns of the Italian Riviera and the Best towns of Tuscany.
- Be sure to also check our guides to Florence: the VERY BEST things to do in Florence, a 1-day Florence itinerary, and also a guide to the best rooftop bars in Florence.
- If you aren’t yet sure whether this region is worth a visit and/or are considering southern Italy as well, you may want to check our comparison guide to Cinque Terre vs Amalfi Coast.
READ ALSO: Best Places to Visit in Italy & Italy Itinerary
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More tips for your trip to Italy:
- Where to go: Best Cities in Italy
- Rome: Tips for Visiting Rome & Top Places to See in Rome & Where to Stay in Rome
- Secret Rome: Rome Hidden Gems & Best Views in Rome & Rome Underground & Ancient Rome
- Venice: Top Things to Do in Venice & Venice in 1 Day & Tips for a Gondola Ride in Venice
- Tuscany: Best Towns in Tuscany & Tuscany Itinerary & Siena & Montepulciano
- Florence: Best Things to Do in Florence & Florence 1 Day Itinerary
- Amalfi Coast: Amalfi Coast Itinerary & How to Get to Amalfi Coast from Naples & Where to Stay on Amalfi Coast
- Capri: Capri Island & Things to Do in Anacapri & How to Visit Capri from Sorrento & Where to Stay in Capri
- Naples: Best Things to Do in Naples & Best Day Trips from Naples & 1-day Naples Itinerary
- Milan: One Day Itinerary for the Best of Milan
- Off the beaten path: Emilia Romagna & Trentino
- Bucket list: San Marino & Best Places in the Dolomites
- Hiking: Best Hikes in the Dolomites & Val di Fumo
- … For many more destinations all over the country, check our Italy travel guide.
I have tried to copy the Itinerary for “Cinque Terra in 1 Day” on to my computer, however the right click button has been disabled. Can I buy the brochure? Otherwise, it’s a lot to remember.
Hi Marie Vita, we do not sell any printables on our website because information changes too often. It’s already not simple to keep everything on the live site up to date.
You can simply print whatever info you need (Ctrl+p). But internet works well in Italy so you can simply bookmark this page and check back when you need some info.
Have a great trip!
We will be staying in Porto Venere in July. I’m sure you’ve covered this before. We have one day to see and enjoy the CT area. You’ve mentioned the 3 towns to see Riomaggiorre, Manarola, and Vernazza.
What do you recommend seeing/doing there and best itinerary. Do you recommend any other sites? We might have a little time afternoon we get there also.
Hi Leslie, our recommended itinerary is already covered in this guide. If you don’t want to hike at all, simply take a train or a boat instead and visit all the villages that way. There is not one particular thing to see or do – just walk around, enjoy the views, have some delicious food. With just one day in Cinque Terre, it will be over before you know it. If you have some extra time on the day when you arrive, you could consider a sunset boat tour, or simply find a nice place for dinner and enjoy a relaxing evening.
Have a great trip!
Hi, I can’t see this mentioned elsewhere but does the Cinque Terre train pass include using the trail too? The wording of the online payment seems to suggest so but then there’s the separate trekking card. If I want to travel by train AND use the trail, do I need to buy the train pass AND the trekking pass?
Hi Juliet, if I recall well, there are different options – only train tickets, only hiking cards, and the Cinque Terre card which covers both. You can find a bit more info in this article and you can just ask what the best option is when you get there.
Great info! We will be taking a day trip to CT with a private driver from Florence middle of April. We can visit the CT villages as we wish with our own transportation (no trains needed). We hope to stop in all 5 villages, so because of time, we will most likely take the hike from Vernazza and Corniglia. Is the hike better/less strenous from Vernazza to Corniglia or visa versa? Also when we visit Riomaggiore…how far can we hike on the Via Deli’amore Trail? Not all the way to Manarola? Thanks for all your expertise help!
Mary Ann
Hi Mary Ann, I’m not sure what your plans are exactly, but as far as hiking is concerned, if you start in Corniglia village (so at the top of the hill) and hike to Vernazza, then I think that it’s a bit easier that way.
If you have some extra time, walk a small section of the trail between Vernazza and Monterosso. When you climb the first hill and look back, you have a wonderful view of the village. The nicest view is very close to Vernazza, so you don’t have to do the entire hike.
As far as Via dell’Amore is concerned, that hike has been closed due to landslides for years already. They keep on postponing the opening date, and now say it might reopen in the summer of 2024. There is just a small section in Riomaggiore where you can walk next to the coast, but I wouldn’t even call it a hike – it’s just a few minutes, really.
Have a great trip!
Hello Jurga, I really love your blog, super informative! We will visit CT on June 8 from Florence as a day trip, and I would like to know if is better to plan our own tour and enjoy more quality time in each village and avoiding the rush tours or do you recommend booking a tour?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Lorena
Hi Lorena, both options are good depending on how you like to travel.
If you don’t mind doing your own research for every step of the journey (trains, what to see, where to get tickets, etc.), then sure, you can easily visit Cinque Terre from Florence on your own. If you start early and stay longer, you will also have more time than if you would come with a tour. Plus, you can decide to do the things that you like and not have to take into account the fixed schedule. So yes, there are many advantages.
Tours are great for people who have no time or desire to do research, don’t feel comfortable going on their own for whatever reason, want to cover all the ‘musts’, or want to learn a bit more background info from a local guide.
So it’s really your own personal preference.
Have a great trip!
Hello there,
We’re planning to visit Cinque Terre in June.
Also planning to stay somewhere near La Spezia.
Your one-day trip description is very useful !
One question though.
Is there a reason you start your trip by taking the train to the furthest town Monterosso and not to the closest town Riomaggiore and hike from there to Monterosso ?
Taking the train to the furthest point would mean you would already see the villages you would pass when hiking back from Monterosso isn’t it ?
Is the main reason you did it like perhaps because the hiking trails between Riomaggiore, Manarolo and Corniglia are closed ?
Kind regards
Hi Edwin, there were several reasons why we started in Monterosso.
One, it’s nice to start with the furthest point and end up closer to where you have to be in the evening.
Second, we wanted to be at Manarola for sunset, and it just worked out better this way.
And third, I seem to recall that the hike is a bit easier in that direction (less uphill hiking).
Also, we only hiked between Monterosso – Vernazza – Corniglia and it’s definitely easier to get to the train station from the village rather than do all those stairs in the other direction.
One more thing – there is hardly any view from the train since you are in tunnels most of the time. So you don’t see much. Also, the nicest scenery is not near the railway stations either. If you are looking for a nice scenery, you would have to take a boat instead of a train.
Hope this helps.
Hi Jurga! I love your blog. I will be in Cinque Terre for a day end of September and I wanted to ask if you had a train schedule printed in advance or did you use your phone to access the schedule. I am afraid my phone might not have service there so need to cover my bases. Thank you
Hi Vida, I really don’t remember this being an issue at all. I think we took a copy of the train schedule at the station, or maybe took a picture of it on our phones.
And talking about the phones, they also worked everywhere without any issues.
What we did have a few times is that the trains were canceled and we had to wait for the next one, but I guess this can happen anywhere and any time.
Hello and Help please, We will be ending our cruise in Venice(Ravenna), Italy this Sept. I want to continue to Florence for at least a day and Pisa another day. My thought would be for us to have transportation from the dock right to FLorence and settle into hotel and tour. Next day head to Pisa for touring. Then fly out to US the following day. I think flying out of Pisa becuase it has International airport. Any of your suggestions are appreciated.
Thank you
Hi Gina, I’m not really sure what kind of suggestions you are looking for…
Anyway, I’d plan at least 2 full days in Florence city itself if you can. Plus, you can stay longer too and do some amazing trips like this Tuscany day tour or this tour that visits Pisa and some other amazing towns nearby. Indeed, you could afterwards go to Pisa and visit Cinque Terre from there, but you can also visit Cinque Terre with a day tour from Florence too.
You can just pass by the area in a day or two or you can stay for a week and never get bored. I’m going to Florence soon again and I’m planning 3 full days in the city alone, not including any of the nearby places… There are just so many options. So it all depends on how much time you have and what you are most interested in.
Good luck with the planning!
THank you so much. I have been reading more and it seems that Florence is a good location to tour from. No need to actually stay in Pisa. Florence does have a minor International Airport, I thought only Pisa.
Safe travels.
Is there a way to take a boat along the coast and hike back? Or vice versa? Most boat tours I have seen are round trip. Or is that too long of a day and better to do two days – one boat trip and another for hiking?
Hi Sue, yes, of course, you can take a boat one way. There’s a boat running between all the towns (except Corniglia) and you can take it in either direction or just for one stop too.
If you plan well and get an early start, you can take a boat one way and hike back (between a few villages, not the whole coast). This depends a bit on where you start/end. But the itinerary as described here can just as well be done by taking a boat instead of a train in the morning. So you would take a boat from La Spezia to Monterosso, then hike to Vernazza or Corniglia, and then take a train to Monterosso and Riomaggiore.
The only issue is that boats start running later than trains and so you’ll start your hike much later. But if you are traveling in summer when the days are long, it might not be an issue (on the other hand, it might be hot to walk). Or you first take a train, then hike, and then take a boat back. There are many options depending on how much time you want to spend and how much hiking you want to do. Most people visit Cinque Terre for a day, some others spend a week…
Hello, we are planning to visit Cinque Terre next week, we’re staying in La Spezia.
We plan to get the 16 EUR pass for Cinque Terre, visit Genoa/Pisa/Lucca by train, so we’re good there, my only question is about the transfer.
Considering we arrive at Bologna airport, what’s the best way to get from there to La Spezia?
I considered renting a car just for Bologna – La Spezia and then back again when we finish the holiday.
I also looked at the trains from Bologna – La Spezia but I’m not sure about the many changes, in some cases there are 2-3 changes with 6.-7 minutes to switch trains, not to mention it takes much longer compared to a car.
I looked for airport transfer too but to be honest it’s (much!) cheaper to just rent a car and pay the highway tax.
What do you think? What’s the most headache free way to get from Bologna to La Spezia and back again?
Many thanks (and for the awesome guide!).
Hi Andrei, we usually visit Italy by car (unless we go to major cities) but we have also done trips using inter-city trains. Both are very convenient in different situations.
Driving on the highway is easy and indeed, car rental is usually quite cheap. However, fuel is expensive and tolls quickly add up as well. Plus, it’s not always easy to drive/park in the small coastal towns. Many places around the Ligurian coast have strict restrictions on who can drive into towns and where you can park. But if it’s just something you would only use to get from the airport to La Spezia, it’s definitely the easiest way to do it.
Have a great trip!
Thanks so much for your great blog post. Could you also tell me how is the best way to see CT and Portofino in one day? We are road-tripping from Florence, going to Pisa, CT, and Portofino, and sleep in Genova to save time and money for the rest of the trip. We are not into hiking that much so I am wondering is it doable to see both CT and Portofino in one day. What is your suggestion in terms of where to see and what to do? Thank you!
Hi Parnia, do I understand it right that you want to see all these places in a day? So starting in Florence, then Pisa, then Cinque Terre, then Portofino, and end in Genoa? I really think it’s way too much. Perhaps you could do Pisa and Cinque Terre, and it will be rushed already. But adding Portofino to it would just leave you running from one place to another without seeing much…
Cinque Terre can’t be visited in a hurry, you need to leave your car at La Spezia or on the other side, then take a train or a boat, and there are 5 villages to see. As a minimum, you should see 3 of them: Riomagiore, Manarola, and Vernazza. But even if you take the train, and do it all very efficiently, you’ll likely spend at least 5-6hrs even if the trains ride on schedule…
Then comes the drive to Portofino which is also not easy to reach by car. We went in the low season and drove all the way to it, but parking was crowded and the road – narrow and busy. Once you’ve taken that road, you can’t decide to turn around anymore… In summer, you will likely have to take a boat to get there or drive part of the road, hope to find a parking spot, then walk further. I really don’t see how you could do it all in just a day and still keep it enjoyable…
I know the urge to see it all, but from experience, I can tell you that it’s often better to see fewer places but really enjoy them rather than just tick the boxes and take pictures to be able to say that you’ve done it all…
If you decide to do all this then start very early and try to switch your accommodation and stay in Santa Margherita Ligure (instead ofGenoa). This town is the gateway to Portofino and easier to reach, park, and find somewhat affordable accommodation. Maybe then it would still somehow be doable, depending on the boat schedule…
Good luck!
Hi,
Your information is really useful. I just have a ques..since I am not a hiking person I plan to go on trail and walk as long as I can see some views and return. I think vern to monte trail suits my requirement. So since you know this trail well I wanted to know which side should we start to see the views early as well as easily..:D..if there is any option.
Also thank you for your suggestions for my Switzerland trip planning. It was really helpful.
Thanks a lot.
Hi Snhea, happy to hear about Switzerland. 🙂
As for Italy, some of the very best views in Cinque Terre are not along the hiking trails but simply in towns or just outside of them.
In Manarola and in Riomaggiore, you can just walk to the harbor and you’ll find the best viewpoints. Also Vernazza harbor is very picturesque.
In Vernazza, take the hiking trail in the direction of Monterosso (it’s quite well-indicated, alternatively just ask). And soon after you leave the buildings of the town behind you, look back and you’ll have an amazing view of Vernazza. If you walk just a bit further uphill and when the path turns left, you’ll soon have another nice view of the village below.
If you want to see the views of Vernazza from the other side, take the hiking path in the direction of Corniglia and walk for a few minutes (uphill). The nicest views aren’t that far away from town.
The views above Monterosso require a bit more hiking and are perhaps the least special, so you can easily skip that part if you don’t want to walk.
Hi Jurga,
You are so amazing and helpful. I always looks to your blog for guidance coz I know I will get the responses timely, detailed with the required info.
Again thanks for helping me and sharing your knowledge with us.
Happy to help. Enjoy your trip!
Hi Jurga, thank you so much for this article. We are planning a trip to Cinque Terre at the end of October and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Now I feel more confident that it was a good choice to go in that period.
Hi Ike, I hope that you can make this trip happen, under the current circumstances. But October is still far away, so let’s hope the world is back to normal by then. In terms of the weather, you never know how it will be and October can be a bit tricky, but in general, I think it’s a great month to go to Italy – it’s not as hot and it’s much less busy than during the summer months. I’m sure you’ll love it!
Hi Jurga,
My husband and I spent 4 days in CT in July 2019, staying in the heart of Vernazza. Probably the best 4 days of my life, just magical. I enjoyed reliving my memories whilst reading your blog. In so many blogs about CT people talk about the trails being closed between Riomaggiore to Manarola to Corniglia, and yes the coastal trails most certainly are. I don’t understand though why there is very little mention of the fact that it is still entirely possible to hike between these villages by using alternative trails. Sure they are steep, you have to go high up into the hills and drop down into the villages, but this is also true of the Monterosso to Vernazza, and Vernazza to Corniglia trails. As the alternative trails are not part of the classic National Park trails they have the added advantage of being free. I would love to see more information about all the possibilities, and less about closed trails, as many have been closed for a long time and seem to be unlikely to be open any time soon. What do you think?
I also see the CT card recommended a lot, but in my experience it is often more economical to pay for each hike and train ride one at a time (depending of course on how many train rides a day you actually take at 4 euros each). I think people assume a day pass will be cheaper without realistically figuring out how much they will use it in a day.
We ended up walking all the way from Riomaggiore to Monterosso, up to Punta and on to Levanto,over 3 days. it was steep, it was very very hot (yay for those wonderful fountains that are everywhere) but it was awesome, and we took at least one strategic train trip a day from our base in Vernazza so didn’t repeat any trails twice. It was July but we did not experience any of the crowding on the trails I have read so much about. I come from New Zealand where a crowded hike can mean seeing 2 other people, so we were very pleasantly surprised how peaceful the trails were. The villages are crowded during the day but they empty out beautifully in the evenings when the day trippers go home.
I certainly hope I get back to Italy one day, your blog inspires me with many more places to be seen.
Hi Sue, thank you so much for sharing your experience, also about hiking the upper trails between Riomaggiore and Manarola and Corniglia. I’m sure this will be very helpful for our readers who are looking for such information.
The reason why most people don’t talk about it is simply that most people don’t have that much time in Cinque Terre. Also, many people find those hikes too challenging and just come there for the villages. And even from those upper trails, last time I saw an update, some of those were also closed. So there is very little quality information that shows the up-to-date situation of Cinque Terre hiking trails. Their tourism board isn’t doing a very good job and this might be intentional – they seem to be rather concerned with overtourism instead of trying to attract even more people to the region.
As for the Cinque Terre card – for us and many others who just visit for a day, this card saves a lot of money. If you have to take a train so many times and hike at least one part of the trail, this card is simply much cheaper. When you stay there for a longer period and maybe just take one train ride in the morning and one in the evening, it’s of course very different.
It’s wonderful if you can spend several days in these areas as it’s the best way to explore them and also find some quiet moments when the day tourists leave or before they arrive. But the very vast majority of visitors only come to Cinque Terre for a day, maybe two. Many people have limited holiday and try to see as much as they can in that time… But that’s one of the things we try to do more and more now – stay at least a night or two at the busiest destinations, so that we can explore them early morning and late evening, without the crowds. This and traveling in the lower season is the only way to truly enjoy the most popular places.
Anyway, happy to hear that you found more travel inspiration on our blog. If you ever go back to Italy, I highly recommend a short stay in San Marino – it’s so beautiful. Happy travels!
Hi Jurga, thank you so much for this itinerary! I am going to CT in a few months for a day & a half. We will first arrive around 2pm from Pisa and have a car, I would appreciate it if you could give me an idea on an itinerary please! My dilemma is we only have from 2pm on our first day so I was thinking of visiting Porto venere first but not sure what to do with my car. Should we park in La spezia and get the return boat? Although I was thinking of staying in Monterosso so we could be closer in CT. What would be most time effective?
Then the next day when we have a full day we would do your itinerary for CT.
Hi Alisha, I think your plan is good. Half a day is perfect for Portovenere. On the second (full) day, I suggest you follow our itinerary and visit the villages of Cinque Terre.
You could park your car in La Spezia and take a bus to Portovenere from there. You need a bus 11/P. I’m not sure exactly where the bus starts, but it seems to pass Porta Nord . There are some parking possibilities in that area. From what I see, the bus drives very often – every 15-30 minutes, depending on the season. It’s the fastest and the cheapest way to get from La Spezia to Portovenere (cost 2-3 EUR).
Alternatively, you can take a boat from the La Spezia ferry terminal, but there aren’t that many boats (again, depends on the season) and it takes longer and costs much more. This is nice to do, but it’s the least flexible way.
Or you can also just take a taxi, which is the fastest way, but it’ll probably cost you 20-30 EUR one way.
You can also combine the modes of transport – get there by boat and take a bus back or so.
Hope this helps.
Wow, this is so precise and exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for describing everything in detail. I had read that Manarola is best for sunset and was wondering how we can skip ahead and then come back in time for sunset and your blog was most helpful.
Thanks for sharing your experience, I am travelling there next week and hope to enjoy the beautiful place.
Glad to help and hope that you have nice weather and can experience the magic of Cinque Terre without the crowds. I assume it will not be too busy in February… Enjoy your trip!
Thanks, Jurga, for your suggestions. I will make my plan accordingly.
Brilliant! We are heading to 5terre in a couple days and your plan for one day just opened up more time in Orvieto. Thanks!
Hi Hugh, glad to help. Hope that you can enjoy the best of Cinque Terre even in winter. I really wonder how it is there in December, so if you have a minute, please share your experience shortly. I’m sure it would be very useful to other readers.
Enjoy your trip!
Really great post! Thanks a lot.
I am going to Florence in the first week of November and was planning a full day in Cinque Terre but wasn’t sure where to start. Your blog just saved me! 🙂
Glad to hear that, Victor. Enjoy your trip!
Jurga thank you so much for all your info re Cinque Terra – we followed your trail last Sunday and it was brilliant – the views are amazing and it was lovely to meet and say hello to people along the way. It was great to see so many people out and about. The weather was great and the sunset was well work seeing in Manarola. We were only there for the day and the villages were so quaint and beautiful with lots of cafes, shops, Gelatos etc. I would definitely recommend everybody to do this trip – it is doable in one day but a second day would probably allow you more time in the villages if you are hiking. Locals all very friendly and helpful.
I’m so glad to hear you had such a great time in Cinque Terre, Noni. And thanks a lot for sharing your experience. I agree with you that two days would allow you to get to know the place a bit more. We stayed a bit longer and visited Portovenere and Lerici and afterwards quite a few other towns in the region and it was great, but for 5terre itself we also only dedicated one day. There’s just never enough time to see it all, right? 😉
Happy travels!
Great blog! We are on a cruise and arrive in Portofino which is further away. It still looks doable and we have 10 hours. It looks like we take a 15 minute bus ride from the port to Santa Margherita train station. Not sure which town to start in, the furthermost so we work our way back toward the Port at Portofino. Any recommendations are appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Lisa, I’m not sure about the trains from Santa Margherita to Cinque Terre, but if you can get to Levanto, from there you can get to all the 5 villages by train. The rest really depends on how much time you have. I’d start with Riomaggiore, then visit Manarola, and then Vernazza (all by train, because that’s the fastest way). If you still have any time left, you can probably best get back to Santa Margherita Ligure and explore the town there a bit. I wouldn’t count on trains too much either – we had quite a few cancelations on the day we visited and you don’t want to be too late for your ship.
If you find all this too stressful, you can also just visit Portofino, maybe take a boat tour to San Fruttuoso abbey and potentially also spend some time in Santa Margherita Ligure. All these places are really nice too and wouldn’t require that much planning if that’s where your cruise docks anyway.
Enjoy your trip!
What a GREAT site. My husband and adult daughters will be traveling to CT from Pisa on a Sunday, Sept 29th. What kind of weather should we expect? Is it still hot? Debating whether to do a private tour from Pisa (no large tours available on a Sunday) or follow your suggested itineraries with a combination of train and ferry. How long does the train ride take from Pisa to La Spezia? (know it’s one hr by car) Also if coming into the train station at La Spezia from Pisa, where would we pick up the ferry? Is it close by? Do you have a ferry schedule available?.How much does the on and off ferry ticket cost? If we were to do the small bites at the restaurant you suggested on Manarola, what time would the sunset be approximately on the 29th of September? Which is the best and quaintest village to explore if only doing one? (Besides Manarola for the sunset)
Hi Marcia, I’m afraid I can’t help you with all the details – you can google train schedules, sunset times, and all the other practical information. Ferry schedule should also be online, but in September they run quite frequently so I wouldn’t worry about it too much. The ferry is not at La Spezia station, it takes about 20min to walk – take a look at this map. I don’t know how much it costs this year, but it depends also on what kind of ticket you take. I think the most flexible day ticket that allows you to hop on and off was around 35 EUR when we visited. Just keep in mind that ferry takes 2 hours from La Spezia to Monterosso and the same time to get back, not counting any stops. I would suggest to take the ferry just for small parts and use the train for the rest of the journey or you’ll run out of time, I’m afraid (unless you start very early and stay very late).
Apart from Manarola, I’d say Vernazza is the nicest and also the tiny waterfront area of Riomaggiore.
As for the weather, it’s really impossible to say. It can be still very and nice and warm at the end of September, but you never know. Just check the weather forecast a few days in advance and you’ll have a better idea of what to expect. I’d take a sweater and a light rain jacket to Italy in September anyway.
Enjoy your trip!
Going in October 2020. We are staying in Florence for 4 nights. And planning a day trip to Cinque Terre. What’s the best way to get there by train from Florence and should we start as early as possible? And the best way to get back to Florence as I don’t want to count on the last train to Florence Incase it’s cancelled. And I also heard from a friend that a sunset you can eat dinner and listen to someone or a group sing opera? Any idea what village that is? Thanks
Hi Eric, why don’t you just google Florence to Cinque Terre by train and check the train schedule. You will probably need to switch trains in La Spezia, so maybe it’s easier to just check Florence to La Spezia, but I’m not sure. I can’t really help you with this since we traveled by car… PS Cinque Terre trains got canceled a lot on the day when we visited end of October, so it’s indeed better not to count on the last train…
And no, I haven’t heard of the opera guy, but I’m sure you can find it on google as well (or ask your friend where it was).
Enjoy your trip!
Hello! My boyfriend and I are visiting Italy at the end of July 2019 and we will be based in Florence for 5 nights. I really want to visit Cinque Terre and your blog post has only made me much more excited to do so!
I am really torn between staying a night or making a one day trip. If we stay a night I am thinking that we will stop by Pisa along the way. Perhaps a silly question, but will the Cinque Terre day pass include the train ride to Pisa? I am wondering if the pass includes the whole train line or if it can only be used between villages.
After stopping by Pisa, we will head to Monterosso then hike to Vernazza and Corniglia. Will call it a day and head back to our AirBnB (thinking either Monterosso or Vernazza). The next day will be used for afternoon leisure (maybe if we stay in Monterosso visit the beach, or if in Vernazza take a walk around) and then complete the day with Riomaggiore and Manarola. Will head back to Florence after dinner in Manarola.
Do you think spacing it out this way will leave us with too much ample time? I also want to note that we are not the earliest risers (out the door by 10AM is the most realistic knowing us). So if we were to do a one day trip, we will not stop by Pisa and perhaps consider skipping Corniglia or Riomaggiore if we find ourselves short on time on the day of.
Cinque Terre is one of our top priorities when in Italy. However, if we do have enough time we are considering a day trip to Venice or a Tuscany wine tour. I feel like the benefit of a one day trip to Cinque Terre is that we can do other day trips; however, I don’t wish to rush it and get a poor experience.
Please let me know what you think. You run a wonderful blog – I get lost in time when browsing your posts! Thank you so much, really appreciate the help you provide to other fellow travelers 🙂
Hi Nikki, Thank you for your kind words and glad you enjoyed reading our blog.
I think that two days aren’t too much at all, especially if you also want to visit Pisa. Also, you are traveling in July. It will be so hot, so you may want to take it easy, maybe go for a swim, and just spend the warmest hours sitting in the shade and eating gelato.
If you have some extra time, and since you say you wanted to do a wine tour, there are several wine tours available in Cinque Terre as well (check here). And if you get bored (I doubt that), you can always take a boat and visit Portovenere as well.
Enjoy your trip!
Thank you for this great overview of CT… Any update on the closed portions of the trail due to the mudslide damage? TT
Hi Terry, from what I see and read, Via dell’Amore between Riomaggiore and Manarola is still closed. I found one source that states that it will open in April 2021, but I’m not sure if that’s true. That same source says that the upper hiking path between Manarola and Corniglia is now open, while the lower coastal path is closed. But I only found this info in one place, so not sure if that’s accurate.
Hello,
This article was really wonderful and gave a lot of details. My wife and I will be in Florence and we wanted to do a day trip to Cinque. Now we’ve been advised to do the trip with a guide / company as it will make life easier but I’m not sure if that’s the best way to go. Obviously the limitation of time makes planning somewhat challenging and I’m not sure where to buy train tickets in Cinque to ensure we are back for the last train from La Spezia so a bit confused b/c I really want to experience Nessun but not sure if we would have time.
Hi Karim, if you don’t want to worry about organizing anything yourself, there are plenty of tours that go to Cinque Terre from Florence. Some include Pisa, some go to Portovenere; there are big groups, small groups, and also private tours…
If you rather go on your own, you’ll have to buy train tickets yourself and I think it’s really doable. As for the train schedules and tickets, just google it – you’ll find all that info on the official websites of Italian railway companies. I think it’s possible to buy all your tickets in Florence already, so no need to worry about that. Also, in La Spezia, the train station isn’t that big and you can easily find your way around if you need to ask for some info or get Cinque Terre day pass (if necessary).
At least in Cinque Terre, there were plenty of trains till late at night, and I don’t see why there wouldn’t be trains going back to Florence in the evening…
Dear Jurga
Thank goodness, I discovered your detailed article just in time! We are going from Pietra Ligure to LA Spezia (our base for 3 nights) this Saturday 22 June 2019. Due to your infirmation we will follow your exact itinerary but all by train (me & husband can’t do the hiking, knees and backs!), take the bus up and down to Corniglia. Second day do Portvenere, Third day to Milan, explore a bit and evening fly back to South Africa! Looking forward to do the 5Terre your way!
Thank you so much
Kindest Regards
Ho Johlene, glad you found this useful. Not sure if you saw it already, but we also have articles about Portovenere and also about the best things to do in Milan in one day.
Enjoy your trip!
Hi Jurga,
Thank you so much for putting this info together — it’s very helpful to know how short the train ride is, etc. We’re going to be traveling there with my children (young teens) and my parents (70s with some limited mobility). We’re hoping that we can “divide and conquer” with the kids and parents hiking perhaps 1 or 2 trails while the grandparents enjoy the plazas and then take the train. Does that sound doable?
Also, we’re also wondering whether we can work in a boat trip as part of this (we only have one day, unfortunately). In your recollection, which port might be easiest to access for the grandparents (walking well but with a cane for stairs)?
Thanks again for all this helpful information — we have a much better idea of what to expect now 🙂
Hi Karen, yes, it’s definitely possible for you to hike between the villages while your parents take a train or a boat. The only place that would be really hard for them is Corniglia because it’s located high on the hill. So maybe it’s best for them to skip it.
As for the boats, I’m not really sure about all the places, but the harbors in Monterosso al Mare and Vernazza both looked quite ok and relatively easily accessible. I didn’t see where the boats arrive in Manarola or Riomaggiore, so I can’t really comment on that. Another really nice place to visit is Portovenere – the Cinque Terre boat also stops there. The harbor there is well accessible.
You’ll have to do some planning, but I’m sure you’ll have a great time in Cinque Terre!
Enjoy your trip!
Hi Jurga,
My name is Lolita, thank you for your travel tip, my daughter & my granddaughter will be visiting CT 1st week of July, we’re looking forward to this trip. Thank you so much
Glad to help, Lolita. Have a wonderful time in Cinque Terre!
Hi Jurga, My name is Julius and I would bring my family of 2 children (16 and 10 years old) from Indonesia to visit Cinque Terre by 30th of June 2019. I read your travel story to Cinque Terre and I would follow your route with a small change in routes as follows:
1. La Spezia to Riomaggiore (by train)
2 Riomaggiore to Monterosso (by train)
3. Monterosso to Vernazza (by train) – lunch, we would not take hiking option due to 2 hours time is quite tiring for us, particularly in the summer time.
4. Vernazza to Corniglia (by hiking) – 90 minutes
5 Corniglia to Manarola (by train), until sunset and dinner
6 Manarola to La Spezia (by train)
What do you think of my plan? Your advice and suggestion are highly appreciated. Thank you.
Hi Julius, your itinerary should be easily doable. I’m not sure about lunch in Vernazza – I guess it depends on what time you start your day in the morning. But there are plenty of restaurants in all villages, so you’ll have no trouble in finding a place to eat. There is also a very good ice cream place by the harbor in Vernazza, so you can always have lunch earlier and buy a gelato once you get there.
Enjoy your trip!
Thank you very much for your advice, Jurga. It would be definetely useful for us. Hope we could enjoy our trip by 30th June 2019 to see the best of Cinque Terre!
Thanks a lot for this article you really made my research easier :))
Thanks for taking the time to leave this feedback, Christen. Enjoy your trip!
Thank you for the article, I wanted to visit CT on my trip to Italy this year but was baffled by where exactly I should go, and this makes it all clear! Just wondering how you guys got from Rio to Manarola as that wasn’t stated, also how long it took you, and if you guys took the train do you feel it would’ve been better to take the track (vice versa)? Also if you guys know whether there are lockers available near the beach in monterosso for valuables?
Hi Tina, we took a train from Riomaggiore to Manarola and the ride itself is just a few minutes (less than 5 min if I remember well). Hiking there wasn’t possible when we visited as the hiking trails between Riomaggiore and Manarola have been closed due to landslides. I think they are still closed now, but you can always ask at the tourist info center when you visit. If Via dell’Amore reopens, then indeed that would be a beautiful walk and I’d suggest that over taking the train.
As for the lockers in Monterosso, I don’t know. There is a tourist info center at the train station there, so ask them or leave anything you don’t absolutely need at your hotel.
Thank you so much for your tips. I went to Cinque Terre yesterday. Unfortunately, I didn’t get there as early as I wanted, but because of your comments, I really feel like I was able to make the most of my trip. I went to Monterosso first by train. Then I hiked to Vernazza. You are absolutely right that the best view is from above. Absolutely breathtaking! I went the rest of the way by train, skipping Corniglias. I also went to Riomoggiore before ending the evening in Monarola. I was even able to be there for sunset, sitting in Nessun Dorma in Manarola. WOW! Despite my limited time in Cinque Terre, I am thoroughly impressed. It would have not been as amazing without having read this first. The only thing I would have changed, would have been eating fish in Riomoggiore. The smell of the food was mouthwatering. Nessun Dorma in Manarola is definitely worth the experience, but I didn’t realise I wouldn’t get a proper meal there. There is mostly cheese, meat and bread…and wonderful drinks.
Thanks for sharing your experience in Cinque Terre and glad that you managed to make the best of your time there with our help.
Yes, indeed, Nessun Dorma isn’t the best restaurant for food, it’s all more snacks and bruschettas, etc. When we visite, the food was simple but excellent. I would give up any warm meal for that view, so to us, it was still absolutely worth it! I am sure you’ll find other great places to eat fish, but you won’t quickly find a view like that one… 😉
Once again, thanks for sharing your experience. It might be very helpful to our other readers.
Happy travels!
Hi Jurga,
I came across your site when googling for a trip to Cinque Terre. This site is very helpful to me since I plan to stay only 2 nights and 2 days exploring the area. I wanted to travel in the fall but since our anniversary is in July (and my wife really insisted), we decided to go for it in the hot season. I’m putting together our itinerary now and hope to enjoy CT during that time. We’ll take a train from Florence to Pisa and spend a few hours there (Tower of Pisa) before moving on to La Spezia and check-in at a hotel there. I think we’ll take a local train to Manarola that evening to enjoy the sunset and dinner. We’ll take a train to Monterosso the next day and do some hiking up to Corniglia. Then a train ride to Riomaggiore and a boat ride to Portovenere for dinner. The next day we’ll catch a train back to Florence.
Hope this is going to be fun. I’ll read more of your article for the rest of Italy travel. Just wondering, how do the locals manage the walk up inside the flats. Do they have elevators? How do they handle if there’s a fire up there? It would be hard for the seniors to live up there. I tried to google the inside everyday lives of the locals there but couldn’t find anything.
Hi Fred, sounds like a great trip you have planned!
Cinque Terre is indeed a very hilly area and I think locals are used to it. There are many places in the world like that (we just came back from Croatia where many towns have countless narrow steep streets accessible only via staircases). I think that people who grew up there don’t really mind the stairs, they’ve never known any other way.
I’m sure some (few) hotels in bigger towns around 5terre have elevators, but if you are staying in Cinque Terre itself, you’ll need to do lots of stairs, there is really no way around it.
Enjoy your trip!
Thank you so much for a detailed description of Cinque Terre! Great article of value to travelers!
Thanks for your kind feedback, Maria. Enjoy your trip!
Excellent – travelling here for 1 day with friends and was wondering how to fit it all in – going to follow your route. Can you tell me do you have to purchase a pass to go into Cinque Terre on the day you are visiting – i thought i had heard this as they only allow so many visitors a day? Great article!
Hi Jill, I’m not sure if they have any restrictions now. I know that there were talks about imposing some kind of limits in the high season, but I really don’t know if it’s actually been decided and how it works.
When we visited, we just bought the Cinque Terre card at the train station in La Spezia the evening before (just because we were passing by – you can easily get it on the same day).
Extremely useful for person like me who will be visiting CT on 30th March. Thanks a lot
Glad to hear that, Anil. Have a great trip to Cinque Terre!
Thanks a lot for this!
I’ll be in Europe for work in about a week and decided on making a quick 2-day, 1-night pit stop-trip to Cinque Terre after hearing such great things about it from friends (and also because of my love of hiking, particularly in Europe).
This pretty much took care of all my planning! Very appreciative of the time and effort you put into this.
Best!
JM
Glad this helps, Johnathan. Enjoy your trip!
Hi there!
I’ve been in Cinque-Terre, mostly in Moterosso and saw the rest by boat. I find this page very instructive and interesting!
You really give me the hope I’ll go back and do exactly your trail. Thanks a million!
Glad to hear that, Eileen. Enjoy your repeat trip to Cinque Terre!
Hi, planning a trip next summer! On your day hike did you start and finish in the same town? If not what did you do with your luggage? Also, how soon in advance do you recommend making reservations for accommodations? Thank you for sharing!
Hi Kelsey, no, we didn’t start and finish in the same place – if you read the post all the details are there. We started in Monterosso al Mare and walked to Vernazza and on to Corniglia. We did the rest by train as the hiking paths are closed.
We stayed in La Spezia for a few nights and our luggage was at the hotel. If you are just going to Cinque Terre for a day, I’d see if you can leave your luggage at the train station in La Spezia or at your accommodation where you’ll spend the night before or after. You really can’t hike in Cinque Terre with any luggage except for a small day backpack.
Wow! Great post!! Great insider’s information!!! Timely, too, from my perspective. Many thanks!
I am just now planning my Cinque Terre visit of October 2019, so your guidance and tips are most helpful, welcome and appreciated. I’m sure I’ll be well prepared for my visit, after following and soaking up all your advice. Now, I just need mother nature to cooperate by providing a back-drop of sunny days and clear blue skies.
Glad you found it useful, Keith. We also visited in October (on the 30th to be more precise) and had an amazing weather, so fingers crossed for you too!
I would love to buy or print this guide for my upcoming trip to cinque terra. How can I get the guide without having to print 43 pages with all the ads?
Thank you
Hi Nancy, at the moment we don’t offer a printable version of this (and most other guides) on our website. Creating content takes lots of time and effort and ad income helps us run the blog and continue to offer quality travel advice to our readers.
I could make a printable guide for you, but that would require so much of my time that I wouldn’t feel comfortable charging my hourly rate for something that you can now get for free.
I have been thinking of offering our guides for sale, but I found that most people weren’t prepared to pay and didn’t mind seeing some ads instead…
You can still print the text if you like – just copy it to a word document first and then delete all the ads and pictures to make it shorter. Hope this helps. Enjoy your trip!
We want to stay for a few days. My husband doesn’t do a lot of hiking He is turning 70 although very healthy and can do some but not a lot. Any suggestions?
Hi Katerine, for most villages in Cinque Terre you don’t really need to hike in order to see them. Except for Corniglia – it’s the only village that is on top of the hill and it’s a very steep climb from the train station. I think there is a local bus as well, but I’m not sure if/when it operates.
Hiking between the villages is nice, but can be easily substituted by taking a train or a boat. Please check this post for more practical information for visiting Cinque Terre.
That being said, there are always some stairs to negotiate in towns themselves, but nothing extreme. Just beware that if you decide to stay in one of the Cinque Terre towns themselves, often accommodations are somewhere high up the hill (as all villages are built against the mountain). Better is to stay in a bigger town like La Spezia, but also Portovenere is a beautiful place. From La Spezia you have boats and trains to Cinque Terre. From Portovenere, taking a boat is your only option. Once you get to any of the Cinque Terre villages, you can take the train between the villages, but not to Portovenere.
Hope this helps.
How did you get from Riomaggiore to Manarola? That part was left out.
Hi Victor, we took a train from Riomaggiore to Manarola. It’s just a short trip, less than 5 minutes if the train comes on time :).
Hi Jurga ..
I read your post and it seems quite Helpful to me . As i am going to cinque terre on 12th of november and I probably be having 2 days in cinque terre . I have decided to take my accommodation in “ Riomaggiore “ . I don’t know whether it will be okay or not . Will you please help me with the route like if i will take my hotel in Riomaggiore so what will be the sequence of villages i have to follow . I will be alone and traveling alone for the first time . I’ll be very thankful to you if you give a proper guide .
Thanks alot in advance
Hi Siya, I really have no time to suggest individual itineraries for our readers – I’d be doing nothing else. I’m sure you’ll understand.
This post contains so many suggestions, including the time that it took us to hike between the villages, so I’m sure you can make your own perfect Cinque Terre itinerary. A lot depends on your interests, whether you hike, and how the weather will be.
I honestly think that 2 days is a bit much for Cinque Terre in November, so maybe try to visit something else nearby as well. Portovenere is a great option, but in November you won’t be able to easily get there I think as, normally, the boats don’t run anymore. So you’d probably need to take a bus from La Spezia.
Anyway, here are practical tips for visiting Cinque Terre, and here you can read more about Portovenere. Hope this helps.
Hi,
Just a question, so the total itinerary spans from about 8am to ~6pm or so? (That being the total time in CT, excluding travel into and out of La Spezia?)
Yes, that’s about right, Nick. Not counting the dinner. Also, we visited Cinque Terre with 3 kids, so hiked slower than most people do AND we had several cancelled trains which made the whole trip longer, otherwise we would have had at least an hour extra in Riomaggiore.
Loved this as my daughter and I are travelling to Italy for 10 days in Mid Sept and will be going to CT for a day and 2 nights. We will be coming from Venice. Not sure where to stay.
Hi Fauzia, I think that La Spezia might be the best option. Whether you come by train, or by car, you can easily get there. It’s also much cheaper to stay there (and there are many more options, also for restaurants) than in Cinque Terre.
Then either take a boat or a train to explore Cinque Terre the next day.
If you rather stay in 5terre itself, then I recommend Manarola. Portovenere is also very nice, but a bit more tricky to get to, unless you have a car and book a hotel with a parking (here you can read more about visiting Porto Venere).
Here you can find all the practical information for visiting Cinque Terre.
Hope this helps.
Thank you so much Jurga,
You are amazing.
This is our first visit to Italy, and I am already certain, I will return and stay longer and visit other parts of Italy. We will be visiting family in Turin and fly back to Toronto Sunday 30th September.
Will keep coming back to this forum during our trip to find nuggets.
Hello Jurga! Super thank you for this absolutely helpful article!! we are planning to go to CT this weekend for my birthday and didn’t had any clue until we saw this article. Thank you for sharing! Really!
And by the way, congrats for the stunning pictures!!! i love them all!! you are truly blessed with talents in writing and photography! keep it up!
Thank you so much for your kind feedback. Enjoy your trip to Cinque Terre and if you have a few hours to spare I really recommend to visit Portovenere as well.
Hi! This was so helpful as I am planning a trip to CT next weekend. Just one question… did you pay for a CT rail pass for the day or pay as you went? / if you did buy the pass is it included in the hiking ticket since some of the trail is not open?
Hi Mallory, hope I’m not too late with my answer. You can buy the Cinque Terre day ticket at a railway station. It includes all the train rides for the entire day (so you can hop-on and off at any village) and also the hiking fee is included. It’s by far the best option if you plan to take a train and also hike.
You can find more information and answers to many other questions in our practical guide to visiting Cinque Terre.
Enjoy your trip!
Very informative. Going to CT in Oct 1st week. This article of yours will help a lot. shall update you once am back
Great, please let us know how it went. I’m sure our readers will appreciate to hear any tips you may have after your trip.
Enjoy it!
Hello Juga,
My husband and I are visiting Cinque Terre in early September. and are staying in Santa Margarita. We will have one day to explore Cinque Terre. Should we take the train all the way down to Rioggiomare and start there? If so, I think you are suggesting that hiking in that direction is more difficult so we probably will not hike. What villages would you recommend that we take the boat to? Should we hire a guide or explore ourselves? Thank you.
Hi Ann, I think you can follow our itinerary from this post or do it in the other direction – it doesn’t really matter. The distances between the villages are really small and only takes a few minutes by train. If I were to do it again, I’d do it exactly the same way as we did. We left Manarola for the very end of the day because it’s a really beautiful place to be at sunset. Just keep in mind that the trains sometimes get cancelled, so your planned 5 minute ride between the two villages can turn into an hour waiting for the next train…
You can also take a boat, but then again – keep in mind the schedule.
If there is one village that is really nice to see from the water it’s probably Riomaggiore; the rest are actually more impressive from land. But then of course from the boat you also see the beautiful coastline…
Here is my idea of an itinerary you could do (just a suggestion). You could take a train to Monterosso, explore the village. Then take a train or hike to Vernazza, explore it. From there hop on a boat to Riomaggiore (skip Corniglia if you don’t want to walk up the steep stairs – you’ll see it from the boat). Then take a train to Manarola in time for sunset. After dinner, take a train back to Santa Margarita.
There is no need to take a guide, unless you really don’t like to have to deal with any practical aspects of your trip. For more practical information, train tickets, etc. please check our practical guide to visiting Cinque Terre.
Hope this helps. Enjoy your trip!
Thank you! I was desperately looking for a post like this. We are planning on being in Florence in the first week of October but have a day to do CT and did not know how and yes we are open to a hike but only if it is worth it. Your plan gives us everything we were looking for.
Question: Our plan is that after Florence/CT we go to Venice. So once we do our 2 days in Florence should we move to another town (La Spezia?) do our day trip to CT from there and stay the night in this town and then next morning take the train to Venice or after our day in CT go back to Florence an from there go to Venice?
We are hoping to spend only a day in Venice. Stay the night and the next morning head to Rome.. So where do we spend the night? In Venice or some nearby town?
Thank you
Hi Shahid, glad this post helped you with the planning. I’m not sure how you are planning to travel from Venice to Rome, but your itinerary looks very rushed to me with lots of time traveling and little time for sightseeing. Which I understand; many first-time visitors want to see the highlights in a short time. If I were you, I’d look into options for the flights between Venice and Rome… Even Florence to Venice is already a long trip.
In Venice it’s nice to stay right in the heart of the city. However, the best option for you would probably be an area close to the train station – at least you don’t have to carry your suitcases through half the town that way, and it’s easy enough to walk to the main landmarks from there. Try the area around Hotel Adriatico – you can see all the available accommodations on the man when you use booking.com
Now back to Cinque Terre. If you had more time there, I’d recommend to stay nearby, but based on your plans, I think you better base yourself in Florence (again, close to the train station, area around C-hotels Joy) – it will save you lots of hassle with the luggage, looking for separate hotels, and then also traveling to Venice from Florence will be easier than going from La Spezia.
There are organised day tours from Florence to 5terre and they take about 12hrs (7AM-7PM), so it’s possible to do it as a day trip, just plan well if you plan to do it individually. TIP: check the train schedule and don’t count on the last train – quite some trains got cancelled when we were in Cinque Terre leaving us and many passengers waiting for an hour for the next train…
Enjoy your trip!
What a great post!! I am visiting Rome in Aug and hadn’t even considered going to Cinque Terre until I came across this post. I am definitely adding this on to my trip and you certainly mapped it out for other travelers. This will be my first time “across the pond”, I live in MIA and never been to Europe. I want to get the most out of my 10 day vacation.
Being from Florida, I am pretty accustomed to HEAT… so how hot is it in August? Does it compare to Miami or would you say its worse (temps are usually 92-95 degrees during August).
Thanks for the post!!
Hi Yoe, good to hear you found inspiration for your Italian trip. Cinque Terre is certainly worth a visit, but expect it to be really busy too… As for the weather, you never know, but in general it’s really hot in Italy in August. Too hot for us Belgians to go and explore towns and cities, but if you are used to Florida and the humid heat you have, then I think you’ll find the dry heat of Italy quite bearable. Temperature-wise it will probably be anywhere between 30-40°C (86-104F) – in Rome and other towns it will be really hot. Cinque Terre, on the other hand, is by the sea, so it shouldn’t feel half as bad with the wind there.
Enjoy your first overseas adventure! I’m sure it will leave you wanting for more.
Great article. Beautiful photos. Is there a train from Vernazza to Corniglia? Since we will be there in August, we may want to complete the first hike and skip the second due to the afternoon heat. Thanks so much for your help.
Hi Michelle, yes, the train stops in each of the 5 villages (the boat only does 4 – all but Corniglia). Just note that the train station in Corniglia is at the bottom, by the sea, whereas the village itself is high on the hill. There is a nice wide staircase going up, but it’s a tough climb. I think the hike is easier. 🙂 Alternatively, I think you can also take a bus from the station to the village, but I’m not sure how it works or how often it runs. Most people seem to be walking up, so it’s definitely doable. All the other villages are by the sea and don’t require any climbing.
If you haven’t seen yet, please also check this post for more practical information for visiting Cinque Terre.
Thanks for the information. We are planning to come over to the Cinque Terre in the first week of August. We will drive to La Spezia and take the train to visit the places. Most probably we will not be doing the walking trails due to the hot weather. So do you still think we should buy the Cinque Terre Treno card to go from one place to another. Also is it possible to use the ferry boat as well with the card or do we have to pay extra.?
Hi Moira, the train card is separate from the boat. If you don’t plan to do any hiking, taking a boat and hopping off at 4 villages might be a really nice way to spend your day. Or take a train to the furthest village and then buy a one way boat ticket. But I think it’s only the full day boat ticket that gives you an option to leave the boat and join the next one during the day, so it might be better to just do that. Or just the train. Combination of both will be the most expensive, but it’s not like it’s overly expensive. So I would say plan the day the best way it suits you; after all you probably want to get the most of your short visit rather than save a few euros and miss something.
Thank you thank you thank you for all of these tips!!! We just arrive in Cinque Terre today and only have 2 full days to explore. This hike itinerary helped so much! Much love and happy travels!
Good to hear than, Nichole. Hope you had a great time in Cinque Terre. Now that you visited it, do you have any (additional) tips for our readers? Much appreciated.
Happy travels, Jurga
Great article! This will serve our guide. My husband and I will be going on a day trip to Cinque Terre on a Saturday in May. We may not do it all and I wish we have more time. Can’t wait.
Hi Lilibeth, glad to hear this helped you plan your trip to Cinque Terre. You can do a lot in one day, more than you think, just start early to avoid the biggest crowds and the heat.
Make sure to also check this post if you are looking for more practical information about visiting Cinque Terre. And enjoy your trip!
I perhaps go there this year , then it is very interresting. Nice pictures. Thank you.
Beautiful Pics. I was wondering if one day was enough time or not, as I plan on stopping through there in the summer so this was very helpful!
Good to hear that, Gina. Enjoy your trip!
I along with my husband and adult son and daughter will be reaching LA Spezia from Florence by train at about 3 PM on 20th May, 2020. We will be staying there for one night. We would like to see the best villages and sunset from manarola. Please suggest how we can plan the trip.
Hi Nandini, all my suggestions are in the article and you’ll have to see how much time you have, what time the sun sets, and then decide what itinerary works best for you. With just half a day, you won’t be able to see everything, so if I were you, I’d probably try to see Riomaggiore, Vernazza, and then end in Manarola. The days are quite long in May, so it should be possible.