Best Time to Visit Cinque Terre

May to June, September to October

Months to avoid: July to August (extreme crowds, villages at capacity by 9am, trails queued, accommodation 3x normal price)

Recommended stay: 3-4 days

Plan Cinque Terre for May to June, September to October. Give it 3-4 days. The window to avoid is July to August (extreme crowds, villages at capacity by 9am, trails queued, accommodation 3x normal price).

What the season gets you

• The Sentiero Azzurro trail section between Vernazza and Corniglia, two hours of clifftop walking with the sea directly below and no road access to interrupt it
• Sciacchetrà, the local sweet wine made from dried Bosco grapes, drunk at a plastic table in Manarola with anchovies on toast while the fishing boats come in
• Manarola from the cemetery viewpoint at golden hour, the village looks like it was arranged by someone who wanted to make photographers cry