Cinque Terre is a string of five old fishing villages on the Italian Riviera in Liguria, just south of Genoa, inside a national park of about 3,860 hectares. It suits walkers and train hoppers, with more than 75 miles (120 km) of park trails and a railway line that connects all five villages.
Some stretches of the park have conditions attached. The Via dell’Amore can only be entered with a booked time slot, part of the Blue Trail needs a Cinque Terre Card, and the train tends to be crowded in summer.
At a glance
- Region: Liguria, province of La Spezia, just south of Genoa
- Villages: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare
- Getting around: regional train, hiking trails and ferries, with express trains every 20 minutes between the villages
- Via dell’Amore: 0.6 mile (1 km), about 30 minutes, booking required
- Guided walks: Walking Park calendar from May 1 to October 31, 2026
- Trail pass: Trekking Card from €10 a day
Where is Cinque Terre and what is it like?
Cinque Terre sits on the Italian Riviera in Liguria, in the province of La Spezia, just south of Genoa in northwest Italy. The National Park covers about 3,860 hectares and counts roughly 4,000 inhabitants spread across the five villages. Its territory takes in the municipalities of Riomaggiore, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare, plus parts of La Spezia and Levanto.
The villages are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare. Corniglia stands apart, on a cliff about 330 feet (100 m) above the sea. The other four are built right on the water. The slopes behind them are steep terraces, and trails climb through them to hill hamlets.
People spent more than a thousand years terracing these slopes and holding them up with dry-stone walls, which gave the area its characteristic landscape. Until recently the villages were linked only by mule tracks and could be reached only by rail or water. The park has since been recognized as a World Heritage site.
Where to go in Cinque Terre
Riomaggiore
Riomaggiore has companies that rent boats and kayaks and run boat tours, and a pebble beach. It makes a good base for anyone who wants time on the water between hikes.
The Via dell’Amore starts here. The first stretch, walked one way toward Manarola, begins from Riomaggiore, so the village is where a booked slot turns into a walk.
Manarola
Manarola is the other end of the Via dell’Amore. The Manarola ticket office is the reason the walk is one-way from Riomaggiore: it keeps day visitors and groups from crowding the booth.
Express trains stop here every 20 minutes on the run between the five villages. That makes Manarola an easy next stop after the Via dell’Amore.
Corniglia
Corniglia is the only village not built directly on the sea. It is also the quietest village, with the fewest tourists.
The village has a few small, high-quality hotels with sea views. Anyone with heavy luggage should plan to take the shuttle bus up.
Vernazza
Vernazza has a small sandy beach at the harbor. Hotels are few here, so most visitors stay in B&Bs or apartments.
On busy dates the park runs a one-way system on the Monterosso to Vernazza section of the Blue Trail, so expect to walk it in one direction only.
Monterosso al Mare
Monterosso has the broadest beach area of the five villages, with paid lidos and public beaches. It also has the largest selection of hotels, which makes it the easiest base for a first visit.
A promenade here is lined with aperitivo bars and seafood restaurants. Snorkeling trips in the Marine Protected Area have departed from Monterosso, and a short stop allows tasting local wines for a fee.
What is there to do in Cinque Terre?
The Via dell’Amore, Riomaggiore to Manarola
The Via dell’Amore is a 0.6 mile (1 km) path between Riomaggiore and Manarola. A landslide closed it between 2012 and 2024, and it reopened to everyone on Friday, August 9, 2024. The walk takes about 30 minutes, one way from Riomaggiore to Manarola.
Entry is by reservation only. Visitors choose a 30-minute slot, with a maximum of 200 people per slot, and checks are made at the entrance. Individual tourists must book. Tickets are sold online through the Park’s card site and the Via dell’Amore site. The path is included in both the Trekking Card and the Train Card, and there is no entry without a card with the integration.
Staff are posted along the route. Going back is allowed only for authorized categories, so plan to finish in Manarola and take the train from there. Guests of CETS-affiliated lodging pay an €8 supplement, and the Riomaggiore Guest Card carries the same €8 supplement.
The Blue Trail and the village trails
The Blue Trail (SVA) links Monterosso, Vernazza and Corniglia and needs a Cinque Terre Card. The trails between the villages stay open all year, and the others are free. The Trekking Card also covers park buses to the hill hamlets of Volastra, Soviore and Groppo.
Proper hiking footwear with a non-slip sole is required, and Vibram is recommended. When it rains the trails become slippery and the Park Authority advises against any excursion. The Vernazza to Reggio, Soviore and Monterosso trek is about 5 miles (8.4 km) with about 1,770 feet (540 m) of climbing, around 3 hours 30 minutes.
On a Levanto to Monterosso hike, Podere Case Lovara, a FAI property, is free to card holders. Dogs must stay on a leash on every trail. Check the alert level before setting out, because trails close on orange or red alert.
Walking Park excursions and wine
The Walking Park runs guided hikes, village walks, snorkeling, boat trips, sunset bike rides and winery and farm visits. The 2026 calendar runs from May 1 to October 31, and the 2025 season offered more than 150 outdoor activities.
Excursions cost €10 per person and are free with a Cinque Terre Card. Groups are capped at 15, and booking by email or phone is mandatory. The e-bike tour from Levanto through Legnaro and Monterosso is about 15 miles (24 km) with about 2,300 feet (700 m) of climbing and a minimum age of 14. Some itineraries include optional paid wine tastings.
Cinque Terre suits walkers, anyone who likes a loose plan built around the train, and travelers who want a beach day in Monterosso. It suits less well anyone who dislikes stairs, since Corniglia alone has roughly 380. Summer visitors who dislike crowds should expect a full train.
How many days do you need in Cinque Terre?
One day covers the train hop between villages, the 30-minute Via dell’Amore and an evening on the Monterosso promenade. Two days leave room for the Blue Trail between Monterosso, Vernazza and Corniglia.
With a third day, add a guided excursion or the Levanto to Monterosso hike to Podere Case Lovara. The park’s trail network runs over more than 75 miles (120 km), so a longer stay adds trails rather than villages. A short visit can drop the long treks. The Via dell’Amore and one beach fit in a day.
Where to stay in Cinque Terre
Monterosso has the largest selection of hotels, which suits first-timers who want choice. Vernazza has few hotels and mostly B&Bs and apartments.
The park lists accommodation that holds its environmental quality label (CETS Phase II). Guests of those properties can buy the Cinque Terre Card at a discount by entering a discount code in the Eco Quality Label Card section of the Park’s online card shop. Weekends of July and August and national holidays such as Easter, May 1 and Ferragosto fall in the high attendance band, so book rooms early for those dates.
What to know before visiting Cinque Terre
Two cards cover most of the practical side. The Trekking Card gives access to the trails, including the Blue Trail and the Via dell’Amore, plus the park buses. The Train Card adds unlimited second-class regional trains between Levanto and La Spezia. Cards are bought online, at Park Infopoints in the railway stations, or at the start of a trail for the Trekking Card.
- Train Card, 1 day: €22.00 (band A), €29.50 (band B), €35.00 (band C)
- Train Card, 1 day, from November 2 to December 31: €17.30
- Trekking Card, 1 day: €10.00, or €15.00 on high attendance days
- Trekking Card, 2 days: €17.00
- Trekking Card, 3 days: €23.50
- Single train ride: €2.50 to €3.80 depending on the route
- Cards are nominative, non-transferable and non-refundable, and a valid ID must be shown
- Cards bought online or at the station need no validation
- Visitors cannot camp freely in the park, and there are no equipped areas
- Toilets in the railway stations are free for card holders and cost €1 for others
- Buses do not connect the villages directly, and the card is not valid on city buses in La Spezia or Portovenere
- On orange or red alert, trails close and card sales stop
For emergencies, call 112 on land and 1530 for the Port Authority at sea, free and active 24 hours a day. The Park info line, +39 0187 1857573, is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Hikers should follow the Park’s precautions during high temperatures.
Booking Cinque Terre for November: what to know
The 2026 Walking Park calendar ends on October 31, so guided excursions are a plan for earlier in the year. The Via dell’Amore needs a booked slot in any month, so reserve it as soon as dates are set. Low-season Train Card pricing starts November 2.
The Cinque Terre Card can be bought online to skip the line, and cards are also sold the same day at all railway stations. After an orange or red alert, Park geologists inspect the trails before they reopen.
Sources
- parconazionale5terre.it (https://www.parconazionale5terre.it/pagina.php?id=148.), checked 2026-10-25
- cinqueterre.eu.com (https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/it/cinque-terre-card?layout=blog), checked 2026-10-25
- parconazionale5terre.it (https://www.parconazionale5terre.it/page.php?id=346), checked 2026-10-25
- parconazionale5terre.it (https://www.parconazionale5terre.it/pagina.php?id=527), checked 2026-10-25
- parconazionale5terre.it (https://www.parconazionale5terre.it/page.php?id=533), checked 2026-10-25
- cinqueterre.eu.com (https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/the-five-towns), checked 2026-10-22
- cinqueterre.it (https://www.cinqueterre.it/2026/10/16/cinque-terre-walking-park-17-23-ottobre-2026/), checked 2026-10-25
- parconazionale5terre.it (https://www.parconazionale5terre.it/page.php?id=509), checked 2026-10-25