Liguria & The Cinque Terre
With its pastel-hued villages, dramatic cliffs, and sparkling seas, this region blends natural beauty with authentic Italian charm.
Where Colourful Villages Meet the Sea
Liguria’s Cinque Terre is world-famous for its pastel-coloured houses clinging to cliffs above the Mediterranean. Each village: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore — offers its own unique character, from sandy beaches to winding alleys filled with trattorias. Beyond the Cinque Terre, Liguria’s Riviera boasts elegant resorts like Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure, beloved for their glamour and seaside beauty. The region’s rugged coastline is dotted with hidden coves, hiking trails, and panoramic viewpoints, creating endless opportunities for exploration. It’s a place where vibrant culture and dramatic scenery come together seamlessly.
Taste Liguria’s Famous Flavours
Liguria is a paradise for food lovers, offering dishes that reflect its seaside setting and fertile land. The region is the birthplace of pesto, best enjoyed freshly made with local basil and served over handmade trofie pasta. Fresh seafood is abundant, from anchovies in Monterosso to octopus and mussels served in coastal villages. Local wines, such as the crisp whites of Cinque Terre, perfectly complement the cuisine. Travellers can also enjoy olive oil tastings, market visits, and food-focused walking tours that reveal the authentic flavours of this coastal gem.
A Playground for Hikers and Explorers
Liguria’s rugged coastline and dramatic landscapes make it a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. The Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Trail) connects the Cinque Terre villages, offering breathtaking views at every turn, while more challenging hikes lead to secluded sanctuaries high above the coast. Boat tours reveal the coastline from a new perspective, gliding past cliffs, vineyards, and colourful harbours. For those who prefer a slower pace, the beaches and coves provide perfect spots for sunbathing and swimming. Whether on land or at sea, Liguria invites travellers to embrace adventure in spectacular surroundings.
Cinque Terre
Strung dramatically along a rugged stretch of the Italian Riviera, the five villages of the Cinque Terre are among the most photographed places in Italy, and with good reason. Pastel houses tumble down steep cliffs to tiny harbours, while terraced vineyards and olive groves climb the hillsides behind. Connected by coastal walking trails and a scenic railway, Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore each offer their own distinct charm, fresh seafood, crisp local wines, and unforgettable sea views.
Portofino
Once a quiet fishing village, Portofino has long been the most glamorous address on the Italian Riviera, a favourite of celebrities, royalty, and the international yachting set. Pastel houses curve around a tiny picture perfect harbour filled with gleaming boats, while designer boutiques, refined waterfront cafés, and Michelin starred restaurants line the piazzetta. Surrounded by a protected natural park, fragrant pine forests, and coastal walking trails, Portofino offers an irresistible blend of natural beauty and timeless Riviera elegance.
Santa Margherita & Rapallo
Set along a sweeping bay just minutes from Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure and Rapallo offer all the romance of the Italian Riviera with a more relaxed, lived in feel. Palm lined promenades, pastel waterfront villas, and grand belle époque hotels evoke the glamour of a bygone era, while lively piazzas and bustling harbours give both towns an authentic local rhythm. With excellent seafood, easy boat connections along the coast, and a beautiful natural setting, they make a wonderfully refined Ligurian base.
A hike to the Abbey of San Fruttuoso, accessible only by foot or sea.
A private boat tour from Portovenere to see the Bay of Poets as Lord Byron did.
A scientific boat trip into the Pelagos Sanctuary to spot Mediterranean dolphins.
A trek through the terraced vines of Manarola with a local winemaker.
Visit a bakery in Camogli as they pull the first steaming trays of cheese focaccia.
A hands-on workshop in a Genoese palazzo using DOP basil and marble mortars.
Hotel Vis a Vis is a luxury hotel located in Sestri Levante, offering stunning views of the Baia del Silenzio and a range of wellness experiences.
Porto Roca is a cliffside hotel in Monterosso, offering a pool, private beach access, and panoramic views over the Ligurian Sea in Cinque Terre.
Imperiale Palace is a luxury Riviera hotel in Santa Margherita Ligure, offering a private beach, pool, and elegant setting overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
Hotel Helvetia is an elegant centrally located hotel offering comfortable rooms, classic style, and easy access to nearby cultural attractions and city highlights.
Hotel Blu di Te is a boutique hotel in Santa Margherita Ligure, offering stylish rooms, a rooftop terrace, and a central location near the harbour and beaches.
Hotel Astoria is a centrally located hotel offering comfortable rooms, modern amenities, and easy access to nearby attractions and city highlights.
Grand Hotel Villa Balbi is a historic Riviera hotel in Sestri Levante, offering elegant rooms, gardens, and a peaceful setting close to the beach.
Grand Hotel Miramare is a luxury Riviera hotel offering elegant rooms, a pool, and a private beach setting overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
Grand Hotel Dei Castelli is a historic Riviera hotel in Sestri Levante, offering sea views, a pool, and private beach access in a secluded setting.
Eight Hotel Portofino is a boutique Riviera hotel offering stylish rooms, a garden, and a peaceful setting close to Portofino’s harbour.
Eight Hotel Paraggi is a luxury beachfront hotel near Portofino, offering elegant rooms, a private beach, and a stunning setting on a picturesque bay.
Belmond Splendido is a luxury Portofino hotel offering panoramic views, elegant rooms, and a refined hillside setting above the harbour.
Belmond Splendido is a luxury Portofino hotel offering panoramic views, elegant rooms, and a refined hillside setting above the harbour.
Agriturismo Villanova is a Ligurian countryside retreat near Cinque Terre, offering rustic rooms, local produce, and a peaceful rural setting.
Itineraries
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Set off to explore the shores of Italy, where each region reveals a character shaped by history and the sea. Stretching from Emilia-Romagna, rich in Roman and Byzantine splendour, to the Adriatic coast, is a unique heritage bearing witness to centuries of history. Puglia captivates with its medieval villages and light-drenched shores, while in Sicily, Mount Etna watches over ancient cities and dramatic landscapes where Greek and Roman influences intertwine. Tuscany blends Renaissance elegance and the Mediterranean lifestyle, with fortified towns and coastal cities. Further north, Liguria charms with its colourful ports nestling in coves, while the Amalfi Coast reveals panoramas seemingly suspended between sky and sea.
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Beginning in Milan, this sixteen-day rail journey moves through Italy's most storied cities and coastlines, trading the fashion arcades and gothic grandeur of the Duomo for the pastel harbour fronts of the Ligurian Riviera. Santa Margherita and Portofino offer their particular charm, cobbled and unhurried, before the clifftop villages of Cinque Terre appear along one of the Mediterranean's most dramatic stretches of coast. Florence follows, its Renaissance galleries and terracotta skyline demanding more than a single day, and Rome delivers the ancient city in full, from the Colosseum and the Vatican to the baroque theatre of the Trevi Fountain. Venice brings the journey north again, a city of canals and bridges navigated best on foot or by gondola, and Verona, often passed over for louder destinations, rewards the curious with its Roman amphitheatre, narrow medieval streets and the enduring pull of Shakespeare's most famous setting. The final leg returns to Milan for onward departure.
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