
Tour Details
Explore the long heel of Italy’s boot to discover sights, tastes, and gorgeous seascapes you’ll find nowhere else… like Matera, where the Sassi houses are caverns and the streets are sometimes the roofs of other houses… Trulli houses, tiny fairy castles made of limestone slabs, built without mortar…
Discover Renaissance frescoes in Galatina. Stay multiple nights in “masserias,” fortified 16th-century farmhouses turned into elegant hotels. Enjoy wine and olive oil tastings at vineyards yet undiscovered by the maddening crowds… tour of a medieval castle enticing with soul-stirring views and wines… and meals tempting with bounty of the sea and land…
Tour Type: Small Group
Tour Duration: 8 Days
Cities & Landmarks: Savelletri di Fasano, Bari, Alberobello, Lecce, Matera
Tour Dates 2025 (Apr – Jun, Sep – Nov):
Date | Departure | From (Per Person) | Availability |
---|---|---|---|
Apr 2, 2025 | Small Group | $7,590 AUD | Sold Out |
Apr 7, 2025 | Small Group | $8,290 AUD | Limited |
Apr 9, 2025 | Small Group | $8,290 AUD | Sold Out |
Apr 14, 2025 | Small Group | $8,290 AUD | Available |
Apr 16, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Available |
Apr 23, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Limited |
Apr 28, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Available |
Apr 30, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Limited |
May 5, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Sold Out |
May 7, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Sold Out |
May 12, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Available |
May 14, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Sold Out |
May 21, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Limited |
May 28, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Sold Out |
Jun 4, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Sold Out |
Jun 11, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Limited |
Sep 3, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Limited |
Sep 8, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Limited |
Sep 10, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Sold Out |
Sep 17, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Sold Out |
Sep 22, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Sold Out |
Sep 24, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Sold Out |
Sep 29, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Sold Out |
Oct 1, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Limited |
Oct 6, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Limited |
Oct 8, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Sold Out |
Oct 13, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Sold Out |
Oct 15, 2025 | Small Group | $9,690 AUD | Available |
Oct 20, 2025 | Small Group | $8,290 AUD | Sold Out |
Oct 22, 2025 | Small Group | $8,290 AUD | Available |
Oct 27, 2025 | Small Group | $7,590 AUD | Sold Out |
Oct 29, 2025 | Small Group | $7,590 AUD | Sold Out |
Nov 3, 2025 | Small Group | $7,590 AUD | Available |
Nov 10, 2025 | Small Group | $7,590 AUD | Available |
Experience with Tauck:
- ALL SMALL GROUP DEPARTURES averaging 24 Tauck guests – A small group size means a more personal travel experience highlighted by stays at chic smaller hotels in fabulous locations
- A two-night stay in Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Basilicata, with sightseeing by tuk-tuk and guided exploration of the Sassi cave-dwelling settlement
Tauck Value Includes:
- Two nights in the Baroque city of Lecce, known as the “Florence of the South”
- Lunch at a winery known for Puglian Primitivo wine
- A visit to Alberobello’s famous limestone trulli houses
- Guided walking tours of Galatina and Otranto
- 16 meals; airport transfers as noted, gratuities to local guides, service charges, porterage and taxes
Hotels & Accommodation:
- Nights 1-2: Matera, Italy – Palazzo Gattini 5*
- Nights 3-5: Lecce, Italy – Risorgimento Resort 5*
- Nights 6-7: Monopoli, Italy – Masseria Il Melograno 5*
Day 1 - Arrive in Bari, then welcome to Matera
Tour begins: 6:00 PM, Palazzo Gattini, Matera. We will meet you upon arrival at Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport on your trip to Puglia, Italy and transfer you to your luxury hotel, set in a 15th-century stone palace in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Matera in Basilicata. Nestled on the tip of Italy’s boot, Puglia welcomes with seaside delights, mouthwatering cuisine and entire cities resplendent in art, architecture and warm hospitality. Join us this evening for a rooftop welcome reception, followed by dinner.
– Dinner
– Palazzo Gattini
Day 2 - The Sassi of Matera
First up today is a visit to Casa Noha, an Italian National Historic site. Following your visit, meet your local guide to explore this unique city, home to a settlement of cave dwellings that dates back to Paleolithic times – and one that starred in Mel Gibson’s film, The Passion of the Christ. As you explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site, our local guide shares insights about Matera’s famous rock dwellings, known as Sassi (for “stone”), which you’ll see piled haphazardly atop one another across the sides of a steep ravine; they began back in antiquity as natural caves and grottoes, and over the centuries were adapted as homes, and were lived in until 1960. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant; the rest of the day is yours to explore as you wish.
– Breakfast, Lunch
– Palazzo Gattini
Day 3 - Baroque treasures of Lecce
Drive through the countryside to Lecce today, stopping en route at a winery known for its Apulian Primitivo wine; you’ll have a tour of the wine museum that’s followed by lunch, that’s paired with a wine tasting, then travel to your hotel in Lecce. Join your Tauck Director for an orientation tour of the city, regarded as the “Florence of the South” before some time at leisure exploring as you wish; dine this evening at a local restaurant.
– Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
– Risorgimento Resort
Day 4 - A day in Lecce & a special evening
A guided walking tour of the city’s 300-year-old cobblestone streets includes a close look at its Baroque monuments and architectural site – the ornate 15th-century Chiesa di Santa Chiara; the 2nd-century Roman Amphitheater, unearthed in 1901; the Piazza del Duomo; and more. Dinner tonight is at an authentic masseria, where you’ll enjoy a family-style farm-to-table menu that showcases ingredients grown on site and “Officina Zoe” pizzica folk music and dance.
– Breakfast, Dinner
– Risorgimento Resort
Day 5 - Galatina and seaside Otranto
Head to nearby Galatina, home of the “Tarantella,” for a tour of the Basilica di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria where you will view impressive frescoes depicting biblical stories. On a visit inside the Baroque Chiesa di San Paolo, see the church well that was reputed to have healing powers from magic spiders. After lunch, drive to the fortified seaside town of Otranto for a guided walking tour of its historic sites. See its famous castle and visit its medieval cathedral, home to a magnificent floor mosaic (and wooden coffered ceiling) along with its macabre crypts. Return to your hotel, where your evening is free to spend as you please.
– Breakfast, Lunch
– Risorgimento Resort
Day 6 - Trulli houses in Alberobello
Regulated by an edict enforced by the Kingdom of Naples in the 15th century, mortarless buildings and homes in the southern region of Puglia called trulli were constructed only of stone during that time, with many still standing distinctively intact today. Today, visit the “barnyard district” of Rione Aia Piccola in the town of Alberobello, tightly packed with alleys lined by whitewashed trulli once inhabited by the farmers who built them. There are no shops or cars here, lending to the authenticity of this unique experience. This afternoon, following lunch and a class in making pasta, drive to your masseria hotel; all Masseria hotels are inland as they were original farmhouses, not on the sea.
– Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
– Masseria Il Melograno
Day 7 - Seaside Polignano a Mare & a farewell dinner
Built into a rugged ravine pitted with caves and painted with deep blue grottoes, the seaside town of Polignano a Mare is renowned for its cliff diving; for inspiring the 1958 international hit song “Nel blu dipinto di blu” (a.k.a. “Volare”) by Italian singer, songwriter, actor and Parliament member Domenico Modugno (who was born here) and known for its special coffee. Enjoy time to wander in town before returning to your resort. Join us for a farewell reception and dinner tonight.
– Breakfast, Dinner
– Masseria Il Melograno
Day 8 - Journey home
Trip ends: Monopoli. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from Masseria Il Melograno to Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport or Brindisi Airport, regardless of time or day of departure. Ask at booking about extending your stay with additional hotel nights. You should allow three hours for flight check in.
– Breakfast
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