Up the hill into Castello, one riddle at a time
The Cagliari scavenger hunt is a self-guided city game you play on your phone: you walk from the Roman past up into the walled Castello district and down to the port, solve a riddle at each of 10 landmarks and unlock the stories and legends behind them. Allow about 3 hours in all: the 3 km between the gardens and the port take only around 45 minutes on foot, the rest goes on riddles, stories and the climb into Castello, and you can begin on any day and at any hour.
Highlights include the Roman Amphitheatre, Porta Cristina, the cathedral of Santa Maria, the Torre dell'Elefante and the Bastione di Saint Remy with its terrace over the rooftops. Cagliari is built on hills, so the route mixes medieval lanes and old ramparts with wide views over the city, the lagoon and the sea.
- Durationabout 3 hours
- Walkingabout 45 min · 3 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch
From the fig trees to the town hall: playing in Cagliari
A marble elephant and a queen's gate
Each stop hides its riddle in something you can see from outside: the small elephant on its ledge high on the Pisan tower, the neoclassical arch of Porta Cristina, the statue of Charles Felix in Piazza Yenne. Careful looking and a little logic solve it, and you need no Italian and no history lessons.
Pisans, Savoy kings and stone giants
Every answer unlocks the story behind the place: how the Pisans fortified Castello in the 14th century, why a gate carries the name of Maria Cristina of Bourbon, and who the Giants of Mont'e Prama are. Turn on the audio narration and listen while you climb between the bastions.
Gardens to harbour in 3 km, one stretch uphill
Only about 45 minutes of the game is walking: from the Giardini Pubblici past an amphitheatre carved into the rock, up through Castello along the old walls, then down the staircase of Saint Remy towards the port. Google Maps shows the way through the narrow lanes from one stop to the next.
A break on the terrace, a coffee in Piazza Yenne
Nothing runs against the clock, so rest on the Terrazza Umberto I above the rooftops or sit down in Piazza Yenne, then carry on later or on another day. The app also points out local food and shops along the way, a handy first taste of Sardinia.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of players. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Play when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Port days, families and colleagues in Sardinia's capital
A day ashore or a first afternoon
In about 3 hours you take in Roman Cagliari, the walled Castello and the view from Saint Remy, and you finish in Piazza Matteotti close to the port. That suits a cruise call or the day you arrive, and the riddles keep the uphill stretches lively.
Kids on the lookout for elephants and giants
Children like searching for the marble elephant on its tower, picturing 10,000 spectators in a theatre cut out of the rock and looking down over the whole city from the bastion terraces. An adult plays in every team, and the steep lanes of Castello are easier without a pushchair.
Teams who regroup by the Palazzo Civico
A team holds up to 5 players with a phone each, and a larger party can split into several teams that set off under the jacarandas of the Giardini Pubblici a few minutes apart. The route ends in Piazza Matteotti, a garden square in front of the town hall, which makes an easy place to meet again.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Teams of up to 5 work best; bigger groups split into several teams, one ticket per player.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
Monika– Poland –
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Gra escape
France –
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Léna– France –
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Une petite activité sympathique pour découvrir la ville de Cagliari. Cependant pour les fans de chasse au trésor celle ci reste quand même très enfantine mais sympa!
Italy –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Molto Divertente e facile Da gestire. Un modo diverso per girare la Città coinvolgendo i bambini (9/12 anni)
Jana– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Die Tour war schön, die letzte Aufgabe auf Grund einer Baustelle nicht ohne Google machbar. Die Rätsel waren kinderleicht 🙂
Jordan-Belgium –
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Jonathan-UK –
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Mia-France –
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Eli-Bulgaria –
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Lucas-France –
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Jonathan-Finland –
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Jordan-Finland –
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Josiah-Hungary –
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Jordan-Netherlands –
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Thomas-Hungary –
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Victoria-Croatia –
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Maya-Finland –
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Joshua-Netherlands –
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Laura-Netherlands –
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