Cinque Terre with kids: 5 sights to see!
You can do just fine for a day to Cinque Terre with kids. Sure, there’s not super much to do for kids except for some playgrounds, but they should survive a day to this beautiful part of Italy if you stop regularly for snacks, drinks and ice cream. In total, Cinque Terre consists of five different villages, all of which you can reach by public transportation. We list the different villages to visit and provide all the information you need to visit Cinque Terre with the family!
Cinque Terre with kids: Cinque terre card
If you are visiting Cinque Terre with kids, the train is the easiest mode of transportation. Visiting this area by car is not doable and definitely not recommended. You can easily park the car in the towns of Levanto and La Spezia and from there take the train to the five villages in Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre is a national park and you pay an entrance fee to visit the “park. You can buy a card on this website that gives entrance to the national park. Here you can choose between a card including and a card excluding transportation by train.
In that regard, it is easy if you want to visit all five villages to buy a train ticket. This card can also already be used for the train from Levanto or La Spezia towards Cinque Terre. It is also possible to buy tickets for the train on the spot at the ticket office only of course (especially in high season) there can be a line at the ticket office.
Cinque Terre with kids: transportation between places
As we just mentioned, the train is an ideal means of transportation between the five different villages. The train always takes a few minutes between villages, allowing you to see a lot in a short time. Do check in advance when the trains run between villages so you don’t have to wait too long at a station.
Another option is to take a boat from one village to another. All places are accessible by boat except the village of Corniglia not (there is no port there). Again, you can opt for a day pass and you can also take a boat from Levanto and La Spezia to these villages. Again, you can choose between single tickets for a ride or go for a day pass, which allows unlimited travel between the different villages.
The last possibility to move between the villages is on foot. You have several hiking trails between most villages, only most of the trails are not really suitable to walk with kids. The trails can be quite steep, and especially in the summer when the heat makes such a hike almost impossible. Of course, while walking you do have beautiful views of the villages and the sea.
If you do want to walk a bit, the Via dell’Amore from Manarola station to Riomaggiore is the easiest route to walk. This trail is about 1.5 kilometers long and you walk for about half an hour on it. Do check in advance to see if the trails are open, as the trails are regularly closed for maintenance.
Just keep in mind that on the paths between the villages you are not allowed to walk with flip-flops and you do need to put on sturdy shoes. Anyway, you walk a fair amount in the villages. A stroller is possible in the villages but a child carrier is a lot easier.
Cinque Terre with kids #1: Manarola
This is the oldest village in Cinque Terre and is best known for its wine. The village is also surrounded by vineyards perched on the hills. It is also possible to walk through these vineyards, but it is a tough climb up. You also have hiking trails up here and also stunning views of the village of Manarola.
Especially from the bar Nessun Dorma you have a beautiful view, where you can take really cool photos while eating with the village in the background. The prices here are also quite affordable. At Manarola you can cool off from the sea. On the large boulders near the village, people are sunbathing and people are jumping into the water from the blocks.
You can also have a great walk through the village. There are plenty of stores, cafes and restaurants to grab a bite to eat in the village. Just keep in mind that it is quite hilly and so it can be tiring all those stairs.
Cinque Terre with kids #2: Vernazza
This village is often considered the most beautiful of the five villages. You have a nice harbor here with cozy terraces and from the train station you are here in no time. Especially the colored boats in the harbor are very photogenic. It is also nice to visit the center of this village for a while and stroll through its narrow alleys. This is one of the busiest village of Cinque Terre, though.
Also at Vernazza you have a small beach located near the village that consists mainly of pebbles. Although you can obviously cool off here with your kids by the sea, it is not a beach where you will quickly lie down for a few hours.
Vernazza has a number of small attractions such as a bell tower on a rock in the sea, a castle, the city walls and an old church. Still, you shouldn’t really visit Cinque Terre for the sights, but more for the beautiful views and the beauty of the various villages.
Cinque Terre with kids #3: Corniglia
This is the only village not directly on the sea and built on a rock. It is also the least visited by tourists and not that many people live in this village. From the train station, you still have to climb 365 steps before you reach the village. Therefore, with very small kids, you can choose to take the bus from the station to the village.
Many walks start in this village, because from the higher Corniglia you walk down to the other villages, which is obviously a lot easier than having to walk up the mountain. Furthermore, in the village you have mostly terraces where you can have a drink and also there is a little church that you can possibly visit in this village of Cinque Terre with kids.
Cinque Terre with kids #4: Monterosso Al Mare
This is the village where you can also most easily get to the beach during your visit to Cinque Terre with kids. You have a nice long promenade here where the beaches of this village are located. This village is the least beautiful of the five and mostly popular for its beach. If you don’t visit Cinque Terre with kids in the summer months, this is a village you can skip if you don’t have a lot of time.
On the beach you will also find a huge rock (Scoglio di Monterosso). Young people especially enjoy climbing this rock and jumping from it into the water. Despite not being the most beautiful beaches in Italy, this is a great place to spend a few hours on the beach with your kids.
In Monterosso Al Mare you have a new part and an old part. Most tourists stay in the new section near the train station, but the beaches in the old section are a lot quieter. Therefore, if you do not want to be in the crowds on the beach in the summer, you can also walk along the coast to the older part of Monterosso.
Cinque Terre with kids #5: Riomaggiore
This village is the southernmost of the five villages of Cinque Terre. In Riomaggiore it is fun to visit the village’s attractive little harbor. From here the boats also travel to the other villages. If you want a nice view of this village, it is fun to climb over the rocks at the harbor and take a nice picture of your kids and the village from the rocks.
You can visit a castle and the church San Giovanni Battista in this village, but they are located in the higher parts of the village. You do, of course, have another beautiful view the higher you get into the village.
Where to stay in Cinque Terre with kids?
As we indicated, it is perfectly doable to visit Cinque Terre with kids in a day. If you don’t want to visit all the villages, even half a day will suffice. However, there are plenty of families with kids who also spend a night in one of the villages. This allows you to take it a little slower and, of course, by evening and early morning it is also a lot less crowded in the various villages. We list some good options below in the different price ranges.
Budget hotel: Agriturismo Costa di Campo
Mid-range hotel: Olimpo Affittacamere
Luxury hotel: Sea View Suites – Francamaria Rooms
Look for all accommodations in the region of Cinque Terre briefly here.
