Opening hours

The opening hours of shops and institutions on Sardinia – as on the Italian mainland – take some getting used to for us Central Europeans. All important errands are best done in the morning.

The most sacred commandment is to observe the siesta!
By the way, this does not only apply to shopping. You will hardly meet any locals on the streets during the siesta. They use the hottest hours of the day for an extensive lunch and then, above all, to rest.

Typical opening hours

The shops and smaller supermarkets open in the morning between 8.00 and 9.00 a.m. and from 12.30 or 1.00 p.m. the siesta begins. This lasts until 4 p.m. or 5 p.m., after which they are usually open until 8 p.m.
These times also apply to almost all petrol stations. However, many petrol stations also have self-service petrol pumps.
Those located on the major roads often also serve 24 hours.

In season, many shops in the resorts close late at night because the cooler evening hours are when most sales are made.
Large supermarkets and shopping centres are often open continuously from 8am-8pm.
In contrast to other countries, many shops also open on Sundays.

The opening hours of banks are quite different, roughly in the period 8.00 am – 2.00 pm. They are generally closed on weekends. ATMs are also accessible outside opening hours.

The most museums are closed on Mondays, the rest of the week (including Sundays) they can be visited from 9.00 am – 1.00 pm.

If you want to see the inside of the churches, it is best to come in the morning. They are locked from 12.00 and do not open again until 16.00, sometimes not until 17.00. The charming Pisan rural churches, which often stand completely isolated in the landscape, are very rarely open.

Sights such as excavation sites or nuraghi can usually be visited from 9.00 a.m. until sunset. However, there are quite different regulations here.
Outside the high season, they are usually freely accessible anyway.

The opening hours of the post offices vary from region to region. In the smaller towns they are open from Monday to Saturday from about 8.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m., in the cities possibly also in the late afternoon from 4.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. from Monday to Friday.