Highlights of Puglia Tour 2024

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)

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)

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)

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

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

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

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

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.