Walking in the Cinque Terre and Portofino

Experience Overview

About sixty miles east of Genoa lies a corner of the Liguria region with a remarkably well-preserved landscape steeped in tradition. 'Cinque Terre' means five lands; villages which are nestled high on cliffs or along deep inaccessible coves, with colourful houses facing the seafront. Each village offers its own olive oils, anchovies and Sciacchetrà liqueur (known as the 'Elixir of the Gods'). By day, you discover the beautiful peninsulas of Portofino and Sestri Levante using well-marked walking trails; in the evening enjoy the sunsets over the Mediterranean.
Profile
— 6 nights HB, all rooms en suite — 5 days centre based walking — Moderate walking on a variety of paths — Low altitude throughout — Self-guided trip. Minimum age 10 years
At a Glance
— 6 nights HB, all rooms en suite — 5 days centre based walking — Moderate walking on a variety of paths — Low altitude throughout — Self-guided trip. Minimum age 10 years
Trip For You
Activity Level: 3 (Moderate)5 days optional centre-based walking, low altitude throughout.This is a self-guided tour, so you can walk at your own pace (we recommend taking plenty of time to rest and enjoy the views!). Although some walks will get your pulse racing you will also have plenty of time to rest, admire the views and on many days you can also enjoy swim breaks. Over the course of the week, the terrain and type of path will vary from man made paved tracks and tarmac to forest trails. Some areas may be rocky underfoot with narrow, overgrown or exposed paths. Although the walks are not technically challenging, you do need to be steady on your feet. All walks take between 2 and 6 hours including lunch stops and require a moderate level of fitness. Please note that, as on all of our walking trips, when the weather is wet some of the paths can be slippy. The steep sections on Palmaria Island have ropes to help with this. Public transport is recommended (the cost is not included in the trip) in order to reduce your carbon footprint. The transport timetables will be provided in your route notes so you can choose the bus or train time that suits you best.As this is a self-guided tour, there will be no group or tour leader and you are free to complete the walks at your own speed. You may find our Fitness Training Guide a useful reference: http://www.exodus.co.uk/assets/pdf/Exodus_WT_Fitness_Training_Guide.pdf
Group Description
As this is a self-guided tour there is no group and no leader. The tour is based at the same hotel for the 7 days and is managed by a local operator.
Eating Drinking
Liguria is well-known for its delicious cuisine and classic regional dishes include pasta with pesto or walnut sauce, focaccia bread and of course plenty of seafood! With an abundance of fresh local produce and plenty of restaurants to try in Sestri Levante, food is a highlight of the trip. Vegetarians are well-catered for in Italy.
Transportation
This trip uses public transport to access the walks. All timetables will be provided in your route notes.
Joining Instructions
Your trip normally starts at our hotel in Sestri Levante on the afternoon of Day 1 of the itinerary. Details of how to reach the start hotel are given in the Final Joining Instructions. Flights from LondonOur flight inclusive price includes Heathrow to Pisa flights with British Airways. Out: British Airways Heathrow to Pisa 07:10/10:25 then train Pisa Centrale to Sestri Leveante 13:02/14:42, walk to hotel 500m. Return: Walk to train station 500m, train Sestri Levante to Pisa Centrale 10:38/12:17 then British Airways Pisa to Heathrow 17:00/18:20. Regional flightsThe Flight Inclusive price is based on a London departure to Pisa airport and then rail to Sestri Levante, but we are happy to tailor this to your local or regional airport, or into Genoa airport.
Transfer Details
Rail transfers are only included in the flight inclusive price for this trip, but are available at a supplement if booking tour only. Transfers from Genoa airport are also available at a supplement. Please ask your sales agent at the time of booking.
Weather Information
April and May departures can expect warm days, although rain is always possible. Nights may be rather cool. Early June is similar, with the days becoming progressively hotter and the evenings much warmer. Late June to August departures should expect very warm weather with temperatures over 30 degrees celsius. Late September and October are cooler and can be wetter, however visibility is better. We strongly recommend a fleece-lined jacket or warm sweater in May, September and October.
Spending Money
— We recommend you allow about €5-15 per day for lunch, depending on whether you have a picnic, snack or a light restaurant meal. For evening meals not included you should allow about €15-30 including drinks, although it is possible to spend more than this if you choose expensive dishes. You will also need some local currency for extra snacks and drinks bought from the occasional café. — You should allow a total of €70-80 to cover public transport (bus, train and boat) expenses which are not included in the trip price.

Highlights