These five villages are absolutely fantastic, so beautiful that you have never seen their likes. Nowadays easily reachable by car, some years ago only the train that runs in the mountains between the villages was the only way to go between them. Now the most beautiful way is by boat, seeing the villages from the sea is a breathtaking sight. Walking between the villages is a much more strenuous way but rewarding. Especially the northernmost routes, absolutely beautiful!

The trails between Vernazza, Montesoro and Levanto and Vernazza to Corniglia are beautiful. If you're not fit, you'll struggle with all the steps. So, be warned and take your time. Parts are quite tricky and uneven so wear decent shoes. It's definitely worth hitting the tracks early to avoid the streams of hikers, especially if you are going the opposite direction to usual, otherwise you end up waiting to let people pass on narrow sections for quite some time. Be warned the train platforms are a nightmare at Vernazza. Literally so jam packed that I stood still for almost 15 minutes and the crowd was just getting worse with more people getting off incoming trains. The local tourist board needs to limit the number of day trippers into the villages because it's dangerous to have such huge crowds on the rail platforms and it's not at all pleasant in the small villages when people are packed in like sardines. I would avoid the area at all costs during peak seasons like summer and Easter. Had I known what it would be like I would never have come at this time of year. Off season would be delightful. Anyhow, the walking tracks are really beautiful and if you get a section to yourself even magical!

The walk from Monterroso to Vernazza is short but offers a spectacular vista along the ocean and villages of the Cinque Terre. Our big mistake was arriving late morning and ending up in a conga line of walkers. The path is narrow and a lot of walkers are reluctant to allow the fit to move through. It seems that E7 entry fee is a revenue raiser not a maintenance fund. Hint ...undertake the walk at sunrise and avoid the crowds. It's only mid April and summer would be a nightmare. Will come back another time.

There are trails between each of the five villages but the best is the Monterosso-Vernazza trail- phenomenal views. All of the trails tend to be quite crowded when the weather is gone so when you need a breather, it does often mean just standing on the path and people going around you. Sensible shoes with a good grip are a must. You have to pay for the trekking card between Monterosso and Corniglia. The footpaths are often narrow and uneven so be careful before you undertake a path.

Our tour included an optional trail hiking. We decided to take the plunge and the starting point was at Corniglia and ending at Vernazza. The whole trail took us ~ 1.5hrs. Roughly 40 mins to go to the top and then roughly 40 mins downwards to Vernazza. The view was great coming into Vernazza so get your camera ready. I would say it is moderately tiring but bring lots of water for sure.

Cinque Terre is not to be missed. Each of the five villages has it’s own flavor and all five should be seen. We stayed in La Spezia and took the train to Monterosso, then hiked to the next town, Vernazza. It’s a challenging hike but very enjoyable and the views from high above the blue Mediterranean Sea were unbelievable. Buy a Cinque Terre card for access to hiking trails, unlimited use of the local trains between villages and most of all, free access to the train station restrooms!

Trails have very uneven surface, requiring sturdy footwear. Sceneries are stunning. It's advisable to do 2 trails per day to cover all 4 trails that link the 5 towns. This enables you to have a leisurely lunch between the 2 trails, explore each town, and have plenty of time to take pics along the way. The trail between Cornsiglia and Riomaggiorie requires some scrambling. Some observations about visiting Cinque Terre: (1) Online information refers to the train as "Cinque Terre Express" but you don't see this term being used. So don't try to look for it. It is just a train operated by TrenItalia. If you travel from Le Spezia, simply get on the train bound for Lavento to get to Cinque Terre. (2) While a Cinque Terre "card" might exist, we bought a ticket at the station which is like a paper ticket. You have to produce your ID so the staff can print your info on your ticket. It includes train rides and trail access. (3) The train doesn't run every 15 mins throughout the day. In the evening, (if you watch the sunset in one town and try to get back to the town where you stay) you might need to wait longer (45 minutes?). By the way, to watch the sunset, you need to go to the towns in the south such as Manarola. You can't see the sunset from the Monterosso beach because the sun is blocked by the landscape.

Views are amazing but the towns are extremely crowded. Trails are not maintained and very slick and steep when raining. I think it was better to visit 15 years ago as it has become an instagram location now.

Our tour guide is amazing who will make your trip unforgettable. Kind, funny, spontaneous and with an extreme knowledge of all the regions and stories of Italy. We were very grateful to have met him. Each village is unique and has its own charm, nature and beauty. This place is highly recommended to anyone…You should try to visit each of the five main villages to enjoy the ambience, food, and different views. Some of the trails were closed so we were unable to really hike as much as we anticipated but nevertheless, worth a visit if you have not visited Cinque Terre! Each village is beautiful and at the last village, an authentic Italian meal is served, if you choose that option of the tour package.

I took the bus , which was a van, from Manarola to Volastra to avoid the stairs. You can buy a ticket on the bus. It is located close to Take Away Pasta restaurant. Once in Volastra the trail is close to the church. The hike is spectacular, one of my favorite things I did in Italy. It was an easy hike starting in Volastra. I walked as far as the shaded area on the path and then turned around. I stopped at the place along the path by Volastra to have a drink and relax, which I highly recommend.