Florence: Cinque Terre Park Day Trip with Optional Street Food

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Florence, Italy

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Booked 5+ times in 12 hours.

12 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.4

· Samantha_G ·

Oct 2025

This was the most amazing tour! My husband and I were on our honeymoon and we had a blast exploring each village, learning the history, eating the local food, and of course the gelato. Gabrielle and Patrick provided our tour and they were full of personality and are this tour very enjoyable.

· lisecote2010 ·

Oct 2025

This trip was very well organized from the time of booking right up until the end. Our guides Roberto & Emma & driver Mario went over & above to make us feel safe & ensure we had all we needed. Communication was outstanding. Highly recommend this tour. It is busy with lots of steep stairs but so worth it.

Overview

Explore the Italian Riviera without having to rent a car on this day trip to the Cinque Terre from Florence. After arriving at La Spezia, follow your guide to each fishing village, from the beaches of Monterosso to the charming streets of Riomaggiore. Swim in turquoise waters and soak up all the character of this UNESCO-listed region before heading back to Florence.

Full-day tour of the Cinque Terre from Florence
Discover the UNESCO-listed Cinque Terre with your tour leader
Travel between villages by coach, train, and boat if option selected
Enjoy a street food light lunch in quaint Monterosso, if option selected

What's Included

Roundtrip journey by fully-fitted GT Coach with Free Wifi on board
Expert Multilingual Tour Leader
Free time in Riomaggiore, Manarola, Monterosso, Vernazza
Street Food Lunch (if option selected)
Local Transportation by Boat and Trains in Cinque Terre National Park (if option selected)

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Tour leader will give explanations during the bus trip, while in the village you will have free time
Food and drinks, unless option is selected
Local transportation by boat/trains in Cinque Terre in case you select the semi independent option
Corniglia's Village is not Included in the Itinerary

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Piazzale Montelungo, Firenze FI, Italy
TOURS & NEWS KIOSK AT PIAZZALE MONTELUNGO BUS TERMINAL Located at 5-10 minutes walking distance from Santa Maria Novella Train Station. Look for our staff wearing a FUCHSIA CIAOFLORENCE JACKET and holding a CIAOFLORENCE CLIPBOARD!

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.7:00 am

Itinerary

Cinque Terre is one of Italy’s most captivating landscapes. Translated as ‘five lands,’ the region is made up of five unique fishing villages that line the Italian Riviera.

Your day trip begins in central Florence, where you meet your guide and hop aboard your coach to head out toward the seashore. After about two hours on the road, you reach La Spezia, the closest city to Cinque Terre, and are dropped off at the train station.

Follow your guide aboard a local train and ride to your first stop, the tiny village of Manarola, home to medieval relics and a plethora of grapevines. You have one hour of free time to stroll the harbor and take snapshots of the bright buildings that cling to the cliffsides.

Then, take a short train ride to Monterosso. If you choose to include lunch with your tour, settle down in one of the village’s restaurants for a traditional helping of seafood and pasta, complemented by wine and water. Afterward, with taste buds and stomach sated, enjoy some time to explore independently. Unpack your bathing suit and hit the jeweled waters of Monterosso’s stunning beaches.

Next, weather and sea conditions permitting, take a scenic short boat ride to Vernazza, where you have about one hour of free time to explore—your guide is more than happy to give sightseeing recommendations.

Make your final stop in the southernmost village of Riomaggiore, a 13th-century jewel beloved for its local wine and incomparable scenery. After an hour of free time, depart for La Spezia by train as the sun starts to set.

Back in La Spezia, board your coach and relax in the drive to Florence.

Note: Cinque Terre low-cost option does not include train and boat tickets.

Florence

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Stazione La Spezia Centrale

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Manarola

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Monterosso al Mare

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Vernazza

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Riomaggiore

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Stazione La Spezia Centrale

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Florence

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level

Kindly note that the bus will drop you off in La Spezia or Levanto. Then you will move from one village to the other by train and boat. You will meet again your bus by the end of the day to make your way back to Florence.
Kindly note that the Cinque Terre Semi Independent option does not include train and boat tickets. At the beginning of the day, you will be dropped off at La Spezia or Levanto, and you will have free time for the whole day in the Cinque Terre National Park. You will meet again your bus at La Spezia Centrale or Levanto in the afternoon. This option only includes a roundtrip transportation by GT coach to the Cinque Terre and back as well as live commentary during the bus trip.
Please note that the boat ride will be available from April 1st until October 31st
In the case of bad weather or rough sea, the boat will not operate. In this case, the boat will be replaced by a train route
Please note that the given order of the visits may change in case of exceptional events as train strikes or road closures and disruptions
HIGH SEASON (From April 1st until October 31st): this tour is always available in English and Spanish. Other languages are confirmed as follows: FRENCH: Wednesday, Sunday - min 2 pax PORTUGUESE: Monday - min 2 pax
PLEASE NOTE: Starting from March 1st, 2026, lunch will be served as a light lunch, featuring local street food.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Wendy_S

This was an interesting tour! Our guide was excellent and the tour of the five towns was interesting. Took some great photos, not sure I’d go back to this area, but that had nothing to do with the tour. Definitely worth going to see! 100% recommend!

Reviews

4.4

based on 3,626 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Solid tour and guide

Erik_F, Mar 2026

Very knowledgeable and friendly bilingual guide, who could navigate local towns and businesses effectively to give us a great tour.

Cinque Terre Park

Tammy_M, Mar 2026

Excellent day despite the weather. Big thank you to Alessandro for keeping our group engaged and together. We met some amazing people today! Thanks to our bus driver!

This was such an amazing...

Alison_J, Feb 2026

This was such an amazing tour. We got to see 4 of the 5 villages and explore them at our own pace - our guide Constantino was FABULOUS and gave us a lot of information about the villages before we ventured out into them on our own. REALLY loved the independence you get to see everything you want. This tour was the best part of our trip!

The pickup point was a...

Varun_C, Dec 2025

The pickup point was a bus stop at the far end of the train station, and the meetup instructions could have been clearer—adding a Google Maps photo would help, as walking directions were inaccurate. The tour covered 4 of the 5 Cinque Terre villages, starting in Riomaggiore and traveling by local train. There was enough time in Monterosso for lunch and a short but beautiful ferry ride to Vernazza. Keeping track of time and staying with the guide is important, as the schedule is tight (a couple was almost left behind at the end of the day because they had to use washroom and got separated from rest of the group)

Go and see it!

Wendy_S, Oct 2025

My mouth “Silencio Bruno”’ed with this tour and how it took our breath away!

Devon_P, Oct 2025

The Scent of the Sea tour at Cinque Terra via Ciao Florence tours was beyond our expectations! Gabriele and Lorenzo were amazing guides and Mario was an exquisite driver. The call time is early at 7 am on the dot —recommend to either pick up some groceries for your hotel, etc to eat on the way there or stop at the little food truck next to the pick up location (just make sure you are early). We were able to sleep on the bus and take in the beauty of Tuscany on our way to the Liguria region. Upon arrival, the tour guide gave very clear directions and communicated how long we had in each region and where to meet. He also gave recommendations of his favorite things in each region which was very helpful to manage our time. The beauty of Cinque Terre national park is unmatched and my husband and I both agree that we would come back to spend a day in each city now that we know what each one has to offer. We booked this as a honeymoon excursion and loved every minute (just did this today on 10/17). A wonderful way to spend the day. We did the English tour with lunch provided — lunch was okay (pesto pasta was amazing) but getting to sit with people on the tour and learn about them is what made it even better! Make sure to bring comfortable walking shoes (lots of hills and stairs), sunscreen, and water. You won’t regret this trip, the tour guides, the tour itself, and the experience are a 10/10!!!

Perfect way to spend a day by the sea

Melissa_B, Oct 2025

John, Cecily & Boris were absolutely amazing. I cannot recommend tours through Ciao Florence highly enough. They are so organized, informative & helpful. They were the very best guides. The day was long but it never dragged. Every stop & every moment was memorable. This was my first time to Cinqueterre & I have dreamed of it for decades. It lived up to every expectation & then some. Stunning vistas & delicious food. Book the tour & enjoy this incredible region.

Take this tour!

Veronica_W, Oct 2025

What an amazing day! I hate to say I waited too long to write this review and forgot my guides name. I believe it's Juliet? Dark curly hair with a red streak. She was friendly and attentive. Very knowledgeable of Cinque Terre. We loved it so much that we will definitely return and take another tour!!!

A day in Cinque Terre

Robert_A, Oct 2025

Well organised plenty to see and do Stunning scenery just be prepared for crowds and steps follow Gabriel

Great way to experience...

Steven_P, Oct 2025

Great way to experience Cinque Terre in a day trip from Florence. Our guide Roberto was knowledgeable and gave us some great tips for visiting each town.

Fabulous Adventure

lisecote2010, Oct 2025

Great guide, good weather, well worth the trip

Richard_B, Oct 2025

Our tourguide Gabriele was outstanding. He was quite fluent in English, Spanish and Italian and did a superb job of keeping everyone together through the 4 cities that we visited including several train trips and a boat trip. He was upbeat and very knowledgeable about everything we saw. This is a great trip to see several towns over the course of the day with good amounts of time to visit each location.

Follow the long and winding Road!

VIRGINIA_S, Oct 2025

The organization and logistics are complicated but brilliantly executed in our case. If you are lucky, you’ll get a guide like John and a bus driver like Mario? Both exceptional professionals. At first stop I could”not hear the instructions, and asked John to repeat them at the next stop which he did from then on. Using his white board which we could photo helped immensely. The company needs to provide portable microphones for the guides, they are not expensive. This is essentially a “guided transportation tour”, not a guided tour. Do not expect any background or history about the stops. Expect crowds of tourists, gobs of restaurants and souvenirs shops, gorgeous colorful scenery, and roads you shouldn’t drive yourselves. Enjoy the trains, they are great! John was available to answer all my logistical questions including those post trip, particularly about taxis.

Cinque de terre

Andrea_B, Oct 2025

Great sampling of cinque de terre! We would love to go back and spend more time in the cities! Nice bus ride to and from. We loved the walking part of the tour along side the coast.

Alex is the best! Beautiful day in Cinque Terre!

Tabitha_W, Oct 2025

We had a beautiful day in the Cinque Terre park! The weather was perfect and Alex the English/Spanish speaking guide was great! Alex had very clear communication and was kind, thoughtful, and fun. Constantino lead the Spanish speaking group. Mario was our driver and he was very skilled at driving the large bus around the winding roads. Alex especially stood out as being very kind, good natured, fun, and clear in his communication skills which was very important with our large group. Alex also made a special effort to go around and ask everyone how there day was and give any tips or answer questions about Florence and the surrounding areas. He made leading a group of 50+ people seem easy, but I have no idea how he does it! The tour itself was a lot to do in one day, but it really delivered the full Cinque Terre experience. Now if we go back we know which village to stay in and where to go for shops and restaurants! Definitely recommend being well rested for the day.

This was the most amazing...

Samantha_G, Oct 2025

Amazing day - perfect...

Megan_M, Oct 2025

Amazing day - perfect blend of organized travel and alone time. Easy to navigate, easy to transfer from island to island.

Great day in Cinqueterra

Benjamin_G, Sep 2025

Kristina was wonderful, Cinqueterra is absolute magic. So glad we got out of the city and experienced this amazing tour.

Gabrielle, Gulia, and...

Mary_A, Sep 2025

Gabrielle, Gulia, and Mario were great! I learned a lot and got to enjoy delicious food and see amazing views thanks to their recommendations!

Great day exploring

Kristi_M, Sep 2025

Great all day experience exploring 4 villages of Cinque Terre. Lots of walking and each village was very beautiful. Took the train between villages. Fredericko our tour guide was great!

Mostly self-guided. Good if you pay attention to meeting points, time, and where to go.

Sherry_D, Sep 2025

The tour could’ve been more organized and our guide would’ve walked us around more. At each train stop, he would tell us where to go and what time to meet but pretty much, it’s self guided. Other tour guides from other companies walked their guests to the various view points. Meeting up at the train stations are chaotic esp when they’re not hoping up a flag. Also, if you’re not in the same car as your group or guide, you have to pay attn to which stop you have to get off. In all this, only 1 person got off at a wrong stop all day. Amazing.

Wonderful Cinque Terre.

Jorge_M, Sep 2025

The tour was amazing! Cinque Terre is so beautiful and is worth to travel there. Federica, the tour guide, was extremely good, friendly and knowledgeable she gave us a lot of information of the towns we visited. For all her work she deserves a special thanks! We really enjoyed the tour and we had a lot of fun ! Highly recommended!

Our guide John was great....

Patty_G, Sep 2025

Our guide John was great. He was informative and made sure all of us were accounted for and taken care of through multiple transfers throughout the day. Our bus was older (?) so the A/C vents didn’t work, the double decker meant we felt every whip and turn, and then it finally broke down at the end. But John stayed calm and got us another ride back to the meeting point.

This was a highly...

Kerri_R, Sep 2025

This was a highly organized tour with 4 stops in cinque terra. Our ghost Costantino kept us together and communicated very effectively. Perfect amount of time in each spot! You will be tired at the end of the day, but it will be so worth it!

Beautiful as expected! It...

Lisa_S, Sep 2025

Beautiful as expected! It was a little rushed at the bigger villages with the time given. I would not include the lunch as it was very disappointing. Plenty of other places to find and there was enough time at this village for a leisurely lunch at a place of your choosing. Our guide kept everything moving and organized. Our bus driver masterfully navigated the windy road! Thank you Sara and Zamny! Then Sara provided a wonderful recommendation for dinner when we returned to Florence.

This tour was great we...

Brittany_W, Sep 2025

This tour was great we got to visit 4 out of the 5 villages in cinque terre which is a lot but this tour made it doable. I felt like the time in each area was organized in a way that allowed you to get the most of each village. We had a big group and our tour guy Constantino did a great job keeping a group that big together and on time. He also did the entire tour in 3 languages which is pretty impressive… I know some people when they select one language they expect to get only that language. It didn’t bother use but def something to be aware of.

Great tour, well organised

Juliette_C, Sep 2025

We had a great day exploring Cinque Terre. This tour is for you if you only have one day to explore the area, as it is fast paced but covers 4 out of 5 towns. Our guide was wonderful and helped keep the group together despite the challenges! We were in large groups of about 45 people, but our guide did well to keep everyone accounted for. We were able to seperate from the group to explore the towns independently which was appreciated. Unfortunately we did not get to go on the boat due to rough waters that day. In terms of what to bring- a water bottle, a portable charger for your phone, sneakers/comfortable shoes, swimmers. I wore sandals and I found this was comfortable and practical. Similar to other reviews, we found limited opportunities to use the bathroom- only in cafe’s and on the train. There were no bathrooms on the bus. Regardless this did not impact our day, we would definitely recommend this tour! Thank you Ciao Florence for a great day

NOT a guided tour

Michael_S, Aug 2025

NOT A GUIDED TOUR. I would not recommend this group excursion. Do yourself a favor and go on chatgpt, ask it for a cinque terre itinerary and follow that instead. You’ll save yourself some money for a few aperitivos on your trip and have a much more relaxed and enjoyable day. This was hardly a tour, and more a bus ride followed by timed stops at 4 of the 5 cinque terre villages. The description on viator is also inaccurate, and you will likely take the train from levanto and not le spezia which is 30 minutes further from florence than le spezia, which lost us ~1 hour total in our day. Our guide seemed knowledgeable, but had far too much responsibility to be effective. While i appreciate ciao florence accommodating multi-lingual options, the need to translate to three separate languages and manage almost 60 people at a number of stops in cinque terre, which is chaotic due to the high volume of tourists and small size of train stations in the villages, makes the guides job impossible. There was very little guiding done by our guide since he was needing to repeat himself due to people being late, and the need to translate several times. Because of this, there were no details about the history, sights, or points of interest at each village. Cinque terre was gorgeous, and the itinerary was fine, but i would not recommend this tour.

Beautiful but chaotic

Moustapha_G, Aug 2025

Beautiful sights, lots of walk and stairs. Long bus ride to train. Four times to ride train. Quite chaotic. The guide counted number of people only 3 times or 50% of the time.

Horrible and unprofessional! - Avoid at all COSTS!

Dan_S, Aug 2025

Cinque Terre - Scent of the Sea by Ciao Florence Avoid at all costs!!! It was a horrible experience where my partner and I were left on the islands after being provided incorrect information about departure times The subsequent conversation with support was not useful and following my initial complaint they came back incorrectly / falsifying details around how they tried to contact me and fix the issue Post this Ciao Florence has been radio silent after I provided EVIDENCE that they had falsified information about what their support team had shared - this included providing both time stamps that suggested they were lying about message contact timings and quantum and phone logs that proved no contact by them before they abandoned us Overall a horrible closing experience for what would have been a lovely day and a highly unprofessional set of staff that are managing this For those reading the review there are FAR easier / better ways to do the exact same tour without Ciao Florence who provided no benefit at all other than a coach service (which itself was poorly managed)

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