The Puglia Tours are full of surprises and delights: fabulous food, historic towns, beautiful beaches, and gracious residents.
Highlights:
- Visit three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Alberobello, Castel del Monte, and Matera.
- Savor the flavors of Puglian cuisine and wine.
- Admire the beautiful Baroque architecture of Lecce.
- Spend two nights in a traditional “trullo” in Alberobello.
- A Cooking class to learn how to make pasta and more.
- Tour Otranto, the “heel” of Italy, and visit a cathedral renowned for its collection of mosaic scenes.
Combine the Puglia tours with our Discovery Amalfi Coast or any of our other tours. We can also assist with hotel bookings and transfers for longer stays.
Puglia Tours – 8 Days
Beautiful tour to some amazing and unique places of Puglia
Puglia Tours 8 Days
Benvenuto! Welcome to Apulia!
We depart Bari to begin our full-day journey and visit a vineyard in Basilicata wine country. The vineyard’s stunning Crypt of the Original Sin has frescoes dating back to the ninth century and we will have a short guided tour of the crypt. Afterwards, we enjoy lunch with locally-sourced food paired with wine produced at the vineyard.
Following lunch, we arrive in the heart of the incredible UNESCO World Heritage site of Matera and start our walking tour. We will explore the narrow streets that wind their way through the Sassi to discover the ancient homes and churches carved from tufa rock.
After our tour, we have a one-hour drive to Alberobello where you will spend the next two nights sleeping in a traditional “trullo”. The Trulli of Alberobello, thanks to their unique characteristics and historical significance, are one of Puglia’s two UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Enjoy a free evening to relax or explore Alberobello at night. Your tour leader will recommend restaurants to savor more regional specialties and wine.
Included Meals: Lunch with Wine
After breakfast, we meet our expert local guide to start our in-depth walking tour of Alberobello followed by some free time to explore, shop, and enjoy lunch.
You will have time, also, in the afternoon, before we reach a local Masseria where we are going to have a cooking class. At the end we are going to have dinner with the fruits of our labor, paired with wine, of course!! Return to Alberobello.
Group dinner at a Masseria to enjoy traditional Murgia cuisine and wine.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner with wine
Depart Alberobello for a short drive nearby Martina Franca, to reach a local masseria (farm), where we are going to have a Cheese class hands-on, to learn all the secrets to make cheese, mozzarella & burrata. Lunch with local produce, paired with home-made wine.
After lunch, we transfer to Lecce, the artistic and cultural capital of Puglia.
Upon arrival in Lecce, we settle into our centrally located hotel before meeting our expert local guide for a walking tour to discover the architecture, culture, and history of Lecce.
Lecce will be our base for the next three nights.
Free night to relax and dine on your own.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch with Wine
Today we drive to Otranto, the heel of the Italian boot, and visit a cathedral famous for its magnificent Tree of Life mosaics. Enjoy a stroll around Otranto with some free time to explore or shop for local handicrafts.
We then drive to a restaurant renowned for serving fresh seasonal local produce to complement wines from their own vineyard.
Return to Lecce and free time to further explore the historical center of Lecce on your own.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch with Wine
In the morning we drive to one of Puglia’s hidden gems in Galatina: the extraordinary 14th-century Church of Saint Catherine of Alexandria.
Afterwards, we drive for 30 minutes and arrive in Gallipoli, “beautiful town” in Greek, where we visit a stunning cathedral and the Frantoio Ipogeo – an ancient underground olive mill carved from stone.
Enjoy an included lunch in Gallipoli’s historical center at an osteria that specializes in seafood.
Return to Lecce and enjoy a free evening to dine and drink at your own pace.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
We depart Lecce today and drive to Ostuni, “La Città Bianca,” one of the most beautiful hilltop towns in all of Italy. Stroll through a maze of narrow streets with a visit to a small museum exhibiting the 25,000-year-old fossilized remains of Delia, “La Donna di Ostuni.”
We then arrive at a restaurant located in a 15th-century Aragonese donjon with panoramic views for a gourmet lunch.
In the afternoon we visit a family-run olive oil business to learn more about olive oil production in the Puglia region. Here we have an opportunity to taste different types of olive oil and purchase local products at their small shop.
Afterwards, we drive to Polignano a Mare and visit the charming historical center. We will try the famous coffee invented here, Caffè Speciale di Polignano a Mare, and view a statue of Domenico Modugno, the composer and singer of Volare.
Short drive to Bari and check in to our hotel. Free evening to further explore the nearby bars and eateries.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast we visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Castel del Monte for a guided tour of the Swabian Castle. Known for its octagonal shape, the Castel del Monte is a masterpiece of medieval architecture.
Short drive to Trani to visit the Cathedral of Trani, built on the edge of the sea, and an option to have lunch at a restaurant. We then return to our hotel in Bari.
Farewell group dinner at a restaurant where we will enjoy a delicious hearty meal and raise one last toast to our Puglian adventure.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
This morning take breakfast at your leisure. Your tour leader can assist you with additional tours, post-tour accommodation, and transfers.
Included Meal: Breakfast
| DATES 2023 | DATES 2023 | DATES 2024 | DATES 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 22 | July 5 | March 22 | July 5 |
| April 5 | September 6 | April 5 | September 6 |
| May 12 | October 4/18 | May 12 | October 4/18 |
| June 14 | November 1/15 | June 14 | November 1/15 |
*On request it’s possible to change the dates.