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Sardinia-Corsica Combo Tour

The islands of Sardinia and Corsica lie just a few miles from each but they’re quite unique. Sardinia is Italian, Corsica is French; Sardinia has rolling terrain dotted with neolithic fortresses while Corsica has one of the most dramatic coastlines in Europe. This 10-night combo tour gives you a delicious taste of both as you explore on foot, by e-bike and by kayak while relaxing at the end of the day in lovely hotels.
Duration: 10 nights/11 days **shorter version available
Dates: Private departures upon request
Trip starts/ends: Olbia (Sardinia)/Bastia (Corsica)
Activity level: 3 - moderate walking on 3 hikes plus easy river kayaking and a day on e-bikes [more info]
Group size: min. 4 - max. 14

Highlights

* stay 3 nights at a fabulous country “experience” hotel

* enjoy 2 hikes through gorges and dramatic limestone formations

* e-bike along the coast of Sardinia with views over the sea

* easy kayak on the Cedrino and Bosa rivers past colorfully painted houses

* taste delicious wines and enjoy the cuisine on both islands

* spend an afternoon on a sailboat through the gorgeous Maddalena islands

* relax on the beach in front of your hotels in both Sardinia and Corsica

* visit a 2,500-year-old stone tower in Sardinia and a megalithic site in Corsica

* drive the “Calanques” coastal road past pinnacles of red rock formations in Corsica

* hike between lovely hilltop towns with sweeping views over the sea

Trip price includes

10 nights in 3- and 4-star hotels; 10 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 8 dinners; all visits as per the itinerary; all transfers by van and ferry as per itinerary; at least 1 trilingual (Italian/English/French) guide

Not included

8 lunches and 2 dinners; drinks other than water at meals; and anything not mentioned in the inclusions

ITINERARY

Days 1-3: Welcome to Sardinia!

Make your way independently to the port city of Olbia, which has flight connections from Rome and a few other European hubs. We’ll transfer you to your wonderful home for the next three nights, a unique “experience hotel” set in a lush garden setting. From there we embark on a dramatic hike through a narrow gorge, take a lazy kayak trip down a clear-water river, see one of the most famous hilltop towns, and enjoy a special cooking demonstration by some local women. 3 nights near Oliena. 

Days 4-6: Eastern Sardinian Coast

Head east across the island today and spend the next three days exploring fascinating Neolithic sites, colorful port towns, and wide sandy beaches. We’ll e-bike along the coast and then do another easy river kayak trip before sampling some of the local wine. Cap off your Sardinia experience with a day out on a sailboat! Overnight Alghero and Santa Teresa di Gallura.

Days 7-10: Bonjour, Corsica!

A short ferry takes you across the narrow channel dividing Sardinia and Corsica. Disembark at the foot of the white cliffs of Bonifacio and head north along the coast to our next lodging overlooking another wide sandy beach north of Ajaccio. Over the next four days we have some marvelous walks in both rocky and coastal terrain. You’ll see the dramatic Calenques red-rock formations near Piana and the elegant port-town of Calvi, famous for its Genoese castle. Overnight near Cargèse and Calvi.

Day 11: Tour Ends in Bastia, Corsica

It’s a 2-hour drive to the city of Bastia so we will arrange for ONE group transfer to the airport, arriving around 11 a.m. (or timed for the group’s arrangements). Bastia is well connected to Paris by air and to Livorno (on the Tuscan coast) by ferry.

from €4,800
[info on prices]

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Activity Levels

Some tours have a range of activity levels through the week, where some walks may be more challenging than others, but this will give you a general idea of the type of walking/hiking involved on your tour.

1 – EASY: City walking, all or mostly paved, minimal climbing
2 – GENTLE: Moderate hills & easy terrain
3 – MODERATE: Some sustained hills with occasional steep grades on a mix of terrains
4 – HIKE: Classic hiking with rough/rocky terrain, sustained hills, and longer mileage
5 – CHALLENGING: Challenging hiking with steep climbs and descents over rocky terrain and some longer mileage

See below for more detail:

1 – EASY: City walking, all or mostly paved, with minimal climbing (though some cities may have steeper inclines). Archaeological sites may be unpaved but the grades and difficulty level is easy. TOURS: Sicily Coast-to-Coast and any “light active” version of a tour

2 – GENTLE: Moderate hills & easy terrain
The terrain is easy to navigate with packed earth or gravel roads. There are some climbs but nothing too challenging. TOURS: Tuscany, Puglia, Provence
[2+ The “plus” indicates more challenging terrain though the walks are gentle].

3 – MODERATE: Some sustained hills with occasional steep grades and rocky terrain
Here you find a mix of terrain with some steep stretches.
TOURS: Corsica, Sardinia, some of the Dolomites tours, and some hikes on the Greek Islands
[3+ The plus indicates rockier terrain or lots of stone steps (Amalfi, the Cinque Terre) or greater elevation gain/loss (the Dolomites)].

4 — HIKE: Classical hiking with rough terrain, sustained hills, and more mileage. These hikes are on a mix of rough terrain, sometimes involving steep stretches and difficult footing. TOURS: some of our hikes in Sardinia, some of the days in the Cinque Terre, some of the variants of our Dolomites tours.

5 – CHALLENGING: Longer days, challenging climbs, rocky terrain. We don’t do a lot of seriously challenging tours but we do have a Dolomites trip where we hike from hut to hut, so that’s probably the closest we get to a 5.

Info on prices

The price indicated is for a minimum of 6 people and our basic itinerary based on double occupancy (a “single supplement” covers hotel prices only, we apply no extra fees). Departures with fewer people or with upgraded hotels will have a higher price. We can organize private departures for any number of people but prices vary depending on number of participants. Please contact us for details!