Tour the Puglia Journey Through the Heel of Italy
🕐 Duration: 8 days, 7 nights
📆 Departure Dates: Multiple departures available until October 2026
- From $3,893 per person twin share*
- From $4,669 per person, sole traveller*
☀ Watching mammas making orecchiette pasta in the colourful streets of Bari’s Old Town. The pasta’s name translates as ‘little ears’ – take a closer look and you’ll see that’s exactly what they resemble.
With countryside that’s blanketed with olive groves, a collection of historic cities and fairytale towns, and a coastline stretching for 800-odd kilometres, Puglia is a rich region filled with simple pleasures. On our Puglia tours, we’ll spend eight days winding through quiet landscapes, discovering baroque Lecce (the ‘Florence of the South’) and the traditional trulli houses of Alberobello. We’ll even stretch into the neighbouring region of Basilicata to visit Matera and explore its ancient cave dwellings.
Our team can also assist with booking International flights and accommodation as part of your overall travel plans.
Please note: prices are subject to availability at the time of booking and may change or be withdrawn at any time without notice.
Itinerary
| Arrive | Details | Depart | Day 1 | Otranto - Join your tour group at the hotel. | 12:00 | Day 2 | Lecce - Otranto - This morning, we’ll head to Lecce for a guided walking tour. Known as the ‘Florence of the South’ for its baroque architecture, we’ll view inside the cathedral and the Basilica di Santa Croce. After admiring the city’s honey-stone palazzi and stopping for a delicious takeaway from a bakery, we’ll make our way back to Otranto for time to explore. Today includes… Excursions & visits: Excursion to Lecce and Otranto, including guided tour of Lecce, entrance to its cathedral and Basilica di Santa Croce and visit to bakery (all day). | Day 3 | Ostuni - Cisternino - Alberobello - This morning we travel to Ostuni, a city which has been occupied since the Stone Age. Commonly known as ‘the white city', Ostuni’s hilltop citadel is encased in white walls and surrounded by white-painted architecture. The 15th-century cathedral is distinctive for the green, yellow and white slate tiles that encase it and the nearby buildings. We enjoy an olive oil tasting before travelling on to Alberobello, with a break to stretch our legs in Cisternino, a historic whitewashed town. Today includes… Excursions & visits: Visits to Ostuni (with olive oil tasting) and Cisternino (all day). | Day 4 | Castellana Caves - Alberobello - We drive to the Castellana Caves, a series of limestone caverns accidentally discovered in 1938. A guide will accompany you as you descend to explore the caves. We also visit Alberobello (there’s a 15-minute walk to the town from the coach). Dozens of quirky trulli - circular, conical-roofed houses - can be found in and around the town. We visit a winery here for a wine tasting accompanied by some local products. Dinner this evening will be at a local masseria. Today includes… Excursions & visits: Excursion to Castellana Caves (morning) Visit to Alberobello with wine tasting (afternoon). | Day 5 | Bari - We travel to the old port city of Bari. The Romanesque Basilica di San Nicola is dedicated to St Nicholas, or Father Christmas, and was built to house his remains (which still lie in the crypt). There is free time for lunch, before an included visit to Castel del Monte in the afternoon. Castel del Monte was built by Frederick II in the mid-13th century. Most probably intended as a hunting lodge, it crowns a medieval hilltop village. Today includes… Excursions & visits: Visit to Bari (morning Visit to Castel del Monte (afternoon). | Day 6 | Martina Franca & Taranto - Today we leave Alberobello and make our way to the pretty hilltop town of Martina Franca. We'll have time to wander the whitewashed alleyways, leading to attractive piazzas and baroque wonders. We also enjoy exploring the Marta Archaeological Museum in Taranto, with a guided tour. We then transfer to our hotel in Matera. Today includes… Excursions & visits: Guided half-day tour of Matera and visit to Martina France (morning) Guided tour of Marta Archaeological Museum in Taranto. | Day 7 | Matera - Today we travel to the 2019 European Capital of Culture, Matera, famous for its ‘sassi’ - neighbourhoods of ancient cave dwellings. Monks first created this maze of living spaces and churches as they sought refuge from infidels at the end of the first millennium. Miraculously, they are still largely intact. After our morning guided tour of the rock church and caves, we have an afternoon at leisure in Matera. Today includes… Excursions & visits: Guided tour of rock church and caves (morning). | Day 8 | Matera - Say goodbye to your tour group for your onward travel. | 06:00 |
|---|
Highlights
- Visit Alberobello to see its iconic cone-shaped trulli houses.
- Explore the ancient cave dwellings of Matera in the neighboring Basilicata region.
- Enjoy eight days uncovering Puglia’s historic towns, coastal charm, and authentic Italian traditions.
- Watch local mammas handmake orecchiette pasta in the charming streets of Bari’s Old Town.
- Wander through olive grove–covered countryside and peaceful rural landscapes.
- Discover the baroque beauty of Lecce, known as the “Florence of the South.
Inclusions
- 13 Meals – 7 breakfasts, 6 dinners
- 7 nights in hotels
- Transport – Travel To Destination By Coach
- 12 Excursions & visits
Exclusions
- Return International Airfares
- Travel Insurnace
- Visas
Fine Print
- Prices are subject to availability
- Fare includes all taxes and port charges
- Travel insurance not included; customers are advised to purchase appropriate cover after booking
- Itinerary is subject to change without notice
- Visas/ESTA’s are not included
- All travellers must have a valid passport for international travel and many countries require at least 6 months validity from the date of return and some countries require a machine-readable passport.
Extras
TRAVEL ADVICE: We recommend that you contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or visit their website at www.smartraveller.gov.au for general travel advice, as well as specific advice (including safety alert levels) relating to the destination you wish to visit. You can also register your travel plans with DFAT, so that you may be more easily contacted in an emergency.
Images
