DAY 1 – 29 AUGUST – ARRIVAL IN BARI
Welcome to Bari, a bustling city with its many layers of civilizations and history. Bari today is a vibrant, living testimony to this cultural heritage.
On arrival into Bari, you will be met by your tour director at your hotel.
This evening you will join your fellow travellers to enjoy your first authentic Apulian dinner at a local trattoria.
Meals: Welcome Dinner
DAY 2 – 30 AUGUST – BARI–TRANI-CASTEL DEL MONTE
After breakfast, transfer to Trani with visit to the imposing Romanesque cathedral on the sea. Continue to Castel del Monte, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Back to Bari for an afternoon city tour.
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 3 – 31 AUGUST – FULL DAY TOUR OF GARGANO REGION & VISIT WINERY
The Gargano Promontory in the Puglia region of Italy offers a variety of things to see and do. All in one place, from the beautiful beaches of the Adriatic Sea to the Foresta Umbra National Park with many hiking trails, plus lakes, medieval towns with picturesque historic centres, important religious pilgrimage sites, and fantastic food.
While Puglia is often called the heel of the boot, Gargano is referred to as the boot’s spur.
Meals: Breakfast-Wine Tasting e Soft Lunch
DAY 4 – 01 SEPTEMBER – ALBEROBELLO & POLIGNANO A MARE
Alberobello is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, in the heart of Valle d’Itria. Its name reveals the round shape of the old town, made of small, sloping-roof houses called “Cummerse”. Locorotondo is the most beautiful balcony of the Murgia dei Trulli and from its “belvedere”, you can admire an extraordinary territory rich in vineyards, dry-stone walls, Mediterranean woods, olive tree groves, farms, and so many trulloes. The historic town is graceful and intimate, from Piazza Vittorio Emanuele along which there are the Municipal Building (now the city Library), the baroque Palazzo Morelli, and the Mother Church.
After this amazing visit, we will travel to Polignano a Mare for lunch with breath-taking views at Grotta Palazzese.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch reservation Restaurant le Grotte di Palazzese
DAY 5 – 02 SEPTEMBER – OSTUNI , LUNCH IN MASSERIA & LECCE
Today we travel south to the baroque city of Lecce. Along the way we will stop in Ostuni for our first walking tour of the day.
Ostuni is known as the white city due to the colour of its whitewashed buildings. The city is a must for anyone traveling to Puglia and visiting it with a local guide is the best way to discover its history and characteristics.
Your guide will accompany you through the streets of the old town and explain why it is customary to paint the houses white. From here you will have the opportunity to admire glimpses of the fascinating landscapes, where the white of the buildings meets the blue of the sea. The crystal clear sea has received the blue flag recognition for 14 consecutive years, making Ostuni one of the most famous and visited cities in Puglia. To conclude the tour, reach the highest point from the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta.
After the visit of Ostuni, we leave for the countryside towards a local ‘Masseria’, a typical ancient fortified ‘Fattoria’ of Puglia. We enjoy an amazing, authentic Apulian-style lunch in a beautiful setting. A wonderful experience of “country roads” all served with fine wines from this region
Once in Lecce, we will end the day with our second walking tour of the day to explore this magnificent city.
The tour starts from Piazza Sant’Oronzo, where you will find a Roman amphitheatre first discovered in the early 20th century. The itinerary continues towards the historic center, full of churches and ancient buildings decorated with Baroque art.
During the tour, it will be possible to observe the papier-mâché artisans at work. This type of art belongs to Lecce since the 17th century, when it was conceived to decorate churches, when paper was the only material available. Continue to adorn the houses and churches of this magical city thanks to old masters and young people.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
DAY 6 – 03 SEPTEMBER – OTRANTO & GALLIPOLI
Today we will visit 4 of the most picturesque towns in Salento—Otranto, Santa Maria di Leuca, Gallipoli, and Galatina. Take a scenic route from the Adriatic to the Ionian Sea, between rocky coasts, small bays, and white beaches.
Head to your first stop of Otranto, a town in Salento full of history. Every corner highlights the passage of different civilizations, including the Romans, the Byzantines, the Ottomans, and the Aragoneses.
Enjoy free time to visit the splendid Cathedral, the Church of Saint Peter in perfect Byzantium style, the Castle, the Towers, the mighty Pelasgi Bastions, and the walls that surrounded the ancient city.
Next, reach Santa Maria di Leuca, along the wonderful Adriatic coast, characterized by cliffs overlooking the sea, caves, and bays with a rocky bottom. Along the way, admire Santa Cesarea Terme, Castro Marina, and the Ciolo Fiord.
Explore Santa Maria di Leuca, the heel of Italy, where the Ionian Sea meets the Adriatic Sea. From this tip of Puglia, soak in spectacular views of the harbour and the sea, as well as the sanctuary of Santa Maria de Finibus Terrae.
Continue along the Ionian coast to Gallipoli. This Greek city can be divided into 2 areas: the new village, where the tourist facilities and modern buildings arise, and the old city. The old city is located on a limestone island connected to the mainland by a 17th-century bridge.
We will explore the historic centre through a labyrinthine weave of narrow streets. Pass by traditional handicraft shops, impressive churches, and aristocratic palazzi. Also worth seeing are the Baroque Cathedral dedicated to St. Agatha, the Angevine Castle, and the Greek Fountain, one of the oldest fountains in Italy.
End the tour with a visit to Galatina, a real gem of art, history, and culture. Step inside the Basilica of Saint Catherine of Alexandria to marvel at the frescoes created by Giotto’s disciples. You can also visit the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul, and the monuments in the historical centre.
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 7 – 04 SEPTEMBER – BOAT TRIP (3 HOURS) TO OTRANTO
Enjoy this morning at your leisure for your last minute shopping in Lecce before going to Otranto for a beautiful excursion of about 3 hours on board the comfortable and equipped boat “Hydra” departing from the port of Otranto, heading north, to visit a stretch of Adriatic coast Salento that will surprise visitors for its colours and for its turquoise sea among lush vegetation, white cliffs and hidden beaches.
The first place that we will admire from the sea is precisely “Otranto”, one of the most sought-after destinations of Apulian tourism.
Outside the town of Otranto, we find our first stop: the quiet and uncrowded “Staffa” beach set among the rocks and to follow a deep inlet the “Canalone”, continuing we will arrive at “Canale San Pietro” another inlet between the rocks and the “Grotta Monaca” which takes its name from the presence, in the past, of specimens of “Foca Monaca”. The colour of the sea invites you to dive.
The boat ride now proceeds towards the “Remito”, a sheltered inlet with sheer cliffs where you can observe the erosive effect of the sea and then towards the bay of the “Mulino d’Acqua”.
A little further north, we find “Baia Imperia”, the area of “Santo Stefano” coast that takes its name from what remains of “Torre Santo Stefano”. The last stop of this 3-hour boat tour is the beach of “Alimini”, one of the most visited destinations in Salento. Following the swim stops and at the end of the aperitif, the anchor is set sail and then the tour ends in the port of Otranto. Return to the hotel
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 8 – 05 SEPTEMBER LECCE–MATERA
After breakfast, departure for Basilicata and Matera, a city registered by Unesco in the World Heritage Site. Guided tour of the Sassi. These are caves and shelters carved into the rock used as dwellings until a few decades ago, a historical synthesis of human presence from the primitive rock civilizations in the Early-Medieval period to the present day. You cannot miss the visit of the rock churches of Santa Maria de Idris at the highest point of the Sassi and of Santa Lucia alle Malve. In the late afternoon departure for Bari. Accommodation in hotel and overnight stay.
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 9 – 06 SEPTEMBER – BARI ARRIVEDERCI ITALIA
Tour ends after breakfast.
THE PRICE INCLUDES
PRICE EXCLUDES
Extras • Tips • Optional excursions • Anything not mentioned in “Price Includes”
