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A woman is arranging food items and cooking utensils on a table while preparing a meal.

SEPTEMBER 24-OCTOBER 1, 2027

Sardinia

Where tradition shapes the table


A week on an unspoiled island, where ancient traditions and thousand year-old stories are waiting to be discovered. A truly surprising Island where everything flows gently. We will be accompanied by Chef Michael Lombardi of Si Cara in Boston and Italian Food & Wine expert Alice Rossi.

A woman is arranging food items and cooking utensils on a table while preparing a meal.

What You’ll Love about Your Week in Sardinia

Sardinia

What You’ll Love about Your Week in Sardinia

We had such a great response (and a waiting list) for the Sardinia Culinaria in April that we asked Chef Michael and Guide Alice if they would repeat the Culinaria. Happily, they agreed, and we are able to offer this Culinaria in late September. We hope you’ll join us.

Sardinia is an island that is both rustic and sophisticated. During our week there, we will explore its more rural, food-and-wine-focused regions. We’ll be anchored in two seaside cities – the capital city, Cagliari and the western-facing town of Alghero.

Chef Michael Lombardi asked to be closely involved in the creation of this Culinaria, so he and Alice Rossi, our beloved Italian guide, set off to discover the best of Sardinian food and wine. They came back enchanted by all they saw and tasted, and the program to be enjoyed is full of history, culture, products and preparations.

We’ll experience city life in Cagliari and then will venture into the countryside and coastal waters to learn about markets, wines, cheeses, rare pasta shapes, bottarga, tuna, breads, olive oil, and the historic Nuraghe villages, and more. In between we’ll enjoy Chef Michael’s cooking demonstrations and beautiful sunsets as well as the welcome camaraderie of fellow travelers.

Day by Day

Coastal town with orange roofs and marina
Day 1

Friday, September 24

Check-in at the Hotel Carlo V in Alghero in the late afternoon and then meet in the lobby to walk to a local café for an Aperitivo at sunset followed by a Welcome Session and Dinner.

Nuraghe Palmavera Alghero
Day 2

Saturday, September 25

Today, we’ll depart with a guide to see the Capo Caccia panoramic road and visit the Nuraghe village of Palmavera. We’ll have a late morning aperitivo at a family run Agriturismo, followed by a tasting of their extra virgin olive oil and different kinds of local breads. Lunch is based on their vegetables and a roasted suckling pig. Returning to Alghero, we’ll have a guided walking tour of Alghero, stopping in a small artisan coral workshop. You’ll be free in the evening.

A hand holds a glass of white wine up to a blue sky
Day 3

Sunday, September 26

Today we will visit the village of Bosa and have a tasting of Malvasia di Bosa wine. After visiting the charming village of Bosa, we’ll have a light buffet lunch with local wines in a wine bar. We’ll visit the Museo della Conce, one of the few tanneries museums in Italy. Then we’ll divide the group into two. Group one will have a cruise with a tasting of 3 kinds of Malvasia di Bosa, and Group two will have a Nassa demonstration (the old ways of creating a straw cage to catch lobsters + some free time to explore the colorful streets of Bosa. Then we’ll switch, so everyone has a chance for both options. We’ll return to Alghero and meet in the lobby to walk to dinner, enjoy the sunset, an aperitivo on the terrace and a dinner.

Evening scene of Cabras
Day 4

Monday, September 27

We’ll check out of our hotel and drive to Cabras to learn about bottarga. We’ll have lunch in a local restaurant and then visit and have tastings at the Contini winery where they specialize in Vernaccia di Oristano. We’ll depart for Cagliari and check-in at the Palazzo Tirso in the late afternoon, followed by Rooftop Aperitivo and Chef Michael’s Dinner at the hotel.

A circle of dumplings arranged neatly on a white cloth
Day 5

Tuesday, September 28

We’ll start our day with a city tour of Cagliari followed by a visit to the market with Chef Michael, including some tastings and explanations of products. You’ll have free time until later in the afternoon when we’ll visit Argiolas winery for a Pasta Filindeu demonstration, one of the rarest shapes of pasta of the world, plus a visit of the estate and dinner paired with three wines.

Overhead perspective of a yacht navigating the ocean, surrounded by vast blue waters and gentle waves
Day 6

Wednesday, September 29

Today is Carloforte day! We’ll drive to reach the port of Calasetta to board a boat that will take us around the island of Carloforte. Chef Mike will cook snacks and lunch on the boat, and Alice will serve wine. We will make stops during the day to see caves and a visit at the Tonnara di Carloforte, the tuna production site. We will also do a tasting of the different types of tuna raw and canned. In the late afternoon we’ll have a guided walk in the little village of Carloforte. After a long day on the water, you’ll be free in the evening.

A bowl of couscous topped with diced tomatoes
Day 7

Thursday, September 30

For our final day, we will spend the whole day in an agriturismo, fattoria Cuscusa.  First we’ll say hello to the sheep and then learn how to make two different kinds of pasta (fregola and lorighettas). Our Farewell lunch will feature the pastas, the cheese and a suckling pig that is cooked underground using a traditional technique that is rarely used!  This is a special experience for our group. After we return to the hotel, you’ll have free time to explore, pack and relax.

A charming Italian village by the riverside at sunset
Day 8

Friday, October 01

Departures for the US or additional travel

Your Accommodations

Hotel Palazzo Tirso
Photo courtesy of Hotel Palazzo Tirso

Hotel Palazzo Tirso – Cagliari

Hotel Palazzo Tirso is a 5-star boutique hotel in Cagliari with beautiful views of the sea as well as views of the city’s architecture. The hotel combines Cagliari’s historic charm with sleek modern design.

View Your Accommodation
Carlo V Hotel
Photo courtesy of the Carlo V Hotel

Carlos V Wellness & Spa – Alghero

The Carlos V is located on Alghero’s seafront, with a unique view of the Baia del Corallo (Coral Bay), just 300 meters from the Catalan old town, full of streets, churches and city walls, set in the azure blue of the Gulf.

View Your Accommodation

Meet the Chefs/Experts

Chef Michael Lombardi
Michael Lombardi
Michael Lombardi

Michael Lombardi is the chef and owner of Cambridge’s well-loved, Si Cara Restaurant in Central Square. Michael is a longtime favorite in Boston’s culinary scene having spent over a decade in top restaurants in the trendy Back Bay and South End neighborhoods.

Michael’s culinary career began in Orvieto, Italy where he explored his love of Italian culture and the art of pasta-making. He then worked at the iconic Del Posto in New York before venturing back to Europe and opening L’Office alongside his great friend Chef Kevin O’Donnell. L’Office won Best New Bistro in Paris in 2012.

In 2015, Michael returned to Boston and worked at The Salty Pig and the South End’s beloved SRV – a favorite Italian restaurant featuring a modern interpretation of Venetian cuisine. SRV won multiple awards and was a James Beard semifinalist for Best New Restaurant. In 2022, Michael created Si Cara, his first solo venture. Si Cara is a neighborhood restaurant in Central Square, Cambridge, featuring Italian fare including Canotto-style pizza and an international selection of natural wines and classic Italian cocktails.

Alice Rossi
Alice Rossi
Alice Rossi

Alice’s passion is food, and wine, and her dream is to share her passion! She loves getting its magic across, whether to experts or to other interested people. She did a degree in Food & Wine Science so that she could turn my passion into a job. After university, Alice worked for a year (2012-2013) at Barilla Academy, where she was in charge of Gourmet Touring and Taste Education. She organized and publicized tours about Food & Wine and special tastes. Her various jobs made her realize how much she loves working in close contact with people, so she decided to become a tourist guide and tour leader. This gives Alice the chance to show off Italian Food & Wine specialties to Italian and foreign tourists, and to share her emotion and passion!

Flight information
to Travel Destination

Colorful triangular flags hang across a narrow street

Flight information
to Travel Destination

To fly to/from Sardinia is not as straightforward as other destinations.  Your travel agent may be a good advisor. 

You will want to fly into Alghero (airport code: AHO) or Olbia (airport code OLB):

We will start in Alghero on the west coast of Sardinia. However, there are other options from Olbia, on the east coast of Sardinia (near the resorts of Costa Smeralda). To get from Olbia to Alghero is a two-hour drive across the island. It is, of course, also possible to fly into Cagliari (where we finish), which is a three-hour drive (Cagliari to Alghero).

TO ALGHERO:

  • Ryanair from Munich or Frankfort; Dublin; Milan-Malpensa; Venice: Madrid or Barcelona
  • Aeroitalia from Rome Fiumicino
  • Air Europa from Madrid

TO OLBIA:

  • Lufthansa/Swiss and partners to Germany or Switzerland

TO CAGLIARI:

  • Same airlines as noted for departing Cagliari

You will want to depart from Cagliari (airport code: CAG) via:

  • Delta or KLM and partners from the US connecting in Amsterdam
  • Lufthansa or United and partners from the US connecting in Germany
  • EasyJet through Milan-Malpensa
  • Ryanair through a number of European cities. Major point of connection with incoming US flights – Milan-Malpensa
  • Volotea through Milan-Linate, Rome Fiumicino
  • Vueling through Barcelona
  • WizzAir through Milan-Malpensa and Venice

Pricing & Registration

A charming Italian village by the riverside at sunset

Pricing & Registration

Sardinia

Prices are based on rates of exchange, taxes, and other costs as of the Culinaria publication date. We reserve the right to correct errors and changes, and to increase program prices to cover increased costs, tariffs, and taxes received after prices are published and to reflect currency fluctuations.

A note about the Single supplement: Because the charges for a double room and a single room are almost the same, it means that the cost of a single room is much higher than sharing the cost of a double room. This is a charge from the hotel and is not something we can change.

All surplus funds generated by this educational Culinaria will be used to increase community access to heritage diet resources and African Heritage, Latin American Heritage, and Mediterranean curricula to help reduce health disparities through heritage diets.

  • Price per person is $6,875 with double occupancy
  • Single supplement is $1,150
Register

Trip Insurance

Accident Insurance

Oldways has procured accident and evacuation insurance for all Culinaria participants while traveling on one of our Culinarias with an Accident & Health policy from The Hartford. Click here to view Oldways Certificate of Accident Insurance.

Please let us know if you need more information about the insurance.

Travel Insurance

While we cannot offer travel insurance for the cost of the trip or your air travel, here are three widely used travel insurance companies:

Allianz

Travelex

Travel Guard by AIG

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Have any questions?

Email us at [email protected]