Is The Nessun Dorma Pesto Experience Worth It?
We recently spent 3 days in Cinque Terre, Italy with kids (ages 6, 3, and 9 months) and one of those days we did the Nessun Dorma Pesto experience in Manarola. And let me just say… it was AMAZING.
I don’t want to build up this pesto class in the Cinque Terre too much for fear of it not living up to expectations. However, I will say that our day in Manarola, doing this pesto class, will go down as one of our favorite travel experiences as a family.
Other parts of our time in the Cinque Terre were somewhat forgettable; however, our kids (and I) still talk excitedly about our Nessun Dorma pesto making class months later.
This guide is to give you my full review of the Nessun Dorma pesto class to help you know how it works and decide if it’s the right cooking class in Cinque Terre for you!
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✨🇮🇹 IN A RUSH? HERE ARE OUR CINQUE TERRE FAMILY FAVORITES
MUST-BOOK EXPERIENCES:
🌱 PESTO MAKING CLASS WITH GORGEOUS VIEWS AT NESSUN DORMA IN MANAROLA:This pesto making class was BY FAR the highlight of our trip. It's located high on the hill in Manarola with gorgeous village views. Our kids still talk about it months later.
🚤 PRIVATE CINQUE TERRE BOAT TOUR WITH SNORKELING & PESTO PASTA: Our friend's took this boat trip and LOVED it. It's a 2-hour private boat ride with gorgeous village views, snorkeling and even local pesto and foccacia! Our friends visited Cinque Terre in peak summer and they said getting out on the water was a lifesaver.
🌱 SMALL-GROUP PESTO MAKING CLASS IN RIOMAGGIORE: We haven't taken this class, but it is a much smaller group than the class we took (which may be preferred for some families) and the location looks incredible.
WHERE WE STAYED:
✨ Airbnb in Levanto: Where we stayed! 5-minute walk to the train station and just a 5-minute ride to the Cinque Terre.
MORE PLACES TO STAY:
💰 2-Bedroom Apartment with Beach Views in Monterosso: We almost booked this one but it wasn't available for our dates. Located right above the train station in Montersosso (but it's not noisy) and across the street from the beach! Hardly can get a better location.
💰💰 Apartment in Monterosso:Simple apartment in Monterosso the flattest and easiest to navigate towns.
💰💰💰 Manarola Apartment with Balconyy with Gorgeous Views: The views from this place are stunning, but be aware, views like this generally require a lot of stairs (might be worth it though!)
📸 Tours/Excursions: Viator & Get Your Guide
🚕 Airport Transfers with Car Seats: Welcome Pickups
👉 Travel Strollers: Zoe Traveler & Zoe Double
🍼 Baby Carriers: Tula Carriers, Wildride Hip Carriers
📱 International Data Phone eSIM: Airalo
🚗 Cheap Rental Cars: Economy Bookings
🏠 Accomodations: Booking, Expedia, VRBO, Airbnb
🌎 Travel Insurance: World Nomads
We receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using the above link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.
Is the Nessun Dorma Pesto Experience in Cinque Terre Worth IT: My Review
Yes, DEFINITELY. The Nessun Dorma Pesto Experience was not only our favorite thing we did during our 3 days in the Cinque Terre, but it’s one of our favorite things we’ve done in all of our travels.
As I guess should be expected, the Cinque Terre can be very crowded. Sometimes, it almost felt like we were at a Disney park instead of a quaint coastal village (and keep in mind, we visited in May, which isn’t peak season yet).
However, the pesto class felt like a total respite from the crowds and an opportunity to really soak in the ambiance of the Cinque Terre.
Getting to spend 2.5 hours doing something fun while taking in the gorgeous views of Manarola really can’t be beat.
What’s INcluded in the Nessun Dorma Pesto Class?
The Nessun Dorma Pesto class is a relaxed, 2.5-hour experience located in a restaurant on the cliff across from Manarola with STUNNING village views.
The cost is €85 per adult, with kids aged 6-9 years old half price, and kids under 6 years old free.
You may feel like €85 is a lot to pay for an experience, but considering everything the Nessun Dorma Pesto experience includes, I think it’s very reasonable.
What is included in the cost:
- Nessun Dorma apron
- Free Cinque Terre white wine or soft drinks/juice
- Learning a bit about the ingredients and how to pick them
- Fun stories about the local area and how Nessun Dorma was created
- Making the pesto in a Carrara marble mortar
- Fun music, dancing, and a lovely, energetic (yet family-friendly) atmosphere while making the pesto
- A charcuterie board lunch after the pesto class
- A commemorative bottle of Cinque Terre wine
The lunch board contains pesto bruschetta, a burrata cheese salad, lots of Parma ham, and some fruit. However, you can also request a vegetarian or vegan board, and they have some gluten-free options (reach out to them directly if you have questions).
The vegetarian board has a variety of cheeses and dips instead of Parma ham (plus a little more fruit), and I think the vegan board comes with grilled vegetables instead of the Parma ham.
We requested both a typical board and a vegetarian board, which was great.
They also brought out smaller boards with some meat and potato chips for the kids.
When we first arrived, the staff brought out juice and focaccia for our kids for free (without us even asking!). I thought that was really above and beyond.
Our kids were so happy and snacked on it the entire time. It helped their tummies stay happy while they waited for our meal at the end of the class.
Overall, we were so impressed with how relaxed and not rushed this experience felt.
We learned how to make pesto in a fun and engaging way, plus we felt like we had so much time to enjoy our lunch afterwards and take in the gorgeous village views.
They could easily pump through so many more guests if they trimmed the experience down to just a quick 45-minute class, but instead, they have chosen to keep it calm and relaxed with an atmosphere that encourages you to enjoy your surroundings. It’s amazing!
How to book the Nessun Dorma Pesto Class
Unlike most other cooking classes in Cinque Terre, which can be booked on Viator or Get Your Guide, the Nessun Dorma Pesto Experience can only be booked via the Nessun Dorma website or the Nessun Dorma app.
The classes generally run from mid-March to early-November, and more classes are added each day closer to the peak summer season.
The class definitely sells out, so you want to be sure to book in advance. And the nice thing is that you can easily cancel or modify your booking for free in the app.
How to Eat at Nessun Dorma But NOT do The PESTO Class
If you don’t want to attend the pesto class, but do want to eat at Nessun Dorma, they are open from about 4:30-9:00 PM most days of the season for aperitivo (light food and drinks).
Reservations are not accepted and the line for a table can be crazy long. However, you can secure a digital spot in line via the Nessun Dorma app (which I highly recommend doing if you want to go this route).
You will need to continue to refresh the queue until there are about 10 people in front of you left in line. At that point you go closer to the entrance and wait to hear your number called.
You can see the menu on the Nessun Dorma app- it’s very similar to the type of food you get during the pesto class.
You can also order takeaway and take it up to the picnic tables above Nessun Dorma (I talk more about where to find those at the end of this post).
How to Get to The Nessun Dorma Pesto Experience in Manarola
Although Nessun Dorma is located on the cliffs across from Manarola, the walk to reach it from the harbor is quite easy.
There is a stone-paved path with a gentle incline that hugs and wraps around the cliff, taking you up to the are of Manarola that is home to the popular Manarola viewpoint, Nessun Dorma, a playground, the cemetary and more.
There is a short section of stairs at the end of the path, but other than that, it’s quite a pleasant walk with sweeping views of Manarola and sweeping views of the sea once on the other side.
We accidentally started walking up Via di Corniglia when we were first heading to Nessun Dorma.
That road technically would have gotten us there, but it’s much steeper and doesn’t have as sweeping views of Manarola as the path I’ve marked in red on the map above.
DO I really need to wait in line for a Seat with a View?
Before attending this Cinque Terre pesto class, I’d read that not all of the seats in Nessun Dorma had good views and that you needed to get in line 30-45 minutes in advance to secure a good spot.
I was pretty stressed about this, so since we were playing at the playground right next to Nessun Dorma, I popped down 30 minutes before to see if I should snag a spot in line, and first of all, no one was even in line yet, and second of all, the staff assured me that all the tables have stunning views.
I agree with the staff that all the tables appear to have stunning views. The restaurant is a long narrow space with tables along the fence closest to the village and tables across the aisle along the hillside.
Even the tables not along the fence still have a great village view! However, I did notice one or two tables at the end that I think had more of a sea view than a village view.
All of this aside, the staff members were mostly telling people where to sit based on their group size/needs. So although we were very close to the front of the line, we didn’t really choose where we sat.
All of this is to say, yes, arrive around 20 minutes early to ensure you are on time and ready to go. But I don’t think you need to stress about arriving 30+ minutes early to secure a prime seat. That being said, I wouldn’t want to be last in line either😅.
Is The Nessun Dorma Pesto Class in Cinque Terre Family-Friendly?
We were shocked at how welcomed we felt as a family at the Nessun Dorma Pesto Experience. It was amazing.
Considering we were traveling with a 6-year-old, 3-year-old, and a 9-month-old, I’d say we covered basically any age you may be worried about attending with.
First of all, kids under 6 years of age attend the class for free and kids aged 6-9 attend for half price.
When we were seated, we were immediately given a high chair for our baby, the two older kids received aprons (they were adult aprons, but that’s fine) AND they brought out delicious focaccia and juice for the kids to snack on during the class.
During the actual experience when we were using our mortar and pestle to make the pesto, multiple Nessun Dorma staff members went around helping guests, including swinging by our table to help our kids if needed.
There is fun music and dancing at different points of the class that the kids enjoyed, and they even enjoyed listening to the stories told by the owner of Nessun Dorma during the pesto class.
Although the whole experience is about 2.5 hours long, the lunch part is the last hour. And there are so many pauses in instruction for music, dancing, and pounding the pesto that the time really flew by (while still feeling like a relaxed, cozy experience).
I recommend opting for a baby carrier and not bringing a stroller to the Cinque Terre in general, and the same goes for the Nessun Dorma pesto class.
I didn’t notice anywhere convenient to store a stroller; however, the Nessun Dorma website does say they have luggage storage, so you may be able to fold your stroller and store it in their luggage space. But as I said, I don’t recommend bringing a stroller.
Not only is the Nessun Dorma restaurant situated in an absolutely stunning location, but just a few steps away is a fun playground offering stunning views of both the village and the sea.
We booked the 10:30 am pesto experience, but arrived in Manarola around 9:00 am and basically had the village all to ourselves. It was so quiet and peaceful, and it hadn’t warmed up yet for the day. If it’s possible, I recommend doing the same.
We went straight up to the playground and let our kids play for about an hour before the class to let them get their wiggles out. The playground was so shady and peaceful that other visitors without kids were even stopping to relax at it.
Overall, I felt the Nessun Dorma Pesto Experience was very welcoming to families, and you combine that class with a visit to the playground (or a swim in the harbour, like we also did) and you have yourself a perfect day in Cinque Terre.
If you’re visiting Cinque Terre with kids, be sure to check out this guide for more information about visiting Manarola with kids, our tried-and-true itinerary plus helpful things to know: Cinque Terre with Kids: A Realistic 3 Day Itinerary
Other Cooking Classes in the Cinque Terre
If the Nessun Dorma Pesto Experience isn’t sounding like a good fit, the good news is that there are many other pesto or pasta classes in Cinque Terre to choose from.
I’ll highlight specific pesto classes below; however, if you want to search for yourself, I recommend searching on Viator here.
- 🌱 SMALL-GROUP PESTO MAKING CLASS IN RIOMAGGIORE WITH SEA VIEWS: Enjoy a 2-hour pesto-making class with max 10 other guests and a gorgeous location.
- 🌱 1-HOUR PESTO CLASS IN A LOCAL’S HOME IN MANAROLA: Learn to make pesto with a local in Manarola. This class lasts only 1 hour which is ideal if you’re short on time.
- 🌱🍝 LEARN HOW TO MAKE BOTH PESTO AND A LOCAL PASTA IN VERNAZZA: Learn to make BOTH a local pasta noodle AND pesto to enjoy together in a 1.5-hour class in a cozy location in Vernazza (high chairs available if you have kids!)
🌱🍝 Click here to search for Cinque Terre cooking classes on Viator! 🌱🍝
Secret Picnic Spot Near Nessun Dorma
If what you really want is just some food with a view (and not a pesto class) there’s a secret picnic spot literally right above Nessun Dorma (you can see the Nessun Dorma umbrellas from the picnic spot).
There are four shaded picnic tables (that are free to use) with gorgeous views of the village. You can find the picnic spot on Google Maps here.
You can bring your own food or you could order takeaway from Nessun Dorma when they are open as a restaurant which is usually from about 4:30 pm- 9:00 pm most days of the week.
And that’s my review of the Nessun Dorma Pesto Experience! Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions. I’ll be sure to get back to you. Happy travels!
☀️LOOKING FOR MORE ABOUT CINQUE TERRE ITALY?☀️
🇮🇹 Cinque Terre with Kids: A Realistic 3 Day Itinerary
⛱️ Our 4 Favorite Beaches in Cinque Terre Italy
✨ What It’s Like Visiting Cinque Terre in May
🍝 15 Things To Know Before Visiting Cinque Terre Italy | Cinque Terre Tips
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