Cagliari Underground Walking Tour — WWII Bunker, Roman Roads and Ancient Crypts Beneath the City

Most sardinia walking tours take you through streets you could find on a map. The underground Cagliari tour takes you somewhere you genuinely cannot go without a licensed operator — the three sites on this itinerary are closed to the public outside of guided visits. That's what makes 2,477 people give it 4.7 stars: the access is exclusive, the sites are genuinely astonishing, and the guides from Sardinia Magic Experience (the operator behind both this tour and the Cagliari Old City Walking Tour) are trained specifically in subterranean archaeology and wartime history.

The standard two-hour tour costs $35 per person and includes entry to all three underground sites. Optional extensions add a guided walk through the Castello district above ground, or a Sardinian wine and food tasting to close the experience. The tour is available as a shared group tour or a private experience; the private option eliminates the bilingual repetition that characterises the group format and is recommended for visitors who want a more focused commentary.

1 — The WWII Bunker at the Salesian School

The first site is the most historically recent and, for many visitors, the most viscerally affecting. Beneath the Istituto Salesiano Don Bosco — a school that still functions today — lies a 120-metre private tunnel shelter built during WWII for use as an air-raid bunker by the school's residents and nearby civilians. Allied bombing raids hit Cagliari repeatedly in 1943, and this tunnel was one of several underground shelters built beneath the city's buildings.

The guide leads you through the full length of the tunnel, explaining the wartime history of Cagliari and the role the Allied campaign played in the eventual liberation of the island from German and Italian Fascist forces. The tunnel is genuinely enclosed — claustrophobic visitors should consider the tour's accessibility note before booking.

2 — The Crypt of Santa Restituta

The second site is older by fourteen centuries. The Crypt of Santa Restituta in the Stampace district is a 5th-century underground space originally used as a place of pagan worship and converted to Christian use in the early medieval period. The crypt's original frescoes — faint but legible — still cover parts of the damp stone walls, and the guide explains the transition from pagan to Christian use that characterises many of Sardinia's earliest religious sites.

The dripping of water and the low ceiling amplify the atmosphere of a space that has been continuously significant for 1,600 years.

3 — Roman Ruins Beneath Sant'Eulalia Church

The third site is the most architecturally remarkable. The Museo del Tesoro e Area Archeologica di Sant'Eulalia in the Marina district contains the original foundation-level remains of the Roman city of Karalis — including a complete section of the original Roman road, with paving stones, drainage channels and column bases intact beneath the floor of the 14th-century church above. Walking on this Roman road while standing inside a medieval church inside a modern city is an experience that encapsulates Cagliari's layered history in a single moment.

• Roman paved road (1st–3rd century AD) — intact paving stones and drainage system
• Column bases from the Roman public buildings that once lined the street
• Medieval church foundations built directly on top of the Roman layer
• Archaeological museum items displayed in the adjacent rooms

The standard Underground Cagliari Walking Tour at $35 per person includes:

• Certified English-Italian bilingual guide for the full tour
• Entry fees to all 3 underground sites — no additional cost at the door
• Walk between the Stampace and Marina districts connecting the three sites

Available as add-ons

• Guided Old Town walk through the Castello district (extends to 4 hours total)
• Sardinian wine and snack tasting after the underground sites
• Private tour options in a single language — book via the private tour variant

What to bring

• Comfortable shoes — the underground sites have uneven stone floors
• A light jacket — underground temperatures stay at 12–16°C year-round regardless of the season above
• Camera or phone for photos — allowed in most areas of the tour

Not suitable for

• People with claustrophobia — the WWII bunker tunnel is narrow and enclosed for 120 metres
• People with mobility impairments — the underground sites involve steps and uneven floors
• Wheelchair users and visually impaired visitors

Know before you go

• The tour runs in dual language English and Italian — each explanation is given twice
• A minimum of 2 adults per booking is required
• Please arrive 10 minutes before the start time — the underground sites have timed access
• Depending on opening times, alternative underground sites may be substituted
• The tour includes walking between the three sites above ground as well as underground

The Cagliari Underground Walking Tour is ideal for:

• History enthusiasts with an interest in archaeology, wartime history or early Christianity
• Visitors who have already done an above-ground walking tour of Cagliari and want to go deeper
• Anyone who wants exclusive access to sites not open to individual visitors
• Travellers visiting in summer — the underground sites are naturally cool and sheltered from the heat
• Those combining the tour with a Castello district walk for a full-day Cagliari experience

Not suitable for

• People with claustrophobia — the bunker tunnel is genuinely confined
• People with mobility impairments, wheelchair users or visually impaired visitors
• Young children who may find the confined underground spaces distressing