One day in Cinque Terre arriving around 11 a.m. from Florence

Please send the hikers to the official park website for a description of all hikes, where they can choose based on the specs offered. https://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Esentieri-outdoor.php
Non-hikers may wish to enjoy a ferry ride.

Good information.
Thank you!

hey hey jmpeters7
when are you planning this day trip? if during summertime which is high season, many other travelers will be doing day trips or spending few days or so in cinque terre along with cruises stopping at la spezia or genoa during daytime.
cruisemapper.com
click each cinque terre port (la spezia and livorno), months 2025, days ships are in port, scroll down to see how many passenger/crew are on ship will show you the thousands that will add to the crowds, packed restaurants, shops, trains, walkways may not be leisurely
stroll as you wish.
buy your train ticket early so no waiting in lines at machines, make sure you validate ticket before boarding trains.
have a great fun time with the gang & enjoy, just be prepared, go with the flow
aloha

And while they're picking a hike, make sure they read all of the requirements on that site for hikers including appropriate footwear and paying for access passes. If you are going on a weekend or during a busy time of year, some trails (like Monterosso to Vernazza) are one way only, so they will need to keep up on the latest information.

Well, princess pupule, your info on the ships in port is invaluable! Thanks so much, we will adjust our dates for ship free days!

The only trail that must be walked mandatorily in one direction is the Via dell’Amore, which is one way only from Riomaggiore to Manarola. It is the shortest and can be walked in less than 30 min. It’s pretty but since it’s short and easy, it is also the most crowded.

The Monterosso to Vernazza or the Corniglia to Vernazza are the most beautiful, IMO. They can be walked in either direction. It takes at least 2 hours each for both and they are more challenging.

I greatly appreciate all the input especially since I’m doing the planning. No stress! We’ll be going 9/13 which unfortunately is a Saturday.
Ideally I’d like to do a two hour hike then stop. Is there one town more easily reached from the trail that’s less than an hours walk? If not… I’ll just enjoy their pictures and meet up with them later.
Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience & information.

Roberto just noting that there are specified days when other parts of the trail also have one way requirements - see this recent example https://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Edettaglio.php?id=74494 It appears this decision is made based on expected crowds, so the OP is going to need to keep up on current news.

Given you don't want to do a difficult stroll, the Via dell’Amore is probably going to be your best bet. The trains and ferries are easily used to move between the towns - just give yourself plenty of time to make it to your departure station. If there is any way you can change your plans to avoid a weekend, you might consider adjusting.

You must buy the train pass or trail only pass, and then purchase the Via dell Amore supplement for an additional 10 euros. Then you select the date and time you plan to walk the VDA. This limits the number of people on the VDA at any given time.

For better or worse, my family is attempting to make a similar visit from Florence by train to the Cinque terre. We are planning to start in Corniglia, hike to Vernazza, and then train to monterosso al mare an catch a boat all the way back to Riomaggore.

European Vacationing,
Have you looked at the trails you want to hike? Corniglia to Vernazza has hundreds of stairs. Vernazza to Monterosso is beautiful, famous for it's travel pictures. You might want to reconsider. You can still take the train or boat back to Riomaggiore.

I haven’t explored the trails as of yet. Just today booked our train back to Florence from Monterosso. I’m going to check out Vernazza to Monterosso trail next.

The stretch between Vernazza and Monterosso is generally considered the most challenging of the Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Path) sections. It's the longest and has the most steps to deal with although said to be a bit easier going the Vernazza> Monterosso direction instead of the other way around, like we did it. Be aware that both the Monterosso> Vernazza and Vernazza> Corniglia sections are likely to be a conga line of hikers at the time of day, season and day of the week you'll be visiting. As said above, the easiest (Via dell'Amore; Riomaagiore to Manarola) requires a timed-entry reservation at additional cost to the CT Trekking or Treno Cards needed to access the "Blue".