Booking choice: The Genoa and Portofino day, from $149 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
The Cinque Terre is five villages, trails and a ferry along about 12 km of coast, roughly 3 hours from Milan. Portofino is one small harbour village just past Genoa, so a Portofino day usually adds Genoa's old town and spends less time on the road.
Neither is wrong. The question is whether you want more time on the road and more to see, or less of both.
The quick answer
Pick Portofino if you want a shorter, easier day: Genoa is about 1.5 hours from Milan by road, and a coach day adds a boat to Portofino. Pick the Cinque Terre if the five villages are the reason you came: it is about 3 hours each way, but nothing else looks like it. Both depend on the sea for their boat legs.
Which is closer to Milan, Cinque Terre or Portofino?
Portofino. Genoa is about 170 km from Milan, about 1.5 hours by car or about 1 hour 18 minutes on the fastest train; the Cinque Terre is about 3 hours away.
Portofino lies about 35 km beyond Genoa. By public transport you take a regional train to Santa Margherita Ligure, about 35 minutes from Genoa, then a short boat or a walk of about 25 minutes. In total, about 2.5 to 3 hours from Milan, so the gap narrows if you go without a tour.
| Cinque Terre | Genoa and Portofino | |
|---|---|---|
| Distance from Milan | About 230 km by road | About 170 km to Genoa, Portofino 35 km further |
| Time each way | About 3 h by direct train or road | About 2 h by coach to Genoa |
| What you see | 3 or 4 of 5 villages, trails, the ferry | Genoa's old town, a boat to Portofino |
| Boat legs | Ferry 28 Mar to 1 Nov, not Corniglia | Boat from Rapallo, weather permitting |
| Coach day from | $163 with boat | $149 with boat |
What do you see on a Genoa and Portofino day?
A walk through Genoa's old town, free time for lunch, then a boat from Rapallo to Portofino and back.
The coach day from $149 (4.2 from 237 reviews) leaves from Largo Cairoli in Milan, with optional pickup in central Milan, and lasts about 12 hours. Guests report that the time split matters: some wanted more time in Portofino and less in Genoa or at rest stops.
Want the shorter day? Genoa, the boat and Portofino in one booking, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Check dates for the Genoa and Portofino dayWhat do you see on a Cinque Terre day?
Three or four of the five villages, linked by the local train and, from late March to 1 November, the ferry.
Monterosso's beach, Vernazza's harbour, Manarola's cliff and Riomaggiore's tower houses. You get more variety than in Portofino, plus the option of a hike, but more time travelling. See the one-day Cinque Terre plan.
Which is more crowded?
Both, in summer. The Cinque Terre had about 4 million visitors in 2023, and day groups arrive around 10:00 and thin out after about 16:00.
Portofino's harbour is tiny, so even a few coaches fill it. In both places, spring and early autumn are the calmer choice, and cruise days in La Spezia add thousands of extra visitors to the Cinque Terre.
What happens if the sea is rough?
Boat legs are cancelled in both. On the Cinque Terre the train still links every village; on the Portofino day, guests report days when the boat did not run and Portofino was missed.
Recent reviews of the Genoa and Portofino coach day mention weather days with the boat cancelled and a long transfer by bus or train instead. On the Cinque Terre a cancelled ferry costs you the view from the sea, not a village. If rough weather is forecast, the Cinque Terre by train is the safer bet.
Free time in Genoa's old town, then a boat from Rapallo to Portofino and back, with a tour leader and optional pickup in central Milan.
Explore the Genoa and Portofino dayWhich is cheaper?
Coach days are similar: from $149 for Genoa and Portofino, from $80 to $163 for the Cinque Terre.
On your own, Genoa is the cheaper and easier train ride, with many direct trains a day. For the Cinque Terre, budget about €32 return on an advance Intercity plus €22 to €35 for a one-day local train card in 2026.
Choosing the Cinque Terre? The most-booked coach day adds a boat ride along the coast when the sea allows.
Check dates for the coach day with a Monterosso boat rideCan you see both in one day?
Not well. Each needs most of a day from Milan, and both depend on boats for the best part.
If you have two days, sleep on the coast. With one, pick one. Portovenere, at the southern end of the Cinque Terre ferry line, gives you a Portofino-style harbour as part of a Cinque Terre boat day.
So which should you choose?
Portofino if you want a shorter, more relaxed day with a city thrown in; the Cinque Terre if you want the bigger payoff and do not mind 6 hours of travel.
Travelling with young children, or only want one compact place? Portofino. First time on the Italian Riviera and the villages are on your list? The Cinque Terre. Short on time overall? Lake Como is about an hour from Milan by train.
For the Cinque Terre at its best: first-class train from Milan and a private guide who plans the trains and boats around you.
Explore the first-class train day with a private guideFrequently asked questions
Is Portofino or the Cinque Terre better for a day trip from Milan?
Portofino is the shorter, easier day; the Cinque Terre is the bigger one. Both take about 12 hours with a tour.
How far is Portofino from Milan?
About 170 km to Genoa plus about 35 km to Portofino. Coach tours allow about 2 to 2.5 hours each way.
Do Portofino tours include the boat?
The Genoa and Portofino day includes a boat from Rapallo to Portofino and back, weather permitting.
Is Portovenere part of the Cinque Terre?
It is just south of the five villages and shares their UNESCO World Heritage listing, and the Cinque Terre ferry stops there.
Ready to book
Choose your day
Check the cancellation terms: private and first-class train days are non-refundable. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Genoa & Portofino Day Trip with Boat Ride
Coach Day Trip with Monterosso Boat Ride
- Air-conditioned coach from Largo Cairoli 18 (hotel pickup from 6:00 at selected hotels)
- Professional guide, possibly bilingual
- Local train from Manarola to Monterosso
First-Class Train & Private Guide from Milan
- Round-trip first-class train tickets Milan to the Cinque Terre, emailed the day before
- A private licensed guide in the villages, itinerary adjusted to you
- Local trains between the villages
