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How many days in Cinque Terre? 3 days, five villages and the coastal path
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
The Cinque Terre are five fishing villages on 12 km of steep Ligurian coast: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, linked by a train that takes 2-5 minutes between each and by footpaths through vineyard terraces. Day-trippers arrive mid-morning and leave by 17:00. Stay three days and you get the villages early and late, walk the classic trails without rushing, and have a day for the sea or the higher paths. Go north to south in the morning and the sun is behind you for the photos.
Short answer
Two days lets you walk the main trail sections and see all five villages. A third day adds the boat to Portovenere, the hill sanctuaries and time to swim.
The 3-day plan, day by day
Day 1: Monterosso and the trail to Vernazza
Morning. Start in Monterosso al Mare, the only village with a long sandy beach, split into the old town and Fegina by a tunnel. Buy the Cinque Terre Card at the station or online: the trekking card is about €7.50 a day; the card with trains is roughly €19-33 depending on the season.
Afternoon. Walk the Sentiero Azzurro (the Blue Path) from Monterosso to Vernazza: about 3.5 km and 2 hours, with steep steps at both ends and views back along the coast. Arrive in Vernazza for the view from the Doria Castle tower (a few euros) over the harbour and the church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia.
Evening. Stay in Vernazza for dinner after the day-trippers leave. Try acciughe (Monterosso anchovies) fried or marinated, and trofie with pesto, about €15-20 a dish.
Trails can close after rain or for landslides. Check the national park website or the board at each station before you set out, and wear proper shoes; flip-flops can be fined.
Day 2: Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore
Morning. Walk from Vernazza to Corniglia, about 4 km and 1.5-2 hours, the quietest trail section. Corniglia sits 100 m above the sea; from its station climb the Lardarina, 382 brick steps, or take the shuttle bus. Have a gelato with basil or local honey in the main square.
Afternoon. Take the train 3 minutes to Manarola and walk to Punta Bonfiglio for the classic view of the pastel houses over the harbour. The path along the coast from Corniglia has been closed for years after landslides; the vineyard path via Volastra above is the walking alternative, about 2 hours.
Evening. Walk the Via dell'Amore from Riomaggiore to Manarola (about 1 km, cut into the cliff), reopened in 2024 after 12 years with one-way, timed entry that must be booked. Then watch sunset from the rocks at Manarola's harbour.
Trains run every 15-30 minutes but are crowded from 10:00 to 17:00 in summer. Ride them early and walk the steep parts in the cooler hours.
Day 3: By boat to Portovenere, or up to the sanctuaries
Morning. Take the ferry of the Consorzio Marittimo Turistico from Riomaggiore or Monterosso to Portovenere (about €30-45 for a day ticket, April to October), seeing all five villages from the sea. Portovenere has the striped church of San Pietro on the point and the Doria castle above.
Afternoon. Swim at a small beach in Portovenere or take the boat around the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto. Or, instead of the boat, hike up from Monterosso to the Sanctuary of Soviore (about 1h30) or from Riomaggiore to the Sanctuary of Montenero (about 1 hour), both with wide views and few people.
Evening. Return to your village for a last dinner. Order sciacchetrà, the sweet passito wine of the Cinque Terre, made from grapes dried on the terraces, about €8-12 a glass.
Ferries do not run in rough sea and stop in winter. Portovenere has no railway station, so if the boat is cancelled, take the train to La Spezia and the local bus (line 11/P) from there, about 30 minutes.
Only have 2 days?
With 2 days, walk Monterosso to Vernazza on Day 1 and Vernazza to Corniglia on Day 2, then take the train to Manarola and Riomaggiore for sunset. Skip the boat.
Got extra days?
A 4th day can go to Levanto (5 minutes north by train) for a sandy beach and the cliff walk to Bonassola on the old railway tunnel path, or to Lerici across the Gulf of Poets. Pisa and Lucca are about 1-1.5 hours by train from La Spezia.
Where to stay in Cinque Terre
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | La Spezia / Levanto | Cheaper rooms 5-25 minutes by train, with more restaurants and fewer stairs. | €80-130 |
| Mid-range | Monterosso | The flattest village, with a beach and the most hotels. | €140-230 |
| Mid-range | Vernazza / Manarola | Rooms (affittacamere) over the harbour; quiet in the evening, many steps. | €150-250 |
| Comfort | Monterosso / Riomaggiore | Sea-view hotels and suites, the few with lifts and terraces. | €250-450 |
Getting around
The Cinque Terre Express train runs between La Spezia Centrale and Levanto, stopping at all five villages every 15-30 minutes; the Cinque Terre Treno MS Card covers it plus the trails and village buses. Single tickets between villages are expensive in high season (around €10), so the card pays off in 2-3 rides. Cars are of little use: roads are narrow and parking is scarce and costly. Arrive by train from Genoa (about 1h30) or Pisa (about 1h15).
What to eat in Cinque Terre
This is Liguria, the home of pesto: order it with trofie or trenette, about €13-18. Focaccia is eaten at any hour, and farinata is a thin chickpea pancake from a wood oven. Monterosso's anchovies are the local catch, fried, marinated in lemon or baked in a tegame with potatoes. The cheapest lunch is a paper cone of fritto misto (fried seafood) for €8-12 to eat on the harbour wall. Local wines are the white Cinque Terre DOC and sweet sciacchetrà. Dinner for two with wine is €60-100.
Best time to visit
April to early June and September to mid-October: 18-26°C, good for walking, with warm sea from June. July and August are hot and overcrowded; trains and paths jam from mid-morning. Many restaurants and rooms close from November to February, and ferries stop. Autumn brings the grape harvest on the terraces in September and October.
Month-by-month weather for Cinque Terre →
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | €45 | €90 | €175 |
| Food & drink | €30 | €55 | €100 |
| Sights & tickets | €10 | €25 | €50 |
| Local transport | €20 | €30 | €45 |
| Total per person, per day | about €105 | about €200 | about €370 |
Approximate 2026 prices; transport assumes the Cinque Terre Treno MS Card or a ferry day. The villages and La Spezia charge a tourist tax of about €1.50-5 per person per night.
Before you go
Common questions
Do I need the Cinque Terre Card?
You need at least the trekking card (about €7.50) to walk the paid Sentiero Azzurro sections. If you will also take three or more trains in a day, the Treno MS card is better value, as single train tickets cost about €10 in high season. Buy it at stations, park offices or online.
Which village should I stay in?
Monterosso if you want a beach, flat streets and the most choice. Vernazza or Manarola for the classic harbour views and evenings with few people, but expect steep steps with luggage. Corniglia is the quietest and the hardest to reach. La Spezia is cheaper and only minutes away by train.
Is the Via dell'Amore open?
Yes. The 1 km cliff path between Riomaggiore and Manarola reopened in 2024 after twelve years of repairs. It is one-way, from Riomaggiore towards Manarola, with timed entry and a separate booking and fee. Book online a few days ahead in season.
How hard are the hikes?
Moderate. The Monterosso to Vernazza and Vernazza to Corniglia sections climb a few hundred metres on steep, narrow, stone steps with drops in places. Allow 2 hours each, carry water and wear walking shoes. Families with young children can manage them slowly in cool weather.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
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