How to make the most of one day in Cinque Terre – Pisa to Cinque Terre day trip

By Gemma Tedaldi | Published: 21st June 2020 | Updated: 1st November 2023

Travelling around Italy and looking to spend one day in Cinque Terre? How about doing so on a day trip from Pisa to Cinque Terre? Then you’ve come to the right place!

If you want somewhere in Italy to while away the days watching the world go by and eating until you can eat no more, then Cinque Terre is the place to do it. Each village has its own unique setting, cuisine, and stunning views and is full to the brim with life and of course the colourful clifftop buildings. So, here is our guide on how to make the most of one day in Cinque Terre.

Contents

One day in Cinque Terre – Pisa to Cinque Terre

Tips for visiting Cinque Terre

One day in Cinque Terre FAQs

Conclusion: One day in Cinque Terre

Planning Your Trip? Use our favourite travel resources below:

Accommodation: We recommend Booking.com

Rental Car: We recommend Rentalcars.com

Flights: We recommend Kiwi.com

Tours: We recommend Get Your Guide

One day in Cinque Terre Itinerary – Pisa to Cinque Terre

This itinerary is based on utilising the trains throughout Cinque Terre, however, you can also spend one day in Cinque Terre by walking the Sentiero Azzurro, or The Blue Path.

Be sure to really make the most of the day trip to Cinque Terre and get up early and expect to be late back. You don’t want to miss out on trying the local food and exploring the colourful alleyways because you’ve run out of time to get the train home.

Start off the day at Pisa Centrale and hop aboard a train heading to La Spezia Centrale. It takes roughly 1 hour to get there and the route is rather beautiful. From La Spezia stop by the tourist information for Cinque Terre and buy a hop-on hop-off ticket for the Cinque Terre line. It then takes on average 20 minutes from La Spezia to Monterosso al Mare, your first stop of the five lands.

One day in Cinque Terre Itinerary: Stop 1 – Monterosso al Mare

Monterosso al Mare is the northernmost village and the largest of the five. It is also home to the biggest and only sandy beach in the area. We started our trip through Cinque Terre here and this wonderful village sure knows how to get your travel buds tingling!

Where to go in Monterosso al Mare

From the train station head left and along the coast following the road around. You then have two choices, through the tunnel, or around the coast. We recommend going through the tunnel now and coming back to the station via the Salita dei Cappuccini coast path later. Doing this means you can stop off at the Statua di San Francesco monastery on the way back if it’s open.

If you are hiking the trails head through the village to the very north and you will find the Cinque Terre Consorzio Turistico / the starting point.

What to see in Monterosso al Mare

There are lots of quaint alleyways you can wander and get lost in with wonderful food and artwork tempting you in at every shop. There is also the beautiful 14th-century Church of San Giovanni Battista a white and black striped marble church to visit just off the main square. On your way back to the train station, follow the Salita dei Cappuccini for stunning views down the coast to Vernazza.

What to eat in Monterosso al Mare

Monterroso pie! The only way to describe this amazing food is if you imagine a custard slice and a chocolate pie merged together… it is as divine as it sounds!

One day in Cinque Terre Itinerary: Stop 2 – Vernazza

The picture-perfect fishing village of Vernazza is the only one of the five with a natural port. The place is filled to the brim with historical landmarks to explore alongside some rather nice eateries…

Where to go in Vernazza

From the train station, you need to head down and straight on to get into the main streets of Vernazza. From here it’s either down to the port or around the alleyways. It’s pretty straightforward for this village.

If you are hiking the trails you will come into Vernazza from the northwest before dropping down to the port. From here you walk through the village and out heading south-east. The Sentiero Azzuro is quite well signposted here.

What to see in Vernazza

If you are after a church with a difference, then be sure to check out Chiesa di Santa Margherita di Antiochia. It overlooks the port so not only has wonderful views but is rather unique inside too. Another place to stop at is Castello Doria, overlooking the port but from the other side. We also highly recommend a walk around the Porto di Vernazza just to see the village from all the angles possible!

What to eat in Vernazza

Vernazza is hands down the best place to experience pure Italian pesto deliciousness! You can get it on pretty much anything, but we opted for some pesto bruschetta, (and a tomato oregano one), alongside some Sciacchetrà a Vernazza Cinque Terre doc wine.

Planning your own trip to Italy? Make sure you check out our Travelling Tedaldi Amazon Store Travel Guides for all your guidebooks and maps. (We’ve done the hard work for you and linked all the things we used to plan our trip!)

One day in Cinque Terre Itinerary: Stop 3 – Corniglia

Corniglia, the middle village and the only one not accessible by sea. It may be the smallest of the five but boy do the views make up for that! Being perched high above the sea means there are some pretty steep hikes to get anywhere… From the train station to the main part of Corniglia is quite a long hilly walk and up countless steps. You can always catch a taxi but if you walk then the gelato at the top will be even more delicious!

Where to go in Corniglia

From the train station, you need to head up. As in right up as far as you can see up! There is a short pathway that takes you north along the coast to the start of the steps and the Scalinata Lardarina.

It may be called a scenic viewpoint, but it sure takes a bit of huff and puff to get up there. Once at the top follow the main road, Via Stazione, around to the left and you will reach the centre of Corniglia.

Follow the small alleyways right through the centre of the village and out the furthest point west before making your way back, stopping in the local cafes and gelaterias along the way. We then followed the Via Fieschi out of the main village and up to Chiesa Di San Pietro for some wonderful views back over Corniglia. Then you simply keep following this lane around and you will end up at the top of the steps.

If you are hiking the trails you will come into Corniglia from the north. From here you drop right down to the Corniglia train station before continuing along the coast to Manarola.

What to see in Corniglia

It may be small but there are still a few sights to see, including Largo Taragio a tiny square and monument in the centre of the village. Surrounded by cafes it’s a great place to rest those weary feet. From here you can also head to the furthest point of the village in the west for views over the surrounding orange and lemon growing and coastline.

On the way out of the main village be sure to stop at Chiesa Di San Pietro for a beautiful viewpoint back over Corniglia. Finally, Scalinata Lardarina it may be some people’s version of hell to go up, but it is pretty rewarding getting to the top knowing you are going back down a few hours later.

What to eat in Corniglia

After the long trek up from the train station, what could be better than stumbling upon Corniglias amazing basil and lemon sorbet? It might sound a bit odd to put basil in a sorbet but believe us it really works. There is a tiny shop just into the village that sells them called Gelateria Corniglia da Antonio. It’s well worth a stop at.

One day in Cinque Terre Itinerary: Stop 4 – Manarola

Even though it is the oldest town of the five, Manarola sure is beautiful. With one main street down to the harbour and winding cliffside walks to incredible viewpoints Manarola is often named as the prettiest of the Cinque Terre villages.

Where to go in Manarola

From the train station, you want to follow the tunnels that go to Manarola. We quite liked the idea of the tunnels as not only was it lovely and cool in there, but it meant the first glimpse of Manarola was a complete surprise! You end up along the Via Renato Birolli and bang smack in the middle of Manarola.

We recommend then heading west towards the harbour and exploring all the little side streets as you go. From the harbour, you want to follow the coast path around to the famous viewpoint looking back over Manarola, before continuing up past the Cimitero di Manarola and onto the Via di Corniglia. Follow this path back into the village and then find a spot for a drink!

If you are hiking the trails you will come into Manarola from the north. From here you follow along the coast and the Via dell’Amore / ‘Lovers Lane’ to get to Riomaggiore.

What to see in Manarola

You can’t come to Manarola and not go to the famous Manarola Scenic Viewpoint. But before reaching there be sure to stop along the Via Belvedere for some wonderful views over the village and at the Manarola Harbour to watch some of the crazy locals jumping off the famous rock.

What to eat in Manarola

Here you should get back on the wonderfully fresh pesto alongside some of the locally caught fish, we particularly enjoyed the Manarola pesto gnocchi & seabass.

One day in Cinque Terre Itinerary: Stop 5 – Riomaggiore

The southernmost village overlooked by a medieval castle, Riomaggiore is another village with one main street lined with tall colourful buildings.

Where to go in Riomaggiore

From the station, you again need to follow the tunnels to get to the heart of Riomaggiore. From here you reach the Pizza Vignaioli and the one main road in the village. Follow this up and down eating your way as you go, before stopping for some views of the coast. The main beach in Riomaggiore is actually a five-minute walk further around the coast.

If you are hiking the trails you will come into Riomaggiore from the northeast alongside the train station.

What to see in Riomaggiore

The views from Piazza Vignaioli are in our opinion, some of the prettiest in Riomaggiore. It is also right above the start/end of the Via dell’Amore so a perfect location too! You can also head to Castello di Riomaggiore, overlooking the village too if your feet aren’t too tired by then.

What to eat in Riomaggiore

More of a drink than an eat… You can’t visit Cinque Terre, let alone Italy, without sampling some of the local drinks. Riomaggiore is no exception! Be sure to taste the local Limoncello and grab a bottle to take with you.

So, after a long day of sightseeing, eating, and walking around the villages in Cinque Terre, hop on the train at Riomaggiore / Monterosso and head back to your home for the night. Hopefully, you won’t get stuck in Riomaggiore like we were, waiting for a train for 2 hours…

Where to stay in Cinque Terre

We stayed in Pisa during our trip to Italy and took a day trip to Cinque Terre. Actually staying in one of the villages can be quite difficult and expensive to do, especially if you are looking to explore more of Italy and haven’t booked far enough in advance, but check out Booking.com for the best deals.

However, there are numerous options through Bookings For You – of where you could stay in the surrounding area within 30 minutes of Pisa. Plus, if you use our code ‘TRAVELLINGTEDALDI’ when booking you will receive an exclusive discount!

Tips for visiting Cinque Terre

Where is Cinque Terre in Italy and what is Cinque Terre?

Cinque Terre translates as ‘five lands’ and is pretty much that. Five beautiful villages lined up along the coast of Italy. Located along the Ligurian coast in western Italy, close to both Genoa and Pisa by train, this collection of villages is like no other. Being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you know it is going to be beautiful before you even arrive.

Getting to Cinque Terre

The easiest and cheapest way to get around Italy and to get to Cinque Terre is by train. They are quick and conveniently located at all well-known, and not so well known, locations. We hopped on an early train from Pisa Centrale to La Spezia Centrale, before switching trains onto the Cinque Terre line, which all in all, took just over an hour and cost roughly €25 euros return for both of us.

You can also drive to Cinque Terre, but parking is few and far between and you most likely won’t be able to get into the villages by car anyway, so we would highly recommend leaving the car at home for this day trip. Plus if no one needs to drive, everyone can sample the local limoncello…

Getting around Cinque Terre

There are two main ways to get around Cinque Terre villages themselves, on foot or via train. Cars are few and far between in the villages themselves as they are often full of very narrow streets, plus the area is so well served via trains you shouldn’t need a car anyway.

What to know before arriving in Cinque Terre

You need to buy a Cinque Terre pass to enter Cinque Terre. There are different types, but we opted for the one that lets you use all the trains and trails for a 24-hour period. You can buy your Cinque Terre pass at La Spezia Centrale or as soon as you get off the train in any of the villages for roughly €16 each, where they will give you a timetable of the trains for the day so you can easily work out when to be at the train stations in each village ready to board the train to the next. Talking of trains…

The trains… Oh, the trains. Because Cinque Terre is well known throughout Italy, as well as Europe and beyond, you are bound to come across quite a few tourists. Even when we visited during the offseason in Autumn there were quite a few tourists about.

That, however, does not help the train situation between the villages.

They all ran smoothly for us until the trains out of Riomaggiore stopped working, which instantly causes a backlog of trains through Cinque Terre and out to the south. So just be warned, the trains are not necessarily always going to arrive on time if at all!

Typical food to try in Cinque Terre

Now Italy is known for having some of the most wonderful food in Europe, (possibly even the world), and Cinque Terre is no different. Surrounded by the sea and fertile land, this area is full of fresh produce and drinks that you should try. Think fresh seafood and pesto, basil and lemon sorbet, Monterroso pie, and of course Limoncello.

You need to try the local cuisine in each village you visit. You may think they would all be the same, but the village delicacies are too good to miss!

And finally, there are lots of fresh drinking water fountains around the villages in Cinque Terre, so remember your refillable bottles and utilise them when you need them. This is especially good to know if you are planning on walking the trails between the villages. Unfortunately, when we visited most of the trails were closed due to poor visibility / damaged trails.

One day in Cinque Terre FAQs

When is the best time to visit Cinque Terre

The best time to visit is during the off-season in early Spring, Autumn, or Winter. Summer will not only get too hot, (there’s not a lot of shade in the villages and definitely not out on the hiking trails), but the tourists really descend on the villages in the Summer too. We visited in October and even then, it was very warm and fairly busy.

Which end to start at? How long does it take to walk between the villages of Cinque Terre?

We started at the village furthest north, Monterosso, and then worked our way south to Riomaggiore as we were based in Pisa during this trip. However, if you are based further north towards Genoa then we would recommend doing this the other way around.

If you are planning on hiking the trails, be sure to check online first to see which trails may or may not be open when you are visiting. We recommend using this website – Parconazionale5terre.  They often shut them down due to too many tourists trying to walk them too. Make sure you also wear sensible walking shoes, not flip-flops or heels or you will be fined! It may seem like an obvious thing to say but believe me, you will see some people trying to do it…

We would also recommend walking from Monterosso al Mare to Riomaggiore so the hardest bit is done first and you get the better views along the trails. You will need to start early as it takes roughly 7.5 hours to walk the whole trail with stops.

Monterosso al Mare to Vernazza: 3.5 km, 2 hours, hard!

Vernazza to Corniglia: 4 km, 2 hours, moderate

Corniglia to Manarola: 3 km, 1 hour

Manarola to Riomaggiore: 1.5 km, 30 minutes, flat, also called Via dell’Amore or “Lover’s Lane”

Is a day trip to Cinque Terre worth it / is one day in Cinque Terre enough?

Of course, if you have longer then stay longer, but a day trip to Cinque Terre is definitely worth it in our books. You can easily catch the train from Pisa to Cinque Terre, so if you are in the region why not spend a day exploring the quaint colourful villages and seeing a part of Italy that is so beautiful?

You can make the most of a day trip to Cinque Terre by setting off early and arriving back late, so you don’t feel rushed in any of the villages. We spent a good few hours in each one and it was the perfect taster to Cinque Terre.

That being said, one day in Cinque Terre is not really long enough to be able to do all the things the area offers, such as hiking between the villages as well as plenty of rest time in the villages themselves.

Cinque Terre day trip from Florence

From Florence, it takes roughly 2.5 hours via train or via car to get to Cinque Terre, so a day trip to Cinque Terre is definitely doable, just be prepared for a long day.

Cinque Terre day trip from Milan

To get from Milan to Cinque Terre via car or train is roughly 3.5 hours, so while you may want to visit Cinque Terre on a day trip from Milan, we wouldn’t recommend it. There are plenty of destinations closer to Milan that are just as worth a visit such as Bergamo or Lake Como, so head there instead.

Cinque Terre day trip from Pisa

A day trip to Cinque Terre from Pisa is one of the best options, in terms of costs for accommodation and options for other nearby day trips, and what we chose to do on our visit to Cinque Terre, as it is only an hours train ride away.

Is a Cinque Terre tour neccessary?

We would have to say, no doing a tour in Cinque Terre isn’t necessary, but it can be a great way to get to Cinque Terre or experience Cinque Terre from a different perspective. We would recommend these tours from Get Your Guide for something a little different:

Conclusion: One day in Cinque Terre Itinerary – Pisa to Cinque Terre

So, here is our post on how to make the most of one day in Cinque Terre – A Pisa to Cinque Terre day trip. From visiting the prettiest villages along this coastline to eating your way through the local dishes, one day in Cinque Terre is a day well spent.

If that hasn’t piqued your interest in visiting Italy, then a trip to Emilia Romagna just might. Check out our week-long itinerary here. Or if somewhere else in Italy tickles your fancy, then head over to our Italy page for more destinations.

Gemma Tedaldi

Gemma is the owner and author of The Travelling Tedaldi, a travel blog helping travellers to discover the best road trips and travel itineraries throughout the UK and Europe. When she isn’t writing about her favourite travel destinations, she can often be found out exploring local hikes or planning future trips.