Cinque Terre, Italy Travel Guide
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The Cinque Terre in northern Italy is home to 5 striking seaside villages; Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Cornigla, Manarola and Riomaggiore. These charming villages attract around 25 million people a year.
I spent my 25th birthday in the Cinque Terre and the trip was nothing short of magical. The bright and rugged style of architecture, the terraced farmlands rolling up the steep cliffside and the mesmerisingly blue sea that glistens even when it’s cloudy, it’s easy to understand why these villages attract so many visitors.
If you want to discover how to get the most out of your stay in the Cinque Terre, Italy keep reading this helpful travel guide.
Brief Overview of Cinque Terre Italy Travel Guide
When to Visit Cinque Terre Italy?
The tourist season in the Cinque Terre is from mid-March to November. This is when everything is in full swing. You can expect all restaurants and accommodations to be booked up and the villages brimming with visitors. During the summer months, the temperature reaches the high 20s with little to no rain.
Due to the fact the Cinque Terre is such a popular spot, I believe coming in the months that lie just between peak season and off-season is the optimum time. We visited at the beginning of March, just before the official season began and although the weather was a little unpredictable a little rain didn’t stop us.
If you were to visit in the height of winter it’s likely a lot of restaurants and accommodations would be shut and occasionally the walking paths between the villages will close due to heavy rain and landslides.
Fun Fact- The Cinque Terre National Park has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997.
How to Get to and Around Cinque Terre Italy?
By Plane
The closest airports to the Cinque Terre are Genoa, Milan Malpensa and Pisa. From these airports I recommend taking a train as driving in the Cinque Terre is not easy and is banned in most of the villages.
By Train
All 5 villages are connected by train making it simple to get around. From Milan, Pisa and Genoa you can catch a train to La Spezia. La Spezia is where you can hop on the ‘5 Terre Express’ stopping at all the villages. Sometimes the trains from Milan, Genoa or Pisa will also stop at the villages, but others will require you to make the change at La Spezia or Levanto (another town just outside the Cinque Terre).
Be sure to book your train ride into La Spezia in advance, it will help save on the price. I always use Trainline to search for the cheapest price, look for the latest offers here.
Once you have arrived and wish to travel around the villages you have two options. You can buy a ticket for every train journey or purchase a Cinque Terre Card. The card allows unlimited travel between La Spezia and Levanto for 1,2 or 3 days. Find out more information and the latest prices here.
By Foot
Surprisingly, this method of transport only applies once you have arrived in the Cinque Terre. It’s possible to hike between the villages, but these trails aren’t free during peak season (mid-March to November). If you purchase the Cinque Terre Card for the trains this also covers the trail fees. Alternatively, you can purchase a trekking card here. The trails can get closed due to damage so check the latest updates here to see which trails are currently open.
Side note when we visited in March 2024, some of the trails were ‘closed’, but after advice from our host, she told us to ignore this and we would be fine. This was good advice. As we were there just before the official season began we didn’t have to purchase a trekking card either. Take this as a sign to always speak to a local and not fully trust a website.
Where to Stay in Cinque Terre Italy?
Firstly, you must decide whether to stay within the Cinque Terre or just outside in the neighbouring towns of Levanto, La Spezia etc. My recommendation would be to stay in one of the villages as this means you can enjoy the quieter times; early mornings and late evenings, however this may come with a higher price tag.
We stayed in this gorgeous accommodation in Vernazza and I couldn’t recommend it enough. The lovely couple that owned the rooms were very welcoming and kind and even helped us carry our bags from the train station. The room was perfect and we had everything we needed, including a gorgeous outside area to watch a sunset or simply to soak up the stunning views (see photo above). If you’re lucky enough to get a spot in Giuliano Basso Rooms you’re in for a treat! Book here.
Things to Do in Cinque Terre Italy
Go Hiking
As mentioned previously the 5 villages are connected by a network of trails which during peak season require you to have a pass, learn more here. These hiking trails can be steep but that hard work will be greatly rewarded with incredible views.
My favourite trail we hiked was Levanto to Vernazza. It took the whole day as we stopped for lunch and a wander around Monterosso al Mare. We began by catching the train from Vernazza to Levanto, then headed straight to the beach in Levanto.
From here the trail signposts you up and out of the village and you continue to follow the winding path over the cliffside. Be sure to look behind you as you leave Levanto as the views are incredible. You’ll follow the trail for roughly 3 hours before reaching Monterosso.
Just before you head downhill into Monterosso you will be blessed with a wonderful viewpoint, Punta Mesco. You can see all 5 villages from here and even further on a clear day. Even if you don’t do this full hike, I recommend walking up here from Monterosso.
The trail between Monterosso and Vernazza takes about an hour and a half and goes through steep farmland. You’ll get views of terraced crops, dramatic cliff faces and some gigantic lemon and orange trees.
Discover more trails around the Cinque Terre here ->
Watch a Sunset
Or a sunrise if you're an early riser, would certainly be less crowded. Watching a sunset is not to be missed. You can watch a sunset from any of the villages, but a popular spot is Punta Bonfiglio’s viewpoint in Manrola. There is also a well-known restaurant here called Nessun Dorma if you watch a snack and a spritz with your sunset. Another ideal sunset spot is down on the rocks at Riomaggiore harbour.
I enjoyed a sunset from the beach in Monterosso. As the only village with an actual beach and no direct view of the sun, it’s a slightly different experience. But those sunshine colours still spread across the sky and sea waters.
Try Troife al Pesto
Troife al Pesto is a classic Ligurian dish you must try in the Cinque Terre. It’s not often I recommend eating a local dish, but this glorified pesto past gets my fussy eater seal of approval. Troife pasta is believed to have been created by those using leftover dough from making other pasta shapes. Its unusual shape makes it ideal for holding sauces and flavours and it is a staple in the region of Liguria, home to the Cinque Terre.
Head to La Torre in Vernazza to try Troife al Pesto and get incredible views over the village of Vernazza. You can also find many cooking classes in the Cinque Terre teaching you how to make a delicious pesto sauce. The most popular is this class at Nessun Dorma.
Tour a Wine Vineyard
Wine has been produced along the Cinque Terre’s terraced vineyards for thousands of years. Many of the villages have wine cellars where you can relax and taste locally produced wine. But it’s also possible to tour some of the vineyards that sit just above the villages.
Discover this panoramic vineyard tour with wine tasting and a guided hike from Vernazza ->
Take a Boat Trip
Taking a boat trip along the coastline of the Cinque Terre is a popular activity for visitors. Not only do you see the villages from a different view, but you can go snorkelling and explore the caves along the coastline. You can also join boat tours that will take you out at sunset and give you a spritz and a bite to eat.
Visit the Other Villages
Simple and obvious but one of the best things you can do is visit the other villages in the Cinque Terre. Wandering around the streets, stopping for a snack or a spritz, shopping for souvenirs and taking in the beauty of these villages is a must-do.
Discover the best things to do in each one in my breakdown of the 5 Cinque Terre villages here ->
Travel Tips for Visiting Cinque Terre Italy
Stay overnight! This would be my number one tip as many people choose to visit on a day trip, but the best way to see these villages is to stay in one of them for a few nights. This way you are there at times the massive tour groups have left and get to see a more relaxing and quiet side to the villages.
For regional trains in Italy, it’s required to validate your ticket before boarding. If you have a paper ticket you can ask them at the ticket office to do this or use the validation machines on the platform. For online/mobile tickets, you should see a 'check-in' option, this should appear on the day of the journey.
Be sure to pack comfortable shoes, you’ll be doing a lot of steps. If you’re planning on doing long trails walking shoes would be ideal. But if you're just going to go on the odd trail here and there in the drier months you’ll survive with some comfy trainers.
If you are visiting in the peak season, book everything in advance. Accommodations, restaurants and activities can all get booked up very quickly, so don’t get caught out.
I found it difficult to get the pronunciation right so here’s a phonetic spelling for you to have better luck than I did. CHEEN-kweh TER-ray.
There are a lot of steps in the Cinque Terre so if you are debating what bag to take, I would recommend a backpack as this would be easier than a suitcase.
I had a fantastic birthday in the Cinque Terre and would visit again any day. The more travel destinations I visit in Italy the more I fall in love with the country. The food, the beaches, the cities, the Aperol Spritzes. I just can’t get enough of Italy.
Let me know your travel stories from the Cinque Terre, Italy in the comments below.
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