7 days in Sardinia

A week that covers the south, the east coast and one proper inland day

One week is enough to see a real cross-section of Sardinia without spending half the trip driving. This route stays mostly in the south and along the east coast, with a single inland detour to Barumini’s nuraghe, rather than trying to loop the whole island — a full-island week means several 4-5 hour driving days, which is a poor trade against actual time on a beach or in the water. If a full-island loop is what you’re after instead, our 10-day or 14-day itineraries handle that properly; this one is built for a realistic single week.

	Details
Duration	7 days
Base(s)	Cagliari (3 nights), Villasimius or Costa Rei (2 nights), Arbatax/Cala Gonone area (2 nights)
Car needed	Yes
Driving total	Roughly 4-5 hours across the week
Best months	May, June, September, October
Budget	Mid-range: €120-180/day for two, including car and a mid-range hotel

Flying into Cagliari-Elmas is the standard start for this route, since every leg described below begins and ends in the south. Anyone flying into Olbia instead would need to adapt the route significantly rather than follow it as written — this itinerary assumes a Cagliari arrival and departure throughout.

Day 1: Arrive in Cagliari

Land at Cagliari-Elmas and collect a rental car — see renting a car in Sardinia for what to expect at the counter, including the deposit hold most agencies place on a credit card and the fuel policy worth checking before signing.

Check into a hotel in or near the Marina district and spend the afternoon walking Cagliari’s old town: the Castello district’s ramparts, the Bastione di Saint Remy, and a first Sardinian dinner in the Marina, where a plate of malloreddus (Sardinia’s ridged, saffron-tinted pasta) is a fitting first meal. If jet lag or a late flight cuts the day short, the small-group Cagliari highlights tour on day two covers the same ground with a guide doing the navigating.

A mid-range double room in the Marina or Castello runs roughly €90-150 a night in shoulder season, rising toward €150-220 in July and August — book ahead for peak summer, since Cagliari’s centrally located hotels fill up well before the date.

Day 2: Cagliari and Poetto beach

A full day in the capital: the guided tour above, or a self-guided morning through Castello followed by lunch in the Marina, then an afternoon at Poetto beach, Cagliari’s eight-kilometre town beach, a five-minute drive or a short bus ride from the centre. Sun loungers at Poetto’s beach clubs run €15-25 a day for two with an umbrella, though there’s plenty of free public beach too if that’s preferred. Poetto’s beach bars make a relaxed early evening before dinner back in town — see nightlife in Cagliari for where the evening scene actually happens if a night out is part of the plan, and stay a second night in the same Cagliari hotel to avoid an unnecessary move.

Day 3: Barumini’s nuraghe, then on to the south coast

Drive roughly an hour north to Barumini for Su Nuraxi, Sardinia’s UNESCO-listed Bronze Age nuraghe complex and the single best archaeological stop on a short trip — allow around ninety minutes for the guided walk-through, which is compulsory and included in the entry ticket. The guided Su Nuraxi tour from Cagliari handles transport and a proper guide if driving yourself feels like one logistics step too many.

By early afternoon, head back south and on to Villasimius or Costa Rei — both roughly 45-60 minutes from Cagliari in the other direction — and check into a beach-focused base for the next two nights. Villasimius has more restaurant and bar choice for an evening out; Costa Rei is quieter and more spread out, better suited to travellers who’d rather not drive again after checking in.

Day 4: The south coast’s beaches

A full beach day around Villasimius and Capo Carbonara — Spiaggia del Riso and Porto Giunco are the standouts, both with turquoise, shallow water that holds up against anywhere on the island. Neither beach has a formal access quota, unlike La Pelosa or Cala Goloritzé further north, so no advance booking is needed, though parking fills by mid-morning in August.

The full-day beach tour to Chia and Tuerredda is a good option if a base further west is more convenient, covering two of the south’s best beaches with transport included and no parking to think about. For a slower alternative, our Villasimius beaches guide breaks down every cove in the area with directions. A lunch of fresh fish at one of the beach-adjacent restaurants runs €20-30 a head, a fair reflection of the south coast’s relaxed, unhurried pace.

Day 5: East along the coast to Arbatax

Drive north up the coast to Arbatax and Tortolì, roughly two hours from Villasimius on mostly single-carriageway roads — budget the full time rather than rushing it, since Sardinia’s coast roads rarely support anything close to 90km/h. Arbatax’s red porphyry rocks (Le Rocce Rosse) are worth an hour on arrival, and the town makes a good overnight base for the Gulf of Orosei the next day. Tortolì, just inland from Arbatax, has a wider choice of restaurants and a livelier evening atmosphere if the beach town itself feels too quiet.

Day 6: Gulf of Orosei by boat

This is the day the whole route is built around. The Gulf of Orosei’s coves — Cala Goloritzé, Cala Mariolu, Cala Luna — are reachable by boat or on serious hikes, and a boat trip is the realistic option on a one-week schedule. The Gulf of Orosei day trip with swim stops from Cala Gonone covers several of the gulf’s best coves in one outing, with swimming breaks built in rather than a rushed drive-by, typically running €40-70 per person for a half or full day depending on the operator and route.

Our Gulf of Orosei boat trips guide compares this against departures from Santa Maria Navarrese if timing works out differently. Base in Cala Gonone or Orosei for the night — Cala Gonone is the smaller, more boat-focused of the two, while Orosei town itself has more historic character for an evening walk.

Day 7: Return to Cagliari and departure

The drive back to Cagliari-Elmas from Cala Gonone runs roughly two and a half hours, largely through the SS131 corridor once you’re past the coast roads — leave a comfortable buffer before a flight, especially if the return coincides with weekend traffic in July or August. If time allows before a later flight, Barumini again sits roughly on the direct route back and works as a last stop for anyone who skipped it on day three. Return the rental car with a full tank if the agreement requires it — checking the fuel policy on day one avoids a last-minute detour to find a petrol station near the airport.

What this route costs, roughly

For two people, a realistic total for the week runs €900-1,400: €250-400 for a mid-range rental car with insurance, €650-1,100 for six nights of mid-range accommodation, and the rest split between meals, the Barumini and Gulf of Orosei tours, and fuel. Shoulder-season travel (May, June, September) trims the accommodation figure noticeably compared with July and August, when the same hotels often charge 30-50% more for an identical room.

What to pack for this route

Sardinia’s beach-to-archaeology mix means packing for two slightly different modes in one bag: proper walking shoes for Barumini’s uneven Bronze Age stonework and Arbatax’s rocky coastline, alongside beach gear for Villasimius and the Gulf of Orosei. A light layer is worth having for the boat day even in high summer — open water on the Gulf of Orosei catches more wind than the sheltered beaches further south.

Reef-safe sunscreen and a reusable water bottle are both genuinely useful rather than optional extras; Sardinia’s summer sun is strong enough by mid-morning that reapplication matters, and refilling a bottle is easier and cheaper than buying water at every stop. Cash in small denominations is worth carrying for beach kiosks and smaller inland restaurants, several of which don’t take cards.

Adjusting the route if you arrive later or leave earlier

If a late arrival or early departure trims the week to six real days, day two is the easiest to compress — a shorter Cagliari morning followed by an early departure to Barumini works, folding what were separately days two and three into one. Anyone arriving already tired from a long journey should resist the temptation to cut the Gulf of Orosei day instead; it’s the one part of this route with a fixed departure time and weather dependency, and it’s the day most worth protecting if the schedule needs trimming elsewhere.

Night-by-night summary

Night	Base	Why
1-2	Cagliari	City sightseeing, Poetto beach
3-4	Villasimius or Costa Rei	South coast beaches, Barumini day trip
5-6	Arbatax/Tortolì or Cala Gonone	East coast, Gulf of Orosei boat day
7	Departure	Drive back to Cagliari-Elmas

This two-move structure — Cagliari, then the south coast, then the east coast — keeps hotel changes to a minimum for a week-long trip, with only two check-outs across seven nights rather than a new bed every single night.

Frequently asked questions about this 7-day Sardinia itinerary

Is 7 days enough for Sardinia?

For the south and east coast covered here, yes — it’s a realistic, unrushed week. For the whole island including the north-west and Costa Smeralda, no; see how many days do you need in Sardinia for the fuller picture.

Do I need a car for this route?

Yes. Public transport doesn’t reach Villasimius’s best coves or the Gulf of Orosei boat departures on a workable schedule; a rental car is essential for this itinerary.

Can I do this itinerary without visiting Barumini?

Yes — swap day three for an extra beach day around Villasimius if archaeology isn’t a priority, though Su Nuraxi is genuinely worth the detour for most visitors.

What’s the best month for this itinerary?

September is the strongest choice — warm sea, thinner crowds than August, and all the Gulf of Orosei boat operators still running full schedules.

Could this route work in reverse, starting from the east coast?

Yes, if flights work out that way, though most visitors fly into Cagliari, which makes starting in the south more practical logistically.

Is this itinerary family-friendly?

Yes — the driving days are moderate, the beaches around Villasimius and Costa Rei are shallow and calm, and the Gulf of Orosei boat trips typically welcome children. See Sardinia with kids for more family-specific planning.

How much should I budget for this trip?

Roughly €900-1,400 for two people for the week, covering a mid-range rental car, six nights of mid-range accommodation, meals and the two main tours — less in shoulder season, more in July and August.

Should I book the Gulf of Orosei boat trip in advance?

Yes, especially in July and August when popular departures sell out; booking a few days to a week ahead is a safe margin, and it also means a cancelled sailing due to weather can be rebooked without losing the whole day.