Islands of Sardinia and Corsica - Small Group

Start your Sardinia tour in Cagliari, the island’s capital on the southern coast. This is where sea-facing streets, food markets, churches and the hilltop Castello district introduce you to an island with its own language, traditions and history. Check in to your hotel, then meet your Travel Director and fellow small group travellers for dinner in a city shaped by Roman, Pisan, Spanish and Savoy rule.

Continue your Sardinia tour in Cagliari, where you’ll see the city’s historic districts of Castello, Stampace and Marina with a Local Specialist. See the Bastion of Saint-Remy, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and the Elephant Tower as you move between hilltop streets, old city gates and the waterfront. Later, travel inland to Barumini and visit Su Nuraxi di Barumini. Step inside this ancient Nuragic complex of stone towers, courtyards and village remains, and learn from a guide how Sardinia’s Bronze Age communities built, lived and protected their settlement.

Travel to Oristano to see Piazza Eleonora, the town’s main square. Continue to Bosa, recognised by I Borghi più Belli d’Italia as one of Italy’s most beautiful villages. Here, the focus is on the old town, the Temo River and the Castle of Serravalle above the streets. You’ll also discover the tradition of filet di Bosa, a fine lace-making technique passed through generations of women and once used by fishing families to repair nets before evolving into decorative embroidery. Later, continue to Alghero, where Catalan details appear in the old town, sea walls and narrow streets.

Explore Alghero on a walking tour with your Travel Director, getting to know a coastal city with a Catalan character that sets it apart from the rest of Sardinia. You’ll follow its old town streets, see the sea walls and hear how language, architecture and food still reflect centuries of connection with Catalonia. Turn to the island’s wine culture with a tasting of indigenous Sardinian varietals, sampling local wines that reflect Sardinia’s land, climate and traditions.

Travel along northern Sardinia to Castelsardo, where you’ll join an orientation of this fortified hilltop town above the Gulf of Asinara. As you explore, look out for small shops selling handwoven baskets, ceramics and local crafts, with basket weaving still part of the town’s identity. Later, head out to a local farm for your Be My Guest experience. Meet your hosts, learn about rural life on the island and share food rooted in Sardinian farming traditions.

Leave Sardinia by ferry and cross the Strait of Bonifacio to Corsica. From the harbour, Bonifacio rises above you, its citadel and old town sitting on limestone cliffs. Spend the day your way. Climb into the upper town for lanes lined with cafes and small shops, follow the ramparts for views over the marina or head to the Escalier du Roy d’Aragon, the staircase cut into the cliff. You could stay closer to the water for lunch around the harbour or find time for a beach before ferrying back to Sardinia.

Travel from Santa Teresa Gallura, tracing Sardinia’s north-east coast through granite hills and sea-facing roads. Pause near the Fortress of Monte Altura for views over Palau, the Maddalena Archipelago and the surrounding headland. In Palau, you’ll have time to stop for coffee, walk along the beach or make your way towards the lighthouse. Continue to Olbia and check in to your hotel before heading to San Teodoro for dinner on your final night. Raise a glass with your fellow small group travellers and toast to your journey through Sardinia.

Say goodbye to Olbia and your fellow travellers as your Sardinia tour comes to an end. Take your transfer to the airport or extend your stay to spend more time on the island.