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Cinque Terre 3-day hiking tour, with Portofino option
Join Fabrice, an UIMLA Mountain Leader, on this great hiking tour and discover the Cinque Terre, with the option of hiking to Portofino or Portovenere.
Highlights
Discover a unique UNESCO World Heritage Site destination in Italy
Hike on trails with impressive vineyards terraces and amazing sea views
Enjoy great wine and a selection of the best Italian food and local products
Description
I’d like to invite you to a fascinating hiking trip in Italy. Join me on this 3-day tour and discover the Cinque Terre, one of the most unique destinations in Italy, with the option of visiting the beautiful villages of Portofino or Portovenere.
The Cinque Terre -meaning Five Lands in Italian- is a beautiful rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera, in the Liguria region, nearby Genoa and next to Tuscany. It comprises five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Corniglia, Vernazza, Riomaggiore and Manarola. The villages, together with the coastline and the surrounding hillsides are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and they are part of the Cinque Terre National Park.
For hundreds of years, the inhabitants of this land have built terraces on the steep, rugged terrain, right up to the cliffs overlooking the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. It is the unique landscape of the Cinque Terre that makes it so special. This is definitely a very special hiking area in Italy, with the most charming colorfull villages and stunning steep vineyards terraces. And finally, it offers an amazing mediterranean atmosphere and sea views.
I am an experienced guide and I have been guiding groups in this area for more than 14 years, coming from the French Riviera nearby where I live. I will take you to discover this region a little off the path, avoiding the crowds, as this is a very popular touristic area. During these days, I will take you to enjoy a wine tasting, to meet the local people and I will give you advice on how to get the best local Ligurian gastronomy. I can also give you a choice of good hotels or B&B to enjoy your stay.
I propose you 3 different hikes during these days. The first one takes us from Levanto to Monterosso. On the second day, we will take the azzurro (blue) trail, hiking over the seashore between Monterosso and Corniglia, and also visiting Riomaggiore. We will hike through amazing vineyard terraces right above the Meditteranean Sea, from Corniglia to Manarola, on the third day.
However, you can also choose to replace some of the hiking days by other two amazing destinations: Portofino or Portovenere.
Portofino is a famous Italian fishing village and holiday resort, with a colourful beautiful harbour and a favorite destination for celebrities and artists .It is located near the city of Genoa on the Italian Riviera. It is also possible to do a nice boat trip at any time to enjoy the Cinque Terre from the sea before or after the hike!
The other option is Portovenere, an impressive village with its big castle, thick walls and ramparts and a church built right on the cliff above the sea (the village is also Unesco Heritage Site). Hiking on the Portovenere trails is a great way to discover the natural beauty of this part of Liguria. You can check more details of the Portofino and Portovenere hikes below.
It is highly recommended to visit Cinque Terre in fall or spring, from April to June, and from September to October, as summer is usually too hot and crowded.
Please note this hiking program can be modified and shorten, depending on your physical condition, skills and things you’d like to discover. We can make it sportier or easier, according to your level and wishes. Also note train transportation is available in every village, so we can pick up a train anytime to go back to the hotel.
Don’t miss out on this great hiking trip. Send me a request, book your trip and come discover the fascinating Cinque Terre in Italy. Please note this is a 3-day trip. You could also check out my Cinque Terre 4-day hiking trip, including Portovenere. You may also want to check out other hiking tours I also guide around the French riviera, Provence and Southern Alps.
Details
Accommodation We can provide list of good hotels or B&B to enjoy your stay, from first price to highest comfort. Any hotels or B&B in Levanto are a better option than staying in Cinque Terre villages wich are hard to reach. There are many options and prices for room starting from 50 €/ per night for a twin or couple rooms. Hotels prices are usually about 80 € for 1 room. Prices can vary according to the dates you wish to book. |
Disclaimer The guide can decide to modify this program for reasons of safety, weather conditions or any other unforeseen event. It can also be adapted according to the technical and physical level of participants. |
More info PRICE PER PERSON: -Group of 8 to 10 people: 210 EUR -Group of 11 to 12: 195 EUR Bigger groups are possible (with 2 or 3 guides). Ask for more information. CHECK LIST: Walking boots. Light hiking tee shirts (if possible avoid cotton tee-shirts). Cap. Water bottle (1 liter/pers). Sun protection, eye protection, hat. Light Vest (if you want to take the boat). |
Meeting point We will meet in Levanto, one of the best places to stay in Cinque Terre : a charming little town easy to reach by car or train. It is the last village right before Cinque Terre when you come from Genoa. To get to Levanto take a flight to Genoa + train (1h30 min), or to Pisa + 1h train. You can drive aslo from Nice in France (3h30 min). Transfer from Nice may be possible with the guide (as for it when you request)" |
Photos
Itinerary
Day 1: Levanto to Monterosso al Mare
This is a nice introduction to the Cinque Terre National Park. We start from Levanto, which was an important port during the Middle Age period. The trail going up and above the seashore takes us to 12th Century monetestary ruins. We can enjoy a great panorama over the “Golfo dei poeti”, where the 5 villages are located. 400 meters ascent/ 3h30 minutes duration + village visits
Day 2: Azzurro Trail: Monterosso to Corniglia + Riomaggiore Visit
Today we will take the “azzurro” trail, between Monterosso and Corniglia, and also visit Riomaggiore. This is the main seashore trail going up and down between Monterosso, Vernazza and Corniglia.
450 meters ascent /4h duration + villages visit
Day 3: Corniglia to Manarola
We will enjoy the most impressive trail, going through amazing vineyard terraces right above the Meditteranean Sea. Views are incredible above Manarola and Corniglia. 450 meters ascent/ 4h30 minutes duration +village visits
Day 3: Option 1: Portofino
Portofino is an Italian fishing village and holiday resort famous for its picturesque harbour and historical association with celebrity and artistic visitors .It is located near the city of Genoa on the Italian Riviera. The town is clustered around its small harbour, and is known for the colourfully painted buildings that line the shore. We hike in the foreste regional park of Portofino, enjoying nice views to the cristal clear blue water of the mediterranean sea. Before the hike we take a shuttle boat and enjoy the sea trip to the the famous San Fruttuoso abbey built right on the stone beach where we start the hike from! From the Cinque Terre, we need to take the train (1h30 min ride) to get there or by car.
250 meters ascent, 2h30 duration + villages visit.
A little bit sportier option would be to hike back to Santa Margherita Ligure, another nice little town nearby.
Sporty option to Santa Margherita Ligure : add 150 meters, and 1h min duration.
It is also possible to do a nice boat trip at any time to enjoy the Cinque Terre from the sea before or after the hike!
Day 3: Option 2: Portovenere
Portovenere is a very impressive village with its big castle, thick walls and ramparts and a church built right on the cliff above the sea. The village is also Unesco Heritage Site.
Walking the Portovenere hiking trails is an amazing way to get better acquainted with the natural beauty of this part of Liguria. Much of the territory of the municipality of Portovenere is in fact part of the Regional Natural Park of Portovenere which has an area of around 400ha and includes the hilly cape as well as the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto.
Two hikes are possible here: 1) Sportier Option: From Riomaggiore to Portovenere crossing trail. This trail is a nice balcony perched at 500 meters above the Mediteranean Sea with great views. The arrival in Portovenere is spectacular. 700 meters ascent, 6h30 duration + villages visit. The trail is rocky in the final downhill to Portovenere. Very good hiking boots required. 2) Easy Option: We can get to Portovenere by a nice boat trip or by train and bus. Then we can hike to enjoy a great viewpoint above Portovenere. 200 meters ascent, 2h duration.
About the guide
I am a hiking guide (International Mountain Leader) who has been working all over France (including Provence and the Alps), Italy and Portugal since 2001. I speak fluent English due to my frequent trips to Taos Ski Valley (in New Mexico, USA where my family runs a great hotel and ski school), and my hiking trips in the American Southwest.
I live mainly in Nice (French Riviera), but I also move all over the Alps working in different alpine valleys. I often visit Martinique (French Caribbean island), where I enjoy rainforest and tropical hikes.
When I´m not guiding, I also work as a photographer, and like to climb, ski, play tennis, or kitesurf in my spare time. Additionally, I really enjoy botany and history.
I can guide you for a half day or for as many days as you like. I´ll take you to discover my favourite French Riviera alpine region, and the wild and large Mercantour National Park (counting 8 different valleys) near Nice, Monte Carlo and Cannes.
In my region we can enjoy the Mediterranean landscape at sea level. As we move into higher altitudes, we will discover alpine lakes, larch or pine forests, orchids and alpine flowers, open meadows, spectacular medieval perched villages and old baroque chapels and churches, with great historic value.
We can also discover the hiking hotspots in Provence such as Calanques National Park, Verdon gorges, Sainte Victoire and the Var region, with Saint Tropez a particular highlight.
I also love to hike in Italy in the very famous world heritage Cinque Terre (the amazing national park of the "Five Lands"), or in Liguria near San Remo.
And finally, I always enjoy taking my guests to the northern Alps: to Chamonix and Mont Blanc´s amazingly large panoramas or to the great Vanoise National Park, the largest in the heart of French Alps.
What people are saying about Fabrice Morel
Corinne Ottavj
5.00
August 2020
Pascal Van Brabant
5.00
August 2020
I had an amazing day, guide was very good and helpfull. I was some wildlife and the nature was breathtaking... thx a lot
Rachel
5.00
November 2019
The traveller did not leave a comment.
Brice Gouvernel
5.00
October 2019
We had an amazing trip, we wanted to explore the Mercantour region, reconnect with nature, and spend quality time as a couple. Fabrice understood the brief, was clear in his guidelines to prepare the trip, proposed different options, and, ultimately, adapted the hikes on a day to day basis based on the weather. For example, instead of having us hike all day in the mountains in pouring rain on the first day, he adapted the program and took us for a hike all around Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat along the riviera coast. The hikes were stunning, especially at this time of the year (fall) with amazing lights and colors. We highly recommend Fabrice as a guide, he is very knowledgeable on the fauna&flora, local history, on wolves. He also initiated us to some key principles of Nordic walking and mindful walking. Thanks Explore & Share team for connecting us. We definitely will do it again and recommend to friends.
LAM Jit Sau
5.00
September 2019
The traveller did not leave a comment.
Anonymous
5.00
August 2019
We spent a day hiking with guide Fabrice in Mecantaur Park. It was a great hike with different levels of difficulty. We rested at the lake at around 2000 meters and then made our way to the mountain pass high above. We were rewarded with a lot of wildlife sightings and even a patch of snow in August. Patrice was great and gave us a lot of information about the area and the flora and fauna. He was also great at pointing out historical events that took place in the area in the past.
Nicolas Rehbinder
5.00
June 2019
Superbe randonnée au lac de Fenestre. Le guide Fabrice connaît vraiment bien son sujet, le parc du Mercantour, qu’il commente bien, et la randonnée en général. Il su très bien s’adapter à mon niveau (très moyen). Je recommande vivement !
REKHA PAI
5.00
May 2019
We really enjoyed our trip up and around Utelle. Based on weather conditions, Fabrice identified and organized a slightly different hike for optimal views and tailored to our hiking abilities. He also organized hotel transportation and a lovely picnic. He was very knowledgeable about local history. We are so glad that we were able to get off the beaten path and see something truly special.
Angie
5.00
November 2018
Thanks again, it was one of our favourite moments from the holiday!
Clinton
5.00
September 2018
The trip was great! Fabrice was a wonderful guide and I’m contemplating further trips with him and explore share.
Leidia
5.00
August 2018
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our hike to Mercantour National Park. Fabrice was entertaining and knowledgeable, and helpful. He arranged for our pickup from our hotel at Nice, and even drove us to a village bakery to pack a Provençal sandwich for our picnic at the top of the mountains. Fabrice shared with us a lot of information about the place’s landscape, flora and fauna. And he also showed us how to spot the wildlife and take pictures of the animals. We learnt that he’s also an avid photographer and has extensive experience in nature photography. The highlight of our trip was reaching the crystal clear mountain lake, close to the top of the mountain range, where we also got to cross the border from France into Italy for our picnic. The only regret we have is not being able to spend more time in the park, as the hike took most of the day. We will definitely be interested in doing this again! Thanks for the arrangement! Regards Ernest and Leidia
Ayesha
5.00
August 2018
The traveller did not leave a comment.
Bret Hash
5.00
May 2018
Our excursion with Fabrice was one of the highlights of our trip to France. He was extremely knowledgable about the area and the local history. He even went out of his way to take us to see some local orchids that were in bloom when he learned that we love orchids! We will definitely take another trip with him the next time we find ourselves in the area.
Prices per person
Group of 1 | EUR 990 each |
Group of 2 | EUR 550 each |
Group of 3 | EUR 390 each |
Group of 4 | EUR 330 each |
Group of 5 | EUR 280 each |
Group of 6 | EUR 240 each |
Group of 7 | EUR 240 each |
Group of 8 | EUR 210 each |
Want a different number of travellers?
Price includes
- Guiding fee
Price details
The price includes: Guiding Fee, Snacks, and Wine Tasting. The price does not include: Accommodation and meals
- National park fee, local train transportation to come back to hotel (all together about 40 € needed for the 3 days)
- Pic Nic (wit local food and specialities) may be provided with 10 €/pers charge.
- Transportation may be proposed from Genoa, Nice, Monte Carlo or any other French Riviera cities (please contact me for more informations and pick-up rates).
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Fabrice nous a proposé une très belle randonnée. Il nous a permis d\'observer la flore et de voir de nombreux chamois, des marmottes. Le niveau de marche était parfaitement adapté au groupe. Très belle journée !