Crowds in Cinque Terre in May?

More than anything what affects the crowds is whether a cruise ship is docked at La Spezia on the day you go. I know there are websites where you can check the cruise schedule, but I don't remember the names. You can also check the Marine Traffic website to see what is in port live.

May is certainly a busy time regardless, but if you stay away from the area during weekends (including May 1, Labor Day) and the days when a cruise ship is at SPE you can still enjoy the place. Not many Cruiseders venture on the hike between towns, except for the Via dell'Amore, which is short (they usually walk around the towns like Vernazza, although they do pack the trains), so on the longer trails you should be ok.

Easter is April 20, 2025. I have learned to avoid the popular attractions in Italy the week before and after Easter, as so many folks are on holiday.
Enjoy and have a great trip.

Check Cruisemapper to see if there are ships in port at La Spezia. I’m on a cruise that docks there in June and plan on going the opposite direction of Cinque Terre

I was there April, a few weeks ago. I just did one hike between towns, started at about 9:15am and it wasn’t at all crowded. I’m sure if I started later on in the day it would have being worse. Whether you go in April or May, do your hikes between towns early before the day trippers get there. I would go in April instead of May, cooler weather and fewer tourists.

I was in the Cinque Terre in early June of 2023 and all of the towns were mobbed. Perhaps April or May would be better in terms of crowds.

I have been to the CT twice. Once in April, once in May. This was a few years ago.

Both times were on days, by coincidence, with no cruises. But they were still busy.

I remember commenting to a friend on the May visit while in Vernazza that it was so crowded it reminded me of a NYC subway train at rush hour.

I will concur with the previous posters. If you can arrange to visit on a day when no cruise ships are in port, you will have a much better time.

We were in Cinque Terre from May 28-June 4, 2022 and it was not overly crowded. We hiked the trails early on several of the days and, between 6:00am-10:00am, we saw virtually no one. We visited most of the towns during the afternoons and evenings and there were moderate crowds but nothing unmanageable. We had no problem getting into restaurants and the shops were not super crowded. We also found that the weather was amazing during this week. The high temperatures were in the low 70s F (low 20s C).
We actually made our base in Levanto which was very nice as well.

Was there the Friday after easter this year - only for the day. Confirmed no cruise ship in port before we went. Manorola was the most crowded, but not insane. Many people on train platforms but we always got seats and they were together. we planned one of the shorter hikes (to corniglia) but the route was closed because of rain the day before.. We did hike up to top of Vernazza for some views and passed about 15 people each way.

CT in general is going to be crowded...for good reason, its a popular place and its great relief from the noisy din of all the Italian cities, not to mention being next to water is enjoyable and calming.

As others have pointed out, when cruise ships pull-in at nearby La Spezia, the crowds can be brutal. Checking cruise schedules is a good way to make sure you're not arriving with the cruise crowds.
Hiking the lesser known trails is another way to put some distance between the crowds and your vacation. The trails connecting Corniglia tend to get avoided due to the village being perched up on a high bluff; the vast majority of people will avoid going there. The coastal trail connecting Corniglia-Vernazza I think is one of the best all-purpose hikes, unfortunately Vernazza is the most popular of the villages. It'll be apparent as you near the village and the number of people encountered become more numerous.

Starting early is another smart move...get on the trail early, get your steps in and look forward to a leisurely afternoon where ever you're staying. One move we always did was making reservations for lunch. We planned our day ahead, had our hotel/host contact the place we want to dine at so we had a post-hike table waiting for us.