4 days, 3 nights · Best for active travelers who want coastal trails and hands-on cooking
Cinque Terre Cooking and Trekking Package
Enjoy a private guided trek through Cinque Terre National Park, then savor a half-day cooking class paired with tastings of the region’s typical wines.
Your Adventure Starts Here
This is a starting point. Change the nights, choose the style of hotel, add the experiences you want. Your planner takes it from there.
Stop 1Levanto, Liguria
Levanto
coastal base for trails, boats and cooking
We base you in Levanto, a sea resort at the edge of the Cinque Terre National Park where the crowds thin and the piazzas belong to locals. The medieval center gathers around Piazza della Loggia with its arcaded market hall and castle walls. Elegant villas line the waterfront promenade. From here you reach the park trails and boat landings without the bottleneck of the five famous villages.
You walk the clifftop paths with a private guide, covering Riomaggiore, Manarola and Vernazza by foot and returning by local boat. Between walks, you cook in a country house set among terraced vineyards, learning to shape pansoti and pound walnut sauce the way Ligurian cooks have done for generations. The house looks over olive groves that step down to the water.
Arranged for you: Three nights accommodation, breakfast daily, guided trek through Cinque Terre by boat and on foot, hands-on Ligurian cooking class with lunch in a country house.
Your hotel
Styles, not names. We name the property once we know your dates and your party.
Interests in Levanto
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wine tasting at a hillside Cinque Terre vineyard Day Trips · Half day
Visit terraced vineyards reachable only on foot, taste Sciacchetrà and white DOC wines, meet the grower who works slopes too steep for machines.
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pesto-making workshop with a Genoese chef Day Trips · Half day
Pound basil, garlic, pine nuts and Parmigiano in a marble mortar, learn the proper ratio and technique, taste your sauce with trofie pasta.
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kayaking along the Cinque Terre coast Day Trips · Half day
Paddle from Monterosso with a guide, explore sea caves and hidden coves, swim in clear water away from the village beaches.
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sunset boat tour to Portovenere Day Trips · Half day
Private boat along the western coastline to the fortified harbor town, walk to the clifftop church of San Pietro, return as the sun drops behind the islands.
Day by day in Levanto
Arrival on your own in Levanto, a lovely sea resort on the border with the Cinque Terre National Park, a UNESCO designated world heritage site. Check in at your hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure. Levanto has a rich historical past that you can admire in the beautiful square Piazza della Loggia right in the historical town center with a medieval Loggia, in the many elegant villas, nice churches and an interesting medieval Castle still intact. Besides its historical heritage, Levanto is also a well known surfing resort with a beautiful long sand beach and a colorful market.
Enjoy a nice Italian breakfast at your Hotel and be ready for a wonderful active day is this beautiful paradise. Meet with your tour guide at your Hotel and travel along the coast by boat to reach Riomaggiore where you will start the walk. The best way to discover the Cinque Terre National Park is on foot. Along the walking paths, which up to a short while ago were the only routes between the five small villages of Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, you will discover breathtaking views suspended between sky and sea. Prepare your camera for high cliffs over the blue deep sea, terraced vineyards and ancient olive trees, colorful fisherman’s villages with no car traffic and smiling inhabitants. You will walk along the famous Via dell’Amore, the “Love path”, absorbing the sun and traditions of this beautiful place. At the end of the day return by train to your Hotel in Levanto for a good rest’s sleep.
This day will find you relaxing and cooking up a storm! After a relaxing morning, we offer a hands on class in Ligurian cuisine in a typical country house, teaching you to make traditional dishes, such as Pansoti with walnut sauce. You’ll eat the fruit of your labors in this lovely country house set amongst vineyards and olive groves, with your classmates and tasting some local good wine. The cooking class could be also in the morning followed by lunch. Overnight at your Hotel in Levanto.
Day 4
Levanto, Cinque Terre National Park
After breakfast, our services will end.
Why plan with Trips 2 Italy?
Designed around you by Italian-born planners
Guides, drivers and boats for your party alone
Hand-selected hotels in every destination
Local English-speaking guides who know their city
Met at the airport, private transfers throughout
Testimonials
Hear from travelers who have planned Italy with us
They took the time to understand our preferences and designed an itinerary that was comfortable, personalized, and enjoyable. They offered thoughtful recommendations while never being pushy.
We missed our connecting flight in Munich. I had just got through customs and was looking up the number to call when Trips 2 Italy called me. They told me exactly what to do and they already knew what flight we had been rebooked on.
Ready to make it yours?
Send us this adventure with your changes. An Italian-born planner builds the first full draft and calls you to walk through it.
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Questions travelers ask
Which places are included in this vacation package?
Over 4 days this journey brings you to Cinque Terre, and Levanto. Each stop is woven into the itinerary with time for the landmarks, the views, and the local flavor that make it special.
Is transportation arranged for us?
Transportation is arranged as part of the itinerary, with comfortable train segments between the cities and vehicle transfers where they serve you best. Every connection is planned for you, so you can focus on the scenery instead of the logistics.
Who is this trip designed for?
It suits travelers who want Italy arranged by experts, with guided experiences balanced by free time to explore on your own.
Can the itinerary or hotels be adjusted?
Yes. Nothing here is fixed. Your travel consultant can add nights, change hotel categories, or swap experiences so the trip matches your wishes and your budget of time. A minimum of 2 travelers applies.
What time of year should we plan this vacation?
The package is available all year around on request. Late spring through early fall is prime time on the coast, with warm seas and long evenings, while April, May, September, and October pair gentle weather with quieter towns.