Ahh, Cinque Terre. So touristy, and yet one of my favorite destinations in all of Italy. (How do you do that, Italy? You make touristy things wonderful.) While my heart belongs to Tuscany, Cinque Terre is a very close second as far as favorite parts of Italy goes. I really love pretty much everything about this area—stunning coastal views, colorful architecture, and most importantly, pesto! It’s a specialty of this region and one of my favorite flavors of all time!
Our trip in 2022 was actually my second time visiting Cinque Terre. In 2016 I did a day trip to Cinque Terre from Florence and loved it so much that I was determined to come back and spend more time in the area. For this trip, we stayed in an Airbnb in Vernazza for two nights, and it was truly lovely. But a lot of our time was spent relaxing on the beach, which doesn’t exactly make for interesting blog posts (although an amazing time for us). Instead, I decided to write a post about how to see all five cities of Cinque Terre in one day… on foot.
Our day hiking in Cinque Terre was one of our single most favorite days in Italy, and I can’t wait to share my suggestions for how to spend one day seeing the best that this area has to offer!
Arriving in Cinque Terre
We took the train from Florence to Cinque Terre, which was easy and only took a couple of hours. Cinque Terre means “five lands,” or “five towns,” because, you guessed it, there are five beautiful towns in the national park. It is doable to see Cinque Terre in just one day, but I highly suggest spending at least two nights in the area.
We stayed in the town of Vernazza, which is my favorite of the five towns. We loved staying here because of the beach access and the variety of restaurant and accommodation options. You’ll be happy in any of the five towns, but Vernazza is my personal favorite.
We spent our first afternoon in Cinque Terre settling into our Airbnb and enjoying the beach. We also ate a wonderful dinner at 5 Terre Bistro. I got pesto lasagna, and it was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten! We got to chatting with out waiter, who grew up in Vernazza, and it was super interesting to hear how the town has changed since it became a more popular tourist destination.
Hiking Cinque Terre
Alright, so by now, you are probably wondering why I called this post “Cinque Terre in One Day,” if we were there for more than one day. Not to worry! Now I’m jumping in to how we hiked to all five cities of Cinque Terre in a single day. I did this hike years ago, so I know it is, indeed, possible to do it as a day trip from Florence or another nearby city. However, I’m trying to entice you to spend multiple days in the area because it is worth it.
But if you’re here for the one-day hike, here’s what you need to know!
The best way to hike through the five cities is to start at one end, hike to the other, then take the train back. There is an easy and convenient train that runs between all five cities, so you don’t necessarily have to hike, but you should! It’s some of the most breathtaking scenery you’ll see in Italy, which is really saying something!
In order to do this hike, you’ll need the Cinque Terre card. This pass gives you access to all the hiking trails and, at the time of writing, costs 7.50 euros per person. You can also get a more expensive pass that includes the train in addition to the hiking trails, but we went for the cheaper option and bought our single train ticket back to Vernazza separately.
Monterosso
We started our hike in Monterosso, the northernmost city in Cinque Terre. Monterosso is also the largest town and has the best beach. We started our hike so early that Monterosso was mostly still asleep, but we did find a bakery and bought some delicious, fresh-baked focaccia for breakfast. We also climbed up to the convent on the far side of the town for some impressive views.
Vernazza
From Monterosso, it’s 3.6 km to Vernazza (according to the official website) and takes an hour to an hour and a half depending on how quickly you hike and how often you stop to admire the views and take pictures (which we did approximately every twelve feet). This section of the hike is not especially difficult and has fantastic views. This is also the most popular section of the trail, so it’s best to do it first thing and try to beat the crowds.
After a quick hike, you’ll descend from the cliffs into Vernazza. Vernazza is my favorite town in Cinque Terre and where we decided to stay overnight during our time here. There are several nice restaurants and shops, plus a small beach. Since we were staying in Vernazza, we didn’t spend too much time exploring during our day of hiking, but if you are staying elsewhere, be sure to budget an hour or two to explore this lovely town.
Corniglia
Eventually, you’ll have to pry yourself away from Vernazza, and it’s another 3.5 km to the next town: Corniglia. The views of Corniglia from the trail are some of the best of the whole hike, with those iconic colorful buildings climbing the hillside.
After wandering the town of Corniglia and venturing towards the steep stairs that descend to the “beach” (we didn’t make it that far, but the views were pretty), we stopped for lunch at a charming wine bar called Terra Rossa on the outskirts of the city. We highly recommend this spot, both for the views and the wonderful service.
Manarola
The next leg of the hike, from Corniglia to Manarola, is my absolute favorite! It is 5.4 km long and should take around 2.5 hours (unless you stop for wine, but we’ll get to that). There are a few steep sections right when you leave Corniglia, but it wasn’t that bad. I was able to do the whole thing in a dress. Eventually, you’ll reach the town of Volastra, which isn’t one of the actual five towns, but is a good place to refill your water or take a short break if you need it. From Volastra, though, is where the hike really gets good! You’ll wander through spectacular terraced vineyards overlooking the coast. I mean, it is almost too pretty to be real!
And as if that isn’t good enough, we stopped for a cheeky glass of wine right there on the trail! Cantina Capellini has set up a lovely little stand and outdoor seating area where you can enjoy a glass of wine in the middle of the vines looking out over the coast. Ben and I each got a glass of a locally grown wine, which was the perfect stop in the middle of our hike.
We finally arrived in Manarola in the early afternoon, where we had an “aperitivo” Nessun Dorma. This little restaurant is famous for its incredible views of Manarola, and gets extremely busy. You can’t make a reservation, but instead can put yourself in an online queue through their app. We joined the queue from the trail about an hour before we got to Manarola, and had to wait just a bit longer before our table was ready. (Just enough time for gelato!) Our food and drinks were delicious, but if I’m being honest, I think this place is a little overhyped. I’m glad we went, but there are tons of cool places in Cinque Terre with awesome views that don’t require such a long wait for a table.
Riomaggiore
The final stretch of the hike is the hardest one, but we had to work off all that food and wine somehow! Back in the day, the coastal walk between Manarola and Riomaggiore (called la Via dell’Amore) was the most popular walking path in Cinque Terre. But in 2012, a rockslide shut down the trail, and it has been closed ever since. La Via dell’Amore is scheduled to reopen in 2024, but until then, the alternative route is a 1.8 km trail that goes straight up a steep mountain, then down the other side.
I have nicknamed this section of trail “the stairs of death.”
The first time I did this hike in 2016, I was hiking with two friends. One fell behind and missed a turnoff, and I almost didn’t go back for her because I didn’t want to have to hike these stairs a second time. You’ll see a sign that says “1 km” and think, “Hey, I’m almost done,” but don’t be fooled! It’s steep stairs the whole way. Okay, joking aside, I had built “the stairs of death” up in my head as one of the hardest walks of my life, but when I did this trail again in 2022, it really wasn’t that bad. Just be prepared. (Or better, go after la Via dell’Amore reopens and do the nice, easy coastal path!)
Riomaggiore is Insta-famous, and it’s easy to see why. The town is smaller than some of the others, but incredibly picturesque. We timed ourselves perfectly and arrived in Vernazza just in time to take some photos with beautiful golden-hour light. It was the perfect place to end our long day of hiking before catching the train back to Vernazza.
Cinque Terre is one my favorite places not just in Italy, but in the whole world! And I do not say that lightly. Yes, it’s touristy. Yes, it can get crowded. But the views, the pesto, the wine, the pretty buildings. It’s all worth it! And the absolute best way to see these cities is to hike. Hiking through all five cities of Cinque Terre in one day is a big day. It took us literally from sunrise to sunset. But if you are up for the challenge, I guarantee this will be one of your favorite days in Italy!
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