2 days in Cinque Terre

Day by day

1. Day 1: Vernazza harbour and Castello Doria, Vernazza

   Vernazza harbour, Castello Doria, Vernazza, Manarola and Punta Bonfiglio and Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Path), then Sunset at Punta Bonfiglio in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Vernazza harbour

      Piazza Marconi, the harbour square, fills with café tables, and a tiny beach and the rocks are used for swimming.

   2. Late morning

      Castello Doria, Vernazza

      The climb is short but steep, and the top looks straight down onto the harbour and along the coast towards Monterosso.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Trofie al pesto

      Every trattoria in the villages; look for pesto made 'al mortaio' (in a mortar).

   4. Afternoon

      Manarola and Punta Bonfiglio

      People swim off the rocks below the harbour on calm summer days.

   5. Late afternoon

      Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Path)

      The stretch from Monterosso to Vernazza, about two hours with many steep steps, has the most dramatic views; Vernazza to Corniglia is a little easier at about 1.5 hours. These paid sections require a Cinque Terre Card, and the park closes paths after heavy rain or when fire risk is high.

   6. Evening

      Sunset at Punta Bonfiglio

      Watch the light fade over Manarola's tower houses from the headland path north of the harbour.

2. Day 2: Via dell'Amore and Riomaggiore

   Via dell'Amore, Riomaggiore, Madonna di Montenero sanctuary and Ferry along the Cinque Terre coast, then Via dell'Amore in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Via dell'Amore

      It reopened in 2024 after more than a decade of landslide repairs, and access is managed by the national park.

   2. Late morning

      Riomaggiore

      Climb the lanes to the church of San Giovanni Battista and the small castle for views over the rooftops, then walk down to the rocky marina for the classic view of tower houses stacked above the boats.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Focaccia

      Bakeries and focaccerie in every village and in La Spezia; buy it by the slice.

   4. Afternoon

      Madonna di Montenero sanctuary

      A steep path climbs from the village in about an hour, and a park shuttle bus goes part of the way.

   5. Late afternoon

      Ferry along the Cinque Terre coast

      Seeing the villages rise from the water is the best way to understand their setting, and a day ticket lets you hop on and off.

   6. Evening

      Via dell'Amore

      Walk the cliff-cut 'lovers' lane' between Riomaggiore and Manarola with the sea below.

Before you go

• Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Path): Buy a Cinque Terre Card (Trekking or Treno) online or at park offices before walking; staff check cards at the trailheads.

If it rains

• Swap in Museo Amedeo Lia (La Spezia): A good rainy-day alternative to the villages, a short walk from La Spezia Centrale station.
• Swap in Naval Technical Museum (La Spezia): Combine it with a walk along the seafront gardens and the Passeggiata Morin promenade nearby.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 10–17 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 8.9 hours in December to 15.5 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Train. Regional trains between Levanto and La Spezia stop at all five villages; the hop between neighbouring villages takes about 2–5 minutes.

More or fewer days

• One day in Cinque Terre
• 3 days in Cinque Terre

Questions travellers ask