We visited Cinque Terre with Gerardo and would do it again in a heartbeat! He was so knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful, guiding our group across multiple methods of transportation and villages. We were so glad to have him, as the trip involved a lot of travel, ticket and transportation logistics. This started with a 2-hour bus ride from Florence to La Spezia, then a train ride into the villages. We added the optional boat ride at the end, which is available depending on the season and weather. Our guide handled communication with the boat company and coordinated meeting times and tickets (which need to be paid in cash, day of). I HIGHLY recommend adding the boat if available as you’ll get the most stunning views of each village as you pull into each dock. We had a shorter time in Riomaggiare because of boat delays, but seeing it from the water was well worth it. We started in Vernazza, with the option to follow Gerardo up a staircase to a beautiful viewpoint. This gave us a glimpse into daily life there as deliveries were being made with a special machine as we climbed. We had almost an hour of free time to explore after, which we spent admiring the beautiful harbor, sampling wine from Eroico, and gelato from Gelateria Vernazza (the pistachio and ricotta and fig flavors were especially amazing). Next we took the train to Monterosso and enjoyed free time with wine and charcuterie at a local café before dipping our toes into the sea. Beautiful village- take time to explore the church and stroll through the streets. We boarded the boat here, which made 3 stops (and offered incredible views) before pulling into Riomaggiore. Docking here was incredible, but each village was uniquely stunning. We had the shortest time here, and felt a bit rushed to make the train back, but still enjoyed. After CT, the tour included a train to Pisa and then a 90 min bus ride back to the Florence train station. I wish we had a shorter window in Pisa (and more time in Riomaggiore), but I understand they have to coordinate around train schedules. We got back to Florence about 8:30pm just in time to grab dinner. Absolutely recommend this tour! I think we’d do it again and explore all 5 villages with the hike during a cooler time of year.
