If you’re heading to Italy and want to visit Cinque Terre, I’m excited to tell you everything you need to know to plan the perfect three day trip. This guide was created for a girls trip to Cinque Terre, but it would also be great for a couple and even for active families.
This guide covers everything you need to know about traveling to Cinque Terre. It will outline the difference between the five towns, the best experiences and the most beautiful (and delicious) restaurants in this part of Italy.
Cinque Terre is a great destination to visit for a girls trip. It’s a relatively casual part of Italy and home rentals with multiple bedrooms are popular accommodations. There are plenty of activities to keep a crew of girls busy like boat tours, beach clubs and Instagram-worthy bars and restaurants. While it isn’t the quickest destination to get to from North America, it can be a relatively inexpensive one. Milan is the closest large airport to Cinque Terre and that’s typically the airport with the most affordable flight options from North America to Italy.
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The name “Cinque Terre” translates to “five lands.” This part of Italy is a cluster of five different seaside villages located on the northwest coast of Italy in the Italian Riviera along the Ligurian Sea. The five towns of Cinque Terre are Manarola, Riomaggiore, Corniglia, Monterosso al Mare and Vernazza. Each town has a slightly different vibe and aesthetic. They all have the iconic vibrantly colored homes and buildings that cascade down the mountainous, rugged landscape.
Cinque Terre is actually a national park and tourists can hike on rocky paths between the different towns. There is no entry fee to enter the national park. If you choose to hike between the towns you will need to get a special pass to permit this transit.
The sunsets over the sea are beautiful in this part of Italy. The food is also delicious! Pesto, fritto misto and limoncello spritzes are popular in Cinque Terre and can be found on menus throughout the five towns. Regarding activities, there’s something for everyone in this coastal region. From sunbathing at Italian beach clubs to strenuous hikes to cooking classes, there’s something for every type of traveler to Cinque Terre.
How many days do you need in Cinque Terre?
Cinque Terre is a bit out of the way (more on that later) and due to this I think you should plan to spend a few nights. Three days is the perfect amount of time to see each of the five villages and also have some time to relax.
If you’re short on time, you could do it in two days. I would hesitate to visit Cinque Terre for one day unless you happen to be in the area already or really want to see one specific town. You can also easily add in a couple extra days and sightsee at a more leisurely pace.
When to visit Cinque Terre?
The high season to visit Cinque Terre is during the summer, with July and August being the busiest months. Since this is the most popular season, the crowds and accommodation prices will skyrocket. If you can help it, I don’t recommend going during the height of summer.
Cinque Terre is a seasonal destination and many restaurants and attractions close during the slower winter months. While the crowds will be small, the weather is iffy this time of year and you may not be able to see and do everything you’d like due to closures.
I recommend going to Cinque Terre during shoulder season. This means late spring or early fall. May, June, September and October are the best months to visit in my opinion. The weather is mild and you’ll be able to swim, all restaurants and attractions should be open and you’ll miss the high prices and crowds of mid-Summer. My friends and I visited Cinque Terre in late May and early June. This was the perfect time!
How to get there – Traveling to Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre is located in northwest Italy on the Mediterranean coast. This area is called the Liguria region. It’s not very close to any major Italian cities, and is about 197 km from Florence and 223 km from Milan. Cinque Terre is notoriously challenging to travel to due to its remote location.
There is no airport directly in this area and the most popular way to get to Cinque Terre is by train. While you can drive to Cinque Terre, and there are parking lots outside of the towns, you will not use your car in the villages. The train system that connects the towns runs frequently and is a very efficient system.
To get to Cinque Terre, fly as close as you can to the region. The closest airport is in Pisa. The Pisa airport (airport code PSA) is about 119 km from Cinque Terre. If you’re coming from abroad, Milan Malpensa is a large airport and has a high number of international flights. As mentioned above, I’ve found that Milan typically has the most affordable flights coming from my home in New York. If you’re already in Italy, look for the nearest train station and you will be able to find a route to Cinque Terre.
Once you have flown into Italy you’ll first have to know which specific town in Cinque Terre you want as your destination. “Cinque Terre” refers to the region and is not a specific town on a map. Once you’ve identified your specific destination in Cinque Terre, you can easily find train schedules on Trenitalia, the main train operator in Italy.
Most train journeys to Cinque Terre will require you to transfer in a town called La Spezia. This is a larger town south of Cinque Terre that has train connections from all over Italy. On the Trenitalia website, you simply put in your origin and your destination in Cinque Terre (the specific town) and it will tell you the route and where to switch trains.
Once you switch trains at La Spezia you will be on a smaller Cinque Terre Express train that runs between La Spezia and the five towns. When you’re in Cinque Terre you will be using this train system to get between the various towns. Each village has its own train station and walking to the center of town from the station is very easy.
The trains run frequently and the journey between each town is short. If you plan to travel between towns multiple times a day, I recommend purchasing a Cinque Terre Train Card that can be used over one, two or three days and reduces the cost of each train ride.
A closer look at the five villages of Cinque Terre
Monterosso al Mare
This is my favorite village in Cinque Terre! While all of the villages are beautiful, in my opinion this was the prettiest with its sea views and iconic striped beach umbrellas. Monterosso al Mare also seems to be the most upscale of the five villages. There is a distinct old village and newer more modern part of town.
Monterosso al Mare is the best village to sunbathe and swim. It’s the only town in Cinque Terre with a large sandy beach. There is direct beach access very close to the train station and the main promenade in Monterosso is right along the ocean. There are many beach clubs and public beaches where you can rent chairs, umbrellas and have a great beach day! Some of the most iconic pictures of Cinque Terre feature the colorful striped umbrellas on the beach in Monterosso.
The new town of Monterosso is where the beach clubs are located. There’s a very charming old town with restaurants, shops and homes located a short walk away through a tunnel. My friends and I chose to base ourselves in Monterosso and we rented an apartment in the old town.
Vernazza
Vernazza is considered to be the most photographed town in Cinque Terre. It’s full of colorful, charming buildings and has a picturesque harbor and port. The views from above in the hills looking down on the port are amazing! There are a few good hikes right around the harbor that give you a view of the port and the candy colored buildings below. This is also the town that the Disney/Pixar film Luca is based on.
Vernazza, Riomaggiore and Manarola all had similar vibes to me. They all have the beautiful candy colored buildings built into the mountainous terrain with pretty water views from above and harbors.
Riomaggiore
Riomaggiore is known for its famous sunsets. The harbor in this village is a popular spot for tourists to sit on huge rocks in the ocean and watch the sun dip behind the water while eating a gelato or pizza. If you’ve seen a photo of someone standing out on rocks in the water with the Cinque Terre village behind them, it’s likely Riomaggiore.
Manarola
Manarola is another village with a gorgeous harbor known for its views from above. One of the most popular viewpoints in Manarola can be found at the restaurant Nessun Dorma. Nessun Dorma hosts a well known pesto making class that I absolutely recommend (more on that below!). Sitting at a table high in the hills making fresh pesto and looking over the sparkling water, busy harbor and colorful village is magical.
Corniglia
Corniglia is the smallest of the five villages and the only one without direct water access. Many people skip Corniglia as it’s harder to get to. The train station is located below the town center and you have to hike up or catch a shuttle to access it.
Where to stay in Cinque Terre
I recommend choosing one of the five villages to be your home base. Since you’ll be walking a lot, finding an accommodation right in town is key.
There are not many traditional large hotels in Cirque Terre. Most of the accommodations are small guest houses, boutique hotels and home rentals. My four friends and I rented an apartment together with three bedrooms in Monterosso al Mare. It was in a great location in the old village and was convenient to the train and comfortable.
Something important to know about accommodations in Cinque Terre is that many don’t have elevators and there aren’t great roads for taxis to access. You’ll likely be walking (and walking up stairs) from the train to your accommodation. Keep this in mind and pack well!
Accommodations in each village that I researched and recommend:
- La Torretta Lodge in Manarola
- Il Sogno di Manarola by The First in Manarola
- EC Luxury Rooms in Riomaggiore
- Locanda Il Carugio in Corniglia
- Albergo Barbara in Vernazza
- Casa di Andrea in Monterosso al Mare
- Hotel Porto Roco in Monterosso al Mare
3 Day Cinque Terre Itinerary – The Ultimate Girls Trip Guide
Use this itinerary as a guide for how to spend a girls trip in Cinque Terre. Feel free to switch days and activities and omit whatever doesn’t fit your interests. This itinerary starts after you have checked into your hotel and are already in one of the towns in Cinque Terre.
Day One in Cinque Terre
Late morning through late afternoon – Pesto and boat rides
Nessun Dorma Pesto Making Class in Cinque Terre
Nessun Dorma is a restaurant located up on a cliff in Manarola with the most gorgeous views of the harbor and the colorful Manarola buildings below. The restaurant hosts a pesto making class to teach visitors how to craft the perfect basil sauce that the region is known for.
Nessun Dorma offers three starting times, 10:30, 1:45 and 5:00 (only on Monday and Wednesday). Based on your level of jet lag, I recommend doing the 10:30 or 1:45 class. The class takes place on their terrace bar and lasts for 2.5 hours. The experience costs 85 euro per person and you must make a reservation in advance. You can find details of how to make the reservation here on the Nessun Dorma website. Since this is one of the most popular things to do in Cinque Terre, I can’t stress enough the importance of planning ahead and booking your table well in advance.
When you arrive at Nessun Dorma you will be awestruck at the incredible views. This is the picture perfect Cinque Terre view and exactly what people image when they think of this region. There will likely be a line of guests waiting to enter and I recommend trying to get a table by the edge of the terrace so you are closest to the view.
Each guest is handed an apron and small basil plant. Once seated, the staff of Nessun Dorma will take drink orders (their Aperol spritz is delicious!) and teach you how to make pesto. You’ll pick the basil, wash the leaves, use a mortar and pestle to crush the basil, add the other ingredients and craft the perfect pesto. The staff makes this a very engaging and fun experience with dancing, music and general merriment.
Once your pesto is made, the staff brings out platters with cheese, meats, fruit and bruschetta to enjoy. You are welcome to order more off the menu, but my friends and I thought this was a food amount of food to keep us full.
Now that you’ve seen Cinque Terre views from above at Nessun Dorma, it’s time to see Cinque Terre from the water. Head down to the Manarola harbor right below the restaurant for a boat tour. There are a variety of boat tour operators that you can use in Manarola, from private experiences to group trips. My friends and I booked our boat ride through Viator. I recommend taking a look on Viator and booking any boat tour that fits your budget and preferences.
Our boat tour was a small group that included my friends and myself and a couple other small parties. The captain did a great job of taking us up and down Cinque Terre’s coast and explaining the various towns as we passed. He also stopped for photos along the way. In the middle of the ride, he brought out a bottle of Prosecco for the group to enjoy. A boat ride was a nice way to relax after the energetic pesto making class and it was helpful to get a lay of the land of the villages and see the views from the water.
Late afternoon through evening – Sunset and pizza in Riomaggiore
After the boat ride, take a slow stroll through Manarola as you head to the train station. It’s time to head to Riomaggiore. Since the train ride distances are so short between the towns, you can easily go back to your accommodation to freshen up. Of if you’re good to go, head right to Riomaggiore.
Riomaggiore is known for their beautiful sunsets. Everyone gathers in the village’s small harbor and sits on rocks in the water to view the sun dip below the sea. On your walk from the train station to the harbor you can grab food and drinks to enjoy on the rocks at sunset. I recommend picking up some fritto misto (fried seafood and/or vegetables served in a cone) that’s very popular in Cinque Terre. One of the most well known shops for fritto misto is called Tutti Fritti. You can also get pizza and gelato to bring the to rocks. As you walk from the train to the harbor you will pass a lot of quick service food spots.
This area does get crowded with other tourists who want to claim a rock for the evening. I recommend arriving a little before sunset to have the best chance of getting a good spot for your group.
Day Two in Cinque Terre
Morning through afternoon – Beach clubs and Aperol Spritz buckets
When you close your eyes and think about Cinque Terre, you probably have visions of colorful striped umbrellas lining the beach. This area is Monterosso al Mare, the only village in Cinque Terre with legitimate sandy beaches. And the good news is that these beaches are very easy to reach. The train to Monterosso drops you off basically right in front of them. Spend your second day in Cinque Terre enjoying the beach and soaking in the Mediterranean sun at the beach clubs of Monterosso al Mare.
Monterosso has an old section and a new, modern section separated by a tunnel. The best beaches can be found in the new area which is called Spiaggia di Fegina or Fegina Beach. The beach has a small public section that’s free to set your own towel on but it can get very crowded. The iconic striped umbrellas are located at private beach clubs where you pay a fee for a chair and umbrella. I recommend going to Bagno Eden which is where the iconic orange and green striped umbrellas are located. Arrive here very early or reserve your chairs ahead of time as they can book up in the busy season. The prices vary between 25 to 40 euro for a parasol umbrella and two lounge chairs.
Relax on the beach and grab food from the quick service restaurants lining the promenade above the beaches.When you’re thirsty, it’s time to check out one of the other popular experiences in Cinque Terre – the viral Aperol Spritz buckets.
Beach Bar Stella Marina Aperol Spritz buckets
If you’ve looked up Cinque Terre on social media, you’ve probably seen the buckets full of Aperol Spritz that go viral. Here’s an Instagram Reel I shared about them that got almost 1 million views! If you’re an Aperol Spritz fan, you have to try one of the buckets.
The Aperol Spritz buckets are served at Sella Marina Beach Bar which is also located in the new town off Monterosso and right off the main promenade. It’s a short walk from Bagno Eden. The buckets are one liter and cost 20 euro. My friends and I shared one bucket per two people. Stella Marina also serves food, like pizza, and has beach chairs and umbrellas that you can rent. You can easily reserve a beach spot on their website.
Late afternoon through evening – Tower cocktails and epic dinner views
Once you’ve had enough sun, get some small bites and cocktails at the nearby Torre Aurora. This restaurant and cocktail bar is located right at the separation of Monterosso’s modern area and the ancient village. The tower was built around the year 1,000 to fight off pirates and is now a high end restaurant with epic views of the sea.
Torre Aurora is a really beautiful dining venue. It has stellar views of the sea, the beaches with the striped umbrellas and the rugged terrain of Cinque Terre. However, it’s a pricy restaurant. My friends and I stopped by to admire the views and have some cocktails and small bites before dinner. This was the perfect experience and we enjoyed ending a beach day at Torre Aurora.
For dinner, it’s time to hop back on the train and head to Manarola for one of my favorite restaurants in Cinque Terre, La Regina di Manarola. This restaurant has gorgeous views of the colorful buildings in Manarola and every corner is decorated for the perfect photo opp. There are flowers hanging from the ceiling, colorful plates and traditional Italian statues and decor. The restaurant is very popular due to its views and beautiful decor, so I recommend booking ahead. (Are you sensing a theme here with booking reservations ahead?!)
The view from La Regina di Manarola is beautiful. I recommend booking a dinner reservation to begin while it’s still light out so you can admire the view while you eat. My friends and I loved the burrata appetizer and I had spaghetti with pesto for my entrée. It was really delicious and I was happy that this photo worthy restaurant also had great food!
Day Three in Cinque Terre
Morning through afternoon – Lemon basil gelato and exploring the smallest village
After a relaxing day at the beach, your third day in Cinque Terre will be spent exploring the region’s smallest village, Corniglia. Corniglia is often the village that people skip, but it was important to me to visit all five towns. It’s the only town in Cinque Terre without direct water access as it’s located up in the hills. It’s also notoriously hard to get to.
Once you get off the train in Corniglia you have two options to reach the village center. You can either walk up 350+ steps along a steep pathway or catch a shuttle. The shuttle runs sporadically and my group was lucky to catch it shortly after our train pulled in. While I was told the long walk up the hill to the village has beautiful views, it’s so hot in Cinque Terre and the hike up wasn’t worth it to my group. The shuttle was fast and convenient, and it’s included in the Cinque Terre train pass.
Once you’ve reached the top of Corniglia and are in the main village, I suggest wandering around its narrow winding roads and going in shops and cafes to grab food. You will quickly notice that this village is less crowded and less touristy than the others. Besides admiring the views from high up, another popular thing to do in Corniglia is try their basil gelato. My friends and I went to Alberto Gelataria to try this unique flavor. I had a lemon basil gelato and absolutely loved it. It was so refreshing and light, perfect for the hot Cinque Terre weather.
Late afternoon through evening – Vernazza views
When you’re done exploring Corniglia, you can either hike over to Vernazza or take the train. The hike is about two miles long between these villages.
Vernazza is said to have inspired the Disney and Pixar movie, Luca. It’s also known for having some epic and very Instagram-worthy viewpoints. Pack your walking shoes because it’s quite the climb to access these points. The most popular view in Vernazza looks down over the harbor and candy colored buildings surrounding it. From the harbor and main square in Vernazza you should follow the signs towards Monterosso. You will walk up a lot of stairs and it can be quite steep, but after about a 15-2o minute walk, you will be rewarded with gorgeous views.
Once you’re back down from the viewpoint, take time to rest and enjoy Vernazza’s harbor. Watch the boats come and go and sit on the stone benches that line this area. After you’ve worked up an appetite, it’s time for another hike up the hills. But this hike ends at an incredible restaurant where you will have dinner.
Ristorante La Torre is located high above Vernazza, in the other direction from the viewpoint. The walk is about 10 minutes from the town center and it is in the direction of the hike to Corniglia. It’s a pretty steep hike up and took some members of my group longer than others. Just take your time and you will be rewarded with gorgeous views and delicious food. Reserve a table ahead of time along the windows, so you have a perfect view of the village and sea below. The seafood here is delicious and my friends and I enjoyed some local Cinque Terre wine and Ligurian classics, like Branzino and pesto pasta while we admired the views below.
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