Cinque terre: Best Time to Visit
Cinque Terre’s tourist season begins earlier and ends later than most European destinations lasting from April through October.
January-March
January-March
- Low season.
- Most hotels and restaurant will be closed.
- Easter is the "kick off" weekend of the season. Not only will Cinque Terre be filled with tourists, but Italian families also like to travel on Easter weekend.
- April 25th is Italian Liberation Day and trails will not be accessible.
- May 1st is Labor Day, which will be crowded.
- May and June are the height of peak season. Visitors will be lucky to find accommodations within Cinque Terre, unless booked months in advance. The beaches will be crowded with locals, tourists, and cruise ship day trippers.
July-August
- Cinque Terre will still be crowded and temperatures will skyrocket.
- Hiking is not ideal during this time. Keep in mind most hotels do not have air conditioning.
- Train cars will be packed wall to wall and the beaches will be crowded as well.
- The week of August 15th is a public holiday when 90% of the population will go on vacation. This is the most expensive week where hotel prices increase by almost three times.
- A fair amount of tourists are still around and September is a very popular time to visit.
- Due to rain, walking trails are not always accessible during the fall.
- The crowds will lessen, but pick back up again around Christmas
- Manarola’s nativity scene will be on display from December to January drawing thousands of tourists.
