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Manarola and Punta Bonfiglio, Cinque Terre

Solo travel · Cinque Terre · Italy

Solo travel in Cinque Terre

How to enjoy Cinque Terre at your own pace.

Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team

Photo: This Photo was taken by Timothy A. Gonsalves . Feel free to use my photos, but please ment, CC BY-SA 4.0

Quick answer

The Cinque Terre are easy to visit alone: trains make every village reachable in minutes, the trails are busy enough to feel sociable, and hostels in La Spezia and Levanto keep costs down. Many solo travellers base themselves in Riomaggiore.

Key facts

Base
Riomaggiore
Getting around
Train
Emergency number
112 (European emergency number)
Language
Italian

Solo travel tips

  • Stay in La Spezia or Levanto for hostels and better-value rooms.
  • Start hikes early to enjoy the paths before tour groups arrive.
  • Tell your accommodation your route before walking the higher trails alone.
  • Eat at the counter in focaccerie and wine bars for quick, inexpensive solo meals.
  • Join a group boat trip or wine tasting to meet other travellers.

Where to stay

$$$ · Best for nightlife, solo travellers and couples

Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore, closest to La Spezia, climbs both sides of a narrow valley above a slipway lined with fishing boats. Its main street, Via Colombo, has bars and focaccerie that stay open later than in the other villages, and the Via dell'Amore leads to Manarola along the cliffs.

Good
Liveliest evenings of the five; Closest village to La Spezia; Dramatic harbour setting
Watch out
Very steep streets; Crowded around the station tunnel
Nearby
Via dell'Amore, Riomaggiore harbour, Castello di Riomaggiore, Montenero sanctuary

Great on your own

Vernazza harbour, Cinque Terre
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/150594450@N07/, CC BY 2.0

Waterfront · Vernazza

Vernazza harbour

For the postcard shot, walk a few minutes up the Sentiero Azzurro towards Corniglia and look back down on the harbour.

Time needed
1–2 hours
Cost
Free
  • Iconic
  • Photo spot
  • Free
  • Couples
  • Views

Nature · Monterosso al Mare

Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Path)

Walk Monterosso to Vernazza early in the morning in that direction, so you finish with the view down onto Vernazza's harbour.

Time needed
1.5–2 hours per stretch
Cost
Low cost
  • Active
  • Views
  • Outdoors
  • Nature
  • Iconic

Landmark · Riomaggiore

Via dell'Amore

Check the national park's website for the current access arrangements before you plan your day around it.

Time needed
30 minutes
Cost
Low cost
  • Couples
  • Views
  • Iconic
  • Photo spot

Experience · Levanto to Porto Venere

Ferry along the Cinque Terre coast

Heading north, sit on the right-hand side for the best views, and expect cancellations when the sea is rough.

Time needed
2–5 hours
Cost
Mid-priced
  • Kids
  • Views
  • Couples
  • Outdoors
  • Iconic

Meeting people

  • Focaccia breakfast — Start the day like a local with a warm slice of focaccia from a village bakery, dipped into a cappuccino at the bar.
  • Sunset aperitivo — Take a glass of Cinque Terre white to a terrace bar or the harbour wall in Manarola or Vernazza as the sun goes down.

Sensible precautions

Trails are steep, narrow and slippery after rain: wear proper shoes, carry water and check the national park's trail status, as paths close after storms. Pickpockets operate on crowded trains and platforms in summer.

Emergency number
112 (European emergency number)
Staying connected
Mobile coverage is good in the villages but patchy on some trails and in rail tunnels; EU roaming applies to European SIM cards.

Questions travellers ask

+Is Cinque Terre good for solo travellers?

The Cinque Terre are easy to visit alone: trains make every village reachable in minutes, the trails are busy enough to feel sociable, and hostels in La Spezia and Levanto keep costs down.

+Where should solo travellers stay in Cinque Terre?

Riomaggiore: Easternmost village of steep lanes and a slipway of fishing boats.