Cinque Terre, translated as Five Lands, are the 5 tiny fishing villages on the coasts of Liguria in Italy. Each of these villages is charming, colourful and unique in its way. The villages have a picturesque hilly setting where colourful houses have settled around the coasts on the rocky patches of the mountains. The typical pastel-coloured Italian houses, guarded by mountains full of vineyards overlooking the clear blue Sea form a perfect frame for the Souvenir picture of Italy.
The five villages settled between La Spezia and Levanto sequentially Riomaggiore, Monarola, Vernazza, Corgnilia and Monterosso. Each of them has unique characteristics and ambience. Riomaggiore, Monarola, Vernazza and Monterosso are located directly on the coast while the Corniglia is on the cliff of the hill overlooking the sea.
If you are stationed in Milan, Cinque Terre is easily reachable by train, car and bus. However, the train is the faster, more reliable and convenient option to reach Cinque Terre from Milan, thanks to the direct intercity trains running between Milan and Cinque Terre.
Cinque Terre would need at least 2 or 3 days to explore fully and comfortably. However, if you have a lack of time, it can be visited in just one day as a day trip to Cinque Terre from Milan or any other nearby cities like Florence, Genoa, etc. It may not be possible to see everything in one day, however, it is possible to see the best of Cinque Terre in one day.
This article is focused on how to take a perfect day trip to Cinque Terre from Milan including accurate information on public transport, how to explore Cinque Terre in one day and the best things to see in Cinque Terre in one day.
So, let's start our day trip to Cinque Terre from Milan!
Summary of Itinerary
It will be a long day if you are planning a self-guided day trip to Cinque Terre from Milan. However, following the itinerary and instructions in this article, it will be a comfortable and rewarding trip. Below is a summary of recommended Itinerary which we will see in detail in this article.
Leave Milan at 6.10
Reach La Spezia at 9.30
Explore Riomaggiore 1.5 Hours (until 11.00)
Hike Via Dell’Amore 1 Hour (Until 12.00)
Explore Monarola 2 Hours (Until 14.00)
Corniglia: Skip
Explore Varnezza: 2 Hours (Until 16.00)
Explore Monterosso: 2 hours (Until 18.00)
Reach Levanto: 10 Mins
Return from Levanto to Milan @ 19.02
Reach Milan @ 21.55
In case of a lack of time during a day trip to Cinque Terre from Milan, you can alter the Itinerary based on your pace by considering the following sequence:
Riomaggiore - Must Visit
Via Dell’Amore- Must Visit
Monarola - Must Visit
Varnezza - Must Visit
Corgniglia (Must be skipped for a Day trip to Cinque Terre from Milan)
Monterosso (can be skipped if lack of time)
This article is about the self-guided day trip to Cinque Terre from Milan. If you don’t prefer the hustle of public transport, you can book a comfortable Guided day trip to Cinque Terre from Milan. The guided day trip to Cinque Terre from Milan is accompanied by a Knowledgeable guide and transport is provided with a private air-conditioned coach.
Reaching Cinque Terre from Milan
A train is always the best and most convenient option for the day trip to Cinque Terre from Milan. To get to Cinque Terre from Milan, you need to reach either La Spezia or Levanto which are towns close to Cinque Terre with direct train connections from Milan. For the day trip from Milan to Cinque Terre, we recommend reaching out directly at La Spezia from Milan to manage your time more productively.
Considering the longer distance, prepare to leave your house or hotel as early as possible. Trains to La Spezia from Milan depart at the following Morning hours from Milan central station (Milano Centrale):-
Intercity @ 6.10 AM: It will reach La Spezia at 9.21 AM
Intercity @ 6.55 AM: It will reach La Spezia at 10.54 AM
Intercity @ 8.05 AM: It will reach La Spezia at 11.21 AM.
It is recommended to catch the train @ 6.10 AM From Milano Centrale to have enough time to explore the villages of Cinque Terre.
Important: Intercity trains to Cinque Terre from Milan get sold out very fast. Therefore, make sure to book your train tickets in Advance on Trenitalia site.
Always check the latest scheduled trains at the official Trenitalia site.
As soon as you reach La Spezia, hop on to the Cinque Terre Express train to explore the villages of Cinque Terre.
Cinque Terre express
Cinque Terre Express is a train that runs between Levanto and La Spezia and stops at all five villages of Cinque Terre. The train runs every 20 Minutes and therefore it is a very convenient option to explore the villages of Cinque Terre.
For train tickets, the Cinque Terre “Treno MS Card” is the most convenient and economical one-day validity ticket option for exploring Cinque Terre if you are on a day trip. The fares for One-day validity passes vary depending on the season or the day you visit Cinque Terre.
The fares have been categorised as A-Green, B-yellow and C-Red depending on the day or season. Each category has different fares for daily passes as well as a single ticket for one trip. Fares of A-Green categories are cheaper, B-Yellow are slightly expensive and C-Red are expensive. The peak summer months like July and August or weekends are categorised as C-Red while the weekdays shoulder seasons like October and March are categorised as A-Green.
You can check out the category for the day you visit on the official site of Cinque Terre Park or download it here.
The fares for Cinque Terre Express for each category in 2024/2025 are briefed below:-
A-Green:
Adult: 19.50 Euros
Children between 4 to 12 years of age: 12.50 Euros
Family (2 Adults + 1 or more Children): 49 Euros
B-Yellow:
Adult: 27 Euros
Children between 4 to 12 years of age: 17.50 Euros
Family (2 Adults + 1 or more Children): 69.50 Euros
C-RED:
Adult: 32.50 Euros
Children between 4 to 12 years of age: 21 Euros
Family (2 Adults + 1 or more Children): 84 Euros
Children below 4 years of age can travel for free.
The Cinque Terre Treno MS card can also be purchased directly at Train stations. However, to avoid spending time in the long queues, it is better to purchase it online at the official site of Cinque Terre Park.
Alternatively, you can also explore Cinque Terre villages by Boat from La Spezia. It is more exciting than the train. You can end the boat trip at Monterosso and head back to the Levanto to catch the return train.
1st Village: Riomaggiore
Start your day trip with Riomaggiore by catching a Cinque Terre Express from La Spezia.
Riomaggiore is a small fishing village just a few minutes away from La Spezia. It is one of the most popular and picturesque villages in Cinque Terre. The beautiful main street (Via Colombo) full of colourful houses, restaurants and shops will lead your way towards the picturesque Harbour from the train station.
The harbour is popular for its picturesque settings where the pastel-coloured houses facing towards the sea and the colourful boats parked at the harbour form a picture-perfect frame for your souvenir picture. The houses are separated by Main Street which ends at the harbour. The strolling in the village gives vibes of the typical countryside Italian way of living.
At the harbour, you will get tempted to swim in the crystal-clear blue water at its tiny, pebbled beach.
To get the best panoramic Frame of the village for a picture, you can walk to the end of the shoreline protection bridge made of big stones in the sea. Be careful while walking there since the stones are huge and you can easily trip with one wrong step. If you are not confident or not wearing good shoes, then don’t go there!
You can spend around 1 to 1.5 Hours at Riomaggiore and then walk towards the Monarola through the iconic Via Dell’Amore (The Path of Love).
Via Dell’Amore (The Path of Love)
As it sounds by its name, the iconic Path of Love is probably the most romantic walkway you would ever see in your life. It was the most popular spot in Cinque Terre until 2012 when a landslide damaged the route and since then it has been closed to Tourists. Recently in August 2024, it is reopened to tourists with freshly renovated walkways.
Via Dell’Amore is over 900 Meters path on the cliffs over the sea that connects two villages of Cinque Terre, Riomaggiore and Monarola. The walkway is full of breathtaking views of the sea, the cliff and the villages of Cinque Terre.
Since 1920 when it was first used by Locals, the walkway was popular among young lovers in Cinque Terre and soon started to gain popularity worldwide due to its stunning views and romantic ambience. It is a must-do activity in Cinque Terre, no matter if you are visiting on a day trip or not.
The walkway is flat, easy and suitable for Kids.
Important: To enter Via Dell’Amore, you must make an online booking to reserve your entry time. If you are visiting in peak summer months, then we recommend making your booking well in advance. Also, you need to pay a 10 Euro fee to enter Via Dell’Amore.
The entrance tickets can be purchased online from the Official Cinque Terre Park site. You can purchase the Cinque Terre Train Card and Via dell’Amore entrance together or separately. The price remains the same in either case.
Also, it is important to note that the walkway is open only in one direction from Riomaggiore to Monarola during peak months. It may be opened later also in the reverse direction during shoulder seasons.
The slow walk from Riomaggiore to Monarola will take around 40 to 50 Minutes depending on your pace.
2nd Village: Monarola
Monarola is my favourite village in Cinque Terre since it is the most picturesque Village of all five. Monarola is a tiny village fishing village, but it is more special since it is located on the big rock at the sea cliff. Most houses in Monarola are settled on the huge rock and all colourful houses face the sea forming a picture-perfect frame for your souvenir picture.
Monarola Village has a small Harbour, but it does not have a beach. However, you can swim in the deep water by jumping from the cliffs. In the summer, you will see people jumping and swimming in the sea.
The best views of the village can be found at the end of Via Renato Birolli which is a main street of the village. Via Renato Birolli ends at the Harbour where you will see one walkway on the sea that ends at one restaurant called “Nessun Dorma”. The whole walkway offers an incredible view of the Monarola Village. Also, when you start walking towards the harbour from the Train station, you will see the colourful Row boats parked on the street surrounded by colourful houses which will surely tempt you to take a picture.
By the time you reach Monarola, you must be hungry. Monarola is an ideal place to try some local seafood dishes in one of many seafood restaurants in the village. For the day trip to Cinque Terre from Milan, it is recommended to grab some quick bites from any takeaway restaurant and eat it at the harbour enjoying the views. It is much more rewarding than a fancy restaurant and saves time during the day trip to Cinque Terre from Milan.
For takeaway, you can grab a quick bite like Focaccia, Pizza, and Pasta at the tiny takeaway restaurant “II Discovolo” located on the main street just before the Harbour.
You will need around 2 hours in Monarola including time for your lunch. Once you have explored Monarola, head back to the train station and catch the next train leaving in the direction of Levanto and get down at the 2nd train station “Vernazza”.
3rd Village: Vernazza
You may ask why we skipped the Village of Corniglia which is next to Monarola. Well, we are focusing on a Day trip to Cinque Terre from Milan and time is very precious during the day trip. Therefore, it is advisable to see the best villages first and if time permits, you can visit the rest. For the day trip to Cinque Terre from Milan, we recommend skipping Corniglia village and focusing on the best of Cinque Terre. Vernazza is the place that should not be missed during a day trip to Cinque Terre from Milan.
Vernazza is another popular fishing village of Cinque Terre situated on the shores Ligurian Sea, perhaps the oldest one from all five of Cinque Terre. Vernazza is also a beautiful and picturesque village full of shops, restaurants and pastel-coloured houses facing the sea. Its little Harbor is protected with rock revetment where you can easily walk, sit, or just soak in the sun. The harbour also has a tiny beach which is ideal for swimming.
Vernazza was a fortified village when it was built in the 10th Century. The Ruins of the fort and its watch tower can be visited in the present day. You can see the fort from the Harbour and walk there from Harbour in just 10 to 15 Minutes.
Vernazza is a picturesque village and is popular on the Internet. If you want to capture the best frame of Vernezza, then you need to hike through the trail heading to Monterosso. To get the panoramic view, you don’t need to hike till Monterosso (which is not recommended for the day trip to Cinque Terre from Milan). You can hike for 10 to 15 minutes where you will see the panoramic views of the village. Take some photos and come back to the train station.
Another popular viewpoint of Vernazza is its south point. To get there, you need to climb stairs for 10 Minutes until you see the panoramic view of the Village with the watch tower.
By the time you explore Vernazza, it will be around 5 PM depending on your pace. Head back to the train station, catch the train heading to Levanto and get down at the next station “Monterosso”.
The best of Cinque Terre are the Villages of Riomaggiore, Monarola, Vernazza and the must-do walk of Via dell’Amore. If you don’t have much time left, you can consider ending your trip by visiting 3 villages. If you have time left, you can consider visiting Monterosso.
4th Village: Monterosso
Monterosso or Monterosso Al Mare is another village in the Cinque Terre, but it is more popular for its beautiful and long Sand beach. Monterosso is also the largest village of all five Cinque Terre villages. The village of Monterosso is divided into two parts, the old village and the new Village and are connected by the pedestrian tunnel.
The Old Monterosso is a true Gem where the narrow old alleyways full of shops, restaurants, old buildings painted in Pastel colour and medieval remains somehow give the feel of being in the old times. The old village is guarded by a medieval wall and houses the remains of the medieval fortress, castle and Aurora Tower.
The new Monterosso on the other hand is the new portion of the village developed along the beach where the promenade at the beach is the ideal place for taking a walk and souvenir pictures.
The beach of Monterosso is huge and popular among the locals. The beach has private and public areas. In the private areas, you need to pay for the umbrellas. In public areas, you can use the beach for free.
You can enjoy the Italian tradition of Aperitif in the restaurants facing towards the sea in the Monterosso or take a romantic evening walk around the promenade and end your day trip to Cinque Terre from Milan.
About Corniglia (5th Village)
Corniglia is the smallest village of Cinque Terre and the only village of Cinque Terre which is not located at the coast. The village is located on a hill 100 meters high from the sea level and to reach the village, you need to climb around 400 steps from the train station of Corniglia.
Even though the village is not on the coast, as soon as you climb the steps, you will be amazed by the breathtaking panoramic views of the sea, coasts and Cinque Terre Park. It is quieter than other villages of Cinque Terre and a great place to spend some quiet time amid nature. The village is surrounded by vineyards and green meadows. The village is full of small alleyways and each corner leads to the magnificent Panorama of the sea and Cinque Terre Park. The houses are painted in a typical Pastel colour that gives a picturesque look to the village.
If you have more than one day to spend in Cinque Terre, it is recommended to visit this tiny village.
During the day trip from Milan to Cinque Terre, it is not advisable to visit Cornglia. It is always better to spend more time in other villages in Cinque Terre (mainly Riomaggiore, Monarola, Vernazza and Monterosso).
Return to Milan
Your day trip to Cinque Terre from Milan will probably end in Monterosso or Vernazza, depending on your pace. In any case, catch the trains heading towards Levanto and get down at Levanto to catch your train back to Milan.
In the evening, direct trains to Milan from Levanto Depart at the following hours:-
Regional Train @18.33 (Special Train only during Weekends): It will reach Milan at 21.40
Intercity @ 19.02 (Everyday): It will reach Milan at 21.53
Please consider that, after 19.02, there is no direct train connection from Levanto to Milan. Therefore, you need to plan and execute your day trip punctually. Regional trains do not need advance ticket booking, however, Intercity needs advance ticket booking mandatorily.
We hope you liked this article and will help you to plan a perfect day trip to Cinque Terre from Milan. Please let us know your thoughts in the comment section. If you have any questions on a day trip to Cinque Terre from Milan or any other travel-related queries in Europe, do not hesitate to Contact us.
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