10 days in Sardinia

Enough time to actually loop the island

Ten days is the point where a Sardinia trip stops being a compromise. It’s enough to cover the south coast, the Gulf of Orosei, the Costa Smeralda and La Maddalena in the north, and Alghero and the north-west, without the back-to-back long driving days that a shorter version forces. This route runs Cagliari to Alghero as an open-jaw trip — flying into one airport and out of the other — which cuts out a full day of backtracking compared with a round trip to the same airport; most rental agencies charge a one-way fee for this, typically €50-120, which is worth paying against the time it saves. If a week is all the time available instead, our 7-day itinerary covers the south and east only, more realistically.

	Details
Duration	10 days
Route	Cagliari to Alghero (open-jaw), via the east and north coasts
Car needed	Yes, one-way rental recommended
Driving total	Roughly 9-11 hours across the trip
Best months	May, June, September
Budget	Mid-range: €130-190/day for two, including car, one-way fee and mid-range hotels

Days 1-2: Cagliari and Barumini

Arrive at Cagliari-Elmas, collect the rental car — see renting a car in Sardinia for the deposit and insurance details worth checking before signing — and spend the first full day in the capital: Castello’s ramparts, the Marina district for dinner, and Poetto beach if there’s an afternoon to spare. A mid-range double in central Cagliari runs €90-150 a night outside August.

On day two, drive an hour north to Barumini for Su Nuraxi, Sardinia’s UNESCO nuraghe; the UNESCO-guided Su Nuraxi tour covers the site properly with an archaeologist-trained guide rather than a self-directed walk-through, and the compulsory guided element is included in the entry ticket regardless of which tour you book. Return to Cagliari for a second night, or push on toward the south coast if the schedule is tight.

Days 3-4: South coast and east coast

Drive to Villasimius (about an hour from Cagliari) for a beach day at Spiaggia del Riso and Porto Giunco, two of the south coast’s best and least crowded coves outside peak August weekends.

Overnight in Villasimius, then continue north-east along the coast toward Arbatax and Tortolì — roughly two to two and a half hours of driving on single-carriageway roads, best split across the afternoon rather than rushed in one go, with a coffee stop in Muravera roughly halfway. Arbatax’s red porphyry coastline is worth an hour before settling into a base for the Gulf of Orosei the next day; expect €80-130 a night for mid-range accommodation in the Arbatax-Tortolì area.

Day 5: The Gulf of Orosei by boat

The single best boat day on the island. From Cala Gonone, the Gulf of Orosei day trip with swim stops covers Cala Luna, Cala Sisine and other coves reachable only by water or serious hiking, typically €40-70 per person depending on whether it’s a half or full day. See Gulf of Orosei boat trips for how this compares with departures from Santa Maria Navarrese further south, and for divers, diving in Sardinia covers the gulf’s underwater sites for anyone extending the day below the surface instead.

Day 6: North to the Costa Smeralda

Drive from Cala Gonone or Orosei to Arzachena or Porto Cervo in the Costa Smeralda — roughly three hours, one of the longer driving legs of the trip, so start early and treat the day as mostly transit with a late-afternoon look at Porto Cervo’s marina and the coastline it’s famous for. See is the Costa Smeralda worth it for an honest take on how much time this area deserves versus its reputation. Accommodation here runs noticeably higher than elsewhere on this route — €140-250 a night for a mid-range hotel in peak season — so basing in Arzachena rather than Porto Cervo itself keeps costs more reasonable without losing much convenience.

Day 7: La Maddalena archipelago

A full-day boat trip through the La Maddalena archipelago, departing from Palau a short drive from the Costa Smeralda. The seven-islands, seven-stops guided tour covers the archipelago’s best coves and beaches in one outing — this is consistently one of the highest-rated days on any north Sardinia itinerary, typically running €50-90 per person for a full day with lunch often included. Our La Maddalena archipelago boat tour guide has the full detail on what each stop involves and why Budelli’s pink beach can’t be landed on.

Day 8: Santa Teresa Gallura

Drive up to Santa Teresa Gallura at Sardinia’s northern tip, about 45 minutes from Palau. This is the base for anyone tempted by a side trip to Corsica — see a day trip to Bonifacio and Corsica if an extra day is available to add it, though on a fixed 10-day schedule it’s more realistic to treat this as a scenic overnight and coastal walk (Capo Testa’s granite rock formations are a short drive from town) than to add a full Corsica detour. An evening walk along the port and a seafood dinner make an easy, low-key end to a boat-heavy stretch of the trip.

Day 9: West to Alghero

The longest driving day of the trip: Santa Teresa Gallura to Alghero, roughly two and a half hours across the north, ideally with a stop in Castelsardo for its hilltop old town roughly halfway along the route — its basket-weaving tradition, still practised by artisans in the old town, is worth twenty minutes even for those not planning to buy anything. Arrive in Alghero by mid-afternoon and spend the evening in the old town’s harbour-front bars — see nightlife in Sardinia for what Alghero’s marina scene is like after dark.

Day 10: Capo Caccia and departure via Alghero

A final morning at Capo Caccia, the limestone headland just outside Alghero, is a strong way to close the loop — the Capo Caccia tour from Alghero covers the cliffs and Neptune’s Grotto in a half-day, timed to leave the afternoon free for the drop-off at Alghero-Fertilia airport.

If a spare day exists instead of a tight departure, Stintino and La Pelosa beach are worth the detour north; the full-day catamaran to Asinara Island from Stintino makes a strong final full day for anyone with 11 rather than 10. Drop the car at Alghero-Fertilia with enough buffer for the one-way rental paperwork, which can take slightly longer than a standard same-location return.

What this route costs, roughly

For two people, budget €1,400-2,100 for the full ten days: €350-500 for the one-way rental car including insurance and the drop-off fee, €900-1,500 for nine nights of mostly mid-range accommodation (more if a Costa Smeralda night pushes the average up), and the remainder split across meals, fuel and the Barumini, Gulf of Orosei and La Maddalena tours. Shoulder-season travel keeps the accommodation figure toward the lower end of that range.

Night-by-night summary

Nights	Base	Focus
1-2	Cagliari	City, Barumini day trip
3	Villasimius	South coast beaches
4	Arbatax/Tortolì	East coast, red porphyry coastline
5	Cala Gonone	Gulf of Orosei boat day
6	Arzachena/Porto Cervo	Costa Smeralda
7	Palau area	La Maddalena archipelago
8	Santa Teresa Gallura	Northern tip, Capo Testa
9-10	Alghero	North-west, Capo Caccia, departure

Nine hotel nights across eight different bases is a genuinely active pace — this is a touring itinerary rather than a relaxing one, and anyone who’d rather move less should look at the 5-day Alghero-based itinerary or the 7-day south-and-east route instead.

What to pack for this route

Ten days covering beaches, boat trips and old-town walking calls for a genuinely versatile packing list: proper walking shoes for Alghero’s and Castelsardo’s cobbled old towns, beachwear for four separate beach or boat days, and at least one smarter outfit if a Costa Smeralda evening is part of the plan, since some restaurants and bars there expect more than resort-casual. A dry bag or waterproof phone pouch is worth having for both boat days — La Maddalena’s and the Gulf of Orosei’s swim stops both involve getting properly wet. Sun protection matters more on this route than most, given four separate days largely spent on open water with reflected sun on top of direct sun.

What this route deliberately leaves out

Ten days is generous but not infinite, and this route skips the far south-west (Iglesias, the Sulcis mining coast) and the deep interior (Barbagia beyond Barumini) to keep driving days manageable. Both are genuinely worth a visit — our 14-day itinerary adds them back in for anyone with two full weeks rather than ten days.

Frequently asked questions about this 10-day Sardinia itinerary

Should I fly into Cagliari or Alghero for this route?

Fly into Cagliari and out of Alghero (or the reverse) — the open-jaw structure avoids backtracking across the island and is worth the one-way rental fee most agencies charge.

Is 10 days enough to see all of Sardinia?

It covers the south, east coast, Gallura and the north-west well, but skips the south-west and deep interior. For those too, see the 14-day itinerary.

Can this itinerary be done without a car?

No — several legs, particularly the Costa Smeralda to Santa Teresa Gallura to Alghero stretch, aren’t realistically covered by public transport on this schedule.

What’s the best month for a 10-day Sardinia trip?

June or September — both have reliable boat-tour schedules for the Gulf of Orosei and La Maddalena, without August’s peak crowds and prices.

Can I add Corsica to this route?

Yes, but only by extending to 11 days — see a day trip to Bonifacio and Corsica for what it adds and how much time it genuinely needs.

Is this itinerary suitable for a first Sardinia trip?

Yes — it’s a good balance of structure and pace for a first visit, covering the island’s best-known highlights without the tighter daily driving a 7-day version requires.

How much should I budget for ten days in Sardinia?

Roughly €1,400-2,100 for two people, covering the one-way rental car, nine nights of mostly mid-range accommodation, meals, fuel and the three main boat and archaeology tours — shoulder season trims this toward the lower end.

Is nine different hotel nights too many changes?

It’s a genuinely active pace with a new base most nights — anyone who’d prefer fewer moves should consider the 5-day Alghero-based itinerary for a shorter trip, or extend to 14 days to spread the same ground over more nights per stop.

Does the one-way rental fee ever make a round trip cheaper overall?

Occasionally, if the fee is at the high end of the €50-120 range and time isn’t a constraint — but for most travellers the extra driving day a round trip adds back costs more in lost time than the fee saves, which is why this route is built as open-jaw by default.