In this guide
💡 The Short Version: By train it is 2 hours 5 minutes to 2 hours 44 minutes from Firenze Santa Maria Novella to La Spezia Centrale, from €15.90 each way, then a regional train of 6 to 25 minutes to the villages. A coach tour is the cheaper day: from €41 for 12 hours. The park’s Treno card covers the trains between La Spezia and Levanto and the paths, at €22.00, €29.50 or €35.00 for a day until 1 November 2026 and €17.30 from 2 November. The Via dell’Amore is open one way from Riomaggiore to Manarola and needs a booked slot. The Blue Path between Manarola and Corniglia is closed. Closed shoes with grip are compulsory on the paths. Or book a tour: Cinque Terre Day Trip with Optional Hiking or Pisaad is €55 for 12 to 13 hours with 6,247 reviews, and Day Trip to Cinque Terre with Optional Street Foodad is €41 for 12 (GetYourGuide).
Getting there on your own
Fares are Trenitalia’s “from” fares for a second-class single; the Trenitalia app shows the exact fare for your date.
| Route | Trains | Journey | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence Santa Maria Novella to La Spezia Centrale, regional | 11:53 direct; 07:00 with a change at Pisa, arriving 09:33 | 2 hours 27 minutes direct; 2 hours 33 minutes to 2 hours 44 minutes with a change | From €15.90 |
| The same, with a change and a Frecciarossa or Frecciargento | 08:28, arriving 10:41 (€26.70); 07:32, arriving 09:37 (€27.60) | 2 hours 5 minutes to 2 hours 13 minutes | From €26.70 |
| La Spezia Centrale to Monterosso | 08:12, 08:50, 09:20, 09:47, 10:15 and others | 21 to 25 minutes | €5.00 |
| Between neighbouring villages | Every 25 to 35 minutes | 2 to 8 minutes | €5.00 |
| La Spezia Centrale to Florence | 14:35 direct (2 hours 33 minutes); 16:40 and 17:40 direct (2 hours 28 minutes) | 2 hours 28 minutes to 2 hours 33 minutes direct | From €15.90 |
- The cost of the day. Two Florence to La Spezia singles are €31.80, and the Treno card is on top.
- Faster back. 16:16 (Frecciabianca and a fast regional, 1 hour 45 minutes, €21.70) and 18:16 (Frecciarossa and a fast regional, 2 hours 17 minutes, €26.70) leave La Spezia with a change.
- Order the villages from Riomaggiore. The Via dell’Amore runs one way, from Riomaggiore to Manarola, so start at Riomaggiore, walk to Manarola, and take the train on through Corniglia and Vernazza to Monterosso.
A regional train arriving at Riomaggiore station. Photo: Remontees, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tours from Florence
A coach tour is 12 to 13 hours with a driver and a guide, and costs less than the train and card together. Some listings sell the village trains, a guide or a ferry as extras, so read each one. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices for one adult.
The cheapest days
From €41 and €42 · 3,450 and 1,635 reviews · 12 and 13 hours
Florence: Day Trip to Cinque Terre with Optional Street Foodad (€41, a bestseller) takes in the five villages, with a coffee and a swim in the Ligurian Sea, and Florence: Cinque Terre Day Trip with Optional Street Foodad (€42) is an air-conditioned bus with optional train tickets, guide and ferry tickets.
Five villages, with or without hiking
From €55 · 6,247 reviews · 12 to 13 hours · 4.9 stars
Florence: Cinque Terre Day Trip with Optional Hiking or Pisaad visits all five villages with or without hiking, or three villages with Pisa added. It is a bestseller.
With Pisa
From €53 to €89 · 12 to 12½ hours
Florence: Full day Tour to Cinque Terre and Pisaad is from €53 (377 reviews) and visits Vernazza, Monterosso and the Leaning Tower. From Florence: Cinque Terre & Pisa Day Tripad is from €89 (3,322 reviews) and lists a private option. The Pisa guide has the Tower’s tickets.
Small group with a boat
From €158 · 127 reviews · 12 hours
From Florence: Cinque Terre Day Trip with Pisa & Boat Ridead is a small-group day with Manarola, Vernazza, a boat ride, a light vineyard hike and a stop in Pisa, by coach, minibus or minivan.
The Cinque Terre cards
The park sells two cards, at its InfoPoints in the stations from La Spezia to Levanto and at card.parconazionale5terre.it. Both cover the paths, the Via dell’Amore, the buses inside the villages and the park’s guided walks; the Treno card adds unlimited second-class regional trains between La Spezia and Levanto, free station toilets and Wi-Fi. The Blue Path and the Via dell’Amore need one.
| Adult card | 1 day | 2 days | 3 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treno, to 1 November 2026, quiet day | €22.00 | €36.50 | €49.00 |
| Treno, to 1 November, medium day | €29.50 | €51.00 | €68.00 |
| Treno, to 1 November, busy day | €35.00 | €61.00 | €81.00 |
| Treno, 2 November to 31 December 2026 | €17.30 | €29.00 | €34.00 |
| Trekking, no trains | €10.00 | €17.00 | €23.50 |
| Trekking, busy days | €15.00 | €26.70 | €37.50 |
Children from 4 to 12 pay €15.00, €20.00 or €23.50 for a Treno day until 1 November and €11.00 from 2 November; over-70s pay €18.50, €25.00 or €29.50, then €13.70; a family of two adults and a child pays €56.50, €77.00 or €91.50, then €43.70 (parconazionale5terre.it).
At €5.00 a hop, a full day by train (La Spezia, Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, Monterosso and back to La Spezia) is six rides, €30.00. The Treno card at €22.00 saves €8.00, at €29.50 saves €0.50 and at €35.00 costs €5.00 more; from 2 November the €17.30 card is cheaper from the fourth ride. The card is also the only way onto the paths.
The paths
The park’s trail table lists these:
| Path | Status | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Riomaggiore to Manarola, the Via dell’Amore | Open | About 25 to 30 minutes |
| Manarola to Corniglia, the Blue Path | Closed | 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Corniglia to Vernazza | Open, rated expert | 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Vernazza to Monterosso | Open, rated expert | 2 hours |
The Blue Path closure has no reopening date. Closed shoes with a grooved non-slip sole are compulsory, and open or smooth-soled footwear is forbidden. In a yellow weather alert the park advises against the paths; in an orange or red alert every path closes and card sales stop. The emergency number is 112 (parconazionale5terre.it).
Manarola on its headland. Photo: Waldemar L, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Via dell’Amore
Included in both cards · one way, Riomaggiore to Manarola · about 30 minutes · booked slot
A 900 m path cut into the cliff between the two villages. You need a Cinque Terre card and a time slot, which you can book when you buy the card or later, online at card.parconazionale5terre.it or viadellamore.info or at a park InfoPoint. It is open daily, 09:00 to 21:00 (last entry 20:30) to 24 October 2026, and 09:00 to 18:00 (last entry 17:30) from 26 October 2026 to 28 March 2027 (parconazionale5terre.it).
The Via dell’Amore between Riomaggiore and Manarola. Photo: Twice25 & Rinina25, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5.
A day, hour by hour
| Time | What |
|---|---|
| 07:00 | Regional from Santa Maria Novella with a change at Pisa, arriving at La Spezia Centrale at 09:33 |
| 09:47 | Regional towards Monterosso, getting off at Riomaggiore after 6 to 8 minutes |
| Morning | Via dell’Amore to Manarola, then trains to Corniglia and Vernazza |
| Afternoon | Monterosso, then the regional to La Spezia, 21 to 25 minutes |
| 17:40 | Direct regional from La Spezia, arriving in Florence at about 20:08 |
Portovenere, the Cinque Terre and the Islands have been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1997 (whc.unesco.org).
The harbour at Vernazza. Photo: Zairon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Before you go
- Card prices change on 2 November 2026.
- The Blue Path from Manarola to Corniglia is closed.
- Shoes. Closed shoes with grip are compulsory on every path.
- Weather alerts. An orange or red alert closes the paths and stops card sales.
The Cinque Terre are one of the day trips from Florence. Pisa is the stop several tours pair with them, and the Siena guide covers Tuscany’s other long day. Florence public transport covers the way to Santa Maria Novella. What to book before you go to Florence has the city tickets, 3 days in Florence shows where a day away fits, and where to stay in Florence compares the areas.
Common questions
How long does it take to get from Florence to the Cinque Terre?
2 hours 5 minutes to 2 hours 44 minutes by train from Firenze Santa Maria Novella to La Spezia Centrale, from €15.90 on a regional, then 21 to 25 minutes to Monterosso or 6 to 8 minutes to Riomaggiore on the regional trains that stop in each village. A direct regional takes 2 hours 27 minutes; the Frecciarossa and Frecciargento options take 2 hours 5 minutes to 2 hours 13 minutes and cost €26.70 to €27.60.
How much is the Cinque Terre card?
The Treno card, which includes unlimited regional trains between La Spezia and Levanto, is €22.00, €29.50 or €35.00 for an adult for one day until 1 November 2026, depending on how busy the day is, and €17.30 from 2 November to 31 December. The Trekking card, for the paths without the trains, is €10.00 or €15.00 on busy days.
Is the Via dell'Amore open?
Yes, one way from Riomaggiore to Manarola, about 30 minutes. A time-slot booking is compulsory, and the Treno and Trekking cards both include it. It is open daily 09:00 to 21:00 until 24 October 2026 and 09:00 to 18:00 from 26 October.
Can you hike between all five villages?
Not along the whole Blue Path: the stretch from Manarola to Corniglia is closed, with no reopening date published. Corniglia to Vernazza and Vernazza to Monterosso are open and rated expert. Closed shoes with a grooved non-slip sole are compulsory on the paths.
Is a Cinque Terre tour from Florence worth it?
For the cheapest day, yes. Coach tours start at €41 for 12 hours, against €31.80 in return train fares plus a card, which is €17.30 to €35.00. The train gives longer in the villages and no fixed return time.
