Walks of the Cinque Terre and Portofino

It's hard to mess up a trip to the Cinque Terre, hut Exodus has really nailed this one. A well-paced itinerary put us in all the right places, and moneglia is a delightful place to stay. The hotel Piccolo is excellent - centrally located, family-run and scrupulously clean, it is hard to fault and somewhere I would happily visit again. One tip: ask for an upgrade when you arrive, the extra cost is definitely worth it. Saving the best to last, however, we were blessed to have Miki as our guide. She was incredibly attentive throughout the week, and was always 2 or 3 steps ahead in anticipating our needs. Hugely knowledgeable about her home region, she also has a great sense of humour, and always seemed to be genuinely happy to be with us. She is a jewel, and turned a great experience into an unforgettable one.

Moneglia, a small seaside resort, was a great base for our walking holiday away from the crowds of the more popular villages of Cinque Terre. The Hotel Piccolo was perfectand the staff were very friendly. Our room was spacious and clean with a safe and tea and coffee making facilities. We also had a small balcony where we could sit and have a beer but there was also a sun terrace with a jacuzzi and outside terraces facing the street to sit on and have a drink with our group. It was great to have access to the indoor swimming pool at the end of the day's walk but unfortunately the sauna was never switched on. Breakfast was more than adequate with a limited range of cereals, scrambled eggs and bacon, ham and cheese, bread, fruit, yogurt and cakes. The daily walks all started with a trip to the train station to get us to the start of our walk.

I flew from Manchester and made my own way to the hotel in Moneglia. The travel instructions were easy to follow. I met the rest of the group later that evening. Michela Wicks was our excellent guide. She put no pressure on us to do the walks and offered alternative activities. The walks were as tough as I expected but the weather was good for walking. We had lots of stops and time to enjoy the various villages. Michela took us to various restaurants at night in Moneglia but it was not compulsory to join the group. As a group we gelled well and enjoyed everyone's company. The Hotel Piccolo was very comfortable, a good breakfast choice and a small pool with waterjets to ease the aching muscles and knees. Bathing in the sea was also pleasant. The weather wasn't good on our day off so on Michela's advice a group of us went to Chiavari which was very interesting (although most shops and the cathedral were shut between 12-3.30). We had a lovely pre-dinner wine tasting one night which was included in the trip.

A wonderful week of great walking, fabulous scenery, lovely hotel, great food in the local restaurants, including a wine tasting - all coordinated by a fabulous guide.

I LOVED this trip...my 10th with Exodus but my first walking holiday, and there was so much to enjoy. The walks were tough and I was nervous; I'm used to walking much further but not used to such steep hills and the many, many steps. But though my legs were often screaming, it was well worth it and I'd highly recommend the trip and the area. The hotel was nice, rooms simple but had everything I needed, the town we stayed quiet but lovely, the restaurants are all fantastic in the town, and the beach is lovely - and it's a rare thing for a beach to not be dominated by the Italian 'beach clubs' that usually take up most of the best spots. The wine tasting is a very special evening.

This was a great holiday & I'd thoroughly recommend it. The walks were far more strenuous than I expected but the views were spectacular which made it all worthwhile.

This was my first trip not only with Exodus but on any walking group holiday. It could not have been better! The promise was to enjoy varied walks in stunning locations, and that was what was delivered. Key to the success of this holiday were the efforts of our guide Michela who worked tirelessly on all aspects of the of the trip and ensured the whole group had the very best of times.

An exhilarating week of walking in beautiful Liguria complemented by great food and drink.

Walking along the calming coastline and resorts of Ligurian sea.

We joined the majority of our group mid-Sept with Michela in Pisa. An informal meet and greet and an idea as to what to expect was laid out each day. As quoted by our fearless leader 'A little bit of up and then we level off' this was - pretty much the start of every glorious day. Michela was a great guide - easy going, kept us on point and moving at a comfortable pace. A couple of the days were more steep than others, it was super hot when we were there which didn't help. On a cooler day, the up's would have been a lot more tolerable. The last day provided some amazing views. Moneglia is a cute/quiet town with great options for dining - the host hotel was super comfortable and crazy clean!