Cinque Terre City Guide
Cinque Terre Hikes: Every Named Trail, Graded and Mapped
A cinque terre hike is the single biggest reason most people come to the Cinque Terre coast (see what to see in the Cinque Terre), and the park keeps a proper network for it: over 120 kilometres of paths, graded by difficulty and listed by name on the park's own Sentieri e Outdoor page. This page is the index. It lists every named trail the park publishes, groups them into three families, numbers each one so you can match it to a single map, and points you to our detailed trail pages where a full guide exists. You will also find what the trails cost, the footwear rule enforced since 2019, and how the park grades its paths. Status changes live with weather and maintenance, so never rely on a printed page for today's closures. Check the park's trail-network page the morning you go.
Quick answer The short version on hiking cinque terre
The coastal Sentiero Azzurro has four numbered segments and takes 5 hours 10 minutes end to end from Riomaggiore to Monterosso, our sum of the park's official segment times. Walking cinque terre on the whole blue trail means two Esperto-grade sections, closed shoes are required by law, and you need a card for the paid sections. For a shorter day, pick a single segment or the higher terraced-vineyard route between Riomaggiore and Corniglia, which takes 3 hours 15 minutes. Check the park's trail-network page the morning you go, because status changes with weather.
Key takeaways
- The four blue-trail segments are listed in the Sentiero Azzurro guide
- The flattest segment is the Via dell'Amore
- The two Esperto segments are covered in our Vernazza to Corniglia hike and Monterosso to Vernazza hike pages
- See what trail access costs in the Cinque Terre Card guide
Every Named Trail, Grouped and Numbered
The park's trail list splits naturally into three families: the four numbered coastal segments of the Sentiero Azzurro, one higher inland route across the terraces, and a ring walk from each of the five villages. The numbers below run from 1 to 10 and match the pins on the map further down this page. Times are the official figures from the park's trail-network table. The park does not publish times or distances for the five ring walks, and we say so plainly rather than guessing.
The Sentiero Azzurro (Coastal Blue Trail)
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Trail 592-1, Riomaggiore to Manarola (the Via dell'Amore)
Coastal path, Turistico grade US$25.00 (€22) 1-day Treno MS Card, booking required for the walk itself25 minutes
This is the famous Via dell'Amore, the easiest and most accessible of all the Cinque Terre hiking trails. The park's trail-network table gives it 25 minutes, while the park's own Via dell'Amore page says about 30 minutes, so allow half an hour. It is graded Turistico, the gentlest of the park's three grades, and it is one-way only: you enter at Riomaggiore and exit at Manarola. Every standard visitor needs a Cinque Terre Card with the Via dell'Amore add-on plus a booked time slot, even in the quiet season. Information staff are stationed along the route and some tolerance on entry times is possible.
Tip: Book your slot ahead online. A voucher code lets you buy a card first and book the walk later at card.parconazionale5terre.it/voucher. Full detail on our Via dell'Amore page.
Read about Trail 592-1, Riomaggiore to Manarola (the Via dell'Amore)
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Trail 592-2, Manarola to Corniglia
Coastal path US$11.37 (€10) 1-day Trekking Card1 hour 15 minutes
The second coastal segment climbs out of Manarola and works its way north to Corniglia, the only village that sits on a headland rather than the water. The official walking time is 1 hour 15 minutes one way. Remember that arriving in Corniglia on foot still leaves you outside the village proper: the Lardarina staircase, 33 ramps totalling 377 steps, links the station area up to the village, though a shuttle bus also runs. This segment does not have its own page on this site, so we cover it inside the overall Sentiero Azzurro guide.
Tip: Factor in the 377 steps or plan the shuttle bus before you celebrate finishing the leg. Trail status changes with weather, so check the park's page the morning you go.
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Trail 592-3, Corniglia to Vernazza
Coastal path, Esperto grade US$11.37 (€10) 1-day Trekking Card1 hour 30 minutes
The park grades this segment Esperto, its highest difficulty level, meaning it expects good weather, suitable footwear and hiking experience. The official time is 1 hour 30 minutes. The path is rougher and steeper than the two segments south of Corniglia, with real ascent and descent and sections where a slip would hurt. It is one of the two blue-trail legs where the footwear rule genuinely matters rather than being a formality. We have a full stage-by-stage guide on its own page, so this list entry is only the summary.
Tip: Do not attempt it in summer midday heat or after rain. Read the full route description and photos in our Vernazza to Corniglia hike guide before committing.
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Trail 592-4, Vernazza to Monterosso
Coastal path, Esperto grade US$11.37 (€10) 1-day Trekking Card2 hours
The longest and hardest of the four blue-trail segments, also graded Esperto, with an official time of 2 hours. It crosses open country between Vernazza and Monterosso with sustained climbing, and it is the leg most often affected by maintenance work and weather closures. Finishing in Monterosso rewards you with the widest sandy beach in the region, so many hikers walk it northbound specifically to end with a swim. Again, the full stage detail lives on its own page rather than here.
Tip: Start early in high season. Our Monterosso to Vernazza hike guide covers the route in both directions with practical notes on water and shade.
The Higher Inland Route
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Terraced-vineyard route, Riomaggiore to Corniglia via Volastra
Inland terrace path, Escursionistico grade 3 hours 15 minutes
The park lists this as the Itinerario dei vigneti terrazzati: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Groppo, Volastra, Case Pianca and Corniglia in one line. The official time is 3 hours 15 minutes and the grade is Escursionistico, the middle level. It is a separate, higher inland route, not a detour from the Sentiero Azzurro, and it trades sea-level strolling for the terraced vineyards that shaped this coast. The mid-point hamlet of Volastra makes a natural rest stop. There is no separate detail page for it on this site, so the national park overview is the place to start.
Tip: If the coastal segments are crowded or closed, this is the classic alternative with the same endpoints for the first three villages. Our Cinque Terre map page helps you picture how the two routes relate.
Read about Terraced-vineyard route, Riomaggiore to Corniglia via Volastra
Village Ring Walks
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Monterosso ring walk
Village ring walk (Itinerario ad anello)
The park lists a ring walk from Monterosso on the high trails above the village, the ground the poet Eugenio Montale loved, passing through Jurassic-era rock and old lemon groves. The park names it on its Sentieri e Outdoor page but does not publish a time or a distance for it, and we will not invent one. Treat it as a half-day outing and turn around whenever the light or your legs say so. Our Monterosso page covers the village itself, including the Fegina beach you can finish on.
Tip: No official time is published, so carry water and check the park's status page the morning you go, as for any park trail.
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Vernazza ring walk
Village ring walk (Itinerario ad anello)
Vernazza's ring walk uses the high trails around the village and passes its cultural and religious sites. As with the other four ring walks, the park lists it by name but publishes no time or distance, so plan by daylight rather than by schedule. It pairs naturally with the vineyard hike listed at number 9 below if you want a full day above Vernazza. Our Vernazza page covers the village, its harbour and its castle at ground level.
Tip: Combine it with a tasting at a local vineyard afterwards if you want the high trails and the terraces in one day.
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Corniglia ring walk
Village ring walk (Itinerario ad anello)
The Corniglia ring walk runs from the sea up to the ridge woodland and out to the vine terraces, a loop that shows why this village feels different from the other four. The park publishes no time or distance for it. Access is part of the experience in itself: most visitors arrive by train and climb the Lardarina, 33 ramps totalling 377 steps, or take the shuttle bus. Our Corniglia page covers the village, which is the only one of the five without a ferry landing.
Tip: Do the Lardarina steps before the ring walk as a warm-up or save your knees and ride the shuttle up.
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Manarola ring walk
Village ring walk (Itinerario ad anello)
Manarola's ring walk follows the high trails through its hamlets, taking in the Collina del Corniolo and the Strada dei Santuari, the road of sanctuaries that links hillside churches above the coast. Again the park names it but publishes no time or distance. It connects naturally with the terraced-vineyard route at Volastra, which sits on the same high ground. Our Manarola page covers the village below, its harbour and its famous hillside nativity scene in winter.
Tip: The sanctuary road makes it easy to shorten or extend the loop depending on how the day is going.
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Riomaggiore ring walk
Village ring walk (Itinerario ad anello)
The southernmost ring walk follows Riomaggiore's old pilgrimage paths into the hills above the village. As with the other four, the park lists it by name on its Sentieri e Outdoor page and publishes no official time or distance. It is a good option if you are staying in Riomaggiore and want a walk without committing to a blue-trail segment. Our Riomaggiore page covers the village, its 1260 castle and the start of the Via dell'Amore at the sea.
Tip: Old pilgrimage paths can be steep and shaded. Proper shoes and a morning start serve you better than an afternoon attempt.
Numbers match the list — tap a pin for the guide.
Times are the park's official figures for the Sentiero Azzurro segments and the terraced-vineyard route. For the five ring walks the park does not publish times or distances, and the time cells are left empty for that reason. Our sum of the four blue-trail segment times is 5 hours 10 minutes, Riomaggiore to Monterosso, without stops.
Guided Hikes and Trail Days
If you would rather walk with someone who knows the ground, these three guided options cover different parts of the network. All three can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before the start time.
from $91.00
La Spezia: Cinque Terre Guided Hiking Tour, Manarola to Corniglia
Shore Emotion leads a 3-hour trek along the coastal path from Manarola to Corniglia, with the Cinque Terre Card for the connecting trains built into the price. It rules out children under 8 and anyone with heart or back problems, since the path is uneven in places.
Check Availability
from $74.00
Vernazza: Hike the Heroic Vineyards with Local Wine Tasting
Eroico Vino combines a short, steep hike up the terraced "heroic" vineyards above Vernazza with a tasting of three of its own wines and local snacks. Part of the price goes toward restoring the dry-stone terrace walls the vineyard is known for.
Check Availability
from $108.00
Monterosso: Cinque Terre National Park E-Bike Tour
EbikeIn takes small groups on a 4-hour e-bike ride through the National Park above Monterosso, ending with focaccia and a glass of wine. The garage meeting point is a short walk from Monterosso train station, with directions given at booking.
Check AvailabilityPrices, ratings and details are the platform's own. Dollar figures are the listed prices. The platform bills in your account's currency.
Picking a Trail for the Time You Have
Trail 502 climbing through terraced vineyards from Manarola toward Volastra, on the higher inland network above the Cinque Terre coast. Photo: Timothy A. Gonsalves, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The trail you choose should follow from the hours you actually have, not from the photo you saw. The park's official times make the arithmetic simple, and every figure below comes from the park's trail-network table. Add stop time on top, because none of these figures include lunch, photos or the queues at the villages.
- Half an hour: the Via dell'Amore, Riomaggiore to Manarola. Official time 25 minutes on the trail table, about 30 on the park's own page, with a booked slot required.
- A morning: one Esperto segment, Corniglia to Vernazza at 1 hour 30 minutes or Vernazza to Monterosso at 2 hours, with train time back built in.
- A full day: the whole Sentiero Azzurro, our sum of 5 hours 10 minutes walking, plus village stops, plus the 377 Lardarina steps at Corniglia if you arrive by train.
- A hot or crowded day: the terraced-vineyard route at 3 hours 15 minutes, which is higher, quieter and graded Escursionistico.
- No schedule at all: one of the five village ring walks, for which the park publishes no times, so plan by daylight.
How the Park Grades Its Trails
Every trail in the network carries one of three grades. Turistico means tourist or easy, the level of the Via dell'Amore. Escursionistico means hiking, the level of the terraced-vineyard route, and expects ordinary fitness and proper footwear.
Esperto means expert, the level of the two northern blue-trail segments, and the park says outright that you should walk its trails only in good weather, with suitable footwear and with good hiking practice. The live status page can also mark a trail Chiuso, closed. Grade plus status is the combination to check, and the status changes daily with weather and maintenance, which is why we do not print a fixed open or closed line anywhere on this page.
Footwear, Closures and the Card
Three practical rules shape any hike among the Cinque Terre attractions. First, footwear: since 2019 the park bans flip-flops and open sandals on its trails, and reported fines run from US$56.80 (€50) to US$2,841.80 (€2,500) depending on the section and the risk created. Closed shoes with non-slip soles are the requirement, and our safety page covers the details.
Second, closures: status changes live with weather and maintenance on the park's trail-network page, so check it the morning you go rather than trusting any printed list, including this one. Third, access: two cards cover the paid trail sections. The Trekking Card costs US$11.37 (€10) for 1 day and US$19.32 (€17) for 2 days, with no 3-day version.
The Treno MS Card adds unlimited travel on the Levanto to La Spezia regional trains and costs US$25.00 (€22) for 1 day, US$41.50 (€36.50) for 2 days and US$55.70 (€49) for 3 days. Full rates and the Via dell'Amore booking rules are on our Cinque Terre Card page. Anyone who wants the trail choices handled for them can look at a Cinque Terre day tour instead of planning the route alone.
Every Trail on One Map
The ten numbered pins below match the numbers in the list above. Coastal pins sit at the trailhead villages, the inland pin sits at Volastra on the terraced-vineyard route, and the ring walks start at their home villages.
Pin positions are approximate, at village and hamlet level. For route lines and detail, use the park's own trail pages or our Cinque Terre map.
Read Next
Cinque Terre National Park
How the park works, what it protects and how the trail network fits into it, including the terraced-vineyard route introduced above.
Cinque Terre Card
Full pricing for the Trekking Card and the Treno MS Card, plus the Via dell'Amore booking rules every card holder needs to know.
Cinque Terre Safety
The footwear ban and its fines, heat and trail hazards, and how to prepare for the Esperto-grade sections.
Cinque Terre Hikes Questions
How long does it take to hike the Cinque Terre?
The coastal Sentiero Azzurro takes 5 hours 10 minutes end to end from Riomaggiore to Monterosso, our sum of the park's four official segment times, without stops. Add village time, the 377 Lardarina steps at Corniglia and queue time, and a full day is realistic. The segment breakdown is in our Sentiero Azzurro guide.
Is the Cinque Terre hike hard?
It depends entirely on the segment. The park grades every trail Turistico (easy), Escursionistico (hiking) or Esperto (expert). The Via dell'Amore is Turistico and almost anyone can walk it. The Corniglia to Vernazza and Vernazza to Monterosso segments are Esperto, meaning the park expects good weather, proper footwear and hiking experience. The terraced-vineyard route sits in the middle at Escursionistico.
Which is the most beautiful hike in Cinque Terre?
The park publishes no ranking, and beauty is honest work for your own eyes. The Vernazza to Monterosso segment is the one known for big open coastal views, the Via dell'Amore for its easy cliff-edge position above the sea, and the terraced-vineyard route for the cultivated landscape that made the area a World Heritage site. Pick by grade and time, not by reputation.
Can you hike all of Cinque Terre in one day?
Yes, on paper. The four Sentiero Azzurro segments total 5 hours 10 minutes of walking, so a fit early starter can cover all five villages on foot in a day. You also need booked time for the Via dell'Amore, breaks for food and water, and a train back if you are not looping. Our village itineraries show how people pace it.
Cinque Terre Hiking Videos
Cinque Terre Hiking Trail: Complete Guide to Italy's Most Famous Coastal Trek
A full rundown of the coastal trail network and how to plan a hiking day.
Video: Adi Spo - Diario di montagna5 Best Hikes in Cinque Terre
A survey of named trails across the park, useful alongside our own numbered list.
Video: Markus RosehillCinque Terre Hiking
A practical look at hiking conditions and trail character in the park.
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