When to go to the Cinque Terre

What is the best time to visit the Cinque Terre?

There is no official answer: the Park, Trenitalia, the Municipality of Riomaggiore and Navigazione Golfo dei Poeti do not publish attendance data. They publish schedules and fares by period, which you can compare.

The Park calls the Treno MS Card bands «low, medium and high attendance» and has a calendar of high attendance days for the Trekking Card. These are fare labels, decided by the Park and Trenitalia: they are not visitor counts, and do not indicate how many people you will find.

Here is what changes, in date order, from the second half of 2026 onwards.

How do the Via dell'Amore and Castello hours change?

The Via dell'Amore closes at 21:00 from 29 March to 24 October 2026 and at 18:00 from 26 October; Castello di Riomaggiore closes at 19:00 in summer and at 17:00 from 1 October to 31 May.

Schedules are those on the Park page and the Municipality website. The Via dell'Amore is booked in 30-minute slots and is open every day. The Municipality website brings forward the closure of bookings to 17:30 from 25 October.

The guided walks of the Cinque Terre Walking Park, included in the Card, are held from May to October according to the Park's program. Everything about the walk is in the Via dell'Amore article.

How much does the train cost in different periods of the year?

From 14 March to 1 November 2026, the single trip costs €5, €8 or €10 according to the band; from 2 November to 31 December, the Treno MS Card has a single rate: €17.30 per adult per one day.

Which band applies on a given day is only indicated by the Trenitalia calendar, in colors: green, yellow, red. There is one calendar for the single trip and one for each Treno MS Card for 1, 2 and 3 days. After 19:30, between Levanto and La Spezia, band A applies.

Trenitalia publishes the Cinque Terre fare for the period from 14 March to 1 November 2026; for later dates check the price on the Trenitalia website. For the Trekking Card the difference is between normal fare and high attendance, on the days set by the Park.

Do the Cinque Terre boats run all year?

As of October 2026, the operator has published schedules until 8 December: from 2 November to 8 December there is the «Cinque Terre Trip», from La Spezia at 10:00 with return at 17:00.

The Cinque Terre Trip goes La Spezia - Porto Venere - Vernazza - Monterosso and back. The daily ticket costs €37 (reduced €15), the one-way to Monterosso €25 (reduced €15). With the Linea 02 price list in force as of October 2026, the daily ticket from La Spezia costs €42. The Tourist Consortium writes that in spring and summer there are daily connections from La Spezia, Lerici, Porto Venere and Portofino. For December and subsequent months, check the operator's schedules.

In every season the service can change with the weather and the sea. Corniglia has no landing. The tour listings also have their periods: the day trip from Florence includes the boat from late March to October, weather permitting, to be confirmed and paid on the day; the Florence tour with street food states that from 1 April to 31 October it is always available in English and Spanish.

The round-trip boat from La Spezia, with a local guide on board and three villages depending on the day of the week.

★ 4.5 · 8 hours · from $77

Discover the boat from La Spezia → Tour details

What happens with bad weather and weather alerts?

With an orange or red weather alert, the Park stops selling the Cinque Terre Card and the Via dell'Amore also stops selling; rain makes the trails slippery.

Refund of the Card is provided for with an alert (also yellow for the Trekking Card only), for force majeure and, for the Treno Card, in case of train strike. Light rain does not entitle you to a refund. The rules are in the Card FAQ.

Trails must be checked on the day on the Park's trail page. Status as of 22 September 2026 according to the Park: the Manarola - Corniglia section (592-2) was closed. Access may be limited for safety or high attendance, and the Park never guarantees that a section is open.

The tour listings on GetYourGuide state how they handle the weather: the kayak from Monterosso depends on the weather and, if canceled, offers another date or a full refund; the boat from La Spezia goes out even with light rain; the boat from La Spezia may change itinerary with rough sea or weather. All can be canceled free of charge up to 24 hours before.

Frequently asked questions