A short and efficient synthesis of (+)-subersic acid in 6 steps with an overall yield of 8.6% from (-)-Sclareol was presented using Mitsunobu reaction and Claisen rearrangement as critical steps. This elegant protocol gave a convenient access to gram scales of (+)-subersic acid, which could be a precursor for its structural analogues and for further bioactivity researches. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.