Cinque Terre is located on the northwestern coast of Italy and is made up of five old fishing villages: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso. Each town is quaint in its own way; you will want to see them all and I’ll show you how.
You can easily explore all five towns in 2 days if you utilize the train. The train stops at all five towns, it comes fairly frequently, and it only takes about 5 minutes to get from one town to the next. The villages of Cinque Terre are quite small, but you don’t want to miss out on any of them!
In this article, I’ll share with you how to plan for your trip so you can make the most of your visit, and how to explore the best places with 2 days in Cinque Terre! Once you arrive, you’ll see for yourself why this Italian coastal region is beloved by many.
Planning Your Cinque Terre Itinerary
Before you head here, take a look at these helpful tips for traveling in Italy and Cinque Terre. Make the most of your time in this breathtaking region of Italy’s coast.
Best Places to Stay in Cinque Terre | Find the best accommodation
How to Get to Cinque Terre | Visiting from Rome? Florence? Venice?…
21 Things to Know Before You Go to Italy | Learn about Italian customs
How to Travel By Train in Italy | Skip a rental car, travel by train!
2 Day Cinque Terre Itinerary
Day 1
Explore Manarola, Corniglia, and Vernazza
Bar Corbani for Breakfast in Manarola
Explore Via Antonio Discovolo
Train to Corniglia
Lunch at Ristorante La Posada in Corniglia
Gelato break at Gelateria Vernazza
Train to Monterosso
Dinner at San Martino Gastronomia
Breakfast at Bar Corbani, Manarola
Start your day off right with a delicious Italian cappuccino from Bar Corbani and grab a fresh pastry to fuel your Manarola exploring. All the pastries are delicious here, you really can’t go wrong.
Walk down Via Antonio Discovolo
Stroll through the shops and houses of Manarola, down the main street, Via Antonio Discovolo. Walk all the way down to the coast for breathtaking views of Manarola and the Ligurian Sea. Manarola is small, but you don’t want to miss any of it.
You can walk all the way to the coast, and the footpath keeps going around a bend. You can walk around here for beautiful views of the sea with much fewer people.
Hop on the train to Corniglia
From the Corniglia train station, hike up to the town, stroll through the main street and enjoy the charming, quaint architecture in this mountainside village of Cinque Terre.
Corniglia is much quieter and less crowded than the other towns, a big reason being the amount of stairs you have to take up to the actual town. There are about 400 stairs up to the town, but we found it worth the hike up.
Lunch at Ristorante La Posada
After strolling through the streets of Corniglia, stop for a delicious lunch at Ristorante La Posada. Here you can enjoy a great meal, there are tons of seafood options, and you get to eat with a fantastic view! This is a great place to enjoy yummy food with a wonderful view of the Ligurian Sea below.
Gelato Break at Gelateria Vernazza
Head to Vernazza by hopping on the train and grab a gelato from Gelateria Vernazza. Walk down the main street to the harbor, the only natural harbor in Cinque Terre, Italy, and stop in the small local stores. If you don’t know what gelato flavor to get, we recommend coconut, cream, or mango!
Head to Monterosso
Next, hop on the train to Monterosso, stroll through Old Town and New Town, the two parts of Monterosso. Here you can take a leisurely walk down one of the beaches, and admire the buildings of Monterosso dotting the coast line.
Monterosso has the biggest sand beaches of Cinque Terre, so this is the place to get a beach stroll in! Plus, it’s a great way to see the town of Monterosso.
Dinner at San Martino Gastronomia
End your first day in Cinque Terre, Italy with a nice meal from San Martino Gastronomia. Enjoy your meal with views of the charming streets of Monterosso. Their pesto pasta is incredible if you need a recommendation!
Day 2
Explore Riomaggiore and hike above Manarola
Breakfast at Britta Take Away in Riomaggiore
Stroll through the streets of Riomaggiore
Train to Manarola
Hike Trail 6p in Manarola
Dinner at Il Porticciolo
Sunset on the rocks
Breakfast in Riomaggiore at Britta Take Away
This cute dining spot has great healthy options for breakfast. Fuel up for your day of exploring Riomaggiore and hiking in Manarola. Britta Take Away also has sandwiches and such that you can grab and take with you.
We recommend grabbing a sandwich to take with you for your hike later. Or you can stop at the Coop 5 Terre in Manarola and grab your preferred hiking snacks.
Explore Riomaggiore
Spend some time exploring Riomaggiore’s shops, streets, and coast. This is the southernmost town of Cinque Terre, Italy, so you can find some great unobstructed views of the Ligurian Sea.
There are no visible towns to the south of Riomaggiore right on the coast, so you can soak in picturesque views of the coast, mountains, and vibrantly colored houses of Riomaggiore if you head down to the sea.
READ NEXT: Best Things in Each Cinque Terre Village
Hiking in Manarola
Hop on the train to Manarola and get ready for a scenic hike! We recommend hiking Trail 6p, which can be reached via a path between the buildings after you pass the Explora Trekking Store but before you get to Take-Away Pasta. Once you find a stone-like path that heads up the mountain, that’s the trail!
This hiking trail offers the best views of the town of Manarola from above and the seemingly endless Ligurian Sea below. Don’t forget your sandwich or hiking snack!
Dinner at Il Porticciolo
Work up an appetite during your hike and enjoy dinner at Il Porticciolo in Manarola. Make sure you make a reservation or go early as this restaurant fills up. It’s so good! We found the food and the service here to be exceptional.
Our servers were very friendly, and one in particular was extremely helpful and wanted to make sure we had the best meal we could.
Sunset on the Rocks
Finally, end your stay in the wonderful Cinque Terre region by basking in the sunset. Grab a bottle of wine or a gelato and head to the sea!
If you have an earlier dinner at Il Porticciolo, you can grab a spot on the rocks of the Manarola coast, and have a great view of the setting sun on the horizon. The sunsets here are so vibrant if the sky is clear, and they’re right over the ocean, making for a beautiful color palette.
2 Day Cinque Terre Itinerary: FAQ
Is 2 days enough for Cinque Terre?
You can explore most of Cinque Terre in 2 days. The five towns are all close together and easy to get around thanks to the train. The towns of Cinque Terre are also small so you can see the best parts of each in a short time. Plan to visit two to three towns each day, and you’ll find that 2 days is enough for Cinque Terre.
READ NEXT: How to Get to Cinque Terre
Is Cinque Terre or Amalfi Coast better?
If you’re planning on visiting other places in northern Italy, Cinque Terre is better as it is also up north. Because the towns are much smaller, you can visit Cinque Terre in less time and still see it all. The Amalfi Coast is better for longer stays or if you’re planning a trip to southern Italy.
2 Days in Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre, Italy is a charming region on the coast of the Ligurian Sea. You don’t want to miss out on these five seaside fishing villages and all the dolce vita they have to offer. If you need help finding an Airbnb or hotel for your stay, take a look at the best places to stay in Cinque Terre.
Plan your visit to these idyllic coastal villages with this ultimate 2 day Cinque Terre itinerary. Enjoy amazing meals, breathtaking views of the sea and picturesque towns, hiking in the mountains, and squeeze in a swim in the sea!
Now you know how to spend 2 days in Cinque Terre, you’ll be able to make the most of your time here. If you’re a speedy explorer, check out my in-depth guide to the five villages of Cinque Terre with more ideas and recommendations on how to spend your time here!
Ciao, buon viaggio!
