Easy to follow Cinque Terre Itinerary: 2 Days in Cinque Terre
Last Updated on September 20, 2024 by Ingrid & Alex
I’ve finally made it to one of the most beautiful places on Earth (in my view, of course): Cinque Terre, Italy. Because I’ve done so much research before going and because I also know how important it is to have all the correct information when planning your trip, I’ve decided to share with you what I learned from the trip: my complete 2-day Cinque Terre itinerary.
I will share with you everything you might want to know before visiting Cinque Terre: the best time to visit, where to stay, the best things to do in Cinque Terre, how to visit Cinque Terre, taking a trip from Milan to Cinque Terre, and most importantly, the best views in Cinque Terre.
The first thing you will want to know is that most of the 5 towns are located on hills, and there will be a lot of climbing involved! We chose to stay in Riomaggiore, and once we got off the train, reality kicked in, and we started the climb. It was also our choice because we wanted to have the greatest view possible, and it was sure worth it.
Read all the things worth knowing when traveling to Italy for the first time
This post contains affiliate links to products and services that I may be compensated for, at no extra cost to you. Read more about this on our disclosure page here.
My complete 2 Days in Cinque Terre itinerary
Day 1 – La Spezia, Porto Venere, Vernazza, Corniglia
Since we chose to spend one day in Genoa, we reached our accommodation in Cinque Terre in the second part of the day. That left us with only a few hours to explore our amazing apartment in Riomaggiore, see the sunset from the little marina, and enjoy a delicious dinner.
However, I would count as day 1 of our two days on the Cinque Terre itinerary, the second day.
La Spezia
We took the Cinque Terre train to La Spezia, explored the charming town, ate artisanal ice cream, and just enjoyed the all-Italian town of La Spezia.
It’s worth saying here that Las Spezia is one of the best destinations to visit when you want to take at least a day trip to Cinque Terre.
After admiring the boats in the marina and enjoying the sun near the sea, we took the ferry that linked all the towns on the Ligurian coast.
Check out Ferry timetables and prices here!
Porto Venere
Our first stop was in Porto Venere, one of the less-known Italian towns worth seeing.
Even though it’s hard to choose between all the incredibly beautiful towns in Cinque Terre, I would risk saying Porto Venere is one of the nicest. Narrow streets, chic stores with local merchandise, and that incredible fresh pasta with freshly made pesto.
I could tell I would love this place even as we were approaching the colorful line of buildings on the seafront.
Vernazza
After a few hours, we hopped on another ferry and made our way to Vernazza. While getting around by train is simple and cheap, seeing the towns from the sea at least once is a must!
I loved seeing the colorful houses perched on the hilltops as they moved from one small village to the next.
Corniglia
Since Vernazza is not such a big place, we didn’t spend much time around it. Even though it was close to sunset, we risked it all and went for the Vernazza to Corniglia hike.
We may not have been wearing the right clothes for that (you should have the right clothes when you choose to hike in hot weather), but that did not stop us from seeing one of the most scenic treks in Italy.
Once we got to Corniglia, we ate some of the most delicious focaccia with a glass of white Italian wine, and we were in heaven. Once night fell, we hopped on the train back to Riomaggiore.
Day 2 – Manarola, Monterosso a Mare, and sunset in Riomaggiore
Manarola
We woke up with a view to remember, drank a strong Italian coffee, and headed to explore and enjoy breakfast in one of the most iconic places in Italy: Manarola.
Just one stop from Riomaggiore, Manarola is all colorful and nice, with Nessun Dorma on the hill, and the vineyards perched on the top.
Since Nessun Dorma was closed, we had a late breakfast in the marina and went hiking around the hills of Manarola in search of the best viewpoint.
Monterosso a Mare
Once we had explored everything that was left, we went further by train and spent the second part of the day in Monterosso a Mare.
Unlike the other villages in the Cinque Terre, Monterosso a Mare is not on a hill. And it has a beach. Thus, after strolling around the narrow, colorful streets, we took advantage of the sun and the sea and spent some time on the beach.
We couldn’t leave Monterosso without eating a delicious misto fritto dish and a divine tiramisu to accompany it.
Riomaggiore
And off we went back to Riomaggiore, to witness one of the most stunning sunsets in Italy.
Getting to Cinque Terre
Even though it is remote, getting to Cinque Terre is not that hard. However, you will have to take some extra time and never book the train/bus back to back. Because that’s the thing in Italy: you never know what will be late.
Of course, you can always choose to rent a car and create your Cinque Terre itinerary as you wish. You won’t have to think about timetables and catching the train, but you’ll have parking and other things on your mind.
Check out the best prices for car rentals here and book in advance!
Flying to Cinque Terre
Since the villages are rather remote, flying to Cinque Terre won’t be possible, but you can fly to a nearby city (such as Milan, Pisa, Florence, or Genoa) and take the train.
The best way of traveling to Cinque Terre is by train because you will have easy connections from wherever you are coming:
Milan to Cinque Terre by train
That’s just a roughly 3h30-4h train ride from Milan Central Station to one of the 5 Ligurian cities. You will most probably need to change the train at least once (Genoa or Levanto), but most of the time, the train comes in the same line, so there won’t be any trouble with that.
Genoa to Cinque Terre by train
If, like us, you have chosen to spend a night in Genoa, you will have plenty of options to get to Cinque Terre by train, and you will have to spend only around 1h30 on the road.
Florence to Cinque Terre by train
Depending on the connections, this ride could take 2h15 to 4h, and you could change the train once or even three times.
Pisa to Cinque Terre by train
It’s the fastest ride, so if you have the choice of landing in Pisa, go for it! The train ride will take between 1 and 2 hours (depending on the train), with only one change requested.
Getting around: The Cinque Terre Express (Cinque Terre train map)
This is the train you will be using a whole lot during your trip to Cinque Terre.
While I was here, I felt like taking the bus, since getting from one village to the other took 10 min maximum, being very easy to get on and off the train whenever and wherever and having to pay the same 4 EUR/ride (no matter the distance).
All in all, if you plan on seeing all 5 villages (and not only, since the train has one end of the line in Levanto and the other in La Spezia), relying on the Cinque Terre Express is a must.
And if you plan on taking a lot of trips by train, you can choose to get the Cinque Terre Pass (details below).
The Cinque Terre train map would look like this: Levanto—Monterosso—Vernazza—Corniglia—Manarola—Riomaggiore—La Spezia. The train takes approximately 30 minutes to travel from one end to the other.
If you want to travel to the Cinque Terre by car, that would be a bit difficult because, apart from the fact that the roads are very narrow and steep, parking in the villages can prove to be a challenge in itself.
None of the villages have roads open for cars in the city center, so you will have to leave the car somewhere outside and pay a rather pricey parking fee.
The Cinque Terre Card
The Cinque Terre Card is an all-in-one option for traveling by train and on many of the trekking paths in Cinque Terre National Park.
You can buy the card also online, and have 2 options when it comes to the Cinque Terre Card:
- The Cinque Terre Card Trekking includes access to all trekking paths and Ecological Park Buses. The price for one day is 7.5 EUR, while for two days, you’ll have to pay 14.5 EUR.
- The Cinque Terre Card Train: In addition to access to the trekking pass, you’ll also have unlimited train travel on the Levanto—Cinque Terre—La Spezia line.
The best time to visit Cinque Terre
When planning your trip, the best time to visit Cinque Terre is one of the most important considerations.
Since the region has rather mild weather, anytime is a good time for a visit, but in my opinion, the best time would be somewhere between the beginning of March and the end of April, and the second part of September and the whole of October.
I would suggest avoiding the full season, starting in early May and ending at the beginning of September, because everything will be crowded and expensive. And why not enjoy this wonderful place to its fullest?
For us, the second part of April was just right, with perfect temperatures, affordable prices, and the towns being not so crowded.
PIN FOR LATER!
