Portofino has no station of its own, so most people arrive by train and then by bus or by sea. Before you book a Portofino tour, check where it starts: you may never need to reach the village by land at all.
Portofino has no station. The nearest is Santa Margherita Ligure-Portofino, one town along the gulf. The kayak operator's own directions put it about 45 minutes from Genoa by train, 2 hours from Pisa and 2 hours 30 from Milan.
Check the times with the rail operator before you travel. From the station you still have the last few kilometres to cover, by ferry, by bus or on foot.
The same directions give you three ways on from Santa Margherita. Bus 82 leaves from the station, and you buy the ticket first at a newsstand or tobacconist. The operator quotes about €1.50, and more if you pay on board.
You can also walk along the sea toward Paraggi, where the kayak base is. Or you can take the ferry from the town pier, which is the way the pesto walk goes.
The Servizio Marittimo del Tigullio runs the public boats on this coast. Line 1 links Rapallo, Santa Margherita, Portofino and San Fruttuoso, almost all year, the consortium says. Line 2 comes from Sestri Levante, Lavagna and Chiavari. Lines 4 and 5 run all day to the Cinque Terre.
You buy tickets at the pier ticket offices; only groups of 25 or more book ahead. Each sailing needs 20 people at its pier, and rough sea cancels it. A ticket to San Fruttuoso bought in Rapallo or Santa Margherita lets you stop in Portofino on the way.
| Route | Line | Return fare, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Rapallo to Santa Margherita | 1 | €9 |
| Santa Margherita to Portofino | 1 | €20 |
| Rapallo to Portofino | 1 | €22 |
| Portofino to San Fruttuoso | 1 and 2 | €20 |
| Santa Margherita to San Fruttuoso, via Portofino | 1 | €24 |
| Rapallo to San Fruttuoso, via Portofino | 1 | €27 |
| Chiavari or Lavagna to Portofino or San Fruttuoso | 2 | €24 |
| Sestri Levante to Portofino or San Fruttuoso | 2 | €26 |
| Santa Margherita or Rapallo to the Cinque Terre, all day | 4 | €47 |
| Chiavari, Lavagna or Sestri Levante to the Cinque Terre | 5 | €42 |
These are return fares, the consortium's 2026 prices. The timetable changes through the season and even by the day, so ask at the ticket office when you buy. In July and August, evening boats run to Portofino and back from Rapallo and Santa Margherita.
Genoa is the nearest city and the cruise port. On your own, you take the train to Santa Margherita and carry on by ferry or bus. A car from Genoa takes about an hour, one private walk's listing says.
A bus and boat day meets three minutes' walk from the cruise terminal. It drives 75 minutes to Santa Margherita, takes the boat for 30 minutes, and gives you 2 hours in Portofino. A private day boat instead boards at Porto Antico at 9am, or 5pm for its sunset option.
Leave the A12 motorway at the Rapallo exit and follow the signs for Santa Margherita and Portofino.
The kayak operator warns that access can be hard in peak season, with cars and parking limited. It calls train and bus the best alternative. If you do drive, leave a wide margin before your meeting time.
If your ship anchors off Portofino, the tender lands you at Molo Isolotto in the village. Ships off Santa Margherita tender to Molo Maloncello. Private walks can meet you at the Portofino tender pier.
From a ship docked in Genoa, the bus and boat day is built around the terminal. Keep the ship's all-aboard time in mind, and leave a margin for the tender queue on the way back.
Your booking names the exact pier. Check it the evening before, because each town has more than one. The map puts every start in its place.
Boats from Portofino, Santa Margherita and Rapallo, the kayak from Paraggi, and days from Genoa.
The lines, fares and ferry rules are the consortium's own 2026 pages, checked 28 September 2026. The FAI gives the Camogli boat to San Fruttuoso. The train, bus and road advice is the kayak operator's, quoted as theirs. Every meeting point comes from that trip's own listing.
Five and a half hours from the Genoa cruise terminal: a coach to Santa Margherita, focaccia, the boat along the coast and about two hours free in Portofino. A tour leader stays with you.
From $101 per person
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A full day on your own boat from Genoa's old harbour: about an hour and a half ashore each at San Fruttuoso, Portofino and Camogli, with two swim stops.
From $1,276 per group (up to 7)
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A private hike across the park with an environmental guide: about an hour in San Fruttuoso bay for the abbey and a swim, then an hour in Portofino. The abbey ticket is extra.
From $649 per group (up to 6)
Check AvailabilityNext: see what to do once you arrive on things to do, read the visitor guide, or find your trip on Portofino Tours.