When visiting Cinque Terre, Italy, there are two main activities that are absolute must-dos: Hiking and Boat Tours. Going on a hike or going on private boat tours in Cinque Terre are the best way to see and fully appreciate this dreamy destination.
Located in the stunning Ligurian region, this destination is composed by five villages – hence the name, Cinque Terre. The 5 “lands” are Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Riomaggiore, and Manarola. 2 bonus, nearby towns are La Spezia and Portovenere.
All the five towns are fairly small, and while they are charming to walk through, the true beauty is seeing the entirety of the village and its colorful buildings from a far. This is why hiking and boat tours are the main and best things to do in Cinque Terre.
Without further ado, here are the best private boat tours in Cinque Terre – along with important things to consider before booking.
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Here are the 5 Best Private Boat Tours in Cinque Terre
Discover the 5 best private boat tours in Cinque Terre! The tours below are listed in duration-length order – starting off with the longest tour and ending with the shortest tour. These tours are completely private, meaning you won’t be sharing the experience with strangers.
1. Cinque Terre & Portovenere
- What it offers: Town break, Grottos, Hidden Gems, and all 5 Terre
- Duration: 8 Hours
- Where it Leaves From: La Spezia
- Cancellation Policy: Free Cancellation – up to 24 hours in advance for full refund
- Tour Guide Languages: English and Italian
Departing from La Spezia, this boat tour takes you to admire all the five villages and Porto Venere. During this boat tour you will have several break times, allowing you to swim and snorkel in the stunning Ligurian sea and walk around Monterosso al Mare, or Vernazza, and Porto Venere.
This boat tour in Cinque Terre includes some hidden gems – including hidden caves and the church of St. Pietro in Porto Venere.
The Cinque Terre & Porto Venere boat tour is the perfect option for people looking for a full-day excursion that goes beyond the Cinque Terre. In addition, it is perfect is you want a completely private experience or be part of a small group.
Save your spot for this boat tour today!👇
2. Luxurious Cinque Terre Private Boat Tour
- What it offers: Ligurian cuisine tastings, drinks, snorkeling equipment, and more!
- Duration: 7 Hours
- Where it Leaves From: La Spezia
- Cancellation Policy: Free Cancellation – up to 24 hours in advance for full refund
- Tour Guide Languages: English and Italian
Departing from La Spezia, this luxurious boat tour brings you to see all the Cinque Terre, Portovenere, Monesteroli, and Isola Palmaria. As a longer tour, you will have the opportunity to walk around Portovenere and swim in the Ligurian sea.
Being a luxurious experience, the cabin cruiser offers several amenities that aren’t usually provided. Here you will ind a kitchen with a fridge, toilet facilities, table for lunch stops, sunshade coverage, and more. Furthermore, you get to try Ligurian products along with Cinque Terre wine, and fresh fruit.
This is the perfect tour for someone who wants the ultimate comfort on a long boat tour. If you have already walked around the five villages and were planning to visit Portovenere, this is the perfect tour for you!
Book this boat tour today!👇
3. From La Spezia: Cinque Terre Boat Tour
- What it offers: Music, Sundeck, Freshwater Hand shower, Town Break, and more
- Duration: 5.5 Hours
- Where it Leaves From: La Spezia
- Cancellation Policy: Free Cancellation – up to 24 hours in advance for full refund
- Tour Guide Languages: English, Spanish, Italian
Departing from La Spezia, this boat tour takes you to admire all the five villages, along with Portovenere and one hidden gem of a cove. Being a longer tour, this boat tour offers break time to swim and stop ashore in Monterosso al Mare.
Some nice things this tour offers are a Sundeck, T-top for shade, freshwater shower, and music.
This boat tour is the perfect option for those who want a longer tour but not a full-day-length. What’s nice about the amenities is that you can choose how much sun to take, and you can wash off the salty water. If you are looking for a private, or small group, tour, this offers both options!
Book this boat tour today!👇
4. Cinque Terre: 3-Hour Private Boat Tour
- What it offers: Local wine and drinks, snacks, snorkeling equipment, floaties
- Duration: 3 Hours
- Where it Leaves From: Monterosso
- Cancellation Policy: Free Cancellation – up to 24 hours in advance for full refund
- Tour Guide Languages: English, Italian
Departing from Monterosso Al Mare, this boat tour takes you to admire all the five villages and the Cannetto beach. As a shorter tour, you will have some time to stop and swim in Liguria’s turquoise sea and explore hidden gems of coves. During the swim breaks you will have access to snorkeling equipment and floaties, and elevate the fun!
The boat for this tour is a traditional Ligurian Gozzo, which offers a large sundeck to relax on. Furthermore, this boat tour offers the famous, Pesto and Focaccia, two stars of the Ligurian cuisine.
This boat tour is the perfect option for those who want a longer tour but not a full-day-length. What’s nice about this tour is that you’ll be able to enjoy all the magic of the Cinque Terre and the Ligurian region – from sightseeing, to swimming, to eating local foods.
Book this boat tour today!👇
If you want this exact boat tour but with a shorter duration, here is the 2 hour tour!👇
5. Cinque Terre: 2 Hour Private Boat Tour
- What it offers: Music and refreshments
- Duration: 2 Hours
- Where it Leaves From: La Spezia
- Cancellation Policy: Free Cancellation – up to 24 hours in advance for full refund
- Tour Guide Languages: English and Italian
Departing from Riomaggiore, this short private boat tour brings you to admire all the five villages. During this tour, the local guide will tell you all about each village and their history. With two hours, you will only see Cinque Terre, but will have the the chance to take a swim break!
Book this boat tour today!👇
5 Best Public Small Group Boat Tours in Cinque Terre
1. From La Spezia: Cinque Terre Boat Tour with Lunch and Wine
- What it offers: Buffet Lunch, Unlimited Drinks, Swimming Breaks, One Village break
- Duration: 8 Hours
- Where it Leaves From: La Spezia
- Cancellation Policy: Free Cancellation – up to 24 hours in advance for full refund
- Tour Guide Languages: English and Italian
Starting off in La Spezia, this boat tour brings you all along the coast of the Cinque Terre and Porto Venere. With an 8-hour duration, you will have several swimming and snorkeling breaks.
What is nice about this tour is that it offers a buffet lunch with pasta and caprese (mozzarella and tomatoes), and unlimited drinks. The boat of the tour is a 10 meter-long vintage wooden boat, offering you an unforgettable and aesthetic experience.
This is the perfect tour for foodies who love boat days and are excited to meet new people and possibly create new friendships.
Book this boat tour today!👇
2. Cinque Terre & Gulf of Poets Full-Day Boat Tour
- What it offers: Ligurian Focaccia & other food, Drinks, Snorkeling Equipment, music, & more!
- Duration: 8 Hours
- Where it Leaves From: La Spezia
- Cancellation Policy: Free Cancellation – up to 24 hours in advance for full refund
- Tour Guide Languages: Italian
Departing from La Spezia, this 8-hour long boat tour brings you to the Cinque Terre, Porto Venere, Palmaria Island, and many more amazing destinations! During this tour you will have time to stop and swim in Liguria’s turquoise sea and explore several hidden gems. This experience provides snorkeling equipment and inflatables to elevate the water fun!
The boat for this tour is a 9-meter traditional Genovese gozzo boat with a beautiful sundeck. As a fun fact, the name of this boat is Vittoria! During this tour you will enjoy Ligurian focaccia, pasta, white wine and drinks.
This boat tour is the perfect option for those who want to see beyond the Cinque Terre and dive deeper into the magic of the Ligurian region. This is a small group tour, meaning you will share this experience with some other people who may become new friends!
Book this boat tour today!👇
3. Cinque Terre: Golden Hour Boat Tour with Appetizers & Drinks
- What it offers: Stereo system and music, local appetizers, and drinks at sunset
- Duration: 3.5 Hours
- Where it Leaves From: La Spezia
- Cancellation Policy: Free Cancellation – up to 24 hours in advance for full refund
- Tour Guide Languages: English and Italian
Departing from La Spezia, this boat tour brings you to admire all the Cinque Terre during the most magical time of day – sunset. In addition to the five villages, you will also see Portovenere and its unique Church of San Pietro.
The five colorful fishing villages, at sunset time, seem to become even more colorful and enhanced. A sunset boat tour Cinque Terre is bound to be an unforgettable experience.
This boat tour offers an aperitivo with local delicacies, drinks, and music with a stereo system. This tour is a small group experience, meaning you will have the chance to make new friends as you all enjoy the beauties and delicacies of Cinque Terre.
Book this boat tour today!👇
4. La Spezia: 5 Terre 7-Hour Boat Tour with Soft Drinks
- What it offers: Wheelchair accessible, sunshade, soft drinks, Village break
- Duration: 7 Hours
- Where it Leaves From: La Spezia
- Cancellation Policy: Free Cancellation – up to 24 hours in advance for full refund
- Tour Guide Languages: English and Italian
Departing from La Spezia, this boat tour brings you to see all the Cinque Terre, along with the Gulf of Poets, and enjoy several swim breaks. By passing the Gulf of Poets, you’ll be able to see the stunning town of Portovenere and the three Islands of Palmaria.
During this tour you will have the chance to disembark in either Monterosso, or Vernazza, and visit the village. This tour offers a live guide who tells you all about the villages and their stories, soft drinks, and several swim breaks.
Book this boat tour today!👇
5. La Spezia: Cinque Terre Tour by Boat
- What it offers: Allows you to walk around Monterosso
- Duration: 8 Hours
- Where it Leaves From: La Spezia
- Cancellation Policy: Free Cancellation – up to 24 hours in advance for full refund
- Tour Guide Languages: English, French, Italian
Departing from La Spezia, this ferry boat tour brings you to along the coast of the Cinque Terre to admire each village. Furthermore, it takes several stops to let you walk around some of the towns and other stops for swim breaks. This boat tour is perfect if you’re on a tighter budget, but still want enjoy a full-day boat excursion - or if you’re hoping to walk around the towns during the tour!
Book this boat tour today!👇
Important Things to Consider for Boat Tours in Cinque Terre
When picking out the perfect boat tour in Cinque Terre, there are several things to consider.
Where does the tour leave from?
Starting off with one of the most important things to consider, you must check where the tour leaves from. With the 5 villages and two bonus towns, there are many different places to leave from. Overall, it seems that most tours tend to leave from La Spezia, which allows for a smooth and direct journey.
How many hours do I want on the boat?
Are you planning to spend a full day on a boat, or just enough to see all the Cinque Terre and enjoy some swimming?
Boat tours tend to range from a minimum of 2 hours all the way up to 7 or 8 hours. Usually, the full-day excursions include swimming, food, a village break or two, and additional locations like Porto Venere. The 2 hour tours, on the other hand, usually only see the five villages and have a swimming break.
Will this be the day’s event or not?
This is something that is very important to consider! No matter how relaxing a boat tour may feel, you will come out of it exhausted. This is because you will spend lots of time under the sun, and likely have a few swimming sessions.
To share a personal experience, my friend and I were absolutely drained after a 2-3 hour long tour. Thankfully, we did our hike the day before and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon (post-nap).
Do I want food included?
If you want your boat tour to include a Ligurian culinary experience, there are some tours that offer just that!
Do I want swimming and/or walking through the village included?
As mentioned earlier, short boat tours usually include swimming – while longer boat tours include both swimming and village breaks.
Learn more about Cinque Terre and Italy
Here are other blog posts that will help you out on your Cinque Terre and Italy travels!👇
- The Ultimate 2 Days in Cinque Terre Itinerary
- The 5 BEST Cooking Classes in Cinque Terre, Italy
- How Many Days in Cinque Terre? What You Need to Know
- How to Spend a Weekend in Rome: The Perfect 2-Day Itinerary
- Two Days in Florence Itinerary
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If you want extra help on your Cinque Terre or Italy travels, check out my Thatch page and book my services!
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