Cinque Terre in 2 days
Day one walks from Monterosso to Vernazza, day two from Riomaggiore through Manarola to Corniglia.
- Monterosso–Vernazza path
- 2 h (3.5 km)
- Via dell'Amore
- €10 (with Cinque Terre Card)
- Path via Volastra
- 2.5 h (5 km)
Two days in Cinque Terre split by the ends of the line: the first is at the northern end, around Monterosso and Vernazza, the second at the southern end, from Riomaggiore to Corniglia. The villages are linked by paths and by train, and none of them is visited by car.
A path between two villages, the train back
Monterosso al Mare: the new part with the beach and the old part. Allow half a day for the village; the walk is free (walking).
From Monterosso a path leads to Vernazza: 2 h (3.5 km). The section is open, and all it needs is the Cinque Terre Card, which covers the paid paths.
Vernazza, with the harbour and the fortress in its centre, 2–3 h. Back to Monterosso by train, since the path is already done.
If your legs are tired after the path, Corniglia is not added on the first day: a stairway of 382 steps leads to its centre, so it goes at the end of day two.
The Via dell'Amore, then an inland path
By train to Riomaggiore, 2 h, then the Via dell'Amore to Manarola. Booking a slot is mandatory, hours 29 Mar–24 Oct 2026: 9:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30); 25 Oct 2026–27 Mar 2027: 9:00–18:00; the path is 20 min (900 m) long.
Manarola, 2 h: a village with terraced vineyards.
The way to Corniglia is not the coastal path, which is closed because of a landslide, but the inland one through Volastra: 2.5 h (5 km), free. Corniglia takes 1–2 h, and from there the train goes back to Monterosso.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
How many days does Cinque Terre need?
2–3: two days cover all the paths and villages, and a third is left for Portovenere or Levanto.
How do you get between the villages?
By the Cinque Terre Express train or on the paths; the whole line: Monterosso–Vernazza 4 min by train · Vernazza–Corniglia 4 min · Corniglia–Manarola 5 min · Manarola–Riomaggiore 6 min (Cinque Terre Express, whole line about 30 min).
Can you walk to Corniglia from Manarola along the coast?
No, that section is closed because of a landslide; you take the inland path through Volastra, 2.5 h (5 km).
Ready for Cinque Terre?
Where to next
Day trips from Cinque Terre
→Levanto is a short train ride north of Monterosso, and Portovenere half a day by boat.
Genoa · 63 km
→A port and an old town squeezed between the sea and the hills, with a lift up to a lookout and a fishing village of pastel façades right at the waterline.
How well does Cinque Terre suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
Front row for the next trip
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