I was so excited to get to Cinque Terre, Italy. It had been on my bucket list for a long time and I couldn’t wait to get out and explore these gorgeous Cinque Terre towns. Below we share our 2 night itinerary and tips on visiting.
I watched the weather all week just hoping it would be nice and sunny for us and luckily it was! We stayed for 2 nights just outside of Cinque Terre in La Spezia on our 3 month backpacking trip around Europe with our 4 kids. I wish we would have stayed longer there were so many great things to do in Cinque Terre and I felt like we could have used more time in Cinque Terre.
Our place in La Spezia was perfect for us and our host was amazing. You can check out where we stayed in La Spezia here.
Plus we could tell there was so much more exploring we could do around La Spezia! I can see coming here for a week and spending a day in each of the Cinque Terre towns (including La Spezia) to really soak it all in.
At first we thought 2 nights would be plenty. We were wrong! That being said there is so much to do in Italy that even if you can just come for 1-2 nights or just the day do it.
Cinque Terre is also a great spot to stop if you are backpacking Italy! It can be a great day trip from Florence or Tuscany as well.
Table of Contents
Cinque Terre Map
I know I was a bit confused how everything worked in the Cinque Terre area. Was this all walkable? How far apart were the towns in Cinque Terre? I know for me a visual would have been helpful so here you go:
I also wasn’t sure how the trains worked. Where did the train go? Was it confusing or straightforward. Here is a picture of the train route. As you can see the train runs right along the coast to all 5 towns. Train times and stops can vary so always be sure to check that at the train station when you arrive!
Best Time To Visit Cinque Terre
We visited Cinque Terre at the end of March and would absolutely choose this time of year again. It was much less crowded than what you can experience during the busy summer months, and we had great weather for hiking and exploring the villages.
The tradeoff with visiting in March was that it wasn’t really swimming weather yet. We didn’t swim in the ocean, but on a sunny day we definitely could have spent some time relaxing on the beach.
For the best combination of good weather and fewer crowds, I would look at late March through May or September into October. Summer is a great option if swimming and beach time are a priority, but you should also expect more visitors, busier trains and trails, and higher demand for accommodations.
If hiking is a big part of your Cinque Terre plans, remember that trail conditions can change due to weather, maintenance, or safety concerns. Always check the Cinque Terre National Park website for current trail conditions before heading out.
One other thing to know when choosing your dates is that Cinque Terre now uses different pricing for its Train Card based on expected visitor levels. In 2026, dates between March 14 and November 1 are classified as low-, medium-, or high-attendance days, with higher prices on the busiest days. This is another reason to check the official Cinque Terre National Park calendar when planning your trip.
Can You Take a Cinque Terre Day Trip From Florence?
Yes! You can visit Cinque Terre on a day trip from Florence, but be prepared for a long day. Our friends did this and said visiting Cinque Terre was one of the highlights of their trip. It was a long day for them with 2+ hour train rides each way. But they said they would 100% do it all over again.
If you’re traveling independently, you’ll need to get from Florence to the Cinque Terre area and then use the local trains to travel between the villages. Once you’re there, the five villages are connected by frequent regional trains, making it easy to travel between them without a car.
If you only have one day, I would seriously consider booking a guided Cinque Terre day trip from Florence instead. You’ll have someone handle the transportation and logistics, so you can spend more of your limited time enjoying the villages instead of figuring out train connections.
→ Check prices and availability for this Cinque Terre day trip from Florence
Staying overnight instead? We stayed in La Spezia, which made it easy to take the train into the Cinque Terre villages. Where we stayed in La Spezia →
The 5 Cinque Terre Towns: Which Ones Should You Visit?
Cinque Terre is made up of five colorful villages along the Ligurian coast: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare. Together, they are part of Cinque Terre National Park and the UNESCO-listed cultural landscape of Portovenere, Cinque Terre and the Islands.
Each village has a different feel, which is why I recommend seeing all five if you have the time. You can visit all five in one day if you mostly take the train and make shorter stops, but we enjoyed having more time to explore, hike between some of the villages, eat, and enjoy the views.
We stayed 2 nights so we decided to visit Manarola on its own the first night and did Riomaggiore, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare the following day.
The easiest way to get between the five villages is by train. You don’t need a car once you’re here, and honestly, I wouldn’t recommend driving between the villages. If you’re planning to use the trains throughout the day, consider the Cinque Terre Train Card, which includes regional train travel within the Cinque Terre area, access to the park’s trails, and other services.
You can also hike between the villages (more on this below), which was one of our favorite parts of the trip. Just don’t assume every trail will be open when you arrive. Weather, maintenance, and visitor-management measures can affect trail access, so check the official Cinque Terre National Park trail information before your trip.
Our Favorite Thing In Each Cinque Terre Village:
- Manarola – Enjoy the iconic village view and have drinks or dinner at Nessun Dorma.
- Monterosso – Spend time at the beach and walk up to the St. Francis viewpoint.
- Vernazza – Grab pizza near the harbor and wander through the narrow lanes and stairways.
- Corniglia – Stop for gelato at Alberto Gelateria and enjoy the views from the only Cinque Terre village that sits above the sea rather than directly on the waterfront.
- Riomaggiore – Pie Di Ma for drinks overlooking the water.
Planning Your Cinque Terre Trip?
Where to stay: We stayed in La Spezia and loved using it as our home base for exploring all five villages. See where we stayed in La Spezia →
Prefer a guided experience? There are guided hikes, boat trips, food tours and day trips that let you experience Cinque Terre without planning every detail yourself. See Cinque Terre tours and activities →
Hiking Cinque Terre: Trails, Passes & What to Know
Hiking between the Cinque Terre villages was one of our favorite experiences during our trip! The views are incredible, and hiking offers a completely different perspective than taking the train from village to village. But be prepared: hiking Cinque Terre is no easy feat! There is a lot of up and down, so make sure you have sturdy shoes and water.
Before you plan your hikes, always check the current Cinque Terre trail status. Trails can temporarily close because of weather, maintenance, safety concerns, or high visitor levels. Don’t rely on a blog post (including this one!) to tell you whether a trail will be open on the exact day of your trip.
The famous Sentiero Verde Azzurro (Blue Trail) includes the coastal sections connecting Monterosso, Vernazza, and Corniglia. Access to these sections is included with the Cinque Terre Trekking Card and Train Card.
Another exciting option is the famous Via dell’Amore (Path of Love) between Riomaggiore and Manarola. After being closed for years, Via dell’Amore is open again. Visitors currently enter from Riomaggiore and walk one-way toward Manarola. The walk takes about 30 minutes, and advance reservations are required.
If you plan to hike and use trains throughout the day, the Cinque Terre Train Card may make the most sense, since it includes the park services and trails covered by the Trekking Card, plus unlimited second-class regional train travel between La Spezia Migliarina and Levanto.
It may seem a bit confusing when you are sitting at your computer planning. But once you get there and just ask around, it is easy to figure out. And if something isn’t open or you aren’t feeling up to hiking, you just jump on the train.
Want to Hike Cinque Terre With a Guide?
If you’d rather explore the trails with a local guide, there are guided hiking experiences that combine the scenery with information about the villages, vineyards, and history of Cinque Terre.
2 Night Cinque Terre Itinerary: How We Visited All 5 Towns
We stayed for 2 nights in La Spezia and had about 1 1/2 days to explore Cinque Terre. It was enough time to visit all five villages, hike part of the coastal trail, enjoy some amazing food and take in the incredible views — but we definitely could have stayed longer!
If you have two nights, I recommend arriving as early as possible on your first day. We arrived later in the afternoon (via train using our Eurail Pass), checked into our place in La Spezia, dropped off our bags and headed straight back to the train station to start exploring.
We came in by train from Nice, France, and it was a gorgeous train ride. If you can take a train into Cinque Terre, do it! You won’t need a car when you are here, so a train ride is perfect.
Our 2-night Cinque Terre itinerary looked like this:
Arrival Day: Check into La Spezia → Manarola → dinner and sunset views → return to La Spezia
Full Day: Monterosso → hike to Vernazza → hike to Corniglia → Riomaggiore → return to La Spezia
We chose La Spezia as our home base instead of staying directly in one of the five Cinque Terre villages. For our family of six, it gave us more accommodation options at a better price while still making it easy to hop on the train and explore Cinque Terre.
Where We Stayed in Cinque Terre
We stayed in La Spezia, just outside Cinque Terre, and it worked really well for our family of six. We could walk to the train, easily reach all five villages and paid less than we would have staying directly inside Cinque Terre.
Check current prices and availability for where we stayed in La Spezia →
Night 1: Manarola
Manarola
After checking into our place in La Spezia and dropping off our bags, we jumped back on the train and headed to Manarola.
I specifically wanted to visit Manarola on our first night because I had seen pictures of the incredible view from Nessun Dorma and knew I wanted to experience it in person. It ended up being the perfect way to start our Cinque Terre trip.
Nessun Dorma
Nessun Dorma is one of the most recognizable spots in Manarola thanks to its incredible view overlooking the village. I had researched it before our trip and expected we might have a long wait, especially since there were six of us.
We got lucky and were seated right away! With six people, we couldn’t get a table right along the edge, but we were just behind it and still had an amazing view.
The menu focused on bruschetta-style dishes, meat and cheese boards, and drinks when we visited. It makes it a quick order for them, and they are good at getting you your food quickly so they can move you on and get the next person seated. Not complaining! This is a great way to give many people the opportunity to enjoy this epic spot for dinner!
Once we were done with dinner, we walked along the pathway above the restaurant, and there was a park for the kids to play in with epic views all around. Plus there were picnic tables we could sit it.
We didn’t know there would be picnic tables up there, but luckily you could get drinks to go from the restaurant to bring up there.
Money-Saving Tip
If eating at Nessun Dorma isn’t in your budget, consider packing a picnic and heading up to the picnic tables above the restaurant. You can still enjoy an incredible view of Manarola without paying restaurant prices.
We didn’t realize the picnic area was there until after dinner, but it would be a great option for families or anyone traveling on a budget.
There is also a free public restroom right by the picnic tables.
We had a great first night in Cinque Terre and made our way back to the train to head to La Spezia for the night. Note: The restaurant is uphill from the train station.
Train Tip: Always check the current train schedule before leaving a village, especially later in the evening. Train frequency can vary throughout the day and by season, so don’t assume another train will arrive immediately if you miss yours.
The trains are late once in a while, but don’t count on that! If you don’t want to miss a train be sure to be there when it says it is coming.
Want a Different Way to Experience Manarola?
Cinque Terre also has sunset boat trips, food experiences and wine tours that give you a completely different perspective of the villages.
Full Day In Cinque Terre
We opted to take the long train ride first to get us to the further town from us: Monterosso. We have read about people doing Cinque Terre this way or starting from the closer Cinque Terre village and working your way towards Monterosso.
After we completed our route we would not have changed it and were happy starting with Montrosse and working our way down.
Monterosso Al Mare
We are not early risers so we made a plan to be in Monterosso a little after 11am to kick off our day!
St Francis Overlook
When we got there we headed fist to the St Francis Overlook where you can look down the coast to see the other villages. It was a hike up but worth it for the view overlooking the sea. You also get a cool view of Monterosso.
Beach
Next we walked down to explore the sandy beach. I could see how this would be an awesome summer hang out! Since we had a jam packed day we didn’t stop to enjoy the beach but we talked about how we would love to do that next time.
That was a wrap on Monterosso and it was time to start the hike to Vernazza. The Cinque Terre hiking trails really are awesome and the way to go to see the towns.
Hike to Vernazza
**Check the site to see if you need to buy a pass. We went prior to prime season so we did not have to.
Long and hard hike! Up, Up, Up what feels like the whole way. Through vineyards, across rocky cliffs and coastal trails with sea views.
The trail is well marked and there are most likely other people on it. This can get annoying if you are trying to walk fast and there is a slow group in front of you since the trail is pretty tight.
Make sure you have lots of water with you as this is a tiring hike. But don’t let that stop you from doing it! It is also beautiful and gives you an amazing perspective of these towns. As you are hiking away from Monterosso you can turn around and see the town and the beach.
Vernazza
We made it to Vernazza and you walk through the tight sidewalks between the buildings to get down to the beach and restaurant area. This town is exactly what you think Cinque Terre towns would be like.
Small, colorful, and feels like a maze walking through the narrow lanes between the buildings!!
Pizza
We wanted to grab some pizza (We heard it was a must do in Vernazza). We asked the waiter at the restaurant and hung around keeping an eye on things until a table opened. There are a lot of tables and it is busy so I would recommend staying in view of your waiter so they remember you and know you are there waiting.
It paid off and we got a table right in the middle of Vernazza . Remember how I said the tables are close together . . . the couple right next to us smoked through their whole meal. It was gross so be ready for that.
The drinks were refreshing and the pizza was good! After that we were ready to hit the next part of the hike to get to the next village.
Hike from Vernazza to Corniglia
Another hard hike – not as much up and down but still a lot of hiking.
Bar Il Gabbiano
Halfway through we started seeing signs about a restaurant we were like say what?? It was hot and a drink was sounding really good.
Sure enough there is a restaurant/cafe halfway to Corniglia and it was gorgeous up there! We got some nice cold lemonades and Craig and I got a vodka lemonade slushy and we sat out on the terrace to enjoy them with an amazing view.
They also had smoothies, foccacia bread, pizza and a few other food options. It is also self serve so you walk down and order what you want and carry it back up to sit on the terrace.
They actually have vacation rentals up there and we took a card. I would love to come back and stay here for a couple nights.
After that we were reenergized and continued to make our way down to Corniglia.
We had no idea this restaurant/bar was here so it wasn’t in our plan – a lot of the time the coolest things aren’t! If you are someone who wants more of a plan to your day I would recommend checking out their website and IG account to verify they are open and what they are serving. I am guessing this can vary a lot.
Bar Il Gabbiano Instagram account
Corniglia
Our plan here was to stop for Gelato! We had heard they had yummy gelato in the town. We headed to Alberto’s which was recommended by Rick Steve’s. There was another Gelato shop in town but I have to say we were happy with Alberto’s!
We got our gelato and enjoyed that before getting on the train to head to Ramogilia.
If you haven’t done Manarola you could stop and do that now or else continue on to Ramogilia. The Dell Amore trail between Manarola and Ramogilia is still closed but is set to open in 2023 – hopefully!!
Tip: It is a long walk from the town down to the train station since the town sits up high on the mountain and the train is closer to sea level. It wasn’t a hard walk but just be prepared it will take a minute and time your train ride around that.
Riomaggiore
This is where you see the signature picture of the water surrounded by the colorful buildings. When we got there it was busy and of course our kids wanted to walk out on the rocks.
I was nervous about it but said fine just be careful. Well they didn’t just go a little ways out they went all the way down the rocks. I eventually (with Carson’s help getting over the rocks) made my way out there too and I was glad I did! It was worth it since I got an awesome picture of the kids with the buildings behind them!
I would only recommend walking out on the rocks if you are sure footed. It was scary in a few spots!
After that we headed to Pie Di Ma to get some drinks overlooking the water before we headed back to La Spezia.
La Spezia
La Spezia was a great place to stay – even though we didn’t directly stay in Cinque Terre – with a nice grocery store, resturants, bars and coffee shops. Staying here definitely made the cost less per night for our family of 6.
There were also a list of things that we could have done in La Spezia so I know we want to come back again to explore those!
Check out this post on Things To Do In La Spezia to learn more.
Boat Rides
We had also heard that doing a boat tour between the islands or a Kayaking tour was a fun way to explore. Since we were there for such a short time we didn’t want to mess with that and instead wanted the freedom to go at our own pace and not be set to the boat schedule.
There you have it! Tips on visiting these gorgeous parts of Italy and the lively fishing villages on the Italian Riviera. Either on a day trip or staying overnight you aren’t going to want to miss Cinque Terre (which some people pronounce Cinque Terra) if you are in the area!
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