For a beautiful Italian getaway, Cinque Terre is the perfect choice. By going on this 7-day hiking adventure, you’ll get the chance to explore one of the most spectacular spots in Italy at your own pace! Cinque Terre comprises five charming fisherman villages, with terrific connecting trails and hiking opportunities. You’ll have enough time to visit what you’re interested in, though your guiding company will provide you with a route, they’ll arrange accommodation, and be there for assistance by phone should you need it. An Italian summer under the Mediterranean sun awaits!
Arrive in Camogli on the Portofino peninsula and check into your hotel for the night. This will be your first glimpse into typical coastal Italian towns! Enjoy the fresh air, the salty breeze, and colorful fisherman houses. Wander the beautiful streets and discover the ruins of Castello della Dragonara. If the weather is warm enough, don’t miss out on swimming in the Ligurian Sea!
Accommodation: Private room in Camogli
From Camogli, transfer on your own to San Rocco (about €30—but you can also hike this section, it’s 1.7 km long (1 mile). From there, start hiking towards San Fruttuoso. You will pass by the picturesque church of San Rocco, walk along a quiet forest path, and then start hiking down to the beautiful San Fruttuoso abbey. This little gem is well-hidden and overlooks the Mediterranean Sea—and is only accessible by foot or boat.
After a delicious Italian lunch, hop on a boat to Portofino. It’s warmly recommended that you hike to your picnic lunch spot to enjoy scenic views. From there, keep walking through the Mediterranean flora until you reach Portofino. Visit this lovely town, enjoy a refreshing gelato, see the Castello Brown or artisan shops. Go back to Camogli for the night.
Accommodation: Private room in Camogli
Meals: Breakfast
Hiking: 11.5 km / 7 miles
Elevation: +670 m / +2,200 ft | -890 m / -2,920 ft
Following a nice breakfast, catch a train to your next destination: Monterosso. Welcome to the Cinque Terre National Park! Located between the azure sea and the vineyards, Monterosso is well known for its crystal clear waters, beautiful reefs, medieval streets, and fragrant lemon trees.
After dropping off your luggage at your accommodation in Monterosso, hike to Vernazza via a coastal path along the hills. Panoramic views are guaranteed! Hike your way back to Monterosso or catch a train.
Accommodation: Private room in Monterosso
Meals: Breakfast
Hiking: 7 km / 4.3 miles
Elevation: +270 m / +885 ft | -260 m / -855 ft
During these two days, you will be able to discover the Cinque Terre National Park and more at your own pace! Explore quaint villages of Levanto and Riomaggiore with their pastel-hued houses and medieval streets. Looking for hidden gems?
Hike up the hills, discover beautiful abbeys, churches, evergreen vegetation, and vineyards of the Liguarian coastline—and, most importantly, enjoy the views overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. You can hike to those place most of the time and enjoy a lovely train ride back. Food and wine lovers will also find their happiness here—maybe take a pesto course or a guided tour in the vineyards.
Accommodation: Private room in Monterosso
Meals: Breakfast
Today you’ll leave Monterosso and head to Riomaggiore by train. From there, you’ll start hiking to Portovenere by following the edge of the hill and a coastline trail, walk through Colle del Telegrafo, and the village of Campiglia.
Here is where you’ll find remarkable cliffs of Portovenere and the lovely fisherman village! After check-in, have a stroll through the historic center, the picturesque harbor, and the Church of San Pietro, located on a rocky edge.
Accommodation: Private room in Portovenere
Meals: Breakfast
Hiking: 14 km / 8.7 miles
Elevation: +775 m / +2,545 ft | -790 m / -2,595 ft
This is the end of your Italian trip! After breakfast, pack up and leave your accommodation. Your guiding company recommends taking a cab to La Spezia, or even staying in Italy and do further travel on your own. If not, you can go directly to the airport!
Meals: Breakfast
A self-guided tour implies that the route you choose and the choices you make are your own responsibility. The itinerary, distances, and elevations may vary slightly due to numerous reasons including weather and terrain conditions. Your guiding company will provide you with a road map.
Keep in mind that you’ll be the one organizing your transfers between the towns. However, the trains in Italy are superb! Though you can also hike some sections instead of taking the train, towns a bit further away are very easily reachable by trains. Tickets can usually be purchased both online or at the train station. Your train rides will be a lovely addition to your trip—they are comfortable and they go along the Italian riviera!
What you get on this adventure:
What’s not included:
The best thing about this Cinque Terre self-guided tour is that you can hike at your own pace the whole way through! To see more details on how your days will look, please check out the itinerary to see day-by-day distances and changes in elevation. Generally speaking, you need to be in good shape and in good health, the most you’ll hike is 14 km (9 miles) per day, and gain up to 775 m (2,545 ft) of elevation in a single day.
Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
Group sizes and pricing
Cinque Terre self-guided tours can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
To get to Camogli, the starting point of your Cinque Terre self-guided tour, most people fly into Genova Airport (GOA). From there, it will take you up to an hour and a half to reach Camogli by train, or half an hour if you go by car.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance.
With medical insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more. Travel insurance covers canceled flights, natural disasters and other scenarios that may interrupt your travel plans.
We also expect you to respect local regulations and take measures to protect yourselves, your guides, and the communities you’re traveling to.
If you need assistance selecting the right insurance for your group, let us know and we will be happy to help!