The Sardinian port city of Cagliari is a popular stop for a number of different cruise liners sailing the Mediterranean. As one of the Mediterranean’s largest ports, Cagliari is increasingly becoming a turnaround stop. Still, the greater number of stops are transit, offering passengers the chance to spend the day seeing something special of Sardinia. As a website that caters to cultural enthusiasts and produced by a team of archaeologists and historians – one of whom lives in Cagliari, we have hand picked six experiences that we believe will make your Cagliari shore excursion a memorable one.Â
- Thomas Dowson
- Last Checked and/or Updated 19 July 2023
- No Comments
- Sardinia
With many cruise liners arriving in the morning (anywhere between 07h00 and 10h00) and leaving late in the afternoon or early evening, passengers wishing to take a shore excursion have a number of choices on offer. From staying in Cagliari and exploring this fascinating city (with either a self-guided tour or a guided walking tour), to taking a day trip from the port with times to suit the arrival and departure of your cruise ship. This is a crucial feature to consider when researching shore excursions: ensure that the operators are familiar with how the timetables of cruise ships operate.Â
Our list of recommendations are first chosen because they offer port pick-ups, as opposed to a set time at a fixed location in town. Also, you will be returned to the port at the end of the tour. With this as our primary criteria in mind, we have researched the best in cultural experiences in Sardinia that can be taken from Cagliari’s port. The following six experiences showcase the uniqueness of Sardinia’s cultural and historical heritage.
The shore excursions listed on this page are a selection of those offered by GetYourGuide, based on our research and first hand experiences. There are other others to choose from on GetYourGuide, Viator and Civitatis.Â
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Sightseeing Tours of Cagliari
Cagliari is a picturesque Mediterranean city with much to see and do. From the port, the city and its historic centre is a few minutes walk. With everything from elegant shops and fine dining to parks and gardens, archaeological sites and historic landmarks, as well as museums and art galleries. And all of these attractions are within easy walking distance of the port and each other.
Many choose to spend a leisurely day wandering around the city. Others choose to take a guided tour of the city’s highlights, on foot, segway, or for the more energetic, by e-bike.Â
If you prefer to be picked up at the port, and returned there at the end of the tour, there is a 4-hour tour of the city’s highlights by minivan for a private group up to five people. For those who are prepared to walk to a meeting point, your options are greater. I can personally recommend the underground walking tour, which starts at tunnels which were used during World War II and ends at the Archaeological Site under the Sant’Eulalia church. The tour of the underground tunnels and crypts lasts two hours, it is possible to extend the walking tour by two hours to see the above ground attractions of Cagliari. I chose a 3-hour walking tour of the old city, which explore the historical landmarks of the four historic districts of Cagliari.
Some people prefer a self-guided walking tour, we have prepared to itineraries for Cagliari, one designed for people with at least three days and another specifically for cruise passengers who only have a day to see the best bits of Cagliari.
Santa Cristina Nuraghe Village & Medieval Church
The Santa Cristina Park is one of the most interesting archaeological sites on the island that I have visited. Two periods of Sardinia’s history are represented here, the Nuragic Bronze Age and the medieval period.
Of the Nuragic period, at the centre of a Nuragic village is a single towered Nuraghe, a prehistoric structure unique to the island. Perhaps it is not the best example of a Nuraghe one can visit, but the nearby 12 century BC well temple is widely regarded by archaeologists as one of the finest of its kind in all Sardinia. These two key architectural features are part of a larger Nuragic village, allowing visitors a deeper experience of Nuraghe archaeology.Â
Next to the Nuragic settlement is an 11th century pilgrimage church dedicated to Saint Cristina. The church is surrounded by the small dwellings that would have housed pilgrims during their time here. Although the church is not complete, only a part of the apse remains, what has survived is still used in annual celebration honouring the saint.Â
The shore excursion to Santa Cristina lasts 6 hours, the trip to Santa Cristina is about an hour and a half. The tour operators are flexible with the start time, so as to accommodate your ship’s transit timetable. This still gives you a few hours to explore a few of the highlights of Cagliari.
Su Nuraghe Barumini
What the archaeological site of Barumini lacks in diversity of Nuragic architectural features (as at the site of Santa Cristina) it certainly makes up for in the preservation and presentation of a Nuraghe settlement complex. Nuraghi are unique to Sardinia, nothing quite like these are found elsewhere in European prehistory.Â
The site had been known for sometime, but it was only in the mid 20th century that it was extensively excavated by archaeologists. It is still the most extensively excavated and restored Nuraghe complex in Sardinia. So if there is one Nuraghe that is a must see, this one is surely it. In 1997 Barumini was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and is still Sardinia’s only world heritage site. Not surprisingly, Gianluca has included this attraction on his list of 20 must see archaeological and historical sites in Sardinia.
The central tower, surrounded by a bastion with four corner towers were built in the 16th century BC. Around the 13th century another bastion, but with seven towers, was added. The Nuraghe is surrounded by many hut circles. People lived here up until the Roman period.Â
All visitors to the site are taken on a thorough guided tour that lasts about two hours, lead by trained guides. During this you get to climb to the top of the inner towers (a safe metal staircase has been installed) to see the extraordinary inner architectural features of these conical towers.
This trip from the port to Barumini and back lasts six hours; the drive to Barumini lasting about one hour.Â
More information about the day trip, and book online via GetYourGuide.
Ancient City of Nora
The ancient city of Nora is one of the most popular day trips from Cagliari; it is also a popular choice for cruise ship passengers looking for something to do that does not take too long. At under 40 minutes from Cagliari, it is a good trip to take if you want to combine it with a few hours exploring the highlights of Cagliari.
The small peninsular that the archaeological site is on was first settled by itinerant Phoenician traders, established trading port by the Carthaginians, and then fully developed as a city by the Romans. Much of what you see dates to the Roman period, and there is a lot to see: the only surviving Roman theatre on the island, spectacular mosaic floors and public bath houses and many other commercial buildings. It is possible to see Roman town houses overlaying the foundations of Punic buildings. The archaeology and its location at the end of a peninsular make for a truly memorable experience.Â
The Nora shore excursion that caters for cruise ship passengers is quite expensive, looking at the per person rate. But this operator does pick their guests up at the port. Other options are considerably cheaper, such as the Nora tour from Cagliari provided by Genna Tours that I took. But the departure point for that tour is about a 20 minute walk from the port. And the departure time is fixed, at 15h30. If you are happy to walk to the departure point, and the times suit your transit itinerary, I strongly recommend that tour.Â
Read Gianluca’s guide to the ancient city of Nora. He not only provides a good summary of the history and archaeology, with an interactive map, he also provides a number of useful tips for visiting the site.
Archaeological Shore Excursion
The Archaeological Shore Excursion is in my opinion the choice for anyone who wants to see as much of Sardinian archaeology as they can, on a single day in transit in Cagliari port. Not only do you get to visit the ancient city of Nora but you also get to see a Nuraghe.
Two iconic sites of Sardinian archaeology.Â
Nora is one of the best archaeological sites in Sardinia. The Nuraghi are unique to Sardinia. The example included on this itinerary is nothing like that in Barumini, but you get to see what this kind of archaeological site is like. If it is Nuragic archaeology or an exceptional Nuraghe you want to see, then I strongly recommend you choose the shore excursion to Santa Cristina or Barumini.Â
This archaeology tour lasts five hours, and the price for a group (with a maximum of five people) is very reasonable. Like many of the dedicated shore excursions from Cagliari, it is available in more than just English and Italian.Â
Gastronomic Shore Excursion
And finally, for anyone interested in a gastronomic experience rather than archaeology and history, Sardinia has you covered. Like other regions of Italy, Sardinia is known for its unique wines and cheese. Two interesting options are on offer, a 4-hour cheese and wine tasting and a 5-hour cheese, wine and olive oil tasting. Some of the wines grown in Sardinia have been used for wine production since the Nuragic times.Â
If You Ask Me to Choose One ...
If there is one thing I do not like doing it is making a choice. But on this question, if I had to choose one of the above six options, I would not hesitate to recommend the half-day tour to Nora and using the rest of the day to explore Cagliari. First stop would be the National Archaeological Museum in a historic arsenal at the back of the Castello district. It is a great walk up there, passing some wonderful landmarks, my favourite being Torre dell’Elefante. Truthfully, I would be happy with either of the six, hence our recommending these out of those on offer. To make your choice, I think I would suggest deciding on what kind of archaeology and history you want to see. And how long you are prepared (or have available) to travel to see it.
Enjoy your stop in Cagliari.
Archaeology Travel Writer
