Our Cinque Terre guide: the five villages, 2026 card prices, which trails are open, the Via dell'Amore booking rules, trains, where to stay and how many days.
Spend two nights in the Cinque Terre, sleeping in one of the five villages or in Levanto or La Spezia at either end of the line, and move between them by train: the local trains stop in every village and take 2 to 4 minutes between neighbors. Two nights give you one full day to hike the open stretch of coastal trail from Monterosso to Vernazza and walk the Via dell'Amore, which reopened with tickets booked online. Buy a Cinque Terre Card for the trails and trains, and plan your hiking day around the crowds, not the other way round.
We include the Cinque Terre in many of our Italy trips, usually between Florence and the Italian lakes or Rome. This guide covers the five villages, the 2026 card prices, which trails are open, the train, where to sleep and how to avoid the worst of the day crowds.
| Where | the Ligurian coast between Levanto and La Spezia, a national park and UNESCO site |
| Villages, north to south | Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore |
| Nights we suggest | 2, or 3 with a slower hiking day |
| Getting around | regional trains every 20 to 30 minutes in season; seasonal boats |
| Trails | Monterosso to Corniglia and the Via dell'Amore open in 2026 (card or ticket required); Corniglia to Manarola coastal path closed |
| From Florence | about 2 to 2.5 hours by train to La Spezia |
| Best months | May, June, September, early October |
| Village | Character | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Monterosso | the largest, with a long sandy beach and a flat seafront | families, beach time, the most hotels |
| Vernazza | a tiny harbor below a castle tower, the classic view | photographers, evenings after the crowds leave |
| Corniglia | on a ridge 100 m above the sea, no harbor | quiet, views, walkers |
| Manarola | colored houses on a rock spur, vineyards above | sunset, the famous viewpoint |
| Riomaggiore | steep lanes down to a small harbor | the start of the Via dell'Amore, easy train to La Spezia |
Monterosso is the practical choice: the only real beach, flat streets along the sea and the widest range of hotels. Vernazza is the prettiest harbor and the most crowded at midday; sleeping there means you see it at its best in the early morning and evening. Corniglia is the only village not on the water: the station is about 1 km below it, reached by a shuttle bus or the long Lardarina staircase. Manarola and Riomaggiore, at the southern end, are the closest to La Spezia and linked by the Via dell'Amore.
You need a Cinque Terre Card to walk the paid coastal trails in season. There are two versions, and in 2026 their prices change with the expected crowd on each day.
| Card, adult (12 to 69) | 1 day | 2 days | 3 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trekking Card (trails, village buses) | €10, €15 on peak days (about $12 to $17) | €17, €26.70 on peak days | €23.50, €37.50 on peak days |
| Treno Card (trails plus unlimited trains Levanto to La Spezia) | €22 to €35 (about $26 to $41) | €36.50 to €61 | €49 to €81 |
The Treno Card prices above ran from March 14 to November 1, 2026, in three bands (A, B and C) set by a published day-by-day calendar. From November 2 to December 31, 2026, Trenitalia sells the Treno Card at a single winter price: €17.30 for 1 day, €29 for 2 days and €34 for 3 days (about $20, $34 and $40); children from 4 to 11, seniors over 70 and families pay less. Cards are personal, valid until midnight, and must be validated in the station machines before the first train. Children under 4 are free.
Is the Treno Card worth it? From March to November 2026, a single train ticket within the park cost €5, €8 or €10 (about $6 to $12) depending on the band; in winter a normal regional ticket applies, so the card pays off once you take three or four trains and walk one trail. We buy cards online in advance for our travelers so they skip the station lines.
Via dell'Amore, Riomaggiore to Manarola. The famous 900 m (half-mile) cliff path reopened after more than a decade of works and now runs one way, from Riomaggiore to Manarola, with tickets bought online. Entry is sold together with a Cinque Terre Card: from €10 (about $12) with the Trekking Card, or from €17.30 (about $20) with the Treno Card in winter 2026. In summer 2026 it opened from 9 am to 9 pm; from October 26, 2026 to March 28, 2027, it opens from 9 am to 6 pm, last entry 5:30 pm. Entry is free for visitors with disabilities and children up to 3, with documents shown at the gate. It is short and paved, and it is the one trail anyone can enjoy.
Monterosso to Vernazza to Corniglia. The coastal Sentiero Verde Azzurro is open between these three villages and requires a card in season. Monterosso to Vernazza takes about two hours, with steep stone steps at both ends and narrow passages where you wait for walkers coming the other way. Vernazza to Corniglia is a little easier, about an hour and a half. We suggest walking south to north, from Corniglia to Monterosso, so the hardest climbs come early and you finish at the beach.
Corniglia to Manarola. The low coastal path remains closed because of the fragile cliff, and the park has announced no reopening date. The alternative goes up through Volastra and the vineyards on trails 506 and 586; it is longer and much steeper, with great views.
Trails close after heavy rain or weather alerts, sometimes for several days. We check the national park's trail status the evening before every hiking day and keep a boat or train plan in reserve.
The 5 Terre Express is the local service between Levanto and La Spezia, stopping in all five villages. From March 14 to November 1, 2026, Trenitalia added 46 extra daily trains between Levanto and La Spezia, roughly every 30 minutes; from November 2, 2026 to March 19, 2027 the regular regional trains run less often. Check the dates before you go: there are no trains between Corniglia and La Spezia on the weekends of November 14 and 15 and December 19 and 20, 2026, and January 9 and 10 and February 6 and 7, 2027, because of works. Journey times are short: La Spezia to Riomaggiore about 10 minutes, then 2 to 4 minutes between each village, and Monterosso to Levanto about 4 minutes.
Our practical advice: stand back on the platforms, which are narrow and crowded in summer; keep luggage small, because several village stations are reached by tunnels and steps; and avoid the trains between 10 am and noon in high season, when day groups arrive.
| Base | Why choose it | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Monterosso | the beach, flat seafront, most hotels | busier, more resort than village |
| Vernazza | the classic harbor, magical evenings | very few rooms, many up steep stairs |
| Manarola or Riomaggiore | sunset views, closest to La Spezia | steep lanes, small guesthouses rather than hotels |
| Levanto | a real town with a beach, easier hotels, trains to all villages | outside the park; 4 minutes from Monterosso |
| La Spezia | city hotels, Frecciarossa and Intercity trains, cheaper | no village atmosphere, 10 minutes from Riomaggiore |
Sleeping in a village is the experience, but hotels there are few and small, and many rooms are apartments reached by stairs. For families, larger groups or travelers who want a hotel with a lift, we often choose Levanto or Monterosso. La Spezia makes sense for a single night on a tight train itinerary.
The Cinque Terre's main problem is crowding between about 10 am and 5 pm from April to October, when day visitors arrive by train, coach and from cruise ships docking in La Spezia. The busiest days are weekends, Italian holidays and the days that the park's calendar lists as peak or band C. What works for us: sleep in a village, walk your trail early, spend the middle of the day on a boat or at the beach in Monterosso, and come back to Vernazza or Manarola after 5 pm. We also check the La Spezia cruise schedule when we set the hiking day.
The Cinque Terre fits naturally between Florence and Rome, or between Florence and the Italian Riviera. Our Florence travel guide covers the city before or after, and our Italy by train guide explains the connections.
May, June, September and early October are the best months: warm enough to swim, long days for hiking and full train service. July and August are hot and crowded, and the trails are hard work in the heat. From November to March the villages are very quiet, some hotels and restaurants close, and the trains run less often, but the Via dell'Amore stays open and the light on the sea is beautiful. Rain is the main risk in late autumn. Our best time to visit tool compares the months across Europe.
We will be honest: the Cinque Terre is difficult for travelers who use a wheelchair or cannot manage stairs. The villages are steep, several stations are reached by steps or tunnels, and the coastal trails are not accessible. The best options are Monterosso, whose seafront is flat and close to the station, Levanto, and a private boat from La Spezia or Levanto to see the villages from the water. The Via dell'Amore is paved and free for visitors with disabilities, but reaching its entrance in Riomaggiore involves a slope from the station.
Our Italy 14-Day Grand Tour includes the Cinque Terre between Florence and Rome, along with Venice and the Amalfi Coast. For a lighter version on the French and Italian coasts, read our French Riviera vs Italian Riviera comparison, or see all our Italy trips.
Tell us your dates and how much you want to walk, and our travel designers will send you a custom Cinque Terre plan with prices.
More guides: Places and regionsPlanning
You need one to walk the paid coastal trails in season, from Monterosso to Corniglia. The Trekking Card covers trails and village buses; the Treno Card adds unlimited regional trains between Levanto and La Spezia. If you only visit the villages by train without hiking, single train tickets can be enough. The Via dell'Amore ticket is sold together with a card, from €10.
Yes. The 900 m path between Riomaggiore and Manarola reopened after more than ten years of works. It runs one way, from Riomaggiore to Manarola, with tickets bought online, sold with a Cinque Terre Card from €10. From October 26, 2026 to March 28, 2027 it opens from 9 am to 6 pm. Visitors with disabilities and children up to 3 enter free.
Vernazza and Manarola are the most atmospheric villages for a night, but rooms are few and often up steep stairs. Monterosso has the most hotels, a beach and a flat seafront, which makes it the easiest choice for families. Levanto and La Spezia, at either end of the line, have more hotels and are a few minutes by train.
Yes, but it is a long day: about two to two and a half hours by train each way to La Spezia, then the local train between the villages. You arrive with the day crowds and leave before the evening, which is the best time in the villages. We recommend at least one night, ideally two.
In 2026, the low coastal path between Corniglia and Manarola remains closed because of the fragile cliff, and the park has announced no reopening date; the alternative climbs through Volastra on trails 506 and 586. The coastal trail from Monterosso to Vernazza and Corniglia is open with a card. Any trail can close after heavy rain, so check the park's status the day before.
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