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11 April 2027 – 8 days

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Explore the wondrous Italian island of Sardinia and its unique Bronze Age (Nuragic), Phoenician and Roman heritage. As you step into the heart of the Mediterranean, uncover the extraordinary past of one of Europe’s most captivating islands. This journey through Sardinia blends ancient history, breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural heritage, guided throughout by Dr Emily Holt, whose archaeological insight will bring millennia of stories vividly to life, which includes an exclusive visit to her own dig site near Barumini and evening talks.

Over eight days, you will travel from the sun‑soaked shores of Cagliari to the rugged interior and on to the atmospheric coastline of Alghero, exploring an array of archaeological treasures along the way. From Roman amphitheatres and Phoenician trading ports to Nuragic sanctuaries and towers, and mysterious pre‑Nuragic monuments, each day reveals a new layer of the island’s long and complex human history.

You’ll walk among remarkably preserved ruins, enjoy private museum tours, visit active excavation sites normally inaccessible to the public and stand before some of the oldest and most enigmatic structures in Europe. With over 7000 Nuragic sites on the island, this itinerary selects the most remarkable and significant to weave the tale of this mysterious culture. Alongside these rich archaeological experiences, the tour also offers moments of leisure, rugged coastal landscapes and traditional Sardinian cuisine.

Whether you are passionate about ancient civilisations, fascinated by prehistoric cultures, or simply eager to explore one of the Mediterranean’s most beautiful and storied islands, this tour invites you on a journey through time, revealing the peoples, beliefs, and innovations that shaped Sardinia across thousands of years.

Day 1: Arrive in Cagliari

Welcome to Sardinia! On arrival, check in to your hotel in Cagliari, the largest city in Sardinia and located on its southern coast. In the early evening, meet your fellow travellers tour leader and Tour Expert, Dr Emily Holt, for a briefing of the tour.

Afterwards, head out to a local restaurant for dinner as a group.

Day 2: Roman amphitheatre, National Archaeological Museum and Nora Archaeological Park

Start the day exploring some of Cagliari’s highlights. This port city has been a settlement since the Neolithic period and has been fought over for millennia due to its strategic position in the Mediterranean Sea. One such people’s who conquered it were the Romans so head out in search of the Roman amphitheatre here, built in the 2nd century AD and carved directly into the mountainside with beautiful views out to the Bay of Cagliari.

Afterwards take a private tour of the National Archaeological Museum which will give you a great overview of Sardinia’s storied history, from the Neolithic and Nuragic culture to the Middle Ages, weaving a tapestry of the many people who have called Sardinia home over the centuries.

At your own pace take lunch in the city.

After lunch you will board the coach and drive south west of Cagliari to the ancient city of  Nora, strategically located on a small peninsula. The city is home to structures from a melting pot of different cultures, from the Phoenicians who founded the city in 8th century BC, the Carthaginians, the Romans, to early Christian peoples, all putting their stamp on this sprawling township. Wander through the ruins on a guided tour of this picturesque seaside site, marvelling at the intact mosaics, theatre and amphitheatre, temple, forum and baths.

Return to Cagliari late afternoon for an evening at leisure.

Day 3: Nuraghe Arrubiu and Nuragic Sanctuary of Santa Vittoria

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and leave Cagliari behind as you head inland to discover the mysteries of the Nuragic civilisation who thrived on the island from the 18th century BC until at least the Iron Age (c. 550 BC), with some scholars arguing their culture persisted until at least the 2nd century AD.

After 1 hour and 20 minutes, your first stop is at Nuraghe Arrubiu meaning the “red Nuraghe” in the local Sardinian language, so named for the hues of red the structure exudes from the lichen which coats the stones of the structure. Over its footprint of over 5,000 square metres, explore its courtyards, stairways, entrances, corridors and chambers, which offer a clear sense of how this vast complex once functioned. Arrubiu stands out as one of the most impressive nuraghes in Sardinia, rising above a landscape dotted with smaller satellite nuraghes, giants’ tombs – one of which yielded a bronze sword – and traces of ancient settlements.

Continue 10 minutes down the road to the town of Orroli for an included lunch.

Afterwards, travel 25 minutes onwards to the Nuragic Sanctuary of Santa Vittoria, one of the most important Nuragic sites on the island. The many structures here are from different eras within the Nuragic time period and show a timeline spanning 700 years, with each structure offering a piece of the puzzle into the development of civilisation, trade with foreign peoples and religion, including a temple dedicated to the worship of water. The first excavations here revealed man material objects such as bronze weapons such as swords and daggers, double-bladed axes, fragments of bronze oil lamps and ceramic jugs and bowls.

Travel onwards half an hour to Barumini, your home for the next 2 nights. After you have checked in and had some down time, join Emily for her 2nd talk followed by dinner together at a local restaurant.

Day 4: Emily’s site near Siddi, Nuraghe Sa Fogaia, Sa Domu 'e s'Orku, Su Nuraxi di Barumini

Today is jam-packed full of fascinating Nuragic sites surrounding Barumini for which it is famous.

After breakfast, you will journey to Emily’s own dig site on the Siddi plateau, an area of high-basalt rock which is home to many Bronze Age sites and amazing views over the lowlands. This is an ongoing excavation site which she works on with her students in the summer, and only accessible thanks to her participation in this tour.

Drive onwards 10 minutes to Nuraghe Sa Fogaia. Sa Fogaia is one of the more unique and impressive nuraghe with its layout of staircases, chambers, corridors and number of evident structures. Keep an eye out for clues that perhaps this nuraghe was once larger than what we can currently see...

You will also visit Sa Domu ‘e s’Orku, a tomb dating back to the 2nd millennium BC shaped like a bull’s head. These “Tombs of Giants” are extant throughout Sardinia but this tomb on the Siddi plateatu is one of the most important examples of funeral architecture from the Nuragic culture, not just because of its scale but also becasue of how well-preservered it is.

Make the short 10-minute journey to the town of Siddi, where you will have lunch at leisure.

After lunch, you will drive back to Barumini where you will visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Su Nuraxi di Barumini. This Nuragic structure is one of the most complex on the island with a huge central tower with three chambers, originally connected with a spiral staircase. Evidence of two outer walls is also visible here making it one of the most important megalithic defensive structures extant.

Return to your hotel for an included dinner.

Day 5: Tharros Archaeological Area and Parco Archeologico Naturalistico di Santa Cristina

After breakfast, journey to the Tharros Archaeological Area, located on the Sinis peninsula on the west coast of Sardinia. This ancient Phoenician-Roman port was founded in the 8th century BC and seems to have been abandoned in the 11th century AD. Wander through these picturesque ruins and uncover the melting pot of cultural influences which created this open-air museum, flanked by sea on either side.

Journey onwards to Oristano for an included lunch.

From here, you will visit the Parco Archeologico Naturalistico di Santa Cristina. A Nuragic well from around 1000 BC forms the epicentre of this site, with exquisitely carved steps leading down to it. Its placement perfectly aligns with the sun’s equinox twice a year, and with the Major Lunar Standstill when the moon reaches its most extreme northern and southern rising and setting points on the horizon. At this moment the moonlight perfectly enters the well from above. How did this ancient civilisation create such an astronomically exact structure?

As you travel onwards to Alghero, stop briefly at Area Archeologica di Tamuli with its Nuragic tombs and continue along the scenic coast before arriving at your hotel in Alghero.

Enjoy dinner together this evening after a day full of amazing site visits.

Day 6: Alghero city tour and afternoon at leisure

After a day full of travelling and fascinating archaeological sites, this morning you will take a guided tour of Alghero to get your bearings and see some of the city’s highlights. The rest of the day is yours to explore at your own pace. You may wish to spend some time on the beach, visit the Grotto di Nettuno or head out onto the Mediterranean on a boat.

In the early evening Emily will give her third and final talk at the hotel.

Day 7: Nuraghe Santu Antine and Santuario prenuragico Monte d'Accoddi

After breakfast, make the 40 minute journey to Nuraghe Santu Antine, one of the largest Nuragic sites in all of Sardinia. Built in the 16th century BC and further developed over the following centuries, its massive 17 metre high tower dominates the surrounding landscape. Its original height may have been even taller, a mysteries testament to the engineering skills of this early civilisation. On a guided tour, walk inside the structure and its meandering corridors, sparsely flecked with light.

For an independent lunch you will head to the nearby town of Porto Torres.

From here, travel to the Santuario prenuragico Monte d’Accoddi, described by some as a ziggurat, reminiscent of Mesopotamian temples. Its vast stepped terraces show a completely different style of building to the classic Nuragic structures across the island, showcasing it as a pre-Nuragic building. Plastered in red ochre originally, it is thought to have been a place of significant religious importance given its size, unique style and vast necropolises nearby.

Head back to Algero for a farewell dinner together as you reflect on your exploration of this fascinating island and the people and cultures who have called it home.

Day 8: Depart Alghero

After breakfast, head to Alghero airport for your onwards flight.