The Best & Worst Times to Visit Cinque Terre in 2024

Plan the ultimate trip to the Five Lands when you learn the best time to visit Cinque Terre! We’ll show you the best, cheapest, least busy, and worst time to go with tips for the perfect trip. Before we cover the best time to visit, let’s look at a few reasons Cinque Terre deserves a spot on your travel bucket list. 

The Overall Best Time to Visit Cinque Terre

The best time to visit Cinque Terre overall is April to June with warm, relatively dry weather. This time is great for hiking, exploring the villages, and enjoying the beaches and harbors. 

You’ll enjoy warm temperatures from the mid-60s to the mid-70s between April and June in Cinque Terre.

Rain is minimal, with 2.5″ in April and totals dwindling to 1.6″ by June. It’s a little chilly for a swim at the beach with sea temperatures in the mid-60s in April and May, but the sea warms up into the 70s by the time June rolls around.

This time of year is excellent for strolling through the villages and vineyards, walking footpaths and hilly terraces, and enjoying the many shops and cafes you’ll pass along the way. 

April to June are excellent months for hiking as the temperatures are pleasantly warm. Tourists are starting to arrive in larger numbers during the spring and early summer, but won’t reach their peak until July and August. 

That makes April, May, and June the best months to visit Cinque Terre overall – you get the warm weather with little rain and smaller crowds, all for a more affordable price than during peak season. 

Here’s a look at the average hotel prices during this period, according to recent data from Google Hotels:

• April: $82-$214/night
• May: $83-$219/night
• June: $86-$225/night

April is the cheapest and least busy month to visit during this period, but it’s also a little chillier with more rainfall that can get in the way of your plans. Head to Cinque Terre in May or June if you want to spend time by the sea or just want to avoid more rainy days during your trip.

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Cheapest Time to Visit Cinque Terre

The cheapest time to visit Cinque Terre is during November and December, when hotel prices hit their lowest point of the year and shoulder season crowds clear out. 

By the time the fall shoulder season is winding down and winter approaches, Cinque Terre experiences a sudden drop in tourism due to colder temperatures and increased rainfall. It’s not empty by any means, but fewer tourists mean lower prices on hotels and guest house rentals.

This is the cheapest time of year to visit Cinque Terre. Cooler temperatures around 47F to 52F in November and December leave the air feeling chilly, but not cold.

Rain can be an issue if you’re hoping to enjoy time outdoors.  Cinque Terre sees 5.5 inches of rain each November and 4.7 inches in December. Since December gets a little less rain and is the cheapest month to visit, it might be your best bet if you’re visiting on a budget. 

Here’s a look at how much hotels generally cost in November and December in Cinque Terre:

• November: $63-$167/night
• December: $54-$143/night

Cooler temperatures, rain, and fewer tourists in the villages lead to some accommodations, restaurants, and attractions (like hiking trails and boat rentals) shutting down temporarily or for the winter. 

You may not be able to enjoy the full Cinque Terre experience when it’s cheapest in November and December, but there’s plenty to do and the beautiful scenery is here year-round. 

Least Busy Time to Visit Cinque Terre

The least busy time to visit Cinque Terre is from November through February, with fewer tourists arriving due to colder weather and increased rainfall.

Avoiding big crowds of tourists in Cinque Terre is almost impossible during the periods with the best weather – spring, summer, and early fall. 

But if you don’t mind cooler temperatures, rain, and a general paring-down of things to do around the villages, come during November through February. 

The winter season is perfect if you want to avoid crowds and enjoy Cinque Terre when it’s as close to empty as it ever gets. Temperatures are pleasantly cool for hiking trails, village streets, and through olive groves.

Average temperatures range from the lowest in January (52F) to the highest in November (60F).  Rainfall can be a problem for outdoor activities during this time of year.

November and January are the wettest winter months, getting about 5.5 inches of rain during each month. December is slightly less rainy, at 4.7 inches per month, and February is the driest winter month with 3.8 inches of rain on average. 

Some accommodations, attractions, restaurants, and hiking trails may be shut down during poor weather or once the winter season arrives. That can be a disadvantage of visiting during the least busy time.

But it’s the price you’ll pay for visiting this gorgeous place when it’s at its least crowded. Speaking of prices, rates on hotels are lower during the winter season with less demand from tourists.

Here’s a look at the average prices this time of year:

• November: $63-$167/night
• December: $54-$143/night
• January: $72-$189/night
• February: $70-$184/night

December is the overall cheapest month to visit Cinque Terre and February offers reasonable rates on accommodations with the least rain of the winter months.

These 2 months (December and February) might be the best choice if you want to avoid crowds while enjoying the best Cinque Terre has to offer. 

Worst Time to Visit Cinque Terre

The worst time to visit Cinque Terre are in the months of October and November. During this time, expect heave rain, but July and August can frustrate travelers with high prices and temperatures in the 90s. 

October and November may be the worst time to visit Cinque Terre overall because it rains a lot during this time. Rain and storms can ruin your plans to explore and wander through the villages or spend time by the sea.

October is the rainiest month in Cinque Terre, getting around 4.2″ of rain, and November follows up with about 3.9″ of rain.

You’ll find that some shops and accommodations will be closed for the winter by November. While it’s not convenient, there are plenty of restaurants, shops, and bars to enjoy indoors while you wait out the rain.

The affordable prices on hotels during this time of year can also take the sting away:

• October: $71-$187/night
• November: $63-$167/night

You should also consider the other less-than-stellar time to visit Cinque Terre – July and August – when you’re making your plans. Temperatures average around 75F in July and August with daily highs closer to the 80s and 90s.

It’s not unbearably hot, but it can make leisurely strolls through the villages a little less pleasant. The warm-to-hot temperatures may not break you, but the huge crowds of tourists along every footpath, street, beach, and restaurant in the 5 villages can be frustrating to deal with. 

You’ll also pay more for hotels and guest rooms during July and August, which is the peak point of the high season in Cinque Terre. 

Here’s a look at how much hotels generally cost in Cinque Terre in July and August:

• July: $88-$233/night
• August: $90-$238/night

While the prices are higher than usual this time of year, it’s also much harder to find and book a room close to your trip dates. There aren’t as many hotels or guest rooms available in the villages as you’d find in other tourist areas, and the rooms book up quickly during peak season.

Things to Consider

Visiting Cinque Terre is exciting, but your experience will be better when you have a good idea of what to expect. Take a look at these travel tips that can help you make the most of your trip! 

• Monterosso and Riomaggiore have the most hotels. Wondering where to stay in Cinque Terre? The larger villages in Cinque Terre are where you’ll find the most options for hotels. They book up quickly during the spring and summer, so you might check on guesthouses and apartment rentals in smaller villages if you’re having trouble booking in one of the main villages. 
• Consider staying outside the villages. Since Cinque Terre’s 5 villages are small with relatively few hotels, many people decide to stay outside the villages in a nearby towns like Levanto. Here, you can book a hotel at a fair price (usually lower than Cinque Terre hotels) and take the 10-minute train to Cinque Terre, take a boat, or walk the footpaths to the villages.
• Don’t stress about which village to stay in. Each of the 5 fishing villages of Cinque Terre offers its own unique charm, but they’re all so closely packed that none feel worlds away from the others. You’ll get a similar experience no matter where you stay or spend a day, but the larger villages (Monterosso and Riomaggiore) may feel more crowded and busy than the others. 
• Set out early each day. Cinque Terre gets a lot of daily visitors that arrive on the train. The busiest times are 10am to 4pm, when train visitors pack the villages and explore the streets, hiking paths, and shores. If you start your days early and take advantage of the laid-back evenings, you’ll enjoy a less crowded visit. 
• Visit the beach in Monterosso. There are beaches in Vernazza, Riomaggiore, and one in Corniglia (you’ll walk down a long staircase down the cliffs to access it), but they’re not sandy beaches with beach chairs. Monterosso is the only sandy beach in Cinque Terre and it is absolutely stunning. It’s free to set up along the end of the beach, but free spots fill up fast. You can pay around $15-$20 to rent a beach chair and umbrella in the most beautiful section reserved for paying visitors. Rates may be higher in the peak season, but it’s worth it if there’s an open spot! 

Frequently Asked Questions

Learning the best time to visit Cinque Terre is just the beginning of planning a wonderful trip. Take a look at the most frequently asked questions to learn more about planning your visit! 

So, When Should You Visit Cinque Terre?

When it comes to visiting these 5 scenic cliffside villages on the Italian Riviera, there are certainly some parts of the year that are better for a visit than others. 

The overall best time to visit Cinque Terre is from April to June, just before the peak summer season kicks off and when the weather is dry, warm, and perfect for exploring the villages.

No matter when you go to Cinque Terre, pack some comfy walking shoes and prepare to take in the authentic beauty and stunning, old world charm around every corner.

It’s an unforgettable destination that you’ll want to visit again and again – and after spending a few days in the different villages, you might find that one ends up feeling like home away from home.