Highlights of Puglia Tour

Immerse yourself in the beauty of Puglia on this eight-day small group tour, experiencing the highlights of this special region. 

2 – 9 May 2024 
4 – 11 September 2024

5,230 AUD per person (double/twin-share)
5,830 AUD per person (solo traveller)

Our shorter Puglia itinerary includes the highlights of this wonderful region: the Baroque splendour of Lecce, time spent exploring the pretty towns clinging to the coast, and the rural tranquillity of the Valle d’Itria. We crossover into neighbouring Basilicata to visit the sassi of Matera. 

The tour begins in the Valle d’Itria (3 nights), famous for its distinctive stone trulli dwellings. You will visit Alberobello, the town with the largest concentration of these conical constructions as well as the pretty towns of Locorotondo and Martina Franca. 

Our next base is in Polignano a Mare (4 nights), where we spend four nights in stunning rooms overlooking the wonderful cliffs and sea. From Polignano, you will visit the towns of Bari and Trani, as well as the enigmatic Castel del Monte. 

Throughout the tour, you will get the chance to meet local artisans and farmers with private visits to an ancient olive oil estate and one of the top wineries in Puglia for a special degustation and lunch. 

The minimum group size is six, and the maximum is twelve.

• Visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Alberobello and Castel del Monte
• A private visit to a cheese maker to learn how the local cheeses are made, and state them of course
• Guided walking tours with an expert local guide in Lecce and Bari
• Time to enjoy the beautiful Polignano a Mare, staying in rooms with stunning sea views
• A day visiting Matera, famous for the sassi dwellings
• Tasting and lunch at a top Pugliese winery
• Authentic meals in carefully selected restaurants (2 lunches and 4 dinners) with wine included

Itinerary 

DAY 1 – ARRIVAL IN PUGLIA
Our tour begins with three nights based in the Valle d’Itria, immersed in the countryside. At the start of the tour, we pick clients up from Bari airport and Bari Centrale train station in the mid-afternoon and travel together to our hotel. There is time to unpack before we have aperitivi and a welcome dinner at our hotel.
Overnight: Valle d’Itria (D) 

DAY 2 – THE TOWNS OF THE VALLE D’ITRIA: ALBEROBELLO, LOCOROTONDO AND MARTINA FRANCA
This morning we visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Alberobello. This town has been listed because of its high concentration of over 400 trulli. Make sure your cameras are fully charged for this ridiculously pretty town!
We visit Locorotondo, one of the prettiest towns of the Valle d’Itria and there is free time for lunch before we return to our hotel for a little time to relax.
In the late afternoon, we head into Martina Franca, the main town of the Valle d’Itria where we will have aperitivi and dinner.
Overnight: Valle d’Itria (D)

Day 3 – A TOP PUGLIESE WINERY AND LECCE
We drive to a very picturesque winery this morning, where we have a private tour of the vineyard and winery, before sitting down to a delicious lunch with matching wines.
In the afternoon we have a guided walking tour with a local guide in Lecce. Lecce is known as the “Florence of the South” and its pretty stone streets and splendid Baroque architecture will delight visitors.
We drive back to our hotel in the late afternoon.
Overnight: Valle d’Itria (L)

DAY 4 – OLIVES, OSTUNI AND POLIGNANO A MARE
We start the day with a visit to an olive oil producer where you can admire some olive trees that are more than 2,500 years old, see the ancient olive presses and taste their olive oil.
Our next stop is Ostuni, the white city, where we will spend some time wandering the pretty streets and there will be free time for lunch.
In the afternoon we drive on to our lovely hotel in Polignano a Mare where you’ll enjoy a room with either sea or cliff views.
Overnight: Polignano a Mare 

Day 5 – A FREE MORNING AND THEN BARI
This morning is a completely free morning to spend wandering around the pretty town of Polignano. You may choose to swim at the beach (a short 5-minute walk from our hotel) or take a walk along the coastline.
After lunch, we travel north to Bari, the capital of Puglia and home to a fascinating old medieval centre. We spend the afternoon exploring Bari with a local guide.
Return to Polignano a Mare in the late afternoon.
Overnight: Polignano a Mare

DAY 6 – TRANI AND CASTEL DEL MONTE
We drive first to the coastal city of Trani, where we’ll have a wander along the bustling port where the fishermen sell their catch. There will be time to visit the cathedral of Trani, the most important Romanesque building in Puglia.
We’ll take a short drive to a special restaurant to enjoy the typical cuisine of Puglia.
After lunch, we’ll travel on to Castel del Monte the enigmatic castle built by Emperor Frederick II in the 13th Century.
Overnight: Polignano a Mare

DAY 7 – MATERA
We visit another UNESCO World Heritage site today: the ancient city of Matera and the location for Mel Gibson’s film ‘The Passion’! Matera is internationally famous for its ancient town, known as the sassi, which translates as ‘stones’. The sassi began life as a prehistoric troglodyte settlement mined into the rocky face of a ravine, but over the centuries, many groups of people lived in these cave dwellings. The inhabitants were forcibly removed in the 1950s, but today much of the area has been regenerated.
We meet a local guide who will explain the fascinating history of this wonderful spot.
Return to Polignano in the late afternoon where it’s time to pack and enjoy a farewell meal.
Overnight: Polignano a Mare

DAY 8 – FAREWELL PUGLIA
On the last day of the tour, we provide a transfer back to Bari for your departure by air or train. The transfer arrives at Bari Airport by 10am and at the train station by 10.30am.

We explored Puglia with 14 friendly like minded travellers in October 2016 guided by Luca and Philippa of Italian Tours.
Contrary to some group tours, there was no hassling, early departures, pressure to buy etc, rather on 3 days we visited fascinating farms and vineyards in different regions savouring the delicious local products over a long lunch in a beautiful setting. The UNESCO sites were stunning and Luca has a great depth of knowledge and history that he generously shares in his delightful way.
Philippa and Luca make a great team and we would love to go on all their varied destinations. The hotel selection and long stays make for a relaxing holiday with something different and interesting each day.

This company had been on our bucket list for some time and it certainly lived up to its reputation.

Merran, The Road Less Travelled, Puglia 2016