Slow 2 Day Cinque Terre Itinerary + Porto Venere (Day 3)
If you’re looking for a food and sunshine-filled Eurosummer, then this 2 day Cinque Terre Itinerary will get you exactly that.
Cinque Terre is one of those places you see in photos and dream about. The deep blue waters, the layered homes among cliffs, and the Mediterranean breeze all make up the essence of Cinque Terre.
Right, enough being cheesy. I’ve gone twice now, though, and can’t emphasize enough the magical feeling it has…even if there can be hordes of other tourists.
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What is Cinque Terre?
Cinque Terre, translated into English, means “5 lands.”
And these “5 lands,” from North to South, are:
- Monterosso (known for the sandy beach)
- Vernazza (best for hiking views & souvenir shopping imo)
- Corniglia (the smallest village, try the basil ice cream!)
- Manarola (easier to access cliff views)
- Riomaggiore (most impressive cliffsides)
Who This 2 Day Cinque Terre Itinerary is For
I visited Cinque Terre with family friends (Mom and teenage daughter), so almost everything was on the table.
I fit in as much beach time, foodie moments, and hiking as I could, while also making sure we still saw all five villages.
If you struggle with mobility issues, then you might want to skip some of the things in the 2-day Cinque Terre itinerary. Still, there will be plenty of value packed into here, so even if you might have to skip the hiking, I’ve got plenty of amazing foodie spots and tips loaded into this itinerary on how to spend 2 days in Cinque Terre, Italy.
And if you don’t have travel insurance, I recommend it, especially for a destination with many outdoor activities, and steps….
How to Make The Most Out of This 2 Day Cinque Terre Itinerary
Best Super Affordable Place to Stay in La Spezia
I’ll keep this quick, but if this apartment in La Spezia is available (and you don’t mind a little walking), take it!
It’s got a bedroom, a sofa bed, a kitchen, and a balcony…I can’t recommend it enough. And the hosts were also so kind!
We stayed here for 4 nights, and the price was not only super good, but it was so cute, cozy, and felt just like home.
How to Book and Use the Train in Cinque Terre (important!)
If there’s anything that, in my book, is an absolute must, you have to get yourself day passes for the train.
There’s a train that connects each of the five villages and the ticket pass covers travel between La Spezia (in the South), the five villages, and Levanto (in the North).
You can buy individual tickets from machines and ticket booths at the station, but if you plan to take the train even 2 times in a day, it might be simpler to get the day pass.
For example, in high season, a single adult ticket may cost 10, which would total 20 euros round trip.
Whereas with the pass, it may cost a tiny bit more, but you also get things like:
- Access to hiking trails
- Free use of toilets at train stations
- Access to shuttle services
If you want to plan ahead for this 2 day Cinque Terre itinerary, go to the official website, select the first day you want the pass to be active, and purchase from there. You will get an email with a PDF with a QR code.
Must-know train tip: To use the trains with the pass, you don’t need to scan or validate anything; just get on, and if an official asks, show them the ticket in your email (or print it!).
How to Spend 2 Days in Cinque Terre + 1 Day in Portovenere
This 2-day Cinque Terre guide is written as if you have the full two days to enjoy! We arrived the night before so we could start day 1 early.
Day 1 (Monterosso & Riomaggiore):
8:30/9:00 AM: Arrive for Monterosso & Hit the Beach
What we were most excited to do in my 2 day Cinque Terre itineray was lounge out at the iconic orange and green umbrella-lined beach in Monterosso.
Before catching the train, I picked up some focaccia in La Spezia so we’d have beach snacks.
Now here’s the deal. First, especially on busy days (summer), you need to line up before the beach opens to make sure you get a spot. We arrived around 8:45 and there was a bit of a line already before opening.
We paid about €120 for six chairs and umbrellas (3 sets), and those are our chairs for the whole day.
There is another beach on the far end that is open to the public, but there are no umbrellas unless you bring your own.
Since we wanted to fully relax and just live the experience, we paid the price.
12:00 PM: Lunch and wine in Old Town
Most restaurants start opening around 12 PM, so if you want to try some of the most popular restaurants, get there when they first start opening.
The walk from the beach to the old town takes about 10 minutes.
We ate at San Martino Gastronomia, and the seafood spaghetti is the main star of the show. We actually arrived closer to 1-2 PM and while the outdoor seating was gone, the food still tasted just as good sitting inside.
If you want, you can browse some of the shops, but we headed straight for some afternoon wine. The Enoteca Internazionale was the perfect lil spot to get a post-lunch buzz on with an endless choice of wines.
5:00 PM: Head to Riomaggiore
Riomaggiore has to be one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen and this is one. ofmy favorite stops in this 2 day Cinque Terre itinerary.
There are two ways to get to the town from the train station.
For a more stunning (difficult) path, walk along the cliff sides to get there.
For the easier route, take the tunnel that goes straight into town.
First order of business was to take in the views, get the photos, you know, tourist stuff? Once you cross in front of the town, you can walk uphill and get the view that sold me on Cinque Terre in the first place.
As it was summer and the waters were calm (ish) and beautiful, I opted for more swimming in the little rocky bay (is that the right word?). The view of the towering homes and rugged cliffsides, combined with a float in the sea. It felt like paradise.
Plus, if you want to save money on loungers in Monterosso, it’s not a bad idea to come here when the sun isn’t as strong, but the water still welcoming.
As for food, Riomaggiore is known for its fried seafood. Tutti Frutti is the best-known on social media, but since it was closed, I went with Il Pescato Cucinato, which absolutely hit the spot.
Sunset: Once sunset hits, a huge recommendation I saw when creating my 2 day Cinque Terre itinerary, was enjoying the sunset on the rocks in Riomaggiore. It’s true. Do it.
Day 2 (Hiking & the Rest of the Villages)
9:00 AM: Arrive in Vernazza & Start Hike
There are hiking trails that connect all of the villages in Cinque Terre with varying degrees of difficulty. And if you want to hike, fitting it at least one in a 2 day Cinque Terre itinerary is neccesary.
We decided to do the hike from Vernazza to Corniglia (the Blue Trail) because it was moderate and would make sure we fit in our Corniglia stop.
Difficulty-wise, it’s easier going from Corniglia to Vernazza, but because we wanted to stop for the famous basil gelato closer to lunchtime (and not have it for breakfast), it made more sense to do it this way.
The hike itself was a bit challenging for someone who doesn’t hike, and it took about an hour and a half.
If you’re going in the summertime, start early.
11:00 AM: Explore Corniglia
Coniglia is the only village that doesn’t have direct sea access and it’s quite small making it one of the less popular villages. Still, I was determined to fit it into our 2 day Cinque Terre itinerary.
So what’s there to do? First, stop by the Chiesa di San Petro.
Then get a well-deserved post-hike basil gelato at the Alberto Gelateria. 10/10. They have regular and a lemon-infused one.
I also stopped for an aperitivo at the super well-priced Bar Pan e Vin.
Personally, I felt Corniglia didn’t have much to interest me, but I’m glad we stopped, and the little eats really hit the spot.
1:00 PM: Lunch (Train Back in Vernazza)
After reading so many blog posts about visiting Cinque Terre, one restaurant recommendation that kept coming up was Restorante Belforte.
Since it’s so popular, we made reservations and were seated at the top of the cliff overlooking Vernazza.
I had the squid ink pasta, and in my honest opinion, it was just alright. Like, yes, it was good, but the real hype around Belforte is the setting and views.
I would still recommend it for the setting, but don’t come looking at me if you aren’t as impressed by the food as you expect to be.
3:00 PM: Vernazza
From my experience, Vernazza is great for two things: swimming when the weather is good and souvenir shopping.
As I live out of my suitcase, I didn’t get any souvenirs, but I did spend an extra hour or two hanging out on the rocks and swimming around. As you can tell, I love being in the water any chance I get.
6:00 PM: Manarola for the Evening (Nessun DorMA)
If there is any way I would end a two day Cinque Terre itinerary, it would be an Aperol spritz in my hand overlooking Manarola.
And Nessun Dorma is just that. To “reserve,” download the Nessun Dorma app.
On the day you want to go, you just need to register for an entry number. Arrive early enough before your number may be called. Once they open, you will see the numbers change as they accept people in.
I really liked this method, and it was super simple to secure a seat overlooking the town.
The drinks and bruschetta make for the best way to wind down the two days in Cinque Terre.
Day 3 (Bonus): Less Touristy Porto Venere
Porto Venere’s history dates back as far as the 1st century BC as a Roman fishing village.
It’s easiest to get here from La Spezia and even if you don’t have a car, there is a direct bus.
Porto Venere itself isn’t a huge town, but the views and historic structures are worth the trip.
We stopped at the Chiesa di San Pietro where the viewpoint has a powerful presence. From there, you can spot the Grotta di Lord Byron, carved into the cliffs by nature itself.
And as the weather was good, you know, I had to go for a swim. There’s a rocky ledge where you can lounge out in the sun, or even jump into the water. I even swam out to the grotto, although I wouldn’t recommend it, as the water was deep and there were few people.
If you really want to make a whole experience of Porto Venere, there are islands nearby you can visit. As we were exhausted from the 2 day Cinque Terre itinerary, we just wanted to chill.
Love This 2 Day Cinque Terre Itinerary?
If you’ve enjoyed and taken inspiration from my 2 day Cinque Terre itinerary, be sure to bookmark it to come back to.
If you’re going on a longer Italy trip and Cinque Terre is just one stop along the way, my friend Gillian has an entire three-week Italy itinerary to make your planning even easier.
