10 Best Food Tours of Cinque Terre

Each of the five villages that make up La Spezia's most iconic region has unique landscapes, trails from which it is possible to discover some of the best open views of the Ligurian Sea and white sandy beaches and warm waters, but also a deep gastronomic tradition that you can discover on the region's best food tours.

Some of the best things to see and do in Cinque Terre to discover its cuisine include taking a wine tasting tour in Manarola, learning the recipes for pasta and tiramisu in Riomaggiore, going on a private lunch cruise tour, discovering the cured meats of Monterosso al Mare and tracing the local history of olive oil.

The best alternative to combine a gastronomic experience with a tour of the five villages of the region is a tour of the flavours of Cinque Terre. On these tours you can enjoy the ice creams of Vernazza, the wines of Manarola, the olive oil of Riomaggiore, the focaccia of Monterosso al Mare and the pasta and fish of Corniglia.

During these gastronomic tours, which usually include tastings and transfers in the price, you can take cooking classes with professional chefs and learn the secrets of the local cuisine such as Taggiasche olives or the sultanas used to make Sciacchestra wine.

If you plan to visit Cinque Terre in April or during the spring months, you will also discover some of the best rural scenery, with olive groves and lemon groves at their best, allowing you to take the most beautiful and colourful photographs of your trip.

Interesting details

• Price: these excursions have an initial cost of approximately 155 euros per person and include tastings and transfers to and from the hotel.
• Duration: these excursions last approximately 8 to 9 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions: you will be able to get to know the five villages of the region through their flavours.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: they are full day tours, so they might not be very effective during a short stay in Cinque Terre.

If you want an authentic Italian experience in Cinque Terre, one of the best options is to take a pasta and tiramisu cooking class in Riomaggiore, which is one of the most picturesque villages on the Italian Riviera.

In these experiences, you can usually prepare 2 types of pasta, one filled and one fresh pasta, and also learn how to cook the original recipe of tiramisu, which is one of the most iconic desserts of Italian gastronomy.

In addition, you can also taste the preparations of the class, which is usually in small groups, and enjoy a toast with an Italian aperitif, which will be an ideal plan, especially if you plan to visit Cinque Terre in summer, when the temperature is hot.

Interesting details

• Price: these excursions have an initial cost of approximately 75 euros per person and include materials and the permanent assistance of a professional chef.
• Duration: these excursions last approximately 3 to 4 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions: you will learn how to prepare iconic dishes and desserts of Italian gastronomy.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: they are short experiences, so the itinerary of the classes can be a bit intense.

Wine is one of the main productions of Cinque Terre, but among the five villages, Manarola is the most related to the vineyard activity. During these excursions, you can do a wine tasting and visit one or more wineries with the assistance of a sommelier.

The main regional wines of Cinque Terre are the Bianco DOC and the Sciacchetra, which is a very popular and characteristic sweet red wine of the Italian Riviera. In addition, you can taste other European grape varieties and accompany the tastings with a table of local snacks.

These excursions, which last approximately 2 hours, are ideal if you are planning a short stay in the region. If that is your case, here is a list of activities you can do to discover Cinque Terre in 2 days.

Interesting details

• Price: these excursions have an initial cost of approximately 70 euros per person and include wine tasting and sampling.
• Duration: these excursions last approximately 2 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions: you will be able to taste one of the typical products of the region.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: they are experiences for adults only, so they may be restrictive if you plan to visit Cinque Terre with your family.

One of the most outstanding gourmet products of the Ligurian area is olive oil, so it is part of the local culture and traditions. On these excursions, you can visit olive groves and taste bruschettas.

On these experiences you will learn about the production methods of extra virgin olive oil and you will also take a class to learn the pairings with different dishes and foods, while tasting and pairing bruschettas with local drinks.

These experiences are usually outside of La Spezia, making it one of the best excursions to do from Cinque Terre and a different side of the Italian Riviera.

Details of interest

• Price: these excursions have an initial cost of approximately 55 euros per person and include tastings.
• Duration: these excursions last approximately 4 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions: you will be able to taste one of the typical products of the region and learn about the history of a product that is related to the local culture.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: they require a trip to the outskirts of Cinque Terre, where the olive groves are located.

If you are looking for a more exclusive and personalised alternative, you can opt for a private cruise tour with grilled fish lunch on an excursion that will pass along the coast of the five villages and also Porto Venere, which is considered the sixth element of Liguria.

During these experiences, which are usually on private fishing boats, you can stop for a swim, especially if you plan to visit Cinque during the summer months, which is the ideal time to discover the beauty of the cliffs and coves.

These tours also include lunch, which usually consists of grilled fish and seafood, accompanied by wines from local vineyards, especially if you visit Cinque Terre in September, which is the time of harvest and presentation of the new bottles in the vineyards.

Interesting details

• Price: these excursions have an initial cost of approximately 455 euros per group, which can be up to 5 people, and include lunch and crew assistance.
• Duration: these excursions last approximately 8 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions: you will be able to see the five villages from the coast in a relaxing stroll.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: They can be an expensive experience if you don't plan to travel with a large group of people.

If you want a local experience to mingle in the daily life of the Ligurian people, then these excursions may be of interest to you, as they include a tour of the Riomaggiore market to see where the Italians of the town shop on a daily basis and to buy ingredients for lunch.

These experiences usually also include a cooking class for small groups that consists of preparing a 4-step lunch with a main course of pasta and a wine pairing of local grape varieties.

They are also ideal if you are planning to visit Cinque Terre in winter, as you can take shelter from the cold temperatures and the rainy season, which starts in November.

Interesting details

• Price: these tours have an initial cost of approximately 65 euros per person, including materials and cooking class with a professional chef.
• Duration: This tour lasts approximately 3.5 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions: you will get a local experience by visiting the Riomaggiore market and having a cooking class with a professional chef.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: although they include a tour of the town's market, there are usually no tastings on site, which detracts from the spontaneity of the experience.

Pesto is a typical Ligurian sauce, made with fresh basil and other ingredients such as garlic and walnuts, and is a popular accompaniment to pasta. On these tours you can take cooking classes to prepare the best pesto in Vernazza, which is one of the most scenic villages in Cinque Terre.

These experiences, which will be ideal if you are a foodie, also include lunch, which consists of tasting the main dish prepared with the sauce of the class and accompanied by local drinks.

If you plan to visit Cinque Terre in October, you will also be able to see some of the best panoramic views from Vernazza, especially along the stretch of the Blue Trail.

Interesting details

• Price: these excursions have an initial cost of approximately 80 euros per person, including materials and a cooking class with a professional chef.
• Duration: these excursions last approximately 4 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions: you will get to know one of the most picturesque villages of Cinque Terre and have a cooking class to discover one of the local specialities.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: it can be a very specific activity.

Monterosso al Mare is the most famous of the Cinque Terre villages and on these excursions you can do a wine tasting in the bars of the town and also taste a charcuterie board including local specialities and flavours such as focaccia, salami and cantucci, which is an almond biscuit typical of Tuscany.

These excursions will help you get to know the diversity of grape varieties offered by the Cinque Terre vineyards and to discover the flavours of the main town of the Italian Riviera, which is often chosen by tourists as a base for their trip to the region due to its location and its connection with the Express Train.

Also note that these excursions last approximately 2 hours and are in the city centre, so they do not require you to travel, which can be ideal if you are planning a short stay in the Italian Riviera. If that's your case, here's a list of things you can do to get to know Cinque Terre in 1 day.

Interesting details

• Price: these excursions have an initial cost of approximately 24 euros per person, including tastings.
• Duration: these excursions last approximately 2 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions: they are very good value for money.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: they include only the visit to the bars of Monterosso al Mare and not the visit to the vineyards and cellars.

If you want to opt for a boat trip with lunch at a relatively cheap price, you can choose these excursions, which include a tour from the port of La Spezia to Monterosso al Mare with a tour of the villages of Cinque Terre.

On these excursions, which are on shared boats, you will not only get to see the skyline of the five villages from the Ligurian Sea, but you will also get to taste the best wines of the region and a buffet lunch, which will usually include a seafood menu.

These excursions usually include a swim stop as well, especially if you plan to visit the Italian Riviera in summer, and will give you time to watch the sunset from the boat, making it one of the best overnight activities in Cinque Terre.

Details of interest

• Price: these excursions have an initial cost of approximately 115 euros per person, including lunch and the assistance of the boat crew.
• Duration: these excursions last approximately 8 to 9 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions: you will have access to a boat trip with lunch at an economical price.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: they do not include stops in all the villages of Cinque Terre, so most of them are only accessible from the coast.

Cinque Terre has some of the best gastronomy in Italy, but much of its tradition was inherited from La Spezia, so these excursions propose a visit to the best bars, restaurants and food stalls in town to taste the typical dishes.

On this tour you can try the sgabei cake, mescua, a chickpea soup, testaroli, a savoury pancake enriched with pesto, and fried squid and anchovies, which are part of the local tradition, especially if you plan to visit Cinque Terre in September, when the Anchovy Fair takes place.

The price of these excursions usually includes tastings and the assistance of a chef and, for an extra cost, you can also sample the local wines.

Interesting details

• Price: these excursions have an initial cost of approximately 85 euros per person, including tastings.
• Duration: these tours last approximately 3 to 4 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions: you will get to know the origins of Cinque Terre's gastronomy and the city of La Spezia.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: they are short tours that include transfer, so a large part of the time is spent going to La Spezia and back to Cinque Terre, which can be tiring.

You can either book in advance online or buy the excursions once you are in Cinque Terre. However, if you are planning to visit the Italian Riviera in December or during the summer months, which are part of the high season, I advise you to book in advance to avoid last minute price increases and to secure your place.

If you book in advance online, you will also be able to access discounts that many tour operators include for online bookings.

While these are gastronomic excursions that will allow you to get to know the local flavours, through them you will also discover the best of the five villages of Cinque Terre and some of the most beautiful landscapes of the Italian Riviera.

You will also get to know some of the towns around Cinque Terre such as La Spezia, Porto Venere and the Ligurian Sea, which you can explore on a boat trip.

If you're travelling in high season, it's best to book in advance to avoid last-minute price increases and to secure your place. It is also a good idea to organise a proper, neat and effective itinerary.

I also advise that if you plan to visit Cinque Terre in November, which is a rainy season, or during the winter months, you should pack a warm jacket for the excursions, especially those that include a visit to the vineyards, as the temperature can drop quickly and you will not be able to enjoy the tour.

Cinque Terre has some of the most praised gastronomy in Italy and many of its typical products, such as pesto, olive oil and wine, are directly related to cultural aspects of the region, so you will not only discover the flavours, but you will also learn about the history of each place in a different and fun way.

Note also that many of the excursions include village walks, boat trips and visits to the outskirts of Cinque Terre, making gastronomic tours an ideal way to combine traditional visits with the discovery of La Spezia's cuisine.