How many hours do I need in Cinque Terre?

Cinque Terre is a collection of five seaside villages on a 2-mile (3 km) stretch of Italy's northwest coast. Known as the Italian Riviera due to its dramatic setting, it takes a mere day to visit each of these gems. Two to three days would allow you to enjoy its beaches and discover the culture via a cooking class.



To truly experience the five villages of Cinque Terre, you should plan for at least 12 to 14 hours for a day trip, though 48 hours is the recommended "sweet spot." A single day (approx. 12 hours) allows you to spend about 90 minutes in each town—Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso—utilizing the Cinque Terre Express train which runs every 15-20 minutes. However, this pace is hurried and doesn't allow for long hikes or swimming. With two full days (48 hours), you can dedicate Day 1 to the southern towns and the famous Blue Trail (Sentiero Azzurro) between Monterosso and Vernazza, and Day 2 to the quieter northern village of Corniglia and the beaches of Monterosso. If you have 72 hours, you can add a ferry trip to nearby Portovenere or a sunset boat tour, which offers the most iconic views of the colorful cliffside houses that define the region. Most visitors find that arriving early in the morning (around 8:00 AM) is essential to beat the midday cruise ship crowds that peak between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM.

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Two to three days would allow you to enjoy its beaches and discover the culture via a cooking class. And with four to five days, you could get to know every inch of Cinque Terre on boat trips, hikes of the surrounding mountains, and even make an extra trip to historic Genoa.

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You can walk the entire route in about six hours, if you take short breaks—although many hikers prefer to spread the route out over a few days at a strolling pace, stopping to enjoy the towns along the way. You can start from either direction (Monterosso, heading south, or Riomaggiore, heading north).

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You have to skip Corniglia situated on top of a cliff 100 metres above sea level. If you are limited on time, take the train between the villages.

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Vernazza: Located to the north of the Cinque Terre, Vernazza is probably the most beautiful and picturesque fishing village of Cinque Terre, where its colourful houses hang above the sea level on rugged cliffs. It has a charming natural port and an old castle, built to protect the area from pirates.

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Cover a shorter section of the Cinque Terre hike on a half-day tour that allows you to experience the scenery without walking all day. See Riomaggiore, Manarola, and the village of Groppo as you walk along trails that lead past olive groves and vineyards on the Mediterranean coast.

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Trains are the easiest way to get to and around Cinque Terre. Trenitalia has direct connections to La Spezia from Rome, Florence, and Pisa (the closest airport). Once in Cinque Terre, the Cinque Terre Express train runs between La Spezia and Levanto in Sestri Levante, stopping at each village.

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September-October The shoulder season of September to October is the best time to visit Cinque Terre.

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La Spezia is a bit of a hidden gem as it is not as touristy as its surroundings and offers beautiful panoramas of the gulf and Apuan Alps as well as fascinating museums, a historic city centre, great markets and streets lined with lovely cafes and restaurants.

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Skip town at midday. Cruisers and day-trippers start pouring into the Cinque Terre around 10 a.m. and typically head out by 5 p.m. Those midday hours are your time to hit the beach or find a hike away from the main trails.

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TIP: Due to its proximity, a visit to Cinque Terre can easily be combined with that of Tuscany. Here you can read more about the most beautiful towns of Tuscany.

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Shopping and prices The Cinque Terre is not cheap. As everywhere in the world, tourism has raised prices. I often go to the market of La Spezia to shop for food, it's much cheaper than the stores of the villages. In restaurants, you have to expect Western European prices.

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Levanto: The Perfect Base for Exploring the Cinque Terre
  • Levanto is the first town just to the north of the Cinque Terre. ...
  • Levanto (the locals pronounce it with the accent on the first syllable Lay-vanto) also has fewer crowds, lower prices, and a great stretch of sandy beach.


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Overtourism in a fragile area Fabrizia Pecunia, the mayor of Riomaggiore, came up with the new plan for the 3,215- foot-long path to combat overtourism. Last year, about three million tourists visited Cinque Terre, a fragile national park. In contrast, there are fewer than 4,000 residents left in the area.

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