The villages are the postcard. The path is the point. If you arrive at noon in July you will remember queues. If you start at seven, you will remember rosemary, stone, and the sound of the sea below your left shoulder.
Check which sections are open the night before; landslides close pieces without drama. Riomaggiore to Manarola is short and often the busiest. Monterosso to Vernazza is the one that still feels like a walk. Carry more water than you think. Shade is uneven. This is not a wilderness trail. It is a terrace path with real drop-offs and real crowds. Good shoes, a slow pace, and a train ticket in your pocket are the whole system.
