How to Hike Corniglia to Vernazza in Cinque Terre

Corniglia to Vernazza is a beautiful trail in Cinque Terre, and hiking it is one of the highlights of our Cinque Terre trip. While it’s considered of moderate difficulty, it’s not overly challenging and therefore suitable for most people.

Corniglia-Vernazza Hiking Stats

Distance:  3.5 km (2.17 miles)
Duration:  1.5 hours
Elevation gain:  157 m (515 ft) – without Corniglia stairs
Difficulty: moderate
Hiking fee: Yes, 7.5 EUR Cinque Terre Card (in the season from mid-March until November)
Route: Corniglia-Vernazza – check the trail here

The trail is nicely marked for most of the route, so you shouldn’t have any problems. However, we always have offline maps downloaded just in case, including our AllTrail Plus membership (look it up).

Hike Direction

You can do this hike in either direction. Still, we recommend starting the hike in Corniglia by taking the shuttle bus (included in the Cinque Terre Train Card) from the train station to the top of the village and finishing in Vernazza, as that route is a bit easier.

If you don’t take the shuttle bus, you need to climb almost 400 stairs (called Scalinata Lardarina) that zigzag from Corniglia train station to Corniglia village (where the trail starts). This adds about 100 meters in elevation gain to the hiking stats we mentioned above.

We started two hikes in Corniglia, the hike to Manarola and this one to Vernazza. For this one, we took a shuttle bus, as it conveniently arrived right as we exited the train. For the first hike, we climbed the stairs. While it’s not that bad, it’s certainly not easy either, especially in the heat. So, you’ll definitely sweat before you even hit the start of the hike. 😁

Starting the hike

From the train station, take the shuttle bus or climb the Scalinata Lardarina stairs to reach Corniglia. Head towards the Church of San Pietro and continue walking on the street called Via Fieschi. Then, follow the path marked as Sentiero Azzuro (Blue Path).

Here, you’ll pass through a part of the town overlooking the main city center, offering a fantastic perspective of Corniglia. Probably one of our favorite viewpoints of Corniglia.

Continue straight until you reach the crossroad with a Cinque Terre checkpoint. This is where you must show your Cinque Terre Card or purchase one for 7.50 EUR. However, the ticket booth only operates from 9 am until 5 pm, so outside these hours, no ticket checks are made.

But be careful! They can still check your ticket upon entering Vernazza at a checkpoint there (during working hours). This happened to us during the morning hike from Vernazza to Monterosso.

Viewpoint of Corniglia

After you pass the ticket control and enter the small stone path, you’ll go through a somewhat shaded area with olive fields around you.

Soon, you’ll be met with an opening and a stunning view towards Corniglia. This is also a perfect photo spot.

As you continue going straight, the path becomes narrower and the fence disappears. One short part is more exposed, but it’s nothing too scary. The views of the sea here are beautiful.

Open area

You’ll now continue walking on an open area surrounded by lots of greenery and flowers.

Don’t forget to look up at this point, as you’ll see the small village of San Bernardino and the church Chiesa della Madonna di San Bernardino up on the hill. We’d love to visit this area next time when we have more time in Cinque Terre.

View of Corniglia and Manarola

In less than 10 minutes, you’ll get fabulous views of cliffs, Corniglia, and Manarola in the distance. 

We took quite a few photos at this part, as there are several different perspectives – through the trees, with a fence, zoomed in, etc.

Bars

Shortly after, you’re basically almost in Vernazza, and it’s where you’ll find two popular bars.

The first one is Bar Il Gabbiano, which has a gorgeous terrace and an unobstructed view of Corniglia. Unfortunately, it wasn’t open during our visit this season, which is a real shame.

After a few minutes of walking, you will come to another bar with refreshing drinks, called Da Sergio Le Origini. People seem to love the owner and their lemonade. 🙂

Last stretch and Vernazza viewpoint

After the part with a few bars and fabulous views, you’ll start descending via lots of stairs until you reach an incredible view of Vernazza. One of the best viewpoints of Vernazza is located just before you get to the checkpoint house.

Since we finished the hike earlier than planned, almost two hours before sunset, the sun was still very harsh, and it was behind Vernazza, so we had to photograph directly into the sun. This isn’t the best for photos, so we did a few and then returned here the next morning.

After the checkpoint, there are a few more beautiful angles over Vernazza, as you’re now descending into the town. We loved this part a lot!

Reaching Vernazza

Once in Vernazza, there are lots of things to do (guide coming soon), but we wanted to catch the sunset in Riomaggiore, so we jumped on a train and headed there.

Corniglia to Vernazza Hiking Tips

There are no toilets along the trail, so we recommend using the toilet at the train station. The fee is 1 euro or free if you have the Cinque Terre Card. (read next: ‘Is Cinque Terre Card Worth It’)

The path is not as narrow as other Cinque Terre trails, but it has a few small sections where you would need to let other people pass. We didn’t have this problem at all since we started our hike late, just before 6 pm.

Hiking from Corniglia to Vernazza is easier if you take the shuttle bus from Corniglia train station, as that way you avoid lots of stairs, and in Vernazza, you only descend the stairs (and there are quite a few of them from Vernazza).

It’s mandatory to wear closed-toe shoes with good soles on this hike. This might be checked on the checkpoint.

Sometimes, the hiking trails can be closed (for various reasons, and especially outside the summer season). This is usually hard to know exactly before visiting.

For most of the hike, there is no shade, so wearing a hat and applying sunscreen is recommended.

Don’t forget water, especially if you’re doing this hike in summer. You can refill your water at public water fountains in each town. Just search “water fountain” in Google Maps, and you should find it easily. Usually, they’re labelled as ‘Fontanella acqua potabile’ in Italian.

Best time to do the Corniglia to Vernazza hike

The best time to hike the Corniglia to Vernazza trail is either early morning (before 9 am) or late afternoon to avoid the midday heat.

Vernazza is beautiful for sunset, so if you’re hiking from Corniglia, we recommend starting late in the afternoon to arrive in time for sunset. We started our hike just before 6 pm in late May and reached Vernazza around 7:15 pm. This was too soon for watching the sunset, so we headed to Riomaggiore.

The Corniglia to Vernazza hike is possible year-round. Still, the best conditions for hiking are from April to October, with the spring and autumn months being the most ideal, as it’s not too hot and the crowds are still manageable (especially if you do hikes in the early morning or late afternoon).

Is it worth it?

Hiking from Corniglia to Vernazza is one of the best things to do in Cinque Terre. The trail isn’t as challenging, but it is rocky, so you should mind your step and be prepared for lots of stairs. However, it offers excellent views of both Vernazza and Corniglia, as well as Manarola (in the distance) in one part, and has cute bars along the way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final thoughts

We hope this guide will help you plan your hike! If you have any questions or updates, feel free to leave a comment below and help fellow travelers.