If you’re visiting Florence and looking for the perfect day trip, your search ends here. Hiking in Cinque Terre is the answer.
If you didn’t already know, the Italian word cinque means five. There are five villages in Cinque Terre, and in just one day, you can experience them all, by hiking or taking the regional train from one village to the next.
And that’s exactly what we did, on our Cinque Terre Day Trip with an amazing company called Walkabout Florence.
We booked Walkabout’s Cinque Terre Day Trip, which ensured a seamless day trip from Florence, filled with beautiful beaches, coastal hiking, a knowledgeable guide, and lots of gelato — of course!
If you’re planning on hiking in Cinque Terre, you should consider booking a tour with Walkabout Florence. Here’s what you can expect from the Cinque Terre Day Trip…
Manarola
Along the azure waters of the Ligurian Sea, bright-colored buildings burst with color and gardening terraces line the lush, green cliffs of Manarola. As soon as we stepped off the train from La Spezia, I fell for Cinque Terre. Hard.
Our time in Manarola, a village of 400 inhabitants, began with a guided walk. We meandered through the town and the garden terraces, way up high. As we walked and gawked at sweeping views of pink, blood orange, and yellow houses, with the shining sea in the background, our guide, Fabian, told us interesting stories and facts about Manarola.
CLICK HERE to learn more, and book your Cinque Terre Day Trip with Walkabout Florence.
At the end of our guided walk, Fabian brought us to the most spectacular viewing point of Manarola, before leaving us for free time in which we could check out the local shops or watch beachgoers plummeting from high rocks into the inviting ocean water.
After our free time was up, we hopped aboard a five-minute train for Corniglia.
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Corniglia
After a quick walk through Corniglia, we headed up to a family-run restaurant called Ristorante Cecio, which features incredible views over the small seaside village.
Originally, pesto comes from Liguria, so we indulged in a fresh pesto pasta with potatoes and a beautiful plate of mixed, freshly caught seafood for lunch. A big, hearty lunch was necessary to energize us for the hike to come! (And it was included in the tour price!)
From Corniglia, we hiked to Vernazza! After spending so many days in Florence, doing nothing but consuming tons of gelati, pasta, pizza, and panini, we were ready for some exercise.
The hike wasn’t too terribly difficult, but it was a scorching day, which made the hike all the more challenging. The views during the hike, however, were unbeatable. For miles, we saw the lush Ligurian coastline with colorful villages scattered here and there, azure waters, and wisps of clouds. Nothing else. By far, the hike was the greatest part of the tour!
It took us 45 minutes to reach Vernazza, but others needed a lot more time. For us, hiking quicker meant more free time in Vernazza!
CLICK HERE to learn more, and book your Cinque Terre Day Trip with Walkabout Florence.
Vernazza
Once in Vernazza, we had only one thing on our minds: gelato.
Our guide, Fabian, recommended a little gelato shop along the harbor, claiming their cinnamon gelato is the best ever. It really was lovely, but the kiwi-banana flavor was to die for.
Next, we stripped off our sweaty clothes, threw on our bathing suits, and sprinted for the water.
After that long, sweaty hike, the seawater couldn’t have been more refreshing. It was the perfect temperature.
We swam and tanned for a bit, and then decided we should dry off and have a glass of white wine, hailing from Liguria. It was just what we needed!
After exploring Liguria’s shops for a few minutes, we caught the next train to Monterosso.
CLICK HERE to learn more, and book your Cinque Terre Day Trip with Walkabout Florence.
Monterosso
Monterosso’s Old Town is absolutely magical, so as soon as we hopped off the train from Vernazza, we beelined for it!
We spent about 30 minutes browsing the shops and snapping photos of the quaint streets, draped with clotheslines.
Something about Cinque Terre’s rustic shutters, its old, peeling paint, and its many balconies lined with bright flowers and drying clothes, just makes me smile. It’s almost too damn beautiful to be real. Almost.
With a bit of free time left, we kicked back at the beach and had some more white wine. Because how could we resist — especially on such a hot day?
Usually, at this point in the tour, Walkabout Florence arranges a boat from Monterosso to Riomaggiore, for beautiful views of Cinque Terre from the sea. Unfortunately for us, though, the water was too rough for the boat ride, so we took the train. Yet that meant one important thing: more free time in both towns! So we were more than okay with that.
CLICK HERE to learn more, and book your Cinque Terre Day Trip with Walkabout Florence.
Riomaggiore
When it comes to Riomaggiore, I’m torn. I can’t decide which is more beautiful, Riomaggiore or Manarola. It’s safe to say that they’re both incredibly beautiful, and they’re usually the favorites of those lucky enough to visit Cinque Terre.
While in Riomaggiore, we did nothing but admire the views. We kicked back on the rocks surrounding the harbor, and we simply watched people happily swimming below as the waves rolled gently in.
Just before we caught the train back to La Spezia, where we’d hop back on the bus to Florence, there was one thing left to do: eat more fresh seafood.
We needed calamari, smothered in lemon juice. And so that’s exactly what we got. Mmmmmm.
CLICK HERE to learn more, and book your Cinque Terre Day Trip with Walkabout Florence.
Hiking in Cinque Terre
If it wasn’t clear enough already, hiking in Cinque Terre with Walkabout Florence is a must during your trip to Italy. It’s a long day, full of stunning vistas, fresh, tasty food, exploring, and hiking. On a trip to Italy, what more could you ask for?
Nothing.
So then it’s decided, when you visit Florence next, you’re heading for the sea, and hiking in Cinque Terre!
All the details:
- The price for this tour starts at €90 for adults and €85 for youth (the hiking part of the tour is optional, and costs extra).
- The tour is 12 hours long.
- The tour departs from, and arrives back at, the Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station in Florence.
- You can book your Cinque Terre Day Trip with Walkabout Florence HERE.
What to Pack for Italy
Depending on the season you visit will depend on the layers you need, summer is very warm but the winter is incredibly cold. Italy is very stylish and Italians famously dress well, so avoid white sneakers where possible and opt for a smart shoe or boot. Always have a beautiful coat in winter, it will hide anything less stylish you may be wearing as you explore in the colder months.
Here are a few top tips of what to wear:
- Wool coat: During the colder months a beautiful wool coat is essential. You will fit in with the locals with this one.
- Comfortable boots: As expected, you will do a lot of walking so opt for a comfortable but stylish boot that you’ve worn in. You can’t go wrong with a smart Chelsea boot, like these.
- Floaty dress: In the summer opt for a long floaty dress so you know you are always prepared to enter religious sites. Bring a light scarf with you to cover your shoulders.
- Sunscreen: Nothing spoils your trip (and your photos!) more than sunburn. Remember to prepare with a good, natural sunscreen and stay protected.
- Reusable water bottle: Remember to keep hydrated during your tours, it can’t all be Aperol and coffee! Bring a reusable water bottle so you can keep topped up.
- Travel insurance: As with all trips, it’s always best to purchase travel insurance so you know you are covered should anything go wrong.
Italy Quick Tips
- HOTEL: I use this website for scoring amazing deals on accommodation worldwide.
- HOSTELWORLD: If you’re traveling on a budget, this is the best website to score cheap hostel deals.
- VACATION RENTAL: I use this site for finding the perfect vacation rental for an unforgettable getaway.
- TRAVEL INSURANCE: Never go on a trip without travel insurance! It isn’t worth the risk if something goes wrong.
- GUIDED TOURS & EXCURSIONS: Many of the tours I recommend are hosted with Viator, which also works with local tour operators. Search them all here.
- CHEAP FLIGHTS: Get great deals on flights using my favorite flight fare aggregator.
- TRAVEL GEAR: A collection of all of my must-have travel gear are all listed here. Most important to remember is comfortable shoes and a scarf to use when visiting religious sites or if it gets a little cold.
- CAR RENTAL: If you need to rent a car book car rental in advance here for the best deals.
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Have you been hiking in Cinque Terre? Which village is your favorite?
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Maddy’s Avenue went hiking in Cinque Terre as guests of Walkabout Florence. As always, all opinions are our own.
I loved hiking Cinque Terre! It was one of my favorite day trips I took in Italy! The area is breathtakingly beautiful! I hiked from Vernazza to Monterosso but I would love to go back and hike the portion your did!
Agreed! Next time we’d love to hike all of the trails!
I love Cinque Terre! It’s so pretty and there isn’t anywhere quite like it – I’m dying to go back :-)
Totally agree! We can’t wait to go back… someday! :)
As always, awesome photos! Really wish I could have done this when I was in Italy.
Thanks, Mikela! There’s always a next time!
Totally loveeeee this place ! And I had the best Ice Cream in Corniglia, though I think 4 days in Cinque Terre was waaaaay to short to explore it properly !
Thank you for sharing :)
Kenza from https://travelwithkenza.blogspot.fr/
That’s awesome! Glad to hear you had a good time! Though I have to disagree with you. I think 4 days in Cinque Terre would be WAY too long, unless you want to lay on the beach, just relax, and do basically nothing else during that time. For us, 1 day was perfect because once you see each town, go to the beach, eat the seafood, savor the gelato, there’s not much else to do…
Beautiful photos! We’ll be visiting Cinque Terre in April and I just can’t wait! Did you find the train to be pretty crowded or was it not too bad? We’ll have a little one, so we won’t be able to do much hiking.
The trains were not crowded. But if they are, it will be okay, as the train rides are only a few minutes from town to town!
That’s so cool! My family and I are going there for spring break and I can’t wait! I really like all of your posts and you guys inspired me to write a blog about travel. Could you check mine out?
Hi Jex! Your blog is AWESOME! I really like the layout, and your perspective on the world. How old are you?! I read your post about Reykjavik; Iceland is somewhere I’ve always wanted to go. Keep up the great work. I can see that you have a bright blogging future ahead of you. And thanks for dropping by.
– Maddy
Thank you! I’m 11 :)
Thank you so much! I’m 11. I really think you guys would love Iceland because you seem very adventurous :)
You’re 11? Wow! Way to go, buddy!
We’ve decided to go to Iceland in November 2017. We are very excited! :)
Do you think this trip would be good for a women who is traveling alone? Thanks in advance!