From the initial booking of the holiday to arrival in Sardinia, from the first greeting of our... Rob Rogers, 2018 See more reviews
Another superb Exodus trip. A great way to explore a beautiful country. Sardinia is an idyllic... Ian Lochhead, 2018 See more reviews
The walks have a nice mix of challenging and easy with lovely views and points of interest. The... Lucy Sheehy, 2018 See more reviews
A late May departure found the sun shinning and temperatures up to mid 20s plus which is the top... Sally Williams, 2018 See more reviews
A special mention must go to the Hotel S'Adde for their warmth and hospitality in general... Michele Moore, 2018 See more reviews
This was my first Exodus trio and I loved every minute of it. Having the opportunity to walk in... Jane Barber, 2018 See more reviews
If you want to see Sardinia this trip is exactly right. Not only does Exodus practice their usual... Hans Hunink, 2018 See more reviews
An excellent place for serious walking on mountain terrain, with sea and beaches within easy reach. Anthony Rugg, 2017 See more reviews
Was on the 16th Sept. departure for Walking in Sardinia - proved to be a good time of year 25*C... Valerie Simmonds, 2017 See more reviews
Excellent walking in an unspoilt, wild part of Sardinia. Walks are varied and interesting and... Françoise Walker, 2017 See more reviews
Itinerary Include flights Expand all London to London Day 1 Fly to Olbia; transfer to Dorgali Fly to Olbia and transfer to the Hotel S'Adde in Dorgali. Meals included: Dinner Day 2 Orientation walk through a maze of old paths around Monte Tului with beautiful views of the Gulf of Orosei We start with an orientation walk through a maze of old paths around Monte Tului (916m), which boasts one of the most beautiful views of the Gulf of Orosei along with the mountainous inland around Dorgali. (approx. 5 hours walking, ascent 600m descent 600m, 13km). Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 3 Walk along the Gorropu Gorge, Italy's deepest natural canyon; free time to paddle on the Flumineddu River On our drive above the Flumineddu Valley, we enjoy stunning views until we arrive at the Gorropu Gorge - also known as the 'Grand Canyon of Europe'. Its high, narrow, vertical walls reach 200 metres making it the deepest and roughest natural gorge in Europe. Over millions of years, the Flumineddu River has eroded the landscape to create the incomparable natural beauty of the gorge. There is a chance to paddle on the river, if conditions allow. This evening, there is the opportunity to enjoy dinner in a restaurant in Dorgali centre - payable locally (approx. 6 hours walking, ascent 415 meters -420 meters, 15km). Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 4 Explore Nuraghic village of Serra Orrios, with its complex circular huts dating back to the Bronze Age; relax on an idyllic sandy beach. Local wine tasting We begin with a drive to the site of the renowned Giants Tomb, the Sardinian megalithic gallery grave built during the Bronze Age by the Nuragic civilization. We then continue on to the site of the Serra Orrios, one of the most famous of the Nuraghes villages. The Nuraghes, cone tomb-like towers positioned around the island, are the symbols of Sardinia and of its unique ethnicity. The Nuragici people, who built these towers, are considered as the most accomplished, yet mysterious, civilisation in the Mediterranean. We explore this Nuraghic village of Serra Orrios and its complex arrangement of circular huts dating back to the Bronze Age. After this we have time for a quick coffee stop before driving on to Cala Orsala. This is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island, surrounded by rocks, pinewoods and lush Mediterranean scrub. Weather permitting, we will have lunch on the beach. After this we visit the 'Grotta degli Ispinigoli' home to the longest stalactite-stalagmite column in Europe. We finish the day with a visit to a wine factory (cantina) for wine tasting and a short talk about the local wines. Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 5 Free day; 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 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 for you; alternatively, you can take an optional wonderful boat trip to Bue Marino Grotto (weather permitting). Meals included: Breakfast Day 6 Walk around the prehistoric Tiscali Village, built inside a cave; visit the springs of Su Cologone After a short transfer, we start our rewarding (and perhaps the most challenging) walk to the deserted village of Tiscali. Tiscali is built in a huge cave inside Monte Corrasi and it is speculated that its inhabitants hid here from the Romans. We also make an essential visit to the karstic springs of Su Cologone, where an imposing mass of mineral water carves shapes into the rocks as it gushes out of the impressive gorge. As well as boasting some amazing traditional Sardinian food, it is also the ideal place for bird watching (approx. 5 hours walking, ascent 430m descent 480m, 15km). Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 7 Explore the caves and cliffs on walk from the beach of Cala Luna; free afternoon We start the day with a boat trip to Cala Luna, known as one of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean. Here there will be time to explore the large caves and perhaps watch the rock climbing. The walk back to Cala Gonone starts through a vast forest and gulleys, with occasional views of the coast. At the end of the walk at Cala Gonone we will have time for a very welcome drink and the opportunity for a swim before we return to Dorgali (approx.5 hours walking, ascent 310m descent 310m, 10km). Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 8 To Olbia; fly to London. Transfer to Olbia airport; fly to London. Meals included: Breakfast
Italy No visa required for British passport holders. Please note in Italy it is compulsory to carry ID with you at all times.
Hotel S'Adde - 3 Star You will spend 7 days at the Hotel S'Adde; a comfortable family-run 3 star hotel. All the rooms are en-suite and equipped with telephone and a satellite T.V., while only a few have minibar. The hotel facilities include bar, restaurant, TV room and terrace. Wi-Fi is only available in the reception area, not in the bedrooms. The hotel is located within walking distance from Dorgali, situated 1.5 hours from Olbia airport in the beautiful Gulf of Orosei. Only 7km from the coast, this small agricultural town is famous for its crafts and ceramics and offers a wide choice of shops, restaurants and bars.
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Reviewed September 2018 Rob Rogers Trip: Walking in Sardinia Sardinia ticked all of the boxes From the initial booking of the holiday to arrival in Sardinia, from the first greeting of our Exodus Rep to the final goodbye, Exodus delivered. We were well fed (Italian like to feed you, and you'd certainly not go hungry at Hotel S'adde), we were organised, informed and cared for. Our Exodus Rep was knowledgeable of the area, he had scoped out restaurants, bars and gelato establishments and was available to assist and make our trip relaxing and enjoyable. Sardinia delivered on many fronts too, exciting landscapes, mountain tracks, beaches and caves, boat trips, wine tasting and local cuisine - it has something for all. For us the holiday was made memorable because of the location and because of the group of people also on the trip, always someone interesting to talk to. So well done Exodus, another excellent holiday delivered - in the immortal words of Arnold Schwarzenegger "I'll be back" What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The landscape The local people -warm and friendly The local wine - great tasting and plenty of it
Reviewed July 2018 Ian Lochhead Trip: Walking in Sardinia Walking in Sardinia Another superb Exodus trip. A great way to explore a beautiful country. Sardinia is an idyllic place with amazing beaches & stunning mountain scenery. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? There were numerous points during the week which proved inspirational. One that stands out however was the walk into the Gorropu Gorge, the deepest natural canyon in Italy - quite breathtaking. What did you think of your group leader? Alexis was a superb leader. A proud Frenchman(as I discovered whilst watching his beloved France at the World Cup on TV with him at the hotel one evening!) and a true gentleman. He was full of fascinating facts/stories about the areas we visited and nothing was too much trouble for him. He had a great sense of humour and contributed greatly to my enjoyment of the trip. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Be prepared for high temperatures during the walks, especially in mid-June when we were there. Take plenty of water on all walks. There is also a small amount of rock scrambling involved during some of the walks to be aware of. However, my best advice would be that if you are considering this holiday then go for it - you will not be disappointed! Is there anything else you would like to add? This was my 11th consecutive trip with Exodus this year and I cannot recommend this company highly enough. Everything is taken care of for you leaving you to relax and enjoy the trip. Hotel Sadde where we stayed for the week is a very comfortable hotel and the staff are very friendly welcoming people.
Reviewed June 2018 Jacky Wilson Trip: Walking in Sardinia Beautiful coastline Always wanted to go to Sardinia! The coastline is really beautiful - unbelievably clear sea, deserted beaches and completely unspoiled. The holiday is based in a family-run hotel in a smallish town. It’s fine - friendly, but breakfast and picnics were disappointing even if dinner was generally good. There is a fabulous pizzeria a few minutes walk from the hotel as well as a good gelatería. The walks involved more scrambling over rocks than indicated on the trip notes and the terrain was quite hard on the joints generally as it was stony. The walks were also all quite similar and I would have preferred more variety. Sardinia (or this area anyway) doesn’t seem to have much architectural interest and we didn’t see any pretty towns or villages such as you would always see in mainland Italy or France. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Amazed at all the beautiful beaches - truly, who needs the Caribbean? This is perfection. What did you think of your group leader? Alexis was brilliant - helpful, good humoured, friendly, interesting. A really top guide. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? It was the heat that was difficult to cope with rather than the walks. There are generally not places to top up bottles at midday so you need to carry a lot of water to keep hydrated all day. I did not enjoy all the rocky terrain and scrambling. I should perhaps have asked more questions though the trip notes only indicate “some” scrambling so I didn’t expect it would feature as much as it did. It’s a challenge to pack two pairs of walking shoes in your case but if possible a pair of breathable ones for day 1 and ones with more robust soles for the remaining days would be ideal. I think a pole was very helpful. Sunhat essential too, even if you don’t normally like wearing one! Is there anything else you would like to add? If it were possible to find greater variety in the walks I think it would be better. I wish we could have had longer in Cala Luna on the last day, not just 45 mins - there was a lovely shady bar but no time to swim, have a drink and then get ready to walk.
Reviewed June 2018 Lucy Sheehy Trip: Walking in Sardinia Great trip, fantastic guide, hotel could be better The walks have a nice mix of challenging and easy with lovely views and points of interest. The additional sight seeing and wine tasting really added to the trip. The only thing that let it down a bit was the location of the hotel. The hotel itself is ok but there is nowhere nice to sit when we got back from the walks, the little terrace with uncomfortable chairs doesn't count, and there is nothing really to do in Dorgali. This meant we all just retired to our rooms until dinner which was a bit boring. Also the breakfasts and lunches were very dull. A hotel in Calla Gonone for example would be much better. Then guests could go to the beach and have a swim in the sea after their walks and on the free day What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The Canyon was the most dramatic walk. I also loved the day with lots of sight seeing What did you think of your group leader? Alexis was brilliant. Always friendly and attentive to the group. He even took time on the free day to take us for a walk.
Reviewed May 2018 Sally Williams Trip: Walking in Sardinia A varied programme on this interesting island A late May departure found the sun shinning and temperatures up to mid 20s plus which is the top end of my comfort zone for hill walking. We were very lucky to follow a wet spell of weather that brought the spring flowers out in profusion. Walks are not long but can be challenging due to the rocky terrain, so not one for the novice. Highlights were: The archaeology of the Nuragha people The clear deep blue sea for swimming Hotel S'Adde that was so welcoming, clean spacious rooms, plentiful good food and wine, and endless hot water! A trip to Orgosolo to see the street art/murals on the free day What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The views from lunch time spot on day 1 at the fire watchers lookout post. and the visit to Serra Orrios to see the Nuraghic village - but do visit the Dorgali Museum to see the artifacts from the site What did you think of your group leader? Engaging, patient and determined that we should all have a great holiday. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Probably not suitable for novice walkers unless you have experience of being in the hills e.g. rock climbing.
Reviewed May 2018 Michele Moore Trip: Walking in Sardinia Great experience A special mention must go to the Hotel S'Adde for their warmth and hospitality in general but for their food in particular. I have dietary requirements and I usually expect to eat a limited range of food (and/or have to remind staff at every meal), especially when in a small town off the beaten track. But Michaela and her team had my diet nailed from day 1 and went above and beyond to produce fantastic, appetising alternatives every time. Frankly, you should have this as a USP in your marketing of this trip! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Reaching Tiscali! What did you think of your group leader? Fantastic - patient, thoughtful, experienced...
Reviewed May 2018 Jane Barber Trip: Walking in Sardinia Walking in Sardinia This was my first Exodus trio and I loved every minute of it. Having the opportunity to walk in rugged terrain with fabulous views and generally great weather, and being cheerfully cared for in a comfortable hotel made it a week to remember What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? I couldn’t choose just one, but many of the walks were quite challenging, and worth every bit of the effort for the sense of achievement and the stunning scenery What did you think of your group leader? Albert was exceptionally kind and polite throughout the trip and happy to share his knowledge about the area and the environment. He frequently checked on everyone’s well being and dealt promptly and efficiently with an incident on the final day when one of our group had a serious fall Do you have any advice for potential travellers? It was quite rugged under foot at times, so good boots, poles if desired and plenty of water bottles Is there anything else you would like to add? The hotel was exactly as described in the brochure, a small family run establishment, but was excellent. Very clean rooms, friendly staff who did all they could to ensure that their guests were comfortable and generous and tasty food. Couldn’t have asked for more. Our transport also, from the airport and to the start of walks, was excellent.
Reviewed May 2018 Jae Bond Trip: Walking in Sardinia Good walking but a disappointing holiday I am very much in agreement with the review posted by Bex. Sardinia was beautiful, the unseasonal rain of the weeks before meant it was lush and green amongst the rockiness, and there were lots of flowers in bloom. Most walks were a mix of fairly average difficulty but with very challenging parts, often involving scrambling over boulders and up and down rock faces, which was an enjoyable mix. However the hotel and the town pull this holiday down, both the food and rooms at the hotel really should be better and this would make a real difference. There is quite a lot of time between the walks ending and the late evening meal and it was hard to make good use of this time. I could not honestly recommend this trip because of this. Cala Ganone could work with the walking routes, it is not that far away so any additional "time in bus" before the days walking would be fairly negliable. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Both the gorge walk and the walk to Tiscali were really good, both had fun challenging elements and the Tiscalli walk was beautiful varied in scenary. What did you think of your group leader? The group leader was perfectly personable and fulfilled the basics of being a group leader, but I have nearly always experienced having a local leader, both world wide and in Europe. My leader last year in Croatia had so much joy and love for his country it bubbled out of him. He made every day come alive with tales about Croatian history and culture which added so much to that trip. I came home from Croatia with so much new knowledge about a country totally unknown to me and a desire to return. I was very disappointed that we were not given this opportunity to learn about Sardinia Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Don't be a vegetarian, the food at the hotel was not great! The walking is definately more challenging that it sounds but as long as you are happy to scramble and use hands (and bums if short) to get around they are fun and doable. Is there anything else you would like to add? This could be a very different trip and for more fufilling as a holiday with just a few tweaks, a different hotel and local knowledge would really improve this
Reviewed May 2018 Bex Bradburn Trip: Walking in Sardinia Great walks but poor hotel and location Sardinia itself is a beautifully rugged island and the walks on offer provide challenging and varied hiking opportunities. However the trip is significantly let down by the hotel, the food at the hotel and the town in which the hotel is situated. Overall it is a shame that a better hotel in a better location cannot be found to make this trip a better one - I would not recommend this trip because of this. There is a town on the coast around 10km away called Cala Ganone which would be a far better location for this trip as it provides so many things to do with your down time (the beach, water sports, walks, bars and restaurants that are actually open and friendly etc). And there is a lot of down time, with walks often returning to the hotel by 3/4pm, and dinner not served until after 8pm - so very little to do at the hotel or in Dorgali itself. And whilst this is primarily a walking trip, a well-rounded holiday for me includes great food and opportunities to use any free time well. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The gorge walking was absolutely amazing, from the beautiful scenic 2-hour walk to get there, to the sheer rock faces in the gorge, and the challenging rock climbing and scrambling to get into the gorge itself. What did you think of your group leader? The group leader was perfectly polite and did his job, but I would have liked a lot more enthusiasm and interest in / information about the area. Previously group leaders often provide useful information such as emergency services numbers, local customs, a few helpful phrases in the local language but none of this was provided. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? A couple of the walks are a bit more challenging than the trip notes suggest. There is no choice of food at the hotel despite the trip notes suggesting that there is - and the food was very hit and miss (more misses than hits) - this was very disappointing, especially in a food-led island such as Sardinia. Is there anything else you would like to add? I cannot stress enough how much better this trip would be at a better hotel in a better location.
Reviewed May 2018 Hans Hunink Trip: Walking in Sardinia Exactly right If you want to see Sardinia this trip is exactly right. Not only does Exodus practice their usual active holiday but there is also an opportunity to see the coastal and inland caves, the beaches, the Nuraghe villages and archeological musea. The group leader was fantastic and knows how to accommodate to everyone's needs. The hotel is simple but served some very nice Sardinian meals: lamb, fish and pizza. The walking category 3 in this case is for the regular hiker. Non walkers should take an alternative program. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The seaside cliffs at Cala Luna really gave some perspective to sea level changes. What did you think of your group leader? Easy going. Trustworthy. Accommodating. Great guy. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Take a lot of water , suntan lotion and a hat. Is there anything else you would like to add? For keen hikers note that there are only 4 walking days on this 8 day trip.
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