Self-Guided Cinque Terre Italy hiking tour with wine tasting class

Price
US$ 1,050 per person
(Single Supplement)

Traveling alone?
Join a self-guided tour that has already been scheduled. We can’t run self-guided trips for one person, but we may have already booked a self-guided tour that works for you. More info

Group of three?
Tour prices are based on double room occupancy. Groups of three on self-guided trips have two options:
Option 1: Request a triple room. With a triple there is no single supplement. Option 2: Pay a single supplement (US$ 50/night) for the single room.

Dates
Any date from March 1 to October 31

6 Days, 5 Nights

Route Rating
Moderate to Challenging: 3-9 miles (5-15 km) per day of hiking with some steep ascents/descents. Public transport available to shorten/skip hikes.

Start / Finish
Levanto / Portovenere

Highlights

The Italian Riviera
The Cinque Terre
A guided wine tasting
Cinque Terre winery visit
Ancient coastal footpaths

What's Included

All lodging
All breakfasts
Luggage transfer from hotel to hotel
Cell phone for emergencies
Guided wine tasting
Winery visit with wine tasting
4 beautiful hikes
Route notes and map

Cancellations: Terms and Conditions

» Tour Summary
» Map and Distances
» Hotels
» Photos

Wineries and Castles

What if it rains?

If you prefer not to hike you can easily get to your next stop by public transport. Hourly trains connect Levanto and the five villages of the Cinque Terre. Frequent ferries run between Riomaggiore and Portovenere.

Why Self-Guided?
Explore the Ligurian coast at your own pace. We provide detailed route notes, a cell phone, luggage transfers, great accommodations, restaurant suggestions, and sightseeing notes. You choose the dates. We take care of the details.

Self-Guided Cinque Terre Hiking

The Cinque Terre offers some of the most beautiful hiking in Italy. Over many centuries man has taken a captivating coastline and embellished it with pastel colored villages and hillside terraces. This tour takes you from the sandy beaches of Levanto through the five villages of the Cinque Terre and on to the castle of Portovenere. Along the way you sample local specialties such as focaccia, pesto pasta, and farinata a thin chickpea cake cooked in a wood-burning oven. Learn about the local wines during a guided wine tasting. See how the wines are made while touring a Cinque Terre winery. We take care of the details so you can relax on your self-guided adventure.

Day 1 Levanto Arrive in the town of Levanto on the edge of the Cinque Terre National Park. Levanto has much to offer in the form of sand, sea, and sights. Your hotel is located in the historic center just 100 meters from the town’s long sandy beach. Italian surfers ride the small Mediterranean waves while couples enjoy the “passaggiata”, the slow stroll through the town’s center.

Day 2 Monterosso After a buffet breakfast leave your luggage in the hotel lobby. Your bags will be transported to your next hotel. Hike 2.5 hours through olive and pine trees. The pedestrian trail offers great sea views as it winds along the terraced hillside. From the trail you can see all five towns of the Cinque Terre. Arrive in Monterosso and check into your hotel. Small Monterosso has a medieval castle, a sandy beach, and a bustling pedestrian center. The town is known for its lemons, white wine grapes, and anchovies. Before dinner enjoy a guided wine tasting with a local sommelier.

Day 3 Manarola Today you hike the length of the Cinque Terre. This five-hour hike takes you along the low coastal path. Frequent boats and trains are available if you prefer to hike less. The trail is well marked and offers breathtaking views. Take your time and explore the villages. Enjoy a leisurely lunch and bring your bathing suit for a refreshing dip in the sea. At the end of the trail check into your Manarola hotel. Your luggage will have preceded you.

Day 4 Manarola Hike 40 minutes to a small winery and enjoy a guided tour. Wine production is quite limited in the Cinque Terre due to the steep terrain. Over centuries determined farmers carved terraces into the rocky hillsides to grow their crops. Cinque Terre wines are mostly dry whites with a coastal sea tang. As if through divine intervention the white wines perfectly compliment the local fish and shellfish.

Day 5 and 6 Portovenere A coastal footpath leads you to Portovenere. This off the beaten trail is bathed in sunlight as it winds along the fertile coast. Cork trees, chestnuts, and wildflowers line the way. Stroll past a medieval sanctuary and a huge stone castle. The castle dates from the 12th century and was built to protect from pirates. Portovenere’s picturesque harbor is lined with pastel colored houses. On Day 6 shuttle to the train station in La Spezia to continue your travels.