Walks of the Cinque Terre and Portofino

We had a great time hiking the Ligurian hills and the Cinque Terre towns. Michela was a great guide, she immediately became an integral part of our group with her gentle, yet thoughtful leadership. We had wonderful views, beautifully-maintained trails and a lot of laughs. Some of us raced ahead to explore all that nature had to offer while others meandered slowly taking pictures of everything. The trail options made our trip accessible to everyone in our group with all our varied walking and hiking abilities. We enjoyed exploring new towns everyday and trying our language skills with everyone we met.

This was a great trip, with spectacular scenery, delicious food and a comfortable hotel. Although the steps (up and down) involved should not be underestimated, the 'amber warning' refers to the rainstorm that coincided with our day off. Despite this, I would recommend this trip to anyone who enoys coastal scenery and even suggest this relatively late departure date to avoid some of the crowds in the popular Cinque Terre villages.

Loved every step. Our super fit guide, Michela Wicks, did an excellent job keeping us all together, providing us with heaps of information and many laughs. Thank you Michela. You are wonderful.♡

This was a wonderful week. The scenery is magnificent and the Cinque Terre villages are as beautiful as i hoped, despite the crowds you can still appreciate the unique atmosphere and architecture of these tiny villages. Several times we walked through lovely flowers or woods. The hotel is just across the road from a Blue Flag beach with safe swimming , lovely after a hard walk. Local food is tasty and affordable and especially good if you like anchovies and ice cream (not together!) The walking is strenuous going up the cliffs at the start of the day and down at the end, but there is plenty of time allowed and the "level" parts are well surfaced and easy. I really reccommend this holiday.

I have recently returned from this holiday and can honestly say it was one of the best Exodus walking trips I have done. The area itself is unique and stunningly beautiful. Every day was different and incredibly well organised by Michela , our leader who was excellent. The week was busy but never felt too much and was a really comprehensive tour of the Ligurian coast. The hotel was lovely with good rooms and a great breakfast buffet.

This was my first trip not only with Exodus but on any walking group holiday. It could not have been better! The promise was to enjoy varied walks in stunning locations, and that was what was delivered. Key to the success of this holiday were the efforts of our guide Michela who worked tirelessly on all aspects of the of the trip and ensured the whole group had the very best of times.

Feeling a bit trepidatious, as it was our first trip abroad since covid, we needn't have worried. This was a fabulous week walking in the most beautiful Ligurian countryside. Michela put us at ease straight away, along with the rest of a very, friendly group. Moneglia was an excellent base, away from the very busy villages along the Cinque Terre, but offering an excellent train service to the start of our walks. It was great to come back and swim at the end of the day. It also had a choice of fabulous restaurants and focaccerias.

Stunning scenery, great guide, very well organised.

A wonderful week of great walking, fabulous scenery, lovely hotel, great food in the local restaurants, including a wine tasting - all coordinated by a fabulous guide.

At the end of September we were a bit surprised that the villages were still quite crowded, but really pretty, especially when viewed from the hills above. The walks were quite long, and steep in places, but everyone managed them; there are options to cut some of the walks short by taking the train back, but nobody wanted to miss out on the whole experience. The trip notes warn that some of the long downhill sections are not ideal for vulnerable knees, and I would suggest taking this advice seriously. Our guide, Michele, was efficient and great company. The Picollo hotel in Moneglia is a very good choice; family run, friendly, with good food, a pool, sun deck and close to the beach. The trains we used were excellent.