Puglia & Matera | 8 Day Small Group Tour 2026
Tour Essentials
Daily breakfast; mozzarella and burrata workshop and tasting; confectionery and olive oil tastings; Bari street food tour; aperitifs in Trani and Lecce.
Tour Details
Embark on an eight-day small-group journey through Puglia and Matera, combining UNESCO-listed towns, local experiences and the food traditions of Southern Italy. Travel by reserved minivan with a dedicated driver, stay in boutique and 4-star hotels, and explore each destination with local guides.
Inclusions
All transfers described in the itinerary by reserved minivan with a dedicated driver.
Guided tours with local expert guides
- Trani – the sea-facing Cathedral and medieval Jewish quarter
- Castel del Monte – the mysteries and geometry of Frederick II’s UNESCO-listed castle
- Matera – the Sassi and their thousand-year history
- Alberobello – the magic of the UNESCO-listed trulli
- Polignano a Mare – a clifftop town overlooking the Adriatic
- Ostuni – the White City and its views across the Valle d’Itria
- Lecce – capital of the Baroque
- Gallipoli – a historic seaside town on the Ionian coast
- Otranto – the castle, cathedral and Adriatic shoreline
Food and wine experiences
- Hands-on mozzarella and burrata workshop with tasting
- Visit to the Confetti Museum with a tasting of traditional sweets
- Extra virgin olive oil mill tour and tasting
- Street food tour through Bari Vecchia
- Typical aperitif in Trani with sea views
- Typical aperitif in Lecce’s historic centre
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 - Welcome to Puglia
Arrive at Bari airport or train station, where you will be welcomed by the local team.
Transfer privately to Trani, known as the pearl of the Adriatic. The rest of the day is free to settle in, enjoy the seafront and explore the narrow streets of the historic centre.
Day 2 - Trani and Castel del Monte: Sea and Mysteries
Begin with a guided visit to Trani, including its sea-facing Cathedral and the medieval atmosphere of the Jewish quarter.
Continue to Castel del Monte, the legendary octagonal castle of Frederick II and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The day concludes with a panoramic sunset aperitif.
Day 3 - Taste Traditions: Burrata, Sweets and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Spend the morning with a cheesemaker at a traditional Apulian dairy, learning how mozzarella and burrata are made before tasting the finished cheeses.
Continue to the Confetti Museum for a journey through regional confectionery traditions and a tasting of traditional sweets.
Finish with a tour and tasting at an olive oil mill, discovering the production and character of Puglia’s extra virgin olive oil.
Day 4 - Matera and Bari: Stone, History and Flavours
Spend the day discovering Matera, the city of the Sassi and a European Capital of Culture, where lanes, cave dwellings and stone architecture reveal centuries of history.
Return to Bari for a street food experience through the historic centre, tasting focaccia, panzerotti, sgagliozze and other local specialities.
Day 5 - Alberobello and Polignano a Mare: Trulli and Sea
Explore two of Puglia’s best-known destinations: Alberobello, with its UNESCO-listed trulli, and Polignano a Mare, dramatically positioned above the Adriatic.
Day 6 - Ostuni and Lecce: White and Baroque
Begin in Ostuni, the White City, exploring its bright lanes and views across the Valle d’Itria.
Continue to Lecce, often described as the Florence of the South and celebrated for its ornate Baroque architecture.
The day concludes with a typical aperitif in the heart of Lecce’s historic centre.
Day 7 - Otranto and Gallipoli: Sea and Memory
Travel to the Adriatic coast for a visit to Otranto, with its cathedral, castle and stories of the martyrs.
Continue to Gallipoli on the Ionian Sea for time among its bastions, harbour and historic streets before the evening return transfer.
Day 8 - End of the 8-Day Tour
After breakfast, transfer to Bari airport or train station for your onward journey.
Tour Highlights
- Weekly Sunday departures, starting and ending in Bari
- Small-group touring with a maximum of 8 guests per minivan
- Bilingual tour available in English and Spanish
- 7 nights in boutique and 4-star hotels with daily breakfast
- Reserved minivan with a dedicated driver for the included transfers
- Local expert guides at each destination
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites including Castel del Monte, Matera and Alberobello
- Visits to Trani, Polignano a Mare, Ostuni, Lecce, Otranto and Gallipoli
- Hands-on food experiences including burrata making, confectionery and olive oil tastings, and a Bari street food tour
- Two included aperitifs in Trani and Lecce
Accommodation
The itinerary uses three practical bases, giving you time in northern Puglia, Bari and the Salento without changing hotels every night.
Trani: 2 nights in a boutique hotel in the historic centre, with breakfast
Bari: 3 nights in a central 4-star hotel, with breakfast included
Lecce: 2 nights in a 4-star hotel in the heart of the Baroque city, with breakfast
Tour Notes
Important to Know
- The tour is guaranteed with a minimum of 2 participants. If the minimum is not reached, the available options are to guarantee the tour with a supplement, change the departure date, modify the tour or receive a full refund.
- The tour is bilingual and available in English and Spanish.
- The group has a maximum of 8 guests. During high season, a second minivan may be added, bringing the overall group maximum to 16; each minivan will still carry no more than 8 guests.
Cancellations
For information about cancellations and associated costs, please refer to our Terms & Conditions.
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