Your LivTours Private Shore Excursion from La Spezia to the Cinque Terre starts as you exit the La Spezia Cruise Ship Terminal, where your expert local guide will be waiting for you. Together, you will stroll down the waterfront to the ferry terminal and board your first boat of the day. Prepare yourself for an incredibly scenic ride through the Golf of Poets, the bay made famous by Lord Byron, who would swim across it daily, and his fellow literary sojourners, Mary and Percy Bysshe Shelly. As you exit the bay at the straights of Portovenere, the Mediterranean Sea will open up before you, and on your right, the iconic Cinque Terre coastline will begin.
Disembarking where you please, from here you can enjoy a short hike and breathtaking views of the towns of Riomaggiore and Manarola. You will also start to appreciate the Cinque Terre’s unique coastline, hosting steep cliff-sides lined with vineyards and olive trees. There are many local wineries in the area producing famous wines such as Sciacchetrà and the Cinque Terre DOC. Be sure to try a Cinque Terre wine later in the day when you stop for lunch!
After this incredible introduction, you will make your way down to Vernazza, the oldest town of the Cinque Terre, founded in the year 1080. Although all five towns that make up the Cinque Terre are gorgeous, Vernazza is considered to be one of the most stunning, with its colorful houses and picturesque little harbor.
From Vernazza you can choose to take a ferry to Monterosso, allowing you to get stunning photographs, enjoy the rugged coastline up close, and admire the beautiful green water and man-made grottos coming out of the cliffs. Once in Monterosso, you will have some free time to explore and eat lunch. The cost of lunch is not included in this tour, but your LivTours guide will be happy to recommend some great places to eat. In Monterosso, anchovies are a local specialty, as is the freshly caught seafood, so be sure to indulge in them, perhaps paired with local wine. After relaxing and recharging in Monterosso, you will journey back by train. The Cinque Terre’s trains run seamlessly in and out of tunnels along the coast, giving you the opportunity to enjoy this unique stretch of coastline in yet another way. Get your cameras ready!
Your train ride from Monterosso ends at La Spezia Centrale station. From here, in the company of your private guide, you will walk back through the historic center of La Spezia to the cruise ship terminal.