Overview
Walking in Liguria for eight days takes you into the idyllic landscapes of the Cinque Terre, as well as Portofino. Translated as the Five Lands of the Ligurian coast, the villages of Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore are linked by the Azure Trail, all jewels in the crown of Cinque Terre National Park. This self-guided walking holiday, starting in Camogli and ending in Monterosso al Mare, is an easy to moderate adventure along hiking trails to perfect hamlets, with plenty of swimming and snoozing spots along the way. Using the local train for many of the transfers, this holiday is also accessible by train if you want to have a perfect slow start and finish to this iconic walking holiday.
- Monterosso
- Vernazza
- Corniglia
- Manarola
- Riomaggiore
- Levanto
- Porto Venere
- Portofino
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival Camogli
Arrival in Camogli, a small seaside village characterised by it’s vibrantly-coloured and highly-stacked buildings. Take some time to explore the area and visit sights such as Dragonara Castle or the Maritime Museum.
- Accommodation: La Camogliese or similar in Camogli
Day 2: Portofino | 7/13km
From Camogli, take one of the main paths in Portofino Regional Park. The first steep section takes you to the village of San Rocco (it is possible to skip this section by local bus), then arrive at San Fruttuoso Abbey. From San Fruttuoso, you can choose to walk or take a ferry to Portofino, a famously beautiful coastal town surrounded by hills of olive groves and vineyards. Stop at one of the many local seafood restaurants by the harbour before taking the train or boat back to Camogli (payable locally)
- Walking for the day: 13km, 5-6h, ↑1,165m ↓1,185m // shorter option: 7km, 3-4h, ↑735m ↓395m
- Accommodation: La Camogliese or similar in Camogli
Day 3: Bonassola – Deiva Marina | 5.5/13km
The day starts with a short train ride to Bonassola (payable locally), from where you start walking through the hills that separate Bonassola, Framura and Deiva Marina. The walk to Framura proffers impressive views over the northern Ligurian coast. Continue walking to Deiva Marina or shorten the walk by ending in Framura. Return to Bonassola by train (payable locally).
- Walking for the day: 13km, 5h, ↑657m ↓643m // shorter option: 5.5km, 2-3h, ↑350m ↓280m
- Accommodation: Villa Belvedere or similar in Bonassola
Day 4: Riva Trigoso | 5.5/15km
After breakfast, take a train (payable locally) to Deiva Marina where the day’s walk starts. If you wish to shorten the walk, you can also start in Moneglia. The walk follows the jagged coastline and crosses a few valleys as far as Riva Trigoso, one train stop from Sestri Levante, which is worth visiting for its historic buildings and palaces. Take the train back to Bonassola (payable locally).
- Walking for the day: 15km, 6h, ↑1,010m ↓996m // shorter option: 5.5km, 2-3h, ↑396m ↓386m
- Accommodation: Villa Belvedere or similar in Bonassola
Day 5: Monterosso al Mare | 10km
The first part of the walk runs along an old railway recently transformed into a car-free walking and cycling trail. Walk through tunnels and bridges with spectacular views over the sea and cliffs until you arrive in Levanto. Reach the ridge top to enjoy the spectacular views over the mountains surrounding the gulf. Arrive in Punta Mesco and walk down towards the village of Monterosso to your hotel for the night.
- Walking for the day: 10km, 4h, ↑753m ↓746m
- Accommodation: Hotel Marina or similar in Monterosso al Mare
Day 6: Vernazza | 6/9km
A short transfer (included, 10mins) brings you to Soviore Monastery, where you can stop for a visit before starting the walk back to Monterosso via Vernazza. From the sanctuary, walk along a road for 1.5km, then descend to Madonna di Reggio. Continue walking on a stone path down to Vernazza, where you take the panoramic coastal path back to Monterosso. You can stop in Vernazza and take a train back (payable locally) to Monterosso to shorten the walk.
- Walking for the day: 9km, 4h, ↑329m ↓740m
- Accommodation: Hotel Marina or similar in Monterosso al Mare
Day 7: Riomaggiore – Porto Venere | 13-15km
A short train (payable locally) ride brings you to Riomaggiore, from where you walk to the mountain ridge that borders the Cinque Terre region. From Colle del Telegrafo, follow the trail all the way to Porto Venere, walking through the village of Campiglia. In Porto Venere you can choose to take a bus to La Spezia and a train to Monterosso or take a ferry directly to Monterosso (payable locally).
- Walking for the day: 15km, 6h, ↑900m ↓890m
- Accommodation: Hotel Marina or similar in Monterosso al Mare
Day 8: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour is in small, locally-owned, three-star hotels. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms.
Click to view default hotels
- La Camogliese (Camogli)
- Villa Belvedere (Bonassola)
- Hotel Marina (Monterosso al Mare)
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
All breakfasts are included. For lunches and dinners, there are plenty of places along the way. When no restaurant location is available on route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops, or packed lunch can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before.
Difficulty and terrain
This tour is suitable for those who might have limited walking experience in the mountains but are in good enough general physical condition to walk up to 6h per day along some uneven ground and steep slopes. On all days, alternative longer or shorter walks are possible (read more about difficulty grades). You have to use local trains to get to and from the walks, which are payable locally. Most of the walks are on good paths, some of them recently restored by the local authorities. Most parts of the trails are waymarked. Elsewhere you have to follow the route notes provided together with the maps. We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available departing any day of the week from March until October.
The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date in the season – so please indicate desired beginning date when booking.
The summer months in the Liguria region are warm, with little to no rain and average daily temperatures between 25-29C. The hottest months are July and August, but some of the resort towns, especially Portofino, may become overcrowded in these months, although the trails along the mountain slopes are far from the tourist rush. The spring and autumn months are usually cooler with more rain, but still with plenty of dry days and pleasant conditions for walking. For more information, see our blog on the Best time to go to Italy.
Important note: the national park wardens try to keep all of the paths open throughout the year. However, heavy rains, summer fires or too many tourists can cause temporary closure of certain stretches, so be sure to check with the park office. We cannot guarantee that all sections of the itinerary listed above will be accessible during your holiday.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended arrival airport for this holiday is Genova Airport (GOA). Other Italian airports (Pisa Airport and Firenze Airport) are also well connected to Levanto.
By train or bus
If you are able to travel to Camogli without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail with train stations in Camogli and Genoa. From Monterosso, it is possible to take a direct train to Genoa. For more details, see the national rail operator Trenitalia or use the Omio planner above.
Airport transfers by public transport are recommended for this trip, as they are much cheaper and faster compared to private car transfers.
Please note: all internal transfers are by train and not included in the trip price. However, all the villages are well connected by local train services and you should buy a Cinque Terre Train Card. The card allows unlimited train travel on the Levanto – Cinque Terre – La Spezia line (on regional trains in second class) and also includes access to all hiking trails, use of ecological park buses and wi-fi internet connection. The card can be bought online or is payable locally at the tourist office in Monterosso.
Luggage transfers
Hotel to hotel luggage transfer is not included on day three as all your ground transfers between accommodations are by convenient local trains. You will never have to carry your main luggage while walking. A luggage transfer is included on day five, from Bonassola to Monterosso.
Inclusions
Included
- 7 nights accommodation
- 7 breakfasts
- Luggage transfer Bonassola-Monterosso on day five (one piece, up to 20kg per person)
- Private transfer to Santuario di Soviore on day six
- Detailed digital holiday information pack including GPS-checked and regularly updated route descriptions, road notes and maps. Please note that the info pack is emailed to you prior to departure, and no printed documents are mailed or provided locally
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Train fares on the walking days
- Luggage transfer on day three
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist tax and entrance fees (payable locally)
- Cinque Terre Card – payable online or locally to the tourist office in Monterosso
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers.
- Extra nights
- Printed tour materials at the first accommodation
