Corsica Itinerary: Day-by-Day Plans for 3, 7 & 14 Days

A good Corsica itinerary depends less on how many days you have and more on what you're willing to give up. The island is roughly 183 km from north to south, but mountain roads mean a 100 km drive can take three hours, not one. That single fact should shape every trip plan you make.

These itineraries work for solo travelers comfortable driving winding roads, couples who want beaches and hiking without over-scheduling, and families who need shorter driving legs between stops. Senior travelers will find the 7-day plan more realistic than the 3-day one, since it allows rest days between mountain drives. European travelers arriving by ferry from Nice, Toulon, or Livorno can adapt these plans around their crossing times; world travelers flying into Ajaccio or Bastia should expect to lose half a day to arrival logistics.

If you're hoping to see Bonifacio, the GR20 trail, and Porto-Vecchio's beaches all in three days, this isn't the itinerary for that — it's not physically realistic. I'd rather give you three honest, well-paced plans than one ambitious one that leaves you resentful of the drive times. Each plan below names one bookable experience per day worth reserving ahead, plus a fallback for bad weather or tired legs.

Three days is enough for one coastal region done properly — not a island-wide sampler. This plan sticks to the west coast, using Ajaccio as a base and building outward. It suits a short add-on to a France trip or a long weekend flight from a European hub.

Day 1: Ajaccio and Coastal Highlights

Land in Ajaccio by late morning and spend the afternoon in the old town — the citadel, the covered market, and Napoleon's birthplace are all walkable within two hours. By 4pm, head to Plage de Palombaggia-style coves closer to the city, like Plage de la Marinella, for a swim before dinner. Book a sunset boat tour out of Ajaccio's harbor for the evening; it's the single best way to see the Gulf of Ajaccio without driving, and most run 2 to 3 hours. If the sea is rough, swap it for a guided tasting at a wine cave in town — Ajaccio sits in one of Corsica's oldest wine-producing areas, and an evening tasting works just as well as a fallback.

Day 2–3: Scandola and Calvi

Drive north along the coast road through the Calanques de Piana — budget at least an hour just for this 12 km stretch, since the hairpin turns and viewpoints demand slow driving. Base yourself in Porto or Calvi for the next two nights. On day 2, book a boat excursion into the Scandola Nature Reserve; it's only accessible by sea or a long hike, and most tours depart from Porto or Calvi, lasting half a day. On day 3, explore Calvi's citadel in the morning and spend the afternoon on the beach below town. If the boat trip is cancelled for weather — it happens more often in spring — hike part of the Capo Rosso trail instead, a 2.5-hour round trip with sea views that doesn't depend on calm water.

Seven days is the sweet spot for a proper Corsica trip plan — long enough to cover coast and mountains without rushing, short enough to avoid driving fatigue. This is the itinerary I'd recommend to most first-time visitors, including families and couples.

The right Corsica itinerary length depends on whether you want one region done well or the whole island covered at a slower pace.

Corsica itinerary comparison by duration, highlights, and best season

Timings assume a rental car; add extra days in July–August when roads and ferries are busiest.

Days 1–2: Southwest Coast

Start in Bonifacio, perched on limestone cliffs at the island's southern tip — it's more dramatic than anything comparable on Sardinia's nearby coast, just a 12 km ferry crossing away. Spend day 1 walking the citadel and the staircase of Aragon. On day 2, book a boat trip to Île de Lavezzi, a granite island nature reserve with some of Corsica's clearest water; crossings take about 30-45 minutes each way and boats typically run from April through October. Families with younger kids should check sea conditions first — Lavezzi's beaches are lovely but exposed, with no shade.

Days 3–5: Central Mountains and Villages

Drive north to Corte, Corsica's historic mountain capital, about 1.5 to 2 hours from the south coast. Use it as a base for three nights. Day 3, explore the citadel and old town. Day 4, book a guided hike into the Restonica Valley or a short section of the GR20 — the full trail takes professional hikers 15 days, but day-hike sections near Corte are accessible to reasonably fit walkers without overnight gear. Day 5, visit a mountain village like Corte's neighboring hamlets for lunch and a slower pace. Rain in the mountains is common even in summer afternoons; if trails are closed or flooded, a cheese and charcuterie tasting at a Corte producer makes a solid backup.

Days 6–7: Northeast Beaches

Finish with two nights around Porto-Vecchio, roughly 1.5 hours from Corte. This is Corsica's most beach-focused town, with Palombaggia and Santa Giulia both within a 20-minute drive. Day 6, relax on the beach and book a kayak or paddleboard session in the calmer coves. Day 7, do a half-day visit to Bastia if you're flying out from there, or linger for one more beach morning before heading to Figari airport, which is closer to Porto-Vecchio than Ajaccio or Bastia.

Two weeks lets you circle the island properly, and it's the only itinerary length where that's genuinely comfortable rather than rushed. This suits retirees, long-haul travelers justifying the flight, and anyone combining Corsica with a wider Mediterranean trip that might otherwise include Sicily or Crete.

Days 1–4: Western Coast and Culture

Begin in Ajaccio for two nights, covering the city and a boat trip to the Îles Sanguinaires. Move to Porto for two nights, using the extra time for a full-day Scandola and Girolata boat excursion combined with a short walk in the Calanques de Piana at a slower pace than the 3-day version allows.

Days 5–9: Mountain Trails and Inland Towns

Spend five nights split between Calvi and Corte. Calvi gives you beach time and a citadel visit; from there, detour inland to smaller villages in the Balagne region, known for pottery and olive oil producers open for tastings. In Corte, book a multi-day guided hiking package if you want a real taste of the GR20 without committing to the full 180 km trail — several operators run 2 to 4 day guided sections with mountain refuge stays. This is also where senior travelers should plan rest days; the terrain is steep granite, not gentle woodland.

Days 10–14: Eastern Coast and Islands

Finish with five nights moving down the east coast: Bastia for two nights (less polished than Calvi, but useful for ferry connections to mainland France and Italy), then Porto-Vecchio and Bonifacio for three, including the Île de Lavezzi boat trip and a day trip toward Sardinia's Maddalena archipelago if your schedule and ferry timetables allow — it's a short crossing and worth it if you've come this far south.

A rental car is close to essential for any Corsica travel itinerary beyond a single-town stay. Public buses connect major towns but run infrequently, especially outside July and August, and don't reach most trailheads or smaller coves. Expect to pay more for a rental in peak summer and book at least a month ahead if you want an automatic transmission — most of the fleet is manual.

Corsica's narrow mountain roads mean average speeds are lower than mainland France; locals quote 40-60 km/h as realistic on interior routes, even though speed limits are higher. If you're prone to car sickness, the Ajaccio-to-Corte or Porto-to-Calvi stretches are worth preparing for. The train line between Ajaccio, Corte, and Bastia is scenic and genuinely useful if you're based in those towns without a car — it's slow, around 3 hours for Ajaccio to Bastia, but avoids the worst of the mountain driving. I wouldn't rely on it as your only transport, though; it skips the west coast entirely, including Calvi and Porto, so you'd miss Scandola and the Calanques without a car or an organized tour.

Choosing a base shapes your whole trip more than people expect. Corsica isn't like Mallorca, where most resorts sit within an hour of each other — distances here feel longer because of the terrain, not the kilometers.

Ajaccio for Coastal Access

Ajaccio works well if your priority is beaches, boat trips, and an international airport with more frequent connections than Bastia or Figari. It's central on the west coast, putting Porto and the Calanques within 1.5 hours and the south coast around 2.5 hours away. The town itself isn't as scenic as Bonifacio or Calvi, and I wouldn't spend more than two nights there unless you're using it purely as a transport hub.

Corte for Mountain Exploration

Corte sits inland, roughly equidistant from both coasts, and is the obvious base for hiking, GR20 access points, and mountain villages. It has no beach of its own, which puts off some families, but it's the best value base on the island — accommodation runs noticeably cheaper than coastal Porto-Vecchio or Calvi. Expect cooler evenings even in summer, which is a relief after a hot coastal day but worth packing a layer for.