The Cinque Terre is one of my favorite places to visit in the World. After my four visits I have tried to narrow down the list to 11 of the experiences I feel are must-do experiences in the Cinque Terre.
This list is seemingly endless and it grows every time I come back. I hope to continue to visit frequently and to update you on all the wonderful new hidden gems and amazing things to do that I find in this incredible area of Italy. These amazing experiences are presented in no particular order, for your enjoyment!
If you’re looking for more practical information about visiting the Cinque Terre check out my blog post here —–> What you should know before visiting the Cinque Terre
Wine Tasting & Dinner at Buranco in Monterosso
This is genuinely one of my favorite places in the world, not just in the Cinque Terre. The setting is absolutely stunning in the hills above Monterosso al Mare. You have seemingly endless views of the vineyard, and a view over the top of the colorful town. The wine tasting here is fantastic and I sincerely enjoyed all of their wines. You can get some snacks along with the tasting and make sure to ask to try their Limoncello too, it is delightful!
After wine tasting don’t skip on having dinner here. This is in my opinion the best food in the Cinque Terre (at least thus far) and I’ve now spent a cumulative 2 weeks in the villages eating every meal out.
I can’t even tell you what to choose because everything is wonderful. We had dinner here with 11 people and they all said it was their favorite meal. We got every single appetizer on the menu and they were all divine. My personal favorite was the shrimp & scallops. We also tried all the pastas and the pesto and carbonara won the day. For mains the suckling pig and the seafood platters were the highlights. I truly do not think you can go wrong here.
The fact that his place is tucked up behind the old town makes it even more special. It is rare that a day tripper or even an average visitor to Monterosso would wander up this far. This is part of what makes it so magical.
If you’re looking for more information specific to Monterosso, I have a mini guide here —–> Mini Guide to Monterosso
Bach Yard Experience in Riomaggiore
This is one of my favorite experiences I’ve done anywhere let alone in the Cinque Terre. It is incredibly unique, has the most insane views, and is such a great way to connect with the place you are visiting and with other travelers and locals alike. The experience is based from Riomaggiore but it is actually in the very small village of “Tramonti” which means sunset. You are picked up & dropped off in Riomaggiore. This experience includes a lovely glass of wine upon arrival with a tour of the property and explanation of the evening. It is followed by a delightful aperitivo with more wine and with meat and cheese, salad, and other snacks. After that we were served an entree and sides for our dinner, on our night it was a fantastic lasagne. This is all followed by desert. The entire time you’re enjoying your meal the sun is setting in the distance and you’re listening to the host, Emanuelle, play bach on the piano creating the best vibes. This was truly an unforgettable experience in so many ways and I couldn’t recommend it more.
Erioco Vineyard Tour & Tasting above Vernazza
This is such a special and unique experience in the Cinque Terre. You join Lucca on a hike up above the town of Vernazza into his family vineyard. You learn all about the family business and the wines they produce. He serves you homemade pesto, tapenade, and bruschetta while you taste and learn about the most wonderful wines.
We found some of the wines on this tour to be our favorites of the whole trip. I am also obsessed with the fact that theres no other way you could get this epic view over Vernazza as the family land is private. The value for money on this activity was right on!
You can find this amazing experience here —–> Wine Tasting with Lucca at Erioco
Dinner at Ittiturismo Corniglia
This place is MAGIC! There are so many “best parts” of this place I don’t know where to begin. I love it because it’s hard to get to. You either have to hike up above the path from Vernazza to Corniglia or have a car. We were SO lucky that when I spoke with them and made a reservation for 11 people they were able to pick us up from the train station to bring us to the spot. (My mom has mobility issues and my group was tired of me making them hike everywhere so this was needed).
The concept of this place is simple, you eat whatever they have fished for in the previous days or that day. When we arrived they had a small menu, but as they started talking about serving the freshest fish from that day we simply told them to just bring us food! We wanted to try everything and share everything and they DELIVERED! We had a first course of a bunch of different smoked and raw fish, had a pasta with cuttlefish course that was delightful, and finished with SO many kinds of grilled fish I couldn’t list them all.
The views from this spot are just unmatched and although it would be easier to hike up for lunch, if you can go for sunset do NOT miss the opportunity. It is one of my favorite views in the Cinque Terre to date! We loved being above Corniglia and looking down over the town and the sea as the sun set.
This place was also featured on an episode of Stanly Tucci so if you need any further proof that it is legit, and my word isn’t good enough for you yet, there ya go!
Nessun Dorma in Manarola for Pesto Making Class
This spot is just so much fun! I went solo on my first trip to scout it out and see if my family would like it, I had a great time even by myself. But, it is an excellent spot for a couple, family, or group! The view absolutely can not be beat from this location and they keep you cool with misting spray and umbrellas.
This class costs 80 USD per person but do not let that deter you. You get a LOT for your money. You learn how to make absolutely delicious pesto which is awesome in itself. You get a significant amount of wine towards the end of the class. You are also able to purchase drinks in the beginning, but if you hold out you’ll be rewarded with included white wine. You get a snack board with focaccia, cantaloupe, prosciutto, and you get some more pesto too! When you’re on your way out the door you also get a small bottle of wine.
They keep this class so entertaining, there is dancing and singing and everyone gets to participate. It’s a really enjoyable way to spend a few hours!
Boat Day with Hyena Cinque Terre
We absolutely loved renting a boat to see some of the villages with Captain Jenny. I had messaged a number of boat captains to see if anyone could pick us up in Portovenere after a hike and return us to Riomaggiore with some swimming stops along the way. Jenny was so responsive, helpful, and fair with her offer to do this for us. I was so happy to get to see the towns from the water and she took us to some of the most lovely swimming spots. Jenny taught us a lot about the area that we hadn’t heard before in our previous visits, she shared snacks and Prosecco with us and showed us some amazing views. When I return next summer I will absolutely be booking her for a full day to see more spots! Seeing the towns from the water is a really special experience and having someone as lovely and genuine as Jenny take you, makes it even better. It also doesn’t hurt that she drives literally the cutest boat in the whole of the Cinque Terre.
If you want to book with Jenny as well, you can click here —–> Best Boat Tour
Il Gabbiano Bar between Corniglia & Vernazza
Do not be thrown off by the word bar, this is a great stop for anyone and everyone along your hike! Yes, you can get a spritz or a glass of wine, but you can also get delicious fruit smoothies and other refreshing drinks. You can get coffees and cocktails. You can grab snacks like fresh fruit, pizza, focaccia etc.
This place can only be accessed by hiking there, which likely contributes greatly to why it is one of my favorites.
The view from this place is other worldly. You can look down over Corniglia while you relax in the shade at a nice table. If you’re hiking this is an excellent spot to take a break. Personally I would also hike here on purpose just to hang out. Do not skip this spot!
If you have trouble hiking the best way to get here would be to go on the path from Corniglia and then head back the same way you came. There are less stairs and inclines involved this way. Although no hike in the Cinque Terre avoids stairs and inclines completely.
Miky Ristorante Tasting Menu Experience in Monterosso
This is such a fun dining experience. My brother, who had never had a tasting menu before, described it perfectly, “Danielle this is worth the hourly fee for the food and the entertainment”. At 89 euros for the traditional tasting menu (alcohol not included) this is in my opinion an extremely fair price for all that you get. It is very worth mentioning that the service here is also amazing, you are treated so well from the moment you enter until the moment you leave. I also dined solo here and did the tasting menu and I was treated wonderfully! I have heard that sometimes places are not as kind to solo travelers but Miky was fantastic.
The traditional menu has 8 courses with some surprises thrown in. It is VERY seafood focused, so if you do not like seafood you might want to consider a different option or a la carte ordering. You get 2 pastas which I personally think is PERFECT! I am in Italy after all and I want to try as much pasta as I can.
You should absolutely make a reservation if you plan to eat here, as it is a popular spot.
Hiking between the Villages
I can not stress this enough that hiking is my absolute hands down favorite way to enjoy the Cinque Terre. It is one of the most beautiful places to hike in the world. If you know anywhere else that I can hike through vineyards, while also looking at the bright blue sea below me, please message me because I want to go there.
The hikes between towns have varying levels of difficulty but ALL have stunning views and are so much fun. Arriving in each new town feels like such an adventure!
If you want your hike to end at a beach I suggest hiking TOWARDS Monterosso from wherever you choose to begin, then you can spend the day on the beach and hike back or take the train home. You could also hike to check out Levanto from Monterosso and spend a few hours on the beach there.
Make sure to do your research about the distance and difficulty of each section of the hike. Whether or not you need the Cinque Terre card for that portion of the hike. How long each hike will take. And make sure to wear proper footwear. No sandals or open toed shoes are allowed on the trails and you can be fined for this.
I also want to note that I did a TON of hiking here as a solo female traveler. We’re talking 10 miles a day. I had no issues, never felt uncomfortable or unsafe. I did bring my “birdie” which is a loud whistle type thing that I could pull if needed, and I had data in case I needed to make a phone call. But just so you know you could 100% hike alone here perfectly fine.
Have a Proper Beach Day in Monterosso
There are tons of places to swim in the Cinque Terre and they’re all equally awesome for different reasons. But if you’re in the mood to just settle down and have a proper beach day, Monterosso is your town.
Stella Bagni Marina is a great beach to utilize if you want to make a reservation in advance. You can go into their online booking system and book chairs and umbrellas in advance. The only drawback to this being that they are “rain or shine” resos and you wont get your money back if you get a bad day. But I don’t think there are too many bad days in the Cinque Terre. We also liked this spot because they had food and were also in close proximity to food, had great snacks, drinks, buckets of aperol spritz, restrooms, and anything else you’d need for a “proper” beach day.
An umbrella and two chairs at most of the beach spots will run you about 40 per couple. We found it worth it for a day where we wanted to spend the whole day on the beach.
There are also tons of free beaches and spots where you can just throw down a towel.
Stay in a Charming BnB in Corniglia
I hear and see over and over people give the advice to avoid staying in Corniglia and this advice hurts my heart. We absolutely LOVED staying in this town on the cliffside regardless of the effort it takes to get there. Yes there are approx 400 steps up to the town, but if you really need to they also run a shuttle bus for you. This town is magic in the morning and evenings. It is so peaceful and feels so local, and it is one of my favorite experiences we’ve had traveling to be in Corniglia as our base.
If you’re looking for more information on staying in Corniglia, check out my blog post here —-> What It’s Like to Stay in Corniglia
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