Sardinia, without the guesswork
Italy's biggest island, best explored by rental car — real prices, honest advice on when to go, and the truth about the beaches that now require a booking
Top-rated tours and experiences in Sardinia
Verified deep-linked GetYourGuide tours. Book through these links and we earn a small commission at no cost to you.
These are our own photographs of Sardinia, not the operator's pictures of this tour — open the tour page to see those.
Top destinations in Sardinia
From Cagliari's old town to the boat-only coves of the Gulf of Orosei, discover Sardinia's most rewarding coastline and villages
Cagliari — the capital, the Castello quarter and Poetto beach
Sardinia's capital: a walkable historic core, the tram to Poetto beach and the best base for flights
Costa Smeralda — Porto Cervo glamour and turquoise coves
Sardinia's most expensive stretch of coastline, and where the yachts actually are
Alghero — a Catalan-speaking old town on the north-west coast
Ramparts, aperitivo and the cliffs of Capo Caccia a short drive away
Stintino — La Pelosa's famous, now-rationed beach
Caribbean-blue water capped by a paid, timed-entry quota every summer
Gulf of Orosei — cliffs and coves reached only by boat
Limestone coastline including Cala Goloritzé, one of the island's quota-controlled beaches
La Maddalena — a seven-island archipelago off the north-east
Boat tours past Caprera and Budelli's pink beach, which nobody is allowed to land on
Barumini — Sardinia's UNESCO nuraghe complex
Su Nuraxi, the best introduction to nearly 7,000 Bronze Age towers scattered across the island
The Supramonte — canyons, caves and serious hiking
The Tiscali cave village and some of the toughest, most rewarding trails on the island
Things to do in Sardinia
Whether you're chasing quota beaches, Bronze Age ruins or the best plate of culurgiones on the island, Sardinia delivers
Beaches and coves
From quota-controlled icons like La Pelosa to quiet coves reachable only by boat
Food and wine
Culurgiones and porceddu, Cannonau and Vermentino, and the markets worth a detour
Nuraghi and archaeology
Nearly 7,000 Bronze Age towers, from Barumini's UNESCO site to lesser-known ruins
Day trips
Boat tours to La Maddalena and the Gulf of Orosei, and routes inland into the Barbagia
Essential travel guides
In-depth guides to help you plan every part of your Sardinia trip
The best beaches in Sardinia
Where to go by region, which ones need a booking, and which get overrun in August
Renting a car in Sardinia
Why you need one, what it costs, and the booking mistakes that inflate the price
Gulf of Orosei boat trips
From Cala Gonone or Santa Maria Navarrese, and which coves each route actually stops at
La Maddalena archipelago by boat
Full-day tours from Palau, what you'll see, and why you can't land on Budelli
The nuraghi of Sardinia
Nearly 7,000 Bronze Age towers, and which ones — beyond Barumini — are worth the detour
Sardinian food and wine
Culurgiones, porceddu and Cannonau: what to order and where it's actually made
Best time to visit Sardinia
Why September beats August, and what closes down between November and March
Sardinia's beach access quotas
Which beaches now require a paid booking, how far ahead to reserve, and what happens if you don't
Suggested itineraries
From a focused week in the south to two full weeks covering the whole island by rental car
7 days in Sardinia
A loop covering the south, the east coast and Barumini, built around a rental car
10 days in Sardinia
Time to add the north-west and Gallura without rushing the coast roads
14 days in Sardinia
The full island: every region, the interior's nuraghi and a proper hiking day in the Supramonte
7 days in northern Sardinia
Costa Smeralda, La Maddalena and Santa Teresa Gallura, with Alghero at the end
7 days in southern Sardinia
Cagliari, Villasimius and Chia, plus a day trip to Barumini's nuraghe
10 days of Sardinia's best beaches
A coast-hopping route timed around the quota beaches, with September as the sweet spot
Why trust Sardinia Trip?
Every recommendation is based on verified information and honest, hands-on research. Our guides include real prices in euros, practical tips and straight advice — not sponsored rankings. When you book through our links, you pay the same price and we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.