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Portofino Tours › Portofino to the Cinque Terre by Boat: Private Day or Public FerryUpdated 2026-09-28

Portofino to the Cinque Terre by Boat: Private Day or Public Ferry

Hours, prices and access verified by the Portofino Tours team — last checked 2026-09-28.

A wooden motorboat crossing open blue sea, seen from above

The short answer. There are two ways down the coast by sea. The public line from Santa Margherita or Rapallo costs €47 return, with three hours in Monterosso and one in Riomaggiore. A private boat costs far more but starts in Portofino and stops where you choose. Groups who want the whole boat should look at Portofino private boat tours.

The distance, and the two choices

The Cinque Terre lie south-east of Portofino, past Sestri Levante and Levanto. By sea it is a full day. By land it means the train. So the boat is a good idea, as long as you know which kind you are buying.

The public lineA private day
StartsSanta Margherita or RapalloPortofino, Santa Margherita or Rapallo
Fare€47 a person, return$3,481 for the boat, up to 7
Time ashore3 hours Monterosso, 1 hour RiomaggioreAbout 1 hour Monterosso, 2 Vernazza
Other villagesAll five from the waterCorniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore from the water
On boardSeats with other passengersDrinks, snacks, a toilet
Who decidesThe timetableYou and the skipper

The case for the public line

The Servizio Marittimo del Tigullio runs its Super Cinque Terre line from Santa Margherita and Rapallo for the whole day. The boat runs past all five villages from the sea. Then it stops for three hours in Monterosso and one in Riomaggiore, and comes back in the late afternoon.

The fare is €47 return in 2026. From Chiavari, Lavagna or Sestri Levante, a second line costs €42. Return times from each stop are given on board. A single ticket is only valid as far as the first stop, so buy the return.

Important. The line does not call at Portofino. From the village you first take the ferry to Santa Margherita. Every boat needs 20 passengers per pier, and the captain can cancel or change stops in rough sea. The piers and lines are on getting to Portofino.

The case for a private day

The private day to the Cinque Terre starts in Portofino, Santa Margherita or Rapallo, whichever you choose. It runs for seven hours, at $3,481 per group (up to 7). Spread across seven people, that is about $497 each.

What you buy is control. You get about an hour ashore in Monterosso and two in Vernazza, with time for lunch. Corniglia, on its cliff, you see from the water, along with Manarola and Riomaggiore. Drinks, snacks, snorkel gear and a toilet are on board. Lunch is not in the fare.

A private boat also leaves when you want, rather than on a timetable. The trip is not wheelchair accessible, but a pushchair can come aboard.

Where each one starts

The public line boards at the ferry piers in Santa Margherita and Rapallo. Tickets are sold at the pier offices, and only groups of 25 or more can book ahead. If you are staying in Portofino, ride the local ferry to Santa Margherita first and give yourself time to change boats.

The private day meets you where you ask. In Portofino the skipper waits in front of Ristorante Stella on the harbour. In Santa Margherita it is the ferry pier, and in Rapallo the fuel station in the harbour. You choose the start when you book. The boat leaves at 10:00 and brings you back to the same place at the end of the day.

If the sea turns

This is a long run on open sea, and the weather decides the day. On the public line the captain may cancel a departure, skip a stop or change the port. If the service cancels, you get a full refund.

The private day can be cancelled free up to 24 hours ahead, which lets you watch the forecast before you commit. On a rough morning, a shorter trip round the headland is often the better choice.

A shorter day instead

If a whole day at sea is too much, stay closer to home. The small-group boat from Portofino harbour takes two and a half hours to San Fruttuoso and Camogli, at $103 a person plus €10 fuel in cash. It shows you the wild side of the headland without the long run south.

Where the time goes

On the public line, most of your day is ashore: four hours in two villages. On the private day it is the other way round, with about three hours ashore and the rest on the water. Pick the ferry for walking the villages. Pick the private boat for the coast itself and the freedom to stop.

  • Monterosso: the first stop on both, with three hours on the public line.
  • Vernazza: two hours and lunch on the private day; passed on the public line.
  • Corniglia: high on its cliff, seen only from the water on both.
  • Riomaggiore: an hour ashore on the public line; from the water on the private day.

Do both, over two days

If you have two days, use one for each. Take the public line from Santa Margherita on the first day, and walk the villages. On the second, stay near Portofino and take a shorter boat round the headland. The shared boats from the harbour are on Portofino boat tour, and the whole range of private hire is on Portofino private boat tours.

Weather decides a lot here. The best months for a long day on the sea are on the best time to visit Portofino, and the averages are on Portofino weather by month.

Verdict by visitor

If you are...ChooseWhy
A couple on a budgetThe public line€47 each, four hours ashore
A group of six or sevenA private dayAbout $497 each, your own stops
Keen walkersThe public lineThree hours to walk Monterosso
Here for the seaA private dayMore time on the water, a swim

If the Cinque Terre feel too far, the headland is closer. The boat or the path to San Fruttuoso fills a shorter day, and the rest of the coast is on things to do in Portofino.

Private days on the water

Next: Decide whether you want time ashore or time at sea, then pick the boat. Every fare sits side by side on Portofino Tours.