How to see Cinque Terre in 1 Day

The villages of Cinque Terre are located on the west coast of Italy, in the Liguria region, above Tuscany. There are 5 villages in the Cinque Terre National Park: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. We’ve been to many beautiful places in Italy, but Cinque Terre was one of our favorite places to which we would love to return any time. Cinque Terre is easily accessible by train, and you can see the villages in 1 day. Therefore Cinque Terre is a popular day trip from Florence, Pisa, or Milan.

Table Of Contents

How to see Cinque Terre in 1 Day
Why you Should visit Cinque Terre, Italy
One Day in Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre Travel Tips
Cinque Terre Card
Cinque Terre Villages
Porto Venere

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Why you Should visit Cinque Terre, Italy

Because you can visit Cinque Terre in 1 day, you shouldn’t miss it in your Italian itinerary. The villages of Cinque Terre are beautiful, and each has its charming atmosphere.

– Our favorite town was Vernazza, where we visited two stunning viewpoints.
– Manarola was incredibly beautiful but also extremely crowded.
– Monterosso is ideal for those who want to relax on the sandy beach and enjoy the sun.
– Corniglia is perfect for those who want to hike and see the scenery from above.
– Riomaggiore was a magical place to enjoy a delicious Italian dinner and watch the sunset on the beach.

Cinque Terre is an ideal holiday destination for hikers, nature lovers, couples, and families. During your visit, you can hike through the villages, take boat trips, eat delicious seafood, sunbathe on the beach or enjoy a breathtaking sunset.

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Cinque Terre Travel Guide: Everything you need to know

One Day in Cinque Terre

When you only have 1 day in Cinque Terre, we recommend you start exploring the villages early in the morning. Most tourists arrive around 9 AM and stay until 5 PM. So there will be fewer crowds at sunrise and sunset. The train is the easiest and fastest way to get around the Cinque Terre towns.

Plan in advance your Cinque Terre itinerary. Where do you want to start your day, and where you’ll finish your visit to Cinque Terre. In our opinion, Vernazza is the best starting point, and Riomaggiore or Manarola is the perfect place to end your visit to Cinque Terre. But you can visit the villages in order or as you like.

Cinque Terre Travel Tips

We don’t recommend visiting Cinque Terre by car! The roads are narrow, and parking is almost impossible or expensive in Cinque Terre.
There may be pickpockets around the train station, so take care of your valuables!
Save money and buy a Cinque Terre Card.
Wear comfortable shoes when visiting Cinque Terre, and don’t hike in flip-flops.
When you arrive, ask at local tourist information points about the current status of the hike routes. Some hiking trails may be inaccessible or closed in Cinque Terre.
Take your Cinque Terre map with you, or use an offline map.
There are many drinking fountains in the villages, so bring a refillable water bottle.
You can swim anywhere in Cinque Terre except Corniglia, so bring your swimsuit and enjoy the beach.

Cinque Terre Card

There is no entrance fee to the Cinque Terre National Park, and you don’t need to buy a card. As a one-way train ticket between two villages costs €5 per journey, we recommend buying a Cinque Terre Card. There are two types of Cinque Terre Card.

Cinque Terre Train Card
– A day ticket costs 18,20 EUR for adults, 33 EUR for two days, and 47 EUR for three days.
– For children (4-12 years), a day ticket costs 11,40 EUR.
The card gives access to all hiking trails and unlimited train travel between villages, including La Spezia and Levanto. The Cinque Terre Card offers free wifi, shuttle buses. The toilets are free with a Cinque Terre Card, 1 EUR otherwise.

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Cinque Terre Trekking Card
– A day ticket costs 7,50 EUR for adults, 14,50 EUR for two days.
– For children (4-12 years), a day ticket is 4,50 EUR, or 7,20 EUR for two days.
Which also allows access to all the hiking trails but doesn’t include train travel.

TIP
There are only two paid hiking trails in Cinque Terre: the one from Monterosso to Vernazza and the other from Vernazza to Corniglia.

You can buy Cinque Terre cards at train stations in Cinque Terre, La Spezia, and Levanto, or buy your card online. It is good to know that the card is only valid for that day!

We suggest that you buy your card the day before to avoid queuing the next day. When you have purchased your Cinque Terre Card, you must write your name on the card and keep it with you during your visit.

Cinque Terre Villages

Vernazza

Our favorite was Vernazza, where you can see the stunning panoramic views.
We suggest starting your day here. You should taste the seafood or Cinque Terre wines, swim and enjoy the charming atmosphere.

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Vernazza has two magnificent viewpoints located on different sides of the village.

The best view of Vernazza is in the first 15 minutes of the hiking trail to Monterosso. The trail leads to a viewpoint with panoramic scenery of the harbor of Vernazza. You can use this hiking trail for free if you have a Cinque Terre Card or have to pay 7,50 EUR.

If you want to see another perspective of Vernazza, go back to town. Take the path towards Corniglia, Via Carattino, and you’ll reach the viewpoint in a few minutes. Since you are before the start of the toll trail, you don’t have to worry about your Cinque Terre Card.

TIP
After visiting the viewpoints, take a break. Walk along the harbor or have a coffee with a croissant.

Corniglia

Corniglia is the smallest of the five villages, situated is on a clifftop and has no harbor. From the train station is a 5-minute walk from the stairs leading to Corniglia. After that, you can climb the 382 steps to the town. Another popular option to access the village is to use the shuttle buses. They leave from the train station frequently but fill up quickly during the busy summer months.

Corniglia is definitely worth a visit and has the most incredible sea views. Spend a few hours here, exploring the small streets, buying some souvenirs, and enjoying a delicious Italian gelato.

The trail between Corniglia and Manarola is closed until about 2023.

TIP
You should wear comfortable shoes to reach Corniglia and use sunscreen in the summer months.

Manarola

Manarola is the oldest and most romantic village on the Cinque Terre. The train station is located outside the town. You have to walk about 5 minutes through a tunnel to reach the center.

You can walk around the village, hike along the paths, swim in the sea, or eat delicious Italian food. Manarola has lots of colorful streets and vineyards which offer fantastic photo backdrops.

After you arrive, find the trail that leads up to the village viewpoint. Don’t miss the view from the terrace of Nessun Dorma. Here you can have lunch or dinner while enjoying the best views of the town. It is a popular place, and as reservations are not possible, you will probably have to wait a long time to get a table.

TIP
Manarola and Riomaggiore are the popular sunset spots in Cinque Terre, so choose where you want to end your day.

Riomaggiore

The stunning Riomaggiore is one of the most visited towns in Cinque Terre, so should you arrive early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Here you can get a glimpse of local Italian life.

You can smell the fresh fish and see the women hanging their clothes out of the windows.

Go on a boat trip, enjoy a snorkel, take a scuba dive course or explore the charming town of Riomaggiore. Riomaggiore is the best place to end a perfect Cinque Terre itinerary. Enjoy a magical sunset with a bottle of wine and a pizza on the beach.

The Via dell’Amore lovers lane from Riomaggiore to Manarola is currently closed.

TIP
Always check the actual status of the hiking trails in Cinque Terre.

Monterosso al Mare

Monterosso is the furthest north and the largest of the five villages, famous for its turquoise waters and colorful umbrellas along the coast.

Since we spent a short time in Cinque Terre, we decided it wasn’t worth a quick visit. When you stay longer, we recommend spending a whole day here. During your visit, relax on the sandy beach, sunbathe and explore Monterosso al Mare.

TIP
If you want to stay in Cinque Terre, we strongly recommend booking early.

Porto Venere

We started our trip to Italy in Milan, and from here we traveled to Cinque Terre. As we arrived in the afternoon, we had time to explore La Spezia and Porto Venere.

La Spezia is the town where most visitors to the Cinque Terre arrive. We suggest that you take the time to explore La Spezia and then take a short visit to Levanto or Porto Venere.

La Spezia, Levanto and Porto Venere are not part of the Cinque Terre National Park.

Spend a few hours in Porto Venere exploring the small streets, visiting the Chiesa di San Pietro church, and enjoying delicious Italian food.

From La Spezia, you can get to Porto Venere quickly by bus, and the journey takes about 30 minutes. You can buy tickets at the Tabacchi shops, a one-way bus ticket costs 3 EUR.

TIP
Take your time and enjoy the beautiful sunset in Porto Venere.