Fantastic Rome & Puglia Combo | 11 Day Escorted Tour 2027
Tour Essentials
Breakfast daily, four meals, two local food experiences and a cooking class
Why we've chosen this tour
We like this itinerary because it brings together many of Puglia’s essential experiences — from Alberobello, Lecce and the white towns to remarkable Matera — while still making room for the food and local traditions that give the region its character. With a masseria dinner, hands-on cooking experience and the convenience of beginning and ending in Rome, it’s a well-rounded and easy way to discover this wonderful part of southern Italy.
Is this tour for you?
This tour is a good fit if you want to see Puglia's best-known towns and historic sites with the logistics taken care of, while still having opportunities to experience the region through its food, landscapes and local traditions. It moves regularly and there is a reasonable amount of walking through historic centres, cobbled streets and archaeological sites, so it will particularly suit travellers who enjoy an active sightseeing itinerary rather than a slow, single-base holiday.
Not sure? Call us on 03 9824 0898 — we'll tell you honestly whether this tour is the right fit.
Tour Details
Puglia is one of those parts of Italy that feels wonderfully different. Whitewashed hill towns rise above ancient olive groves, trulli dot the countryside around Alberobello and the Adriatic is never far away. Add the extraordinary cave dwellings of neighbouring Matera, the baroque beauty of Lecce and a food culture deeply connected to the land, and there is an enormous amount to discover.
This 11-day escorted tour gives you a particularly easy way to experience it. Beginning and ending in Rome, you'll travel by high-speed train to Bari before journeying through Puglia with stays in Bari, Alberobello and Lecce. Along the way you'll explore the elegant seafront of Trani, mysterious Castel del Monte, the Sassi of Matera, the white towns of Locorotondo and Ostuni, coastal Otranto and beautiful Monopoli.
And importantly, the food isn't treated as an afterthought. There's a dinner at a traditional masseria, local wine and taralli in Alberobello and a hands-on Pugliese cooking experience followed by lunch. These are the experiences that help connect the places you visit with the traditions and people that make Puglia such a rewarding part of Italy to explore.
Inclusions
- Arrival and departure transfers in Rome
- Private transfers between Rome Termini station and the Rome hotel
- High-speed train tickets Rome to Bari and Bari to Rome in second class
- Guided tours in Bari, Matera and Lecce
- Visits to Castel del Monte, Alberobello and Matera
- Shuttle to Castel del Monte
- Dinner in a masseria with one glass of wine included
- Entrance fees for Casa Grotta in Matera, Otranto Cathedral and the churches of Lecce
- Cooking experience and lunch at a masseria
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 - Rome
Arrive in Rome, where your transfer will take you to the hotel. The rest of the day is yours to settle in, stretch your legs and enjoy your first taste of the Eternal City at your own pace.
Day 2 - Rome To Bari
After breakfast, transfer to Rome Termini and board the high-speed train south to Bari. On arrival, make your way to the hotel and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure — perhaps an early opportunity to wander Bari's lively streets or find somewhere for your first Pugliese dinner.
Day 3 - Bari
Meet your tour leader and begin discovering Bari's atmospheric old city. The morning visit takes in the Basilica of San Nicola, the area around the Norman-Swabian Castle and Piazza Mercantile, introducing you to a city where centuries of history sit alongside a very lively contemporary southern Italian character. Dinner is included this evening.
Day 4 - Bari, Trani, Castel Del Monte And Alberobello
Today brings together three very different sides of Puglia. Begin in elegant Trani, where the pale-stone cathedral occupies a remarkable position beside the Adriatic, before travelling inland to enigmatic Castel del Monte. Continue into the Valle d'Itria and Alberobello, where hundreds of distinctive conical-roofed trulli create one of Puglia's most recognisable landscapes. A welcome taste of local wine and taralli is followed by dinner.
Day 5 - Matera
Cross into neighbouring Basilicata today to discover remarkable Matera. With ancient dwellings, churches and passageways carved into the rock, the UNESCO-listed Sassi form one of the most extraordinary urban landscapes in Italy. Explore Matera and visit a traditional cave dwelling before returning to Alberobello in the late afternoon for dinner and overnight.
Day 6 - Locorotondo, Ostuni And Lecce
Leave Alberobello and spend the day among two of Puglia's celebrated white towns. Locorotondo is known for its beautifully kept historic centre and circular hilltop setting, while Ostuni's maze of whitewashed lanes tumbles across its hillside above the surrounding olive country. Continue south into Salento and the elegant baroque city of Lecce for dinner and overnight.
Day 7 - Lecce And Otranto
Spend the morning discovering Lecce, renowned for the exuberant local baroque architecture carved from its warm, honey-coloured stone. Your guided visit takes in the historic centre, cathedral, Basilica of Santa Croce and Piazza del Duomo before continuing to coastal Otranto. After time to explore, finish the day in very Pugliese fashion with dinner at a traditional masseria before returning to Lecce.
Day 8 - Martina Franca, Cooking Experience, Monopoli And Bari
Travel through the Murge plateau to Martina Franca, an elegant town of baroque buildings, winding lanes and graceful piazzas. From here, continue to a masseria for one of the tour's most enjoyable food experiences: a hands-on introduction to Pugliese cooking followed by lunch. Later, visit the Adriatic port town of Monopoli before returning to Bari.
Day 9 - Bari To Rome
After breakfast, transfer to Bari station and board the high-speed train back to Rome. Transfer to your hotel on arrival, with the evening free to enjoy the capital at your own pace.
Day 10 - Rome
A full day at leisure gives you the freedom to make Rome your own. Return to a favourite neighbourhood, visit one of the city's great museums or monuments, linger over lunch or simply enjoy the pleasure of wandering without a schedule.
Day 11 - Rome
After breakfast, your included transfer takes you to the airport according to your flight schedule, bringing the tour to a close.
Tour Highlights
- Rome arrival and departure transfers included
- High-speed rail between Rome and Bari
- Bari, Trani, Castel del Monte and Alberobello
- Matera and the Sassi cave districts
- Locorotondo, Ostuni, Otranto and Lecce
- Masseria dinner with wine
- Pugliese cooking experience with lunch
Accommodation
Accommodation is planned in comfortable 4-star hotels selected for the routing and escorted-group format.
- Rome: Hotel St Martin or Hotel Diana Roof Garden
- Bari: Excelsior Hotel Bari
- Alberobello: Grand Hotel La Chiusa di Chietri
- Lecce: Hotel Delle Palme or Hotel Mercure President
Hotels may be replaced with accommodation of a similar standard if required.
Tour Notes
Physical Requirements
This escorted itinerary includes city walking tours, historic centres, uneven paving, hotel transfers and coach touring. Travellers should be comfortable walking at a steady pace and managing stairs or cobbled surfaces.
Exclusions
- City tax is not included and is payable directly at the hotel.
- Drinks are not included with meals unless specifically noted as part of an experience.
- Personal expenses, optional experiences and travel insurance are not included.
Important Notes
- Prices are per person in AUD.
- Hotels, itinerary details and inclusions may change and should be reconfirmed before booking.
Cancellations
For information related to cancellations and any associated costs, please refer to our Terms & Conditions.
Gallery
Explore Basilicata, discover more of Lazio, Puglia travel guide or browse all Italy tours
Ready to travel?
Tell us about your plans and our team will get back to you with everything you need to know about Fantastic Rome & Puglia Combo | 11 Day Escorted Tour 2027.
- We respond within 1 business day
- Your details are kept completely private
- Happy to speak by phone
- Australia-based team, Italy experts
Fantastic Rome & Puglia Combo | 11 Day Escorted Tour 2026
An 11-day larger-group route from Rome through Puglia and Matera, combining southern highlights, local food experiences, and comfortable 4-star stays.
Southern Lights: Rome, Sorrento, Capri & Puglia 2026
A generous, experience-rich journey through Southern Italy, pairing Rome, Sorrento and Capri with the UNESCO treasures, flavours and white towns of Puglia.
Fantastic Italia Classica | 8 Day Small Group Tour 2027
Discover Italy’s classic city route on an eight-day small group tour from Venice to Rome, travelling through Bologna, Florence and San Gimignano with guided sightseeing, regional flavours and time to enjoy each destination.
