Best of Cinque Terre Itinerary – Restaurants, Towns, and Trip Planning Tips

I try to restrict my dramatic superlative statements to only those moments that absolutely deserve them. Italy is one of them.

Ben and I just returned from what I can only describe as 10 of the happiest days of my life.

We hiked through tiny, rainbow-colored towns clinging to the sides of cliffs (Cinque Terre—that’s the part of the trip this post is about). 

We took in priceless art and ate gelato twice (or thrice) a day in Florence. (I have a post for that part of the trip, including everywhere you need to eat, coming soon.)

We meandered the Tuscan countryside, stopping for wine and panoramic views at every possible opportunity. (Yep! I have a post for that part of the trip in the works too.)

And at every turn, we laughed. We ate pasta. We poured more wine and ordered more pasta. It was truly la dolce vita.

In case you will be heading to any of our locations or are looking for some trip inspiration, I’ll be sharing our adventures in a series of three posts. I put a rather exhaustive amount of research into every vacation we take (especially where we eat!), so I hope this information is helpful to others planning Italy escapes of their own.

I also have this post, What to Pack for Europe, that contains an overview of my travel essentials, tips for electronic devices abroad, and what clothes I pack for Europe (they fit in a carry on!).

Recommendations aside, I also adore sharing my adventures with you. Writing these travel posts makes me feel a little like we are chatting over dinner (how about pasta and wine?) instead of on opposite sides of the computer screen. Pour a round of Chianti and let’s begin!