Cinque Terre itinerary help for a first timer!

To be clear, you have eight days total (seven nights)? Does that include flying in and out of Italy? How many nights will you actually sleep in Italy?

Or are you saying you have eight days just for the Cinque Terre?

Either way, I wouldn't try to combine the Cinque Terre with Amalfi. If this is your first time in Italy and you REALLY have only eight days total(???) I'd certainly try to add places in northern Italy like Florence. Venice would be nice too (where would you fly in/out of?) but with so little time, you'd burn a lot of travel time too/from.

Most people go to the Cinque Terre for the hiking, I'd think. Not hard to plan. There's probably no wrong town. They are all a little different. Monterosso is the largest of the five. Vernazza might be the most popular. Corniglia is maybe least accessible (the town is up a steep hill from the rail station). Manarola is the smallest.

Hi Andrew,
Thanks for the help. I have 8 days all in so 7 total nights in Italy. I wish we had more but it is what it is. You confirmed my suspicion that Amalfi would be too much. I’ll check out some options for Florence. The hiking is our motivator for Cinque Terre but I worry spending the full duration there that we’d be ready for a change.

How about one of the lakes or the Dolomites? I guess the latter would need to be in September rather than October, and there's a fair amount of time needed to get from the Cinque Terre up into the mountains, so maybe that's not a great idea for this trip.

I'm taking you at your word that traditional sightseeing doesn't interest you, so I'm not suggesting that you spend a chunk of your very limited time in a place like Florence or Venice.

I'd first work out your flights in and out of Italy - where you would fly into/out of? Pisa and Genoa are good possibilities. Milan might be easiest but the most time-consuming to get to/from where you want to go. (Use the trains to get around.) Florence makes sense if you want to spend time there (I would, even though it's not my favorite place in Italy, I'm not much into museums either). Near Florence you might also visit Siena, a lovely town that is in some ways more appealing than Florence...but Florence makes some sense if you can fly in/out of there and maybe see Siena as a day trip from Florence.

I love the Cinque Terre and the whole Italian Riviera. Some people dismiss the Cinque Terre as an overtouristed theme park not even worth your time and would urge you to go to Rome or Florence + Venice instead for a first trip to Italy. Up to you. You should indeed expect some busy hiking trails in the Cinque Terre. But if you want to see it...see it. I've been there more than once. I'm a frugal traveler and have wound up staying in Levanto (the town north of Monterosso) the last few times. You can actually hike back from Levanto to Monterosso (less busy than the main trails between the five towns). Levanto itself is a nice town though not quote as "wow"-inspiring a the five villages especially when viewed from the sea.

You can also spend some time up north in the Portofino Peninsula (towns of Santa Margherita Ligure and Camogli for example) and do more hiking up there. This area is less mobbed with tourists than the much more well-known Cinque Terre. A few years ago I hiked from Camogli to San Fruttuoso (ferry from there back to Camogli or back to Santa Margherita Ligure). I took an advanced hike (without realizing it) that was a bit scary - much more challenging than any of the Cinque Terre hikes and far less touristy.

You could really spend most of your time in the Riviera if you really want to, if you could fly into Pisa and/or Genoa, if you don't mind missing the cultural highlights like Florence. it's your vacation. I have been to the Riviera more than I've been back to Florence.

Been to Cinque Terre in October most of the 5 villages are closing up and locals heading to would you believe Australia as the cold winds are blowing in along with the rain. The trains can take you to 4 of the 5 villages or you can hike with great scenery. Your time is very limited as it takes a whole day to get there and another to return to US so wherever you go enjoy.

Hmm, I had some warm hiking days in early October on my first visit to the Cinque Terre - still warm enough to go swimming and wear shorts on my hike. End of October would probably be different. Of course, the weather every year is different.

All five of the villages have train stations, but to get to the town of Corniglia, you either need to hike up the hill or take a shuttle bus up. The ferry boats don't stop at Corniglia, though.

Well, if you want small towns then Cinque Terre definitely has them! Town is probably an overstatement for the size of each of them. But if you don't like sightseeing they'll probably do. You could consider a trip for a few hours to Porto Venere which is reachable by ferry, but while it does have some nice restaurants on the water a lot of the charm is visiting the old church, fort, walking around town. Which is sightseeing, so maybe not a fit. You could also consider Lerici, a town across the bay, also reachable by ferry. It's where the Italians stay when they visit the region, not a lot of English is going to be spoken. It has some hiking trails (you'd want to look up details in advance), a nice harbor, not really a lot in the way of museums although there is a castle.

Which town would you recommend staying in of the five?

Opinions will be all over the board - and none of them will be wrong - but we liked Monterosso because it was the largest of small villages, and had the most visitor amenities. It's also a good spot to access the (usually) the northernmost leg of the Sentiero Azzurro (Blue tRail), which leads to a next question....

Is the Blue trail fully open currently?

No and it will not be fully open this season. That said, the CT has MANY trails so familiarize yourself with the Parco Cinque Terre's trail system. This is the website, if you haven't found it yet:

http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Eindex.php

This page will show you what trails are open or closed (black lines) at any given time. The "Blue" encompasses the four SVA2 segments, and the Monterosso> Vernazza and Vernazza > Corniglia sections are usually open. Corniglia> Manarola and Manarola> Riomaggiore have been closed for some time and will remain so this year. Last I saw, reopening for those two legs are scheduled for 2024 but I wouldn't hold breath on it. As well, open trails can close to weather, rock slides or unexpected damage at any time. Anyway, you will need to purchase a park pass to hike any section of the Blue.

http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Ecinque-terre-card.php

There are workarounds for Corniglia> Manarola and Manarola> Riomaggiore, albeit longer and more strenuous: spend time exploring the site for all of the park's trekking options. Clicking any line on the map will bring up a description of that trail, its difficulty, estimated time to complete, etc. There are also some suggested itineraries.

Half of me is like “include Amalfi!” And the other half is like “don’t
be crazy, stay close!”

Nope, you don't have time for that one. Other than you might want to stay in the airport city of departure the night before your flight, devoted hikers can find plenty to do in the region unless it rains. As suggested, you could day trip to Porto Venere, Santa Margherita Ligure or Lucca (walk or bike the city walls there). As much as you prefer smaller to larger towns/cities, look at Genoa and Pisa.

What are some “must do” recommendations for a first timer?

Entirely up to you. While we enjoyed some hiking, we also enjoyed exploring the local churches and architecture in general, shutterbugging about (me), and exploring some of the history. Oh, and I dearly loved Florence but I'm an art geek so... That was a "gotta do" for me, and for far more than just a day. There is no "gotta do" unless it's your "gotta do". :O)

It has to come back to you--do you think you would enjoy being in a small village for a week, hiking most days (there are extensive trails, not just the one linking the villages)? There are day trips you can do from some culture--Lucca, Pisa, a marble tour in Carrara--any of that of interest? You could rent a car and explore inland, or you could pick a second base along the coastal train line for something different.
Getting your flight sorted first might influence where else you stay. Check Milan/Genoa/Pisa/Florence.

I’d suggest staying in Levanto. The hike from there to Monterosso is great plus it’s well connected to the area by train. The Blue Train is on again, off again so it’s hard to predict. Pieces of it have always been available but I’ve never seen the entire stretch open at the same time. Be flexible and remember that the higher (SVA) trail is also very scenic and enjoyable. I like to stay in the area for at least 3-4 days. If you have a week I’d spend my last 2 nights in your departure city (Rome, Milan, etc). Activities are open to your imagination but hiking and exploring the towns will occupy a good percentage of 3-4 days. When I’ve stayed longer in the area I’ve taken in Milan and Pisa but you could choose other places just as well. Amalfi is an awfully long way away and better seen from a base in Sorrento or as part of a Naples/Pompeii visit. I’ve only visited the Amalfi Coast from Sorrento so I can’t give a perspective on staying in the actual towns. Be prepared to climb either place you go. Good luck and happy travels.

I think you will be happy with 4 nights in Cinque Terre so good news is you can choose a 2nd base for your trip time in Italy.

Knowing nothing about your lodging options, I would recommend Vernazza as the best town to base for the CT if you like hiking. It has the best access to the trails.
The downside to Vernazza is it is the busiest / most crowded of the 5 towns and many of the lodging places I imagine suffer from this street noise and general crowding.

We stayed in Manarola becuase we found a place with a fantastic view and quite removed from the crowds.

My general 3 rules for CT in regard to lodging ; #3 I think is important for you.
1.) There really are no true hotels (Monterosso does have 1 or 2) ; think AirBnb type places as being the norm, most with no breakfast options included.

2.) The better the view the more steps to climb to reach it ; keep this in mind when packing. Many luggage lose a wheel while in CT.

3.) the towns are so close together it REALLY doesn't matter much which of the 5 towns you stay in ; the train runs early and late and the towns are literally 2 minutes apart by train so you can get where you want when you want. There are so few options in each town that limiting yourself to one town to start is probably a bad idea. Find a place available in budget you like.
I would personally not stay outside of the 5 towns, something about being there after the daytrippers have left.

I think spending the whole time in Cinque Terre is overkill, I would do 3 nights CT and 4 nights Florence. Highlights of CT was the Pesto and seafood. We did not hike, we took the trains to all 5 towns and stayed in Monterosso, biggest and flattest of the 5.
We went mid October, everything was open and perfect weather. No crowds, we have pictures of us on some trails and we are the only ones there.

You can't go wrong with Amalfi, but with going to CT I would want to see a different Vibe to Italy, not Ocean again, that's why I would pick Florence. Train to Florence is super easy. Florence is small town to me. If you do land up with Amalfi I suggest staying in Sorrento.

Thank you all so much for this great advice!

We love outdoorsy activities, hiking, beaches, swimming, boating,
food, wine, small and easy to navigate towns. We are not so into art,
museums, shopping, sightseeing, big cities, crowds.

And this is why I would recommend that you spend your time exploring the coast and skip Florence. While I love it, if you're a hiker/outdoorsy type and not into art and museums, then Florence is probably not your kinda place. The only thing you won't be able to escape in the CT itself is crowds BUT if you're up to exploring trails less taken by the masses, you'll find breathing room. Those can include just short-ish climbs to lovely little cemeteries, churches and vantage points located above the villages. The CT can be very nice at night when the day-trippers go away, and in the early mornings before they arrive, or so was our experience.

You have all sorts of suggestions for places bigger and not-so to explore on rainy days if they close trails to weather. :O)

Hi all -- You had such great advice that I pulled the trigger and booked the trip. Here's what I have so far and now I am spinning on what to do for the last leg of the journey. I am flying into Florence and out of Pisa in September.

Arrival from US to Florence at 12pm
- Florence - 1 night (Tuesday)
- Cinque Terre - 4 nights (Wednesday -
Sunday)
- OPEN - 3 nights (Sunday - Wednesday)
Departing flight is out of Pisa Wednesday morning at 9am

Our Airbnb in CT is adorable and nothing is really available on the surrounding dates so I don't really want to change that portion but am flexible with other portions of the trip. I could potentially fly out one day earlier to spend an extra night in Florence or day trip to a nearby area. Another option is to change my flight out of a different location.

Thoughts? There are so many areas that are new to me and I am overwhelmed. I just want to have my locations set so I can begin planning what we can do while there vs wondering if I should change flights and such. HELP!

I'd try to arrive a day earlier because one night in Florence is so brief (I have low interest in Renaissance art myself, but even I would give Florence more than a day). For your last three nights, Lucca is an obvious choice. It's pleasant in its own right, has multiple day trip options, and it's easy to get to Pisa for your outbound flight.

ETA I am reminded you were not that interested in Florence--could you fly into Pisa instead? You could do a night there and have an easier transfer to CT. Then I still recommend Lucca for the end.

I think you have a sensible plan given your interests. We have spent a week in the Cinque Terre twice in October and loved the weather and the pace, BTW. As Kathy mentioned, there are lots of trails other than the “Blue” and they are far less crowded, more interesting, and more scenic IMO. Explore the links she provided thoroughly.

For your last 3 nights, Lucca would be perfect. Walk the walls, explore the town, spend a day in Pisa. You are close enough to Pisa for travel to the airport the morning of your flight unless it is ridiculously early.