Rei Adventures has a hiking tour through Cinque Terre rated as "moderate," meaning that tourists should have some experience trekking across rocky terrain -- it can have steep inclines and sudden descents. For the 7 day, 6 night Cinque Terre Hiking tour, the fee includes hotel rooms with private bathrooms, some meals and transportation via train at the end of the trip.
Day 1 begins in the seaside oasis of Santa Margherita, where guests settle in for a night and meet with their tour guides. On the second day, hikers traverse beachfront cliffs from Camogli to Portofino, to sites such as the Abbey of San Fruttuoso, from the 13th century. On Day 3, travelers go via train to Levanto, where they receive picnic supplies, and move by foot to Monterosso, where they will spend two nights. With Monterosso as a home base, on Day 4, they hike along paths that interlock the five key cities of Cinque Terra. There's time for a swim in the ocean. The rest of the trip features a fortress that was once a key defensive building against attacking pirates, a boat excursion to Palmaria where travelers can explore a Neolithic cave, and a marble quarry.
Rei Adventures
P.O. Box 1938
Sumner, WA 98390
1-800-622-2236
rei.com
Hidden Italy rates their 7 days/6 night Walking Tour in the Cinque Terre as Grade 1, meaning it is a family-friendly expedition where children 10 and over are welcome. Reservations include accommodations at hotels run by families, all of which have bathrooms in each suite.
The second day includes a leisurely tour on a path that lines the ocean and skirts around an old convent. On Days 3 and 4, tourists meander along the Sentiero Azzurro. Given the sobriquet "Light Blue Trail," it interconnects all 5 villages. It winds through olive groves as well as the path known as Via dell'Amore, a pathway that connects Manarola with Riomaggiore, nicknamed the Love Road, because lovers have found solace in the spectacular views. By Day 6, tired legs can rest on a boat ride from Portovenere to a nearby island. Visitors tour monasteries dating from the 11th century before ending on the 7th day at La Spezia, which sits at the tip of the Gulf of La Spezia and hosts a bevy of museums and markets.
Hidden Italy
Frosh International
The Italian Specialists Division
100 Larkspur Landing Circle
Ste. 104
Larkspur, CA 94939
1-800-949-0603
Girsole Italian Walking Tours customize tours throughout Italy, including the Cinque Terre region, based on the needs and desires of the adventurers. In the typical Cinque Terre tour, amenities include breakfast and dinner, guided daily walks and a professional tour leader. A Cinque Terre holiday with Girsole starts and finishes in Monterosso and lasts 5 days and 6 nights. On the first day, tour guides greet and familiarize guests with activities in the day to come. The second day kicks off with a walk from Monterosso to Levanto, a town known as the home of the Church of Saint Andrew that was built in the 13th century and remains as an example of gothic architecture. On the third day, guests wander through the fishing hamlet of Vernazza, and can tour the Doria Castle, built in the 15th century to keep watch for invading pirates. On Day 4 tourists go to the southernmost village of Cinque Terre: Riomaggiore, a haven for wine lovers, full of vineyards. On the fifth day, there is a guided tour of the fishing village of Portofino. Off Portofino's coast is "Christ of the Abyss," a statue sunk in 1954 as homage to sailors who have lost their lives while at sea.
Girsole
1745 Niagara St.
Denver, CO 80220
720-989-9732
girosole.com
