Cagliari Underground Tour: WWII Tunnel, Crypts & Ancient Ruins

4.68

(344 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t really know what to expect from an underground tour in Cagliari — I just felt this weird pull to see what was hiding under all those sunbaked stones. Our guide, Marco, met us near the old Salesian School, chatting in both English and Italian so everyone could follow along. He had this easy way of mixing facts with little stories about his childhood in Stampace. We ducked into the first tunnel, and the air changed instantly — cool, a bit damp, and it smelled faintly of old brick and wax. Candlelight flickered against the red arches. It was strange to imagine kids huddled here during World War II bombings; Marco paused so we could listen to the silence (except for someone’s phone buzzing — he just grinned).

We wandered outside for a few minutes, blinking at the sunlight and weaving through narrow alleys. The crypt of Saint Restituta was next — rough stone walls, bits of graffiti from centuries ago (Marco pointed out one that looked suspiciously modern). He explained how this place had been everything from a prison to a chapel over the years. I tried touching the wall; it felt cold and gritty, like history you could actually feel on your fingertips. There was a moment when nobody spoke — just footsteps echoing off stone and some distant church bells.

The last stop was under Saint Eulalia — Roman road stones worn smooth by who-knows-how-many feet before us. I kept thinking about all those layers of life stacked up beneath Cagliari’s busy streets. My legs were getting tired by then (I’m not used to so many steps), but honestly I didn’t want it to end yet. Walking back up into daylight felt almost too bright after all that time below ground.