10 Best Food Tours of Cinque Terre

Each of the five villages that make up the most iconic region of La Spezia 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 in the best food tours in the region.

Among the best things to see and do in Cinque Terre to discover its cuisine are taking a wine tasting tour in Manarola, learning the recipes of Riomaggiore's pasta and tiramisu, taking 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 to take a tour of the flavors of Cinque Terre. On these tours you can delight in 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 raisins 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 and lemon groves at their best, allowing you to take the most beautiful and colorful photographs of your trip.

Details of interest

• Price: these excursions have an approximate initial cost of 155 euros per person and include tastings and round trip transfers with hotel pick up.
• 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 flavors.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: they are full day tours, so they may not be very effective during a short stay in Cinque Terre.

If you want to live an authentic Italian experience in Cinque Terre, one of the best options is to receive pasta and tiramisu cooking classes in Riomaggiore, which is one of the most picturesque villages of 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 the materials and the permanent assistance of a professional chef.
• Duration: these excursions last approximately 3 to 4 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions: you will be able to learn how to prepare iconic dishes and desserts of Italian gastronomy.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: they are short time experiences, so the itinerary of the classes could be a bit intense.

Wine is one of the main productions of Cinque Terre, but among the five villages, the one that is more related to the vineyard activity is Manarola. 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 will be able to 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.

Details of interest

• Price: these excursions have an approximate initial cost of 70 euros per person and include wine tastings and wine tasting.
• 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, so they may be restrictive if you plan to visit Cinque Terre with your family.

One of the most outstanding gourmet products of the Liguria area is olive oil, so it is part of the local culture and traditions. On these excursions, you can visit the olive groves and do a bruschetta tasting.

In these experiences you will learn about the production methods of extra virgin olive oil and also take a class to learn the pairings with different dishes and foods, while doing tastings and accompanying bruchettas with local drinks.

These experiences are usually outside of La Spezia, making it one of the best excursions to do from Cinque Terre and to get to know 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 personalized 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 will be able to 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.

Details of interest

• Price: these excursions have an approximate initial cost of 455 euros per group, which can be up to 5 people, and includes lunch and crew assistance.
• Duration: these excursions last approximately 8 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions: you will be able to get to know the five villages from the coast in a relaxing walk.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: it can be an expensive experience if you do not plan to travel with a large group of people.

If you want a local experience to mingle in the daily life of Ligurian locals, then possibly these excursions might interest you, as they include a tour of the Riomaggiore market to see where day to day Italian villagers shop and 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 grapes.

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

Interesting details

• Price: these excursions 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 and a half hours.
• Advantages of these excursions: you will be able to live a local experience visiting the Riomaggiore market and receiving cooking lessons with a professional chef.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: although they include a tour of the town's market, tastings are generally not provided on site, which detracts from the spontaneity of the experience.

Pesto is a typical Ligurian sauce, which is prepared with fresh basil and other ingredients such as garlic and walnuts, and is very popular to accompany pasta. On these tours you can take cooking classes to prepare the best pesto in Vernazza, which is one of the towns with the best panoramic views of Cinque Terre.

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

If you plan to visit Cinque Terre in October, you can also take in some of the best panoramic views from Vernazza, especially on the stretch that winds along the Blue Trail.

Details of interest

• Price: these excursions have an initial cost of approximately 80 euros per person, including materials and the 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 receive cooking lessons to discover one of the local specialties.
• 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 bars in the town and also taste a charcuterie board that includes local flavors and specialties such as focaccia, salami and cantucci, which is an almond cookie typical of Tuscany.

These excursions will help you to get to know the diversity of grape varieties offered by the vineyards of Cinque Terre and to discover the flavors of the main town of the Italian Riviera, which is often chosen by tourists as a base during 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 center of the city, so they do not require you to move, which can be ideal if you have planned a short stay in the Italian Riviera. If that is your case, here is a list of activities 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 wineries.

If you want to opt for a boat tour with lunch at a relatively inexpensive 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.

Usually these excursions also include a stop for a swim, especially if you plan to visit the Italian Riviera in summer, and will give you time to watch the sunset from the ship, making it one of the best activities to do during the night in Cinque Terre.

Interesting details

• Price: these excursions have a starting cost of approximately 115 euros per person, including lunch and assistance from the ship's 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 can be visited only from the coast.

Cinque Terre has one of the best cuisines 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 excursion you can taste the cake called sgabei, mescua, which is a chickpea soup, testaroli, a savory 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 is held.

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

Details of interest

• Price: these excursions have an initial cost of approximately 85 euros per person, including tastings.
• Duration: these excursions 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 the transfer, so much 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 purchase the excursions once you are in Cinque Terre. However, if you plan 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 service providers include for online bookings.

While these are gastronomic excursions that will allow you to get to know the local flavors, 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 can 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 are traveling in high season, it is best to book in advance to avoid last minute price increases and to secure your place. In addition, it is advisable to organize an adequate, 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 coat during the excursions, especially those that include a visit to the vineyards, because the temperature can drop quickly, which will not allow you to enjoy the tour.

Cinque Terre has one of the most praised gastronomies in Italy and, in addition, 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 flavors, 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 walks through the villages, boat trips and visits to the outskirts of Cinque Terre, making the gastronomic tours an ideal option to combine traditional visits with the discovery of the cuisine of La Spezia.