Portofino Walking Tours
Hours, prices and access verified by the Portofino Tours team — last checked 2026-09-28.
Portofino walking tours put a guide beside you on foot, from a pesto class after the climb to San Giorgio to a private hike across the park to San Fruttuoso. The village is free to walk; a guide adds the story and the table.
Walking tours in and around the village
★★★★★ 4.9 (133 reviews · 3 hours)
Starts in Santa MargheritaWalk, pesto class, lunchMax 6 people
Meet at the Santa Margherita ferry pier for the return ferry, a walk up to San Giorgio, focaccia at a bakery, then a pesto class and lunch on the harbour. Up to six; bookings of two.
From $261 per person, bookings of two
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
★★★★★ 5.0 (10 reviews · 2 to 5 hours 30 minutes, by option)
Starts in Portofino or GenoaPrivate guided walk
A licensed private guide for about two hours in the Piazzetta and the lanes, met at the harbour, your hotel or the cruise tender. The four-hour option adds an hour in Santa Margherita by ferry.
From $220 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
★★★★★ 4.9 (28 reviews · 4 to 6 hours)
Starts in Portofino or Santa MargheritaPrivate guided walk
A local guide for two towns: about three hours in Portofino and three in Santa Margherita, joined by the ferry, or a bus or car in winter. An aperitivo of focaccia and wine is included.
From $405 per person, bookings of two
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
★★★★★ 5.0 (14 reviews · 3 to 5 hours)
Pickup at your hotelAbbey ticket not includedPrivate guided walk
An environmental guide leads your party across the park's trails to San Fruttuoso bay for about an hour, then an hour in Portofino. Pesto, focaccia and wine are in the fare; the abbey ticket is extra.
From $649 per group (up to 6)
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
A ferry, a climb, a class and a lunch
Three hours from the Santa Margherita ferry pier, with the return ferry in the fare.
See this trip
What a Portofino walking tour is
A walking tour puts a guide beside you on foot. In Portofino that means the harbour, the
Piazzetta, the lanes behind them and the climb to the church of San Giorgio. The village is small,
and what a guide adds is the story, the bakery and the table.
They come in three kinds. The pesto walk crosses from Santa Margherita by ferry and ends with a
class and lunch. The private walks give you a licensed guide for two to six hours, and one adds
Santa Margherita. The park hike crosses the promontory on foot to San Fruttuoso.
None of them is a boat trip. The pesto walk rides the public ferry to get there, and that is
all the sea you get.
Why choose a walking tour
You eat as you go
The pesto walk stops at a bakery for focaccia, then you make pesto and eat trofie al pesto
with a glass of wine on the harbour. The two-town walk pours an aperitivo with focaccia.
The group stays small
The pesto walk takes up to six, and the private walks take only your party. You can ask
questions and set the pace.
You reach San Fruttuoso on foot
The park hike takes you along the trails to the bay for about an hour, with time for the
abbey and a swim. The abbey ticket is yours to pay at the door.
A guide meets you where you land
Cruise passengers tendered to Molo Isolotto can meet their guide there. Others meet you at the
harbour, the Piazzetta or your hotel.
Walking tours vs exploring on your own
There is no gate, and the village costs nothing to walk. Here is what a guide changes.
| A walking tour | On your own |
|---|
| Cost | $220 to $405 a person | Free, plus any sight you enter |
| What you see | The lanes, San Giorgio, a bakery, often Santa Margherita | What you find |
| Food | Focaccia, pesto or an aperitivo in most fares | Whatever you buy |
| Getting there | The ferry is in some fares | Your own ferry, bus or train |
| San Fruttuoso | On the park hike, with a guide | On a trail or by ferry |
| Pace | Set with the guide | Your own |
See the pesto walk from $261
On your own, walk up to San Giorgio, which is free, and on to Castello Brown, which costs €10.
Our things to do page covers each stop.
What you get, and what you don't
- The pesto walk: the return ferry from Santa Margherita, a tour leader,
focaccia, the class and a light lunch with wine, water and coffee.
- The private walks: a licensed or local guide, snacks or an aperitivo. The
ferry to Santa Margherita comes on the longer options.
- The park hike: an environmental guide in English, French or Italian, with
pesto, focaccia and wine. Transport and the abbey ticket are extra.
- Not in any fare: tips, where a listing mentions them.
Two towns in a day, with a local guide
About three hours in Portofino and three in Santa Margherita, joined by the ferry, with an aperitivo of focaccia and wine.
Check availability
Planning a walking tour
- Budget: $220 to $405 a person on the guided walks.
The park hike is $649 per group (up to 6).
- Bookings of two: the pesto walk and the two-town walk price per person with a
minimum of two, so the smallest booking is twice the price shown.
- Shoes: wear shoes with grip. The lanes are stone and the climb to San Giorgio
is stepped.
- Rain: the private walks go ahead, and the two-town walk swaps the ferry for a
bus or car in winter or bad weather.
- Refunds: every walk refunds in full if you cancel 24 hours ahead.
Walking in winter? Our off-season guide covers the shorter hours at the castle and the abbey.
Who should choose something else
- If steps are hard for you. A boat shows you the headland without the climb.
See the Portofino boat tours.
- If you want to swim. Only the park hike stops for a swim. The kayak tours
and the boats put you in the water.
- If you are travelling alone. The pesto walk and the two-town walk need a
booking of two.
Frequently asked questions
Are there guided walks in the village?
Yes. One meets at the Santa Margherita ferry pier, takes the ferry across and ends with a pesto class and lunch. Private guides walk the Piazzetta and the lanes with you, and a private hike crosses the park to San Fruttuoso.
How fit do you need to be?
Fit enough for stone steps and cobbles. The pesto walk climbs to the church of San Giorgio, and the park hike takes three to five hours on trails. The private walks move at your pace.
Can I just walk the village without a guide?
Yes, there is no gate, and the Piazzetta, the harbour and San Giorgio are free. A guide adds the story, the bakery, the pesto class or the trail to San Fruttuoso.
Which walk includes food?
The pesto walk ends with a class and a light lunch of trofie al pesto with a glass of wine. The two-town private walk includes focaccia with wine, and the park hike carries pesto, focaccia and wine.
Do walking tours run in the rain?
The private walks do, and one swaps the ferry for a bus or car in winter or bad weather. Bring a jacket and shoes with grip for the stone lanes and steps.
How much time do you need in Portofino?
Half a day covers the harbour, the Piazzetta, the church of San Giorgio and the path out towards the lighthouse. Allow a full day if you add San Fruttuoso by boat or on foot.
Is the church of San Giorgio free?
Yes. The small church on the cliff above the harbour is free and open in daylight hours. It was first built in 1154 and has been rebuilt four times, and relics of St George lie under its high altar.
Rather see the headland from the water? Every way to see it is compared on Portofino Tours.