Full-Day Small-Group Cinque Terre Tour from Florence
Description
Discover one of Italy's most enchanting landscapes with our tour to Cinque Terre: five villages, hanging between the sky and the sea, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Located among a dramatic coastal scenery, the Cinque Terre are an enchanting postcard of pastel colored houses, narrow cobble alleyways, tiny harbors and terraces covered with vineyards, olive and lemon trees. Early in the morning, depart from Florence by bus to reach Manarola, our first stop. Then move to Vernazza, Monterosso and Riomaggiore by local trains and boat. Get ready to experience an unforgettable day discovering an authentic earthly paradise. Tour size is limited to a maximum of 25 people for a more in depth and intimate touring experience.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet your fellow travelers and your tour leader at Piazzale Montelungo and find a comfortable spot on your bus. The journey by bus to Cinque Terre National Park takes approximately 2 hours
Located atop a steep rock 70 metres above sea level, Manarola is a lovely and romantic town painted in merry colors. The town itself is lively, with a small but bustling piazza and an active fishing trade. It's not uncommon to see boats pulled up into the narrow streets or even in the piazza every time the sea is rough. There is no sand beach in Manarola, but there are some of the best deep-water natural pools around. Please consider a 20 minutes train ride from Manarola to Vernazza.
The small fishing village of Vernazza makes you fall in love at the first sight! With its colorful houses perched on each other, the narrow and characteristic alleys, the picturesque port and its small beach.. this town is irresistable. Vernazza has a historical soul which is told through its architecture: it appears as a fortified village ready to defend the coast from the Saracen pirate raids. The symbol of the village is the Belforte tower of the Doria Castle: from here and from the terrace you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the town and the coast. Please consider a 20 minutes panoramic boat ride from Vernazza to Monterosso.
Monterosso is the largest of the five coastal villages. Its amazing beaches, beautiful reefs, and the sea’s crystal clear waters make this village one of the most hospitable of the Ligurian Riviera. The beach runs along most of the coast line and it is the only extensive sand beach in the Cinque Terre National Park. It is frequented by tourists and locals - which is why it can be very crowded during the summer season. Monterosso is divided into two parts: the old and the new town, connected each other by a tunnel in the hillside. The new part, Fegina, has been enriched by tourism, and it is the area where most of the hotels and restaurants are located. On the other hand, the old town is dominated by a splendid monastery and is characterized by typical, narrow medieval streets with pastel-coloured houses. Please consider a 20 minutes train ride from Monterosso to Riomaggiore.
The southern-most town of the Cinque Terre, Riomaggiore has a dramatic setting on the rocks. The town climbs along the ridges overlooking the sea and it is characterized from the typical stone houses with coloured façades and slate-roofs. It is embedded between two hills, partially covered in scrubby brush and partly terraced with gardens, olive groves and vineyards. There is a fishing marina and a small beach frequented by paddleboarders. Please consider a 20 minutes train ride from Riomaggiore to La Spezia, where you will board again the bus back to Florence.
At the end of the day reunite with your travel companions to return to Florence in the late afternoon. The journey by bus from Cinque Terre National Park to Florence takes approximately 2 hours
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Giving the particular nature of the area, the standard itinerary may vary depending on weather conditions, traffic, strikes, etc.
- The public boat service, along the Cinque Terre, runs from April to the 3rd week of October, subject to weather conditions
- When boats are not operative, connection between villages will be by train
- Due to the high volume of visitors and the nature of the area, during the high season the villages and the local train/boat, could be very crowded
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Reviews(79)
The ideal thing would be to go to a town to dive into the calm sea and walk around. And add a second town to walk around in. For me, it was a waste of money and time to go out to 4 similar towns where, having only one hour.. I couldn't swim because.. where would I change? Or if I put a dress over my wet swimsuit.. could I get on the train? I ended up watching others swim and walking in terrible heat, going up and down streets and sitting down to eat or drink something 4 times.. just to make the time pass. I do not recommend it.
Had a great experience. Well organized. Had enough time to shop, eat and sightsee. Our guide John was excellent.
Great Trip to Cinque Terre with our tour guide John, Worth the day trip from Florence. We visited four towns and had amazing weather.
John is an amazing tour guide! He is very helpful and thoughtful.
Excellent. Organized, punctual and the guide, called Constantino, speaks several languages and, especially, Portuguese. Very nice, well-humored. I recommend!
Our tour guide was John and he was amazing. Our daughter left her phone at the beach on our last stop and he worked with another tour guide to find it so that we could catch our train on time at the station. He is great!
For a first time visitor, I did appreciate this small group set up. The guide will help you maneuver the train between the villages. The guide's English was limited, however, her energy level and enthusiasm was nonexistent. At each village you walk aournd on your own, which I did like because I could focus on what I wanted. However visiting 4 villages in one day is too much. You don't have enough time to really explore all the different elevations of each village. There are lots of stairs and inclines. The boat ride was cancelled due to weather; however, I did see other boats in the sea, so it was not clear why ours was cancelled. If this is your first time, a tour like this will give you a high level view of Cinque Terra. I was a little disappointed by the villages, the colors of the buildings did not seem as vibrant as I have seen in photos. The locations are very crowded, with lots of people.
The full day tour of Cinque Terre from Florence was amazing. Big thanks to our guide Kiara for guiding the group to each destination on busses, boats and trains. She was friendly, knowledgeable and made the trip an experience we will never forget.
Our tour and guide on Sunday May 31 were fabulous and if high value. Accommodations were first class and the itinerary was remarkable. Each stop was unique and memorable. Thank you for a great day!!!
Good guidance and lovely person
