Cinque Terra hike and Pisa in the Same Day

Our ship docks at 8am in July

Presumably your ship ports at La Spezia?

If the ship docks at 8, it may be a bit before you are able to get off. When do you have to be back on board?

Round trip to/from Pisa is 3 hrs, excluding waiting time, getting to/from train stations etc.

We plan to go do the three hike-able legs of Cinque Terra via the local train.

Are you hiking or taking the train? I do not understand what it is you are intending to do.

And in July it will be HOT, so your endurance/stamina may be less than 'normal'

Might be a bit too much as u need to get back to ship in time.

I don't think there's any " might be " about it. Getting from the ship to the train, getting to the first CT village to start your hike, hiking whatever 3 routes you have planned, presumably stopping to rest and hydrate (especially with children in the summer heat and humidity), then getting a (very, very) crowded train back to LA Spezia. By the time you've managed all of that, there is no way you'd then have time to train all the way to Pisa, see the sights, and get back before the "all aboard".

AR,

I don't think you have time to see both, especially as you must be back on the ship at the appointed time. Of the two places, IMO the Cinque Terre will be a better choice. Could you clarify which port the ship will be docking in?

I've seen documentaries about passengers who are late getting back to the ship, and the crews are really annoyed by that, as it can cost them thousands of dollars extra if they're late in departing. In some cases they have left passengers behind and it's up to the passengers to make their way to the next port (at their own expense of course).

One point to mention..... at the moment there are two segments of the Sentiero Azzurro trail that are open to hiking, Monterosso - Vernazza and Vernazza - Corniglia. Note that a Park Pass will be required to hike those but those can be bought when you arrive there. I'd suggest starting in Monterosso when you're well rested, as there's a steep climb at the beginning. Be sure to bring lots of water.

With only 10 hours, and with the summer heat, I would listen to others...no way are you going to be able to hike what you plan AND get to Pisa and back. I would hike Monterosso to Vernazza, or vice versa, and have lunch where you end up. It is the prettier hike IMO. Monterosso has a beach, which kids might like, and Vernazza has a harbor, and a small beach with rocks to climb. Maybe an afternoon swim and wander the towns. You can also hop on the train and be in Manarola and Riomagiorre in a matter of minutes.

I would just do one or the other. Pisa makes an excellent half day. This allows you to recover from full day tours, especially if you’re bookended by Rome or Florence. Our family (kids were 8 and 11) did Pisa last year and loved it. They have wanted to go since Baby Einsteins, ha! Here’s a link to my cruise trip report I wrote for the Disney boards. Also I have not been to CT but I have heard from a good friend who did that some of the hikes are quite challenging and/or scary.

We hiked Monterosso to Vernazza in early June 2 years ago and it’s a great hike but definitely not an easy one, and it was hot. My kids were 11 and almost 14 at the time and were the youngest kids we saw on the trail. I’d worry that doing more would be brutal in July but maybe you guys are used to hiking in hot weather. In any case, I’d nit recommend trying to do Pisa they day. Relax and enjoy the CT after your hike, it’s beautiful! You could totally swim at the beach in Monterosso. My kids enjoyed that too. Have fun!

Given the age of your kids, and likely the discussion they've had with friends, Pisa would probably be more enjoyable and easier on your sanity. I'd prefer hiking Cinque Terre all-day, everyday, as Pisa is one of the more over-rated destinations, however, it's popular for a reason, your kids can do all the goofy photos they want and you can check this location off the list of places to visit.

There was another thread here about a parent coming off a cruise ship, trying to squeeze both a trip to Pisa and visiting Cinque Terre in one day. I believe their kids were older so, a bit more resilient to the possible super fast itinerary.

I actually don't think it's even possible. We did Vernazza to Monterosso today, and the trail was very crowded. The hike alone took 2 hours and 13 minutes. It's very steep, much of it is single file (with lots of stops to wait for oncoming traffic to come through) . The weather was high cloud and temps around 20C, and we felt very sweaty and dirty by the end. Taking the train after back to Riomaggiore was very crowded as well, and took more than a few minutes as it stood at one station for about 15 min. This would make it very stressful to have to get back to a ship.

Note: as of today, Vernazza to Monterosso is the only open portion. All the other parts are closed, with no sign of reopening. This makes the open section, and the trains, even more crowded.

On the other hand, we spent a day in Pisa when our kids were 9 and 12, and they had a great time climbing the tower, taking silly pictures in front, and going for gelato. There is also a mummy in the church across from the tower.

Note: as of today, Vernazza to Monterosso is the only open portion.
All the other parts are closed, with no sign of reopening. This makes
the open section, and the trains, even more crowded.

A useful update, Nickelini. The Vernazza>Corniglia segment of the SVA2 (Blue trail) has more frequently been open than not but I see that the park has very recently marked it closed on their website:

http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Esentieri-outdoor.php

I would assume it's temporary but if it's because of severe damage or dangerous rockfall, who knows how long it'll last. There are many other trails in the park system but the SVA2 route is the one almost everyone wants to do as it's generally the shorter, less strenuous trek between the 5 villages. If only the Monterosso>Vernazza section is open, I can only imagine how overcrowded it is during peak hours, high season.