Experience the Italy That Locals Love
This isn't just sightseeing — it's a journey into the heart of Emilia-Romagna & Cinque Terre's rich heritage. Walk through centuries of history, taste authentic flavors passed down through generations, and connect with traditions that have shaped this remarkable destination. Every moment becomes a story to tell.
Discover the wonders of Emilia-Romagna & Cinque Terre, a captivating destination that offers unique experiences, rich culture, and memorable adventures. Whether you're seeking relaxation, adventure, or cultural immersion, Emilia-Romagna & Cinque Terre promises to exceed your expectations with its warm hospitality and stunning scenery.
10 nights in Emilia-Romagna & Cinque Terre — day by day, fact-checked
Your flight from London lands at Bologna Guglielmo Marconi (BLQ), and your included private transfer takes you into the city, roughly 7 to 15 minutes from the airport. Keep the first evening light: get your bearings on foot and eat locally in Italy's food capital.
Your flight from London lands at Bologna Guglielmo Marconi (BLQ). A private transfer is included, so your driver meets you and takes you to your Bologna hotel, roughly 7 to 15 minutes from the airport. Whether an early-morning or late-night arrival, check your own time before planning the first evening.
Your airport pickup is a private transfer included in the package. You are met at Bologna Guglielmo Marconi (BLQ) and driven to your hotel; you do not book or pay for the airport-to-hotel leg.
Check your own arrival time before planning the first evening. Bologna's centre is compact, so even a late-night arrival leaves the morning open for the historic centre on foot.
If you ever self-arrange the airport leg, the Marconi Express monorail links BLQ to Bologna Centrale in about 7 minutes, running roughly 05:40 to midnight, single 12.80 euro, with contactless pay-and-go. Your included transfer means you do not need it on arrival.
Do not drive yourself into Bologna's centre if you extend the trip with a hire car. The historic centre is a ZTL limited-traffic zone, and entering without a permit triggers fines. This is a rail-and-walk trip by design.
On a tired arrival evening, a simple plate of fresh local pasta near your base beats a trek across town. Carry some cash for the coperto and small trattorie.
Keep the first evening close to your hotel. Bologna's centre is compact and walkable. Dinner service runs about 19:30 to 22:00, and many trattorie close between lunch and dinner and often shut one weekday, so there is no rush. Get your bearings on foot and eat locally.
Bologna keeps long summer evenings. In mid-August sunset is about 20:22, with around 14 hours of daylight. In mid-October it falls to about 18:32, losing roughly two hours of evening light — so pin trail and ferry days earlier if you travel in autumn.
Expect a coperto on the bill — a legal, menu-listed per-person cover charge of roughly 1 to 3 euro for bread and the table setting. It is a restaurant charge, not a tip and not a service failure. Tipping is not a culture here; rounding up is generous.
Book proper trattorie and osterie direct by phone. Many family-run places take bookings by phone or walk-in only and are on no reservation app, so do not assume an online slot exists.
Do not sit down to eat on church or monument steps to save time. Some Italian towns fine eating and drinking next to main churches and historic monuments, and sitting on monument steps carries on-the-spot fines.
Getting your bearings on foot the first evening puts you in the heart of the historic centre for the days ahead, with no planning or ticket needed.
Bologna on foot: the Basilica di San Petronio on Piazza Maggiore, the Clock Tower for the city panorama, and the Quadrilatero food market. The climbable leaning tower is closed, so this is a piazza-and-market day, not a tower day.
Basilica di San Petronio on Piazza Maggiore opens daily 10:00 to 18:00, last entry 17:50, and the basilica itself is free to enter. Cover shoulders and knees at the door. The panoramic rooftop terrace is permanently closed, so do not plan the morning around a terrace view here.
Basilica di San Petronio is open daily 10:00 to 18:00, last entry 17:50; the museum and chapels 10:00 to 17:30. Entry to the basilica is free; the chapel tour is 5 euro full, 3 euro reduced.
Shoulders and knees must be covered to enter the basilica. Carry a scarf or a light layer so a dress-code refusal at the door does not end the visit.
The basilica interior and museum are open, but the panoramic terrace is permanently closed after restoration. For a Bologna panorama, the Clock Tower on the same square is the honest substitute.
Do not come expecting to climb San Petronio's rooftop terrace — it is permanently closed. Only the interior and museum are open, so no rooftop view is sold here.
Bologna's vast Gothic basilica on Piazza Maggiore, free to enter, at the centre of the historic centre; the rooftop terrace is permanently closed, so it is an interior visit.
The Torre degli Asinelli, Bologna's climbable leaning tower, is closed for area maintenance with no reopening date, so a tower climb is off. The honest substitute is the Clock Tower on Piazza Maggiore, open daily with reservation compulsory, in the same historic centre.
The Clock Tower (Torre dell'Orologio) has three admission slots per hour, on the :00, :20 and :40, and reservation is compulsory. Ticket 10 euro full, 7 euro reduced, including an audioguide climb and the Municipal Art Collections.
Clock Tower hours: 1 Jan to 31 May 2026 10:00 to 18:20; 1 Jun to 6 Sep 10:00 to 20:20; closed 25 Dec.
The Clock Tower (Torre dell'Orologio) on Piazza Maggiore is a panorama option now the Asinelli Tower is closed to climbers.
Do not turn up to climb the leaning Torre degli Asinelli. The official booking page states it is closed for area maintenance and cannot be booked online, with no reopening date, tied to stabilising the adjacent Garisenda Tower.
An alternative to the closed leaning tower, with an audioguide climb and the Municipal Art Collections, right on Piazza Maggiore in the historic centre.
The Quadrilatero, Bologna's old market quarter behind Piazza Maggiore, is the food heart of the city. For a guided introduction, the tourism-board Taste of Bologna walk runs a certified guide through the market with tastings. Otherwise graze the counters yourself around the lunch window.
The official Taste of Bologna food walk (Bologna Welcome) is a 2-hour English-guided walk through the Quadrilatero with 3 tastings plus a sweet-treat voucher, 55 euro full, 35 euro reduced (children 5-11), free under-5. Booking required; not suitable for coeliacs.
The Taste of Bologna walk meets at Piazza del Nettuno; arrive 10 minutes early. Summer (Apr-Oct) it runs Mon-Thu 11:00 and Fri-Sun 16:00; winter (to March) Fri-Sun 16:00.
Lunch runs roughly 12:30 to 14:30 and many trattorie close between lunch and dinner, often shutting one weekday. Plan food stops around these windows rather than assuming all-day service.
Do not build the day around a single famous osteria without checking its day off. All'Osteria Bottega, for one, is closed Sunday and Monday, so a Sunday plan there fails.
The city tourism board's own guided walk through the Quadrilatero market with a certified guide and food tastings — a reliable, non-touristy anchor for the Bologna food day.
A traditional Bolognese osteria serving hams, salamis, fresh pastas, meat and desserts; small and reservation-advisable, so book direct.
A fast-rail day trip to Modena, about 18 to 25 minutes from Bologna. Pin it to a Saturday for the English-language balsamic tour at the Acetaia Comunale, then fit the Enzo Ferrari Museum around that fixed slot. Both are booked ahead, not walked into.
The Acetaia Comunale di Modena, the municipal traditional-balsamic loft, admits visitors only by guided tour with advance booking. The English tour runs Saturdays at 14:30 only, so pin the balsamic day to a Saturday. Fast rail links Bologna to Modena in about 18 to 25 minutes.
The Acetaia Comunale di Modena is reservation-only, max 20 people. English tour is Saturdays 14:30 only; Italian tours Fri 15:30 and 16:30, Sat/Sun/holidays 10:30, 11:30, 15:30, 16:30. Ticket 5 euro (free under-12). Book online, by phone +39 059 2032660 or email info@visitmodena.it.
Because the English slot is Saturday 14:30 only, an English-speaking group must pin the whole Modena day to a Saturday and build the rest of the day around that fixed tour time.
The Acetaia Comunale is the best-value balsamic tour at 5 euro. If its slots sell out, Acetaia Malpighi runs a free guided tour and tasting by reservation (book at least 48 hours ahead), a good private-acetaia backup.
Do not try to walk into a traditional acetaia. They admit visitors only by guided tour with prior reservation on fixed days and times, and slots sell out, so book before you travel.
The municipal traditional-balsamic loft in the Town Hall attic, reservation-only and the single best-value balsamic tour; the English slot pins the Modena day to a Saturday.
A private acetaia offering a free guided tour and full tasting of its traditional balsamic range in English by reservation — a strong backup if the Acetaia Comunale slots sell out.
The Museo Enzo Ferrari in Modena fits the same day, open daily with seasonal hours, so buy timed tickets ahead. Pin the fixed-slot balsamic tour first, then fit the museum around it. Modena's centre is a limited-traffic zone, another reason this is a rail-and-walk day.
Museo Enzo Ferrari (MEF), Modena, opens daily: Apr-May and Sep-Oct 09:30-19:00; Jun-Aug 09:00-19:00; Nov-Mar 09:30-18:00. Closed 25 Dec and 1 Jan.
The combined Ferrari Museums Pass (Enzo Ferrari Museum Modena plus Ferrari Museum Maranello, used within 48 hours) is 38 euro Sep-May and 42 euro Jun-Aug. Confirm the single-museum price on ferrari.com before quoting it.
The museum recommends buying timed tickets in advance online to avoid disappointment. Fit it around the fixed-slot balsamic tour, which is pinned first.
Do not plan the Ferrari museum for 25 December or 1 January — it is closed on both. Buy a timed ticket ahead rather than assuming walk-up entry.
Modena's Motor Valley museum, open daily with seasonal hours; buy timed tickets ahead and fit it around the fixed-slot balsamic tour.
The casual bistrot of Massimo Bottura's Osteria Francescana, with an a la carte menu and two tasting menus; a Modena lunch or dinner that needs booking ahead.
A fast-rail day to Parma, on the corridor with over fifty daily departures from Bologna. Pair the cathedral and Baptistery on Piazza Duomo with the region's cheese and ham — a working Parmigiano dairy or the prosciutto museum, both booked ahead and both outside the city.
Parma's Piazza Duomo holds the cathedral and the Baptistery. The Duomo is free for individuals, open 07:45 to 19:20, with visits suspended during services. The Baptistery and Diocesan Museum run 10:00 to 18:00 on a combined ticket. Cover shoulders and knees to enter the church.
Parma Cathedral (Duomo) is open 07:45 to 19:20, free for individuals (groups of 5+ pay 2 euro per person with booking, under-13 free). Visits are suspended during religious services and entry closes 15 minutes before closing.
The Baptistery and Diocesan Museum are open daily 10:00 to 18:00 on a single combined ticket valid 2 days: 12 euro full, 10 euro reduced, free under-13, 25 euro family. Tickets are bought from the museum across Piazza Duomo, not at the Baptistery.
Buy the Baptistery ticket from the museum across the square, not at the Baptistery door. The Duomo is free for individuals, so you only pay for the Baptistery and museum.
Do not turn up to the cathedral in swimwear or bare shoulders. Shoulders and knees must be covered to enter, and visits are suspended during services, so time your visit outside Mass.
The cathedral is free for individuals and the Antelami Baptistery sits opposite on Piazza Duomo — a tight, high-value cultural half-day between Parma's food stops.
Parma is the home of Parmigiano Reggiano and prosciutto. A working dairy or the prosciutto museum needs booking ahead, and both sit outside the city, so treat one as a half-day. Bologna to Parma runs on fast rail with over fifty daily departures.
Azienda Agricola Bertinelli is a working Parmigiano Reggiano dairy about 25-30 min southwest of Parma. Standard tour with a vertical tasting of 3 ages plus a glass of Lambrusco or Malvasia is 20 euro per person (groups 3-20) or 50 euro per couple; children 5-10 half-price. Book ahead: +39 0521 620776.
Cheese is only made in the morning at Bertinelli — first tours 07:30 (milk) and 08:30 (curd forming), with visits until 17:30 by appointment. Book a morning slot to see production.
The Museo del Prosciutto di Parma is in Langhirano, about 30-40 min out with no direct city train (it flags a bookable Travelbus shuttle). It opens Sat/Sun/holidays 10:00-18:00, Mon-Fri by appointment for groups. Treat it as a half-day for committed prosciutto fans.
Do not expect to add both the dairy and the prosciutto museum casually. Each sits outside Parma and needs booking ahead, so pick one as a half-day rather than rushing both.
A working Parmigiano Reggiano dairy with a bookable tour, ageing warehouse and a vertical tasting of three ages — cheese is only made in the morning, so book early to see production.
The official prosciutto museum in Langhirano, part of the Musei del Cibo network — a half-day for committed ham fans, out of the city with no direct train.
A Parma osteria serving traditional local cuisine including grilled meats and local Vacca Rossa or Black Angus beef; open every day, with a live reservation link on its site.
A lighter Bologna day to fill the gaps between the fixed food-experience days. Graze the covered Mercato delle Erbe for a locals' lunch, then keep the afternoon flexible for anything the city missed or an easy fast-rail hop back to Modena or Parma.
A lighter Bologna day to fill gaps between the fixed food-experience days. For a locals' lunch on a budget, Mercato delle Erbe is the largest covered market in the historic centre, with fresh-food stalls and casual counters. Graze the counters rather than relying on any single vendor.
Mercato delle Erbe (Via Ugo Bassi 23-25) stalls open Mon-Sat 07:00-19:30. Market restaurants serve lunch 12:00-15:30 and evening 18:00-midnight; Sunday lunch 12:00-15:30, evening 18:00-23:00.
Carry some cash for market counters and small stalls. Cards are widely accepted in Bologna, but market stalls and small trattorie can be cash-friendly, and expect a coperto at sit-down places.
Graze the market counters — cured meats, cheese, fresh pasta, seafood, tigelle — rather than relying on any single named vendor. It is the largest covered market in the historic centre.
Do not assume every trattoria is open all day. Lunch runs roughly 12:30 to 14:30 and many close between lunch and dinner, often shutting one weekday, so time food stops around those windows.
Bologna's largest covered historic-centre market, a mix of fresh-food stalls and casual eateries — graze the counters for a locals' lunch on a budget rather than picking one vendor.
Keep the afternoon flexible for anything the city could not fit, or an easy fast-rail hop back to Modena or Parma. Book any proper trattoria direct by phone; many family-run osterie take bookings by phone or walk-in only, so do not assume an online slot exists.
The Emilia-Romagna cities are a tight fast-rail cluster. Bologna to Modena runs about 18-25 minutes and Bologna to Parma has over fifty daily departures, so a spare afternoon can add a second short hop. Trenitalia sells tickets online in English.
If you want a specific osteria this evening, phone ahead. Many family-run places take bookings by phone or walk-in only and are on no reservation app, so an online slot may not exist.
Do not rely on a famous trattoria being open without checking. Hosteria Giusti in Modena, for example, is lunch-only Tue-Sat and closed the whole of August, so an evening or August plan there fails.
A small local osteria away from the market crush is the fitting relaxed dinner on a flexible day; book direct by phone, as many take no app bookings.
The cross-region leg: high-speed rail from Bologna toward La Spezia or Levanto, roughly three hours, then the local Cinque Terre Express to the villages. It is a long day, but the leg is pre-booked in the package. Settle into your car-free coastal base.
Today is the cross-region leg from Emilia-Romagna to the coast. High-speed rail runs Bologna toward La Spezia or Levanto, roughly three hours, then the local Cinque Terre Express reaches the villages. This leg is long but pre-booked in the package, so settle in for the ride.
The Bologna to Cinque Terre transfer is a genuinely long rail leg of about three hours: high-speed to Florence, then regional trains on to La Spezia, then the local Cinque Terre Express. It is justified as a food-region-to-coast package and is pre-booked in the itinerary.
The Cinque Terre Express regional train runs 14 March to 1 November 2026 on the Levanto-La Spezia line and is covered by the package's Cinque Terre pass, so you do not buy a separate village card for these days.
Trenitalia is the official national operator and sells tickets online in English. Your itinerary legs are already covered, so no booking action is needed for the included rail.
Do not plan to hire a car for the Cinque Terre. The five villages are car-free with no through-road between them and parking is severely limited; the included Cinque Terre Express is the fast, reliable link.
The fast link between all five villages on the Levanto-La Spezia line, car-free and covered by the included pass — the correct way to hop the villages.
Settle into your Cinque Terre base. The five villages are car-free with no through-road between them, so the included pass and the Cinque Terre Express train are how you move. Keep the first evening close and eat locally; dinner runs about 19:30 to 22:00.
The coast keeps long summer evenings. At Vernazza, mid-August sunset is about 20:27, leaving plenty of daylight for late-afternoon village-to-village walks and ferries. Autumn sunsets are earlier, so pin trail and ferry time to the middle of the day then.
Book Cinque Terre village restaurants direct by phone. The small-village osterie fill fast in season and many are phone or walk-in only, so do not assume an online slot exists.
Carry some cash. Cards are widely taken, but many Italian hotels ask for the local tourist tax in cash at check-in, and small village restaurants can be cash-friendly. Expect a coperto per person on the bill.
Do not assume a favourite restaurant is open year-round. Ristorante Miky in Monterosso, for example, is closed from November to March, so a winter plan there fails.
A long-running family trattoria on Vernazza's harbour square serving typical Ligurian cuisine, over fifty years in the family; phone or ask on arrival, as it publishes no hours.
The Cinque Terre by the included train pass, with the timed, pre-booked Via dell'Amore from Riomaggiore to Manarola. The Cinque Terre Express is the reliable link between all five villages; Corniglia sits on a cliff with no ferry stop, so it is a train stop.
The Via dell'Amore, Riomaggiore to Manarola, is open again but only on a pre-booked 30-minute timed slot, one-way, max 200 people per slot. Slots sell out, so book before arrival. Set expectations: it is a short paved ticketed walk of about one kilometre, not a wild hike.
Via dell'Amore uses timed 30-minute entry slots, max 200 people, one-way Riomaggiore to Manarola, with ID shown at entry. Tickets are sold online or same-day at Cinque Terre Info Points and sell out in peak season. 2026 tourist slots run 09:00-21:00 (29 Mar-24 Oct) and 09:00-17:30 (25 Oct-31 Dec). Book via card.parconazionale5terre.it or viadellamore.info before arrival.
It is a short paved walk of about one kilometre, one-way, on a strict capacity-managed system — a ticketed stroll, not a hike. Confirm whether access is folded into your included card or needs the separate Via dell'Amore card at booking.
Access is one-way, entering at Riomaggiore and exiting at Manarola, so plan the rest of the morning to continue from Manarola rather than doubling back.
Book the Via dell'Amore ahead in peak season, as timed slots sell out. Tickets are sold online or at Cinque Terre Info Points, so same-day entry is possible but not guaranteed in summer.
The reopened paved coastal path on a strict timed, one-way, capacity-managed system; a pre-booked slot is the difference between walking it and being turned away.
The Cinque Terre Express train is the reliable link between all five villages, and it is covered by the included pass. Corniglia sits on a cliff with no ferry stop, so plan it by train. Villages are busiest late morning to mid-afternoon, so time the quieter villages then.
The Cinque Terre Express regional train links all five villages in minutes on the Levanto-La Spezia line, and it is covered by the included Cinque Terre pass. It is the car-free way to hop between them.
Villages are busiest late morning to mid-afternoon. If you want a quieter Corniglia or Vernazza, aim for earlier or later in the day rather than the midday peak.
Plan Corniglia by train — it sits on a cliff-top with no practical ferry stop, so the ferry cannot reach it even in calm seas.
Do not count on the ferry to reach every village. Corniglia has no ferry stop, and ferries run only in calm seas, so the train is the reliable link and the ferry a fair-weather bonus.
A Vernazza restaurant set in an 11th-century castle tower over the harbour, with Ligurian specialities including pesto made fresh daily and the daily catch; book ahead for a terrace table in season.
The Cinque Terre on foot and by sea — but with honesty. The coastal Blue Trail is not walkable end-to-end and needs proper footwear; the ferry is a fair-weather bonus, suspended in rough seas and skipping cliff-top Corniglia. Check the live park trail status before you set out.
The coastal Blue Trail is not walkable end-to-end. Corniglia to Vernazza and Vernazza to Monterosso are open but graded difficult; Manarola to Corniglia is closed. Closed hiking footwear with an anti-slip sole is compulsory and the card is checked. Check the live park trail status before you set out.
On the paid Blue Trail, closed waterproof ankle-covering shoes with an anti-slip sole are compulsory; open or smooth-soled footwear is forbidden and can mean refused entry or a fine under national park law. The trekking card must be shown at checkpoints.
The Blue Trail is not continuous: Via dell'Amore (Riomaggiore-Manarola) is timed-entry only, Manarola-Corniglia is closed, and Corniglia-Vernazza and Vernazza-Monterosso are open but graded difficult. Do not expect one five-village coastal walk.
On busy peak days the park applies a one-way system on Monterosso-Vernazza, 09:00-14:00, in the Monterosso-to-Vernazza direction. Check the live status near travel, as sections and directions change.
Do not set out in flip-flops or trainers with smooth soles. Wardens can refuse you or fine you on the paid trail, and sections close for landslide repair without notice, so recheck the live park trail status first.
The flagship coastal path, open only in sections and graded difficult, with proper footwear compulsory and the card checked — a real walk for the open, graded stretches, not a continuous five-village route.
When seas are calm, the Golfo dei Poeti ferry links Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza and Monterosso. It is suspended in rough seas and boarding is first-come, and Corniglia has no ferry stop. Treat the ferry as a fair-weather bonus and the train as the reliable link, not the other way round.
The Navigazione Golfo dei Poeti ferry (Line 02) links Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza and Monterosso, plus Portovenere, La Spezia and Lerici. Corniglia is not served — it sits on a cliff with no sea access.
The ferry is weather-dependent and suspended in rough seas; boarding is first-come, and daily sea-condition updates are posted from 08:00. The ferry is not covered by the park card — check separately if you use it.
Sell yourself the ferry as a fair-weather scenic option, never the guaranteed link. The included Cinque Terre Express train is the reliable connection between the villages.
Do not plan Corniglia by ferry — it has no ferry stop. Reach it by train, and keep a train backup for any village on a day the sea cancels the boats.
The fair-weather way to see the villages from the water, linking Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza and Monterosso — a scenic bonus, suspended in rough seas and skipping cliff-top Corniglia.
A modern-Ligurian restaurant in Monterosso known for handmade pasta and fresh local seafood; closed November to March, so it suits a spring-to-autumn coast dinner.
A day at Lucca, a walled Tuscan town on the coastal rail line. The Cathedral of San Martino and the Guinigi Tower with its rooftop garden anchor the day. Pisa is a direct, short train ride if you have never seen the Leaning Tower — but it is low priority here.
Lucca is a walled Tuscan town on the coastal rail line. The Cathedral of San Martino opens Monday to Saturday 09:30 to 18:00 and Sunday from 12:00, with shoulders and knees covered to enter. The Guinigi Tower, with its rooftop garden, is a 230-step climb with no lift.
Lucca Cathedral (San Martino) opens Mon-Sat 09:30-18:00, Sun 12:00-18:00, last admission 30 min before closing. Cathedral plus Ilaria del Carretto tomb 5 euro, reduced 3 euro; a combined ticket (Cathedral, Bell Tower, Museum, Ss Giovanni e Reparata) 10 euro adult, 8 or 5 euro reduced, 20 euro family.
The Volto Santo crucifix, the cathedral's most famous relic, is undergoing restoration and is not on display in its usual chapel. The cathedral, the Ilaria del Carretto tomb and the museum remain open. Verify status near travel.
Shoulders and knees must be covered to enter the cathedral. Carry a scarf or light layer, as a dress-code refusal at the door is enforced.
Do not promise yourself the Volto Santo relic in situ — it is under restoration and off display. Come for the cathedral, the Ilaria del Carretto tomb and the museum instead.
Lucca's cathedral with the Ilaria del Carretto tomb, on a combined ticket with the Bell Tower and museum; a genuine walled-town cultural stop, though the Volto Santo relic is under restoration.
Lucca's 45m tower with a holm-oak garden on the roof, a 230-step climb with no lift; a reservation is required on weekends and holidays.
The Guinigi Tower needs a reservation on weekends and holidays. Lucca to Pisa is a direct regional train, about 25 to 46 minutes, so the Leaning Tower is an easy add-on. Honestly, it is a one-to-two-hour photo stop in a crowded square with little food interest, and low priority here.
Lucca to Pisa Centrale is a direct Trenitalia regional train, about 25 to 46 minutes, roughly 34 trains a day, so a Leaning Tower photo stop is logistically easy from the Lucca leg.
For a food-and-coastal package, Pisa is optional. The Leaning Tower and Piazza dei Miracoli is a one-to-two-hour photo stop in a crowded, souvenir-heavy square with little food interest. Do not let it displace a proper Lucca visit or the Cinque Terre.
For lunch inside the walls, Buca di Sant'Antonio is a historic Lucchese restaurant serving typical local cuisine; Trattoria Lucchese sits on the oval Piazza dell'Anfiteatro. Book direct, and note Buca di Sant'Antonio is closed Sunday evening and Monday.
Do not build the whole day around Pisa. It is a low-priority photo stop for this itinerary; a proper Lucca visit — the walls, the cathedral, the tower — is the better use of the day.
A historic Lucchese restaurant documented as an osteria since 1782, serving typical Lucchese cuisine inside the walls; book direct.
On the oval Piazza dell'Anfiteatro inside the walls, serving Lucchese specialities including tordello lucchese, zuppa di farro and cioncia.
A flexible last full day on the coast: catch a village you missed, retry a weather-dependent ferry, or repeat a favourite by train on the included pass. Keep the last evening close and book any restaurant direct, as small-village osterie fill fast in season.
A flexible coast day to catch a village you missed, retry a weather-dependent ferry, or repeat a favourite by train on the included pass. Individual trail sections close for landslide repair at short notice, so recheck the live park status before committing to any walk.
The Cinque Terre Express train, covered by the included pass, links all five villages in minutes, so a spare day can revisit any village car-free. It runs 14 March to 1 November 2026.
Individual Blue Trail sections close for landslide repair at short notice, and Manarola-Corniglia is closed. Recheck the live park trail status before committing to any walk today.
If seas are calm, use a flexible day for the ferry you could not take earlier; daily sea-condition updates are posted from 08:00. If not, the train covers every village except the ferry-free Corniglia anyway.
Do not save a compulsory-footwear trail section for a whim today without checking status. Sections close without notice, and wardens enforce the anti-slip footwear rule and card check on the paid trail.
A relaxed last-day return to whichever of the five villages you missed needs only the included train pass and no booking.
Keep the last full evening close and local. Book any Cinque Terre restaurant direct by phone, as the small-village osterie fill fast in season and many are phone or walk-in only. Some coastal restaurants close from November to March, so confirm the venue is open before relying on it.
Book coast restaurants direct by phone. Small-village osterie fill fast in season and many are phone or walk-in only, with no reservation app, so an online slot may not exist.
Carry some cash for the last dinner. Small village restaurants can be cash-friendly, and expect a coperto per person on the bill. Tipping is not a culture here; rounding up for good service is generous.
Vernazza's harbour square has both Ristorante Belforte in a castle tower and the family Trattoria Gianni Franzi. Belforte is closed Tuesdays, so plan the night around any venue's day off.
Do not assume every village restaurant is open out of season. Ristorante Miky in Monterosso is closed November to March, so confirm the venue is open before relying on it for a winter visit.
A family trattoria over fifty years on Vernazza's harbour square, serving typical Ligurian cuisine; phone ahead or ask on arrival, as it publishes no hours.
Home from Italy. Your included private transfer covers the run to Bologna Guglielmo Marconi (BLQ). Time the morning by counting back from your departure, and if you moved bases to the coast, factor the long cross-region rail leg into your buffer.
Count back from your departure and let it set the morning. Your included private transfer covers the run to Bologna Guglielmo Marconi (BLQ). The cross-region rail day from the coast is long, so if you moved bases, factor that leg in and leave a generous buffer for check-in.
Time the morning by counting back from your departure rather than a fixed clock. If your last nights are on the coast, the return rail leg to Bologna is long, so build in a generous buffer for check-in.
Bologna Guglielmo Marconi (BLQ) is reached by your included private transfer, so you do not arrange your own airport leg. From Bologna centre it is about 7 to 15 minutes.
EES biometric checks can add a short extra step at the border for the outbound crossing, so leave a little extra time at the airport.
Do not bury your passport in a checked bag on the way out. Police can ask for photo ID right up to the border, so keep it on you until you are through.
A short on-foot coffee stop is the low-effort send-off before the included transfer, easy to fit around any departure time with no booking.
Practical details verified 26 July 2026. Prices and opening hours change — we re-check them monthly, but confirm anything critical before you travel.
Real-time hotel prices for Bologna and Cinque Terre. Upgrades are shown over each location's included hotel.
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We don't yet have confirmed facility details for this property, and we'd rather tell you that than guess. Call us on 0208 944 4514 and we'll confirm exactly what this hotel offers before you book.
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