Sardinia Adventure

Experience Overview

Sardinia is a showcase of classic Mediterranean beauty with turquoise seas, pale-gold sands and dramatic rock formations. But with an adventurous spirit and the best tour leader around, you’ll experience its natural wonders from angles most never reach. Staying at a family-run hotel in the Dorgali area, we hike the mighty Gorropu Gorge, cycle through pinewoods to a golden beach, and kayak along the coast to discover sea coves and secret grottoes. Pack your sense of adventure, leave the rest to Sardinia and your tour leader.
Trip For You
This trip is rated Activity Level 4 (Moderate & Challenging). For more information on our trip gradings, visit our Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us. Suitability: On this adventurous trip, we hike, kayak and cycle so a good level of fitness is required. Day 4 ride: After lunch, we cycle a challenging 7.5mi (12km) route with a 1,970ft (600m) elevation gain and and an average incline of 6% which can reach 10% in places. This is demanding even for fit riders, so you may wish to hire an ebike for the day. Ebikes must be booked before departure, please speak to your sales representative for prices and to book. Climate: Summer in Sardinia can be hot. In very hot weather, it may be necessary to amend the itinerary.
Eating Drinking
The included meals are as follows: Breakfast: Buffet including cereals, yoghurts, fresh fruit and cold meatsLunch: Paninis (filled with cold meats/cheese), cake and fruitEvening meal: Three-course fixed menu with soup/salad for starters; meat/fish for main course and local dessert Popular Sardinian specialities include roast suckling pig, excellent seafood dishes, and local wines, such as vermentino, nuragus, cannonau and monica. Mirto, which is made from the leaves of the myrtle plant, is Sardinia’s after-dinner liqueur. Although meals mostly consist of meat/fish, the hotel staff endeavour to meet specific dietary requirements. Please advise us before departure so the hotel has sufficient time to prepare.
Transportation
A private minibus is used for transfers.
Joining Instructions
Key information Start hotel: Hotel Il Quercieto, Via Lamarmora 4, 08022, Dorgali Phone: +39 041 5384485 Recommended arrival time: There’s a welcome briefing around 6pm, followed by a welcome dinner Airport: Olbia Airport (OLB) Getting to the start hotel The start hotel is just over an hour’s drive from the airport. Your options for this journey are: Take a group transfer We provide one group transfer from the airport to the hotel, which you can join at no extra cost, provided you can be at the airport before the transfer leaves. Speak to your sales representative for the transfer times or to arrange a private transfer. Make your own way From Olbia, it is possible to reach Dorgali by public transport, which costs approximately €20. Please check the Olbia Airport website for bus times. A taxi costs about €140. If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative. Catching your return flight There’s one group transfer to the airport, which you can join at no extra cost. Please speak to your sales representative for the time of the transfer. If the group transfer does not suit your flight time, speak to your sales representative to arrange an alternative. Consider taking the train Reach this trip by train from the UK or across Europe and lower your carbon footprint. Our partner, Byway, can take care of the planning and booking.
Weather Information
Dorgali has a Mediterranean climate. In summer (June to August), temperatures often exceed 30C (86F) . During winter (December to February), it's mild but cool with a temperature range of 5C-15C (41F-59F). Rain is unlikely but possible throughout the year.
Spending Money
For lunches not included, expect to spend €10-€15, depending on how many courses you choose. For evening meals, expect to spend approximately €30 per person for a two-course meal (excluding drinks). Local taxes: Many Italian cities have introduced a tourist tax for non-residents. The local administration oversees the tax, which will be collected by the accommodation provider at check-in or check-out. This fee varies depending on the hotel category, the season and number of days of stay. For this trip, please budget a maximum of €10 per person for the week.
Tipping
Although optional, a tip for the leader at the end of the trip is greatly appreciated. As a guideline, we recommend a contribution of €20 per person for the tour leader. It is customary and appreciated to leave a small tip to the driver and the hotel staff at the end of the week.

Highlights

Witness stunning Sardinia from angles most visitors never reach — Hike (and maybe paddle) in Gorropu Gorge, nicknamed the Grand Canyon of Europe — Kayak to Cala Luna, one of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean, and explore the large caves — Cycle through scenic natural beauty to Osalla di Orosei beach — Explore the mysterious Nuragic village of Tiscali — Enjoy Sardinian hospitality and excellent food at the family-run Hotel Il Querceto

View Larger Map

Trip Details

Product Code: 39032

Tour Type: Small Group

Accommodation: Moderate

Transport: ransfers.

Guide Language: English

Travel Styles: Budget

Tour Operator: Exodus Travel

Supplier Code: AES

Starts:

Finishes:

Duration: 7 days

Departures: Guaranteed

Physical Rating: Unknown

Includes

All accommodation: 6 Classic nights (Hotel Il Querceto) — All breakfasts, four lunches, three dinners — Immersive itinerary with all transport and listed activities — Expert tour leader to enhance your adventure — Group arrival and departure transfers available

Accommodation

Hotel Il Querceto, a family-run hotel near Dorgali
Il Querceto is our host for this adventure in Sardinia. It’s run by a local family who have created a home-from-home feel and serve delicious, hearty meals. Upgrade throughout your stay to a deluxe room with a terrace and a view – speak to your sales representative for more details. The hotel itself is adorned with locally crafted wooden furniture and contemporary regional artwork while facilities include a bar, restaurant and terrace. We’ve found our groups tend to gather on the terrace with a drink before dinner, an ideal time to reminisce about the day’s adventures. Additionally, the hotel, which is run on biomass, using wood which would otherwise be burned, is within walking distance of Dorgali, a small town specialising in crafts and ceramics, where there are shops, restaurants and bars. It’s also a 10 to 15-minute bus ride to the beach, home to a string of restaurants and cafes.

Price

Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $2415 ($345 /day)

Itinerary

1

Day 1: Adventure begins in Dorgali

Start your adventure in Dorgali, where we stay at a family-run hotel just a short walk from the small town itself and an easy bus ride to the beach. Around 6pm, say salude to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. Your tour leader then ensures a big Sardinian welcome by arranging a group dinner. Want more time in Dorgali? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

2

Day 2: Hike Gorropu Gorge, the deepest natural canyon in Italy

Enjoy sweeping views on a drive (just over an hour) above the Flumineddu Valley, before arriving at Gorropu Gorge, also known as the Grand Canyon of Europe. Its narrow, vertical walls reach 1,640ft (500m), making it the deepest natural gorge in Europe. Appreciate all its glory on our walk, with the chance to paddle in the river, if conditions allow. Along the way, we also stop for a packed lunch, a chance to relax and enjoy the views. This evening, you may wish to wander into Dorgali town centre to enjoy dinner in one of the local restaurants, perhaps seeking out the local wines and traditional cuisine, such as the stuffed pasta dish, culurgiones.

3

Day 3: Kayak to Cala Luna, discovering secret grottoes and sea caves

Head to the seaside town of Cala Gonone this morning, where we venture onto the waters by kayak for an intimate exploration of the dramatic coastline. Paddling from the town, we immediately encounter limestone cliffs rising from the turquoise waters, before passing hidden coves and exploring sea caves and grottoes, where the water often glows an ethereal blue, illuminating ancient rock formations. The 7.5mi (12km) kayaking tour ends at Cala Luna, a crescent-shaped beach of pale-gold sand, framed by imposing cliffs and featuring six large caves, perfect for exploring or finding shade. The water here is shallow and crystal clear, ideal for swimming.

4

Day 4: Cycle through scenic beauty to Osalla di Orosei beach

Discover the beauty of the Gulf of Orosei today in the most intimate way: by bike. Our 20.5mi (33km) adventure starts straight from the hotel, riding to Osalla di Orosei beach. We stop at Passo Lithu for glorious views over forests and to the sea. Arriving at the beach, we must carry our bikes to reach the sands, where we refuel with a delicious lunch. After, we get back on the bikes, tackling 7.5mi (12km) with a 1,970ft (600m) elevation gain and an average incline of 6% (reaching 10% in places). It's a challenging ride, even for fit cyclists, so you may wish to hire ebikes for the day (must be hired before trip departure, see the Is This Trip for You? section for more information). Our route takes us through pinewoods to the town of Orosei, before we ride the state road to the Grotta di Ispinigoli, a vast cavern with 125ft (38m) high limestone columns to admire. Back on the bike, we finish the ride at our hotel, visiting Baluvirde church en route.

5

Day 5: Free day to explore the Dorgali archaeological sites, take a self-guided walk or hit the beach

After an adventurous few days, today is free to explore the archaeological sites of the Dorgali region, take an optional self-guided walk or simply relax by the beach and enjoy the leisurely Sardinian lifestyle. Horse riding can also be arranged (the price and details are agreed with the hotel). Alternatively, take an optional boat trip to the Bue Marino Grotto (weather permitting).

6

Day 6: Explore the prehistoric cave village of Tiscali • Visit the Su Gologone spring

Visit the mysterious Nuragic village of Tiscali today – not much is known about its origins, nor the people who lived there. It seems to have been populated before the Nuragic era, but archaeologists put its main period of activity between the second and first centuries BCE. The dwellings are virtually invisible until you reach the vast cavity in which they are built. This has led some to postulate that people returned here to hide from the Romans. We also visit the Su Gologone spring, described as a natural masterpiece, where karst has been sculpted by rushing water as it exits the gorge. The water is tinged green or blue, depending on the angle of the sun, and an astonishing 130 gallons (500 litres) of water per second comes crashing out of the chasm into this mini oasis.

7

Day 7: Adventure ends in Dorgali

You’ve walked the deepest natural canyon in Italy, kayaked along the Sardinian coastline, and witnessed the natural beauty of the Gulf of Orosei by bike; but now it’s time to begin your return journey home. Alternatively, if you’d like to extend your adventure, speak to your sales representative to discuss our large range of extension options.

Similar Tours

Check Availability