Sardinia Trip Planner: Cagliari, Alghero, Olbia, and Beyond

Seven days covers Cagliari, Alghero and Olbia in a loop, and ten days adds the Gulf of Orosei coves and the Barbagia interior. Rent a car, since the coves are hard to reach without one. Hostels and agriturismo dorms cover a backpacker budget, hotels and B&Bs the middle, and Costa Smeralda resorts the top end.

Cagliari anchors the south with its Castello quarter and nearby beaches, Alghero anchors the Catalan northwest, and Olbia opens onto the Costa Smeralda and the Maddalena archipelago in the northeast. The 7-day Sardinia itinerary links all three in a week. Add the Gulf of Orosei and the Barbagia interior with more time.

Seven days covers Cagliari, Alghero and Olbia at an easy pace, the loop the 7-day Sardinia itinerary follows. Ten days adds the Gulf of Orosei coves around Cala Gonone and a day in the Barbagia interior. Sardinia is bigger and slower to drive than it looks, so resist cramming the whole island into a short trip.

June and September are Sardinia's best months: Cagliari's sea reaches a swimmable 20.2 °C (68 °F) by June and holds at 24.8 °C (77 °F) in September, while July and August's air highs peak near 33 °C (91 °F). July and especially August bring Ferragosto's crowds, the highest prices, and busy roads to the coves. Spring (April-May) is green and good for hiking and towns, but the sea is still cool; winter is quiet, mild, and beach-free.

Base in Cagliari for the south and the capital's markets and museums, in Alghero for the Catalan old town and the northwest beaches, or in Olbia for the Costa Smeralda's marinas and the Maddalena archipelago. Cagliari and Alghero take 2 to 3 nights each on the 7-day Sardinia itinerary, Olbia the last night. A longer trip adds a night in Cala Gonone for the Gulf of Orosei coves.

Effectively yes. Buses connect the main towns but run infrequently, and the best beaches, coves, and interior villages are off the network. A small rental car is the standard way to see the island; pick it up at Cagliari, Olbia, or Alghero airport. Book early for summer, when cars sell out and rates climb sharply, and remember the ZTL limited-traffic zones in historic centers.

Sardinia is part of Italy, in the EU's Schengen Area, so US, UK, Canadian, and Australian citizens can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The EU's ETIAS online travel authorization, a EUR 20 form rather than a visa, is not yet running; the EU will announce its start date several months ahead.

Fly into Cagliari (CAG) in the south, Olbia (OLB) in the northeast, or Alghero (AHO) in the northwest, all with direct flights from many European cities in summer. Overnight car ferries also run from mainland Italian ports (Civitavecchia near Rome, Genoa, Livorno) and from Barcelona and Marseille, useful if you want your own car and don't mind the slower crossing.

Cala Goloritzé, in the Gulf of Orosei, caps daily entries at 250 and requires an advance online reservation plus a roughly 1.5-hour hike down from the Golgo plateau; you can also reach it by boat, but a private boat cannot land on the beach. Other coves like Cala Mariolu and Cala Luna are easiest by boat tour from Cala Gonone or Arbatax. Book ahead in summer, when spots and boat seats fill.

Prices vary a lot by where and when you go. The Costa Smeralda draws a yacht-and-marina crowd, and prices there peak hardest in August. The rest of the island in June or September is reasonable, especially with a B&B, a small rental car, and a mix of trattorias and one nice seafood dinner. Self-catering from markets and beach picnics keeps costs down.

Sardinian cooking is distinct from the mainland. Try culurgiones (pleated potato-and-mint ravioli), malloreddus (saffron gnocchi) alla campidanese, porceddu (slow-roast suckling pig), bottarga (cured mullet roe) over pasta, and crisp pane carasau flatbread. Finish with seadas (fried pastry with cheese and honey), and drink Vermentino white or Cannonau red. The Sardinia food guide covers each dish area by area.

Pecorino Sardo and Fiore Sardo, two of Sardinia's DOP sheep's-milk cheeses, and a bottle of Vermentino di Gallura or Cannonau travel well, along with mirto, the myrtle-berry liqueur sold island-wide. Alghero's old town is the place for red-coral jewelry. The Sardinia food guide has the full list of what to eat and bring home.