Itinerary
- Day 1
Bari to Polignano a Mare
You'll meet up in Bari and head down to Polignano a Mare, a coastal town that sits on a high ridge above the Adriatic. Once you check into your place in the old town center, the afternoon is yours to wander around the piazzas and get a feel for the local passeggiata, that evening stroll where everyone comes out. Dinner that night features Puglian cooking, so you're getting a real taste of the region right away.
- Start point
- Bari, Bari, Italy (At the airport, train station or the accommodation where people have been staying at, 14:00)
- Meals
- Dinner (Introduction to Puglian cuisine at local restaurant)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Giovi Relais)
Included Activities
- Dinner at local restaurant featuring Puglian cuisine
Optional Activities
- Explore Polignano a Mare town at own pace
- Swimming at pebble beach nestled between rocky cliffs
Landmarks/POIs Polignano a Mare Piazza Vittorio Emanuele - Day 2
Countryside Walk - Alberobello
This morning starts with a guided walk through oak forests and farmland where you'll see trulli houses, those distinctive stone structures, plus signs of how people farmed here centuries ago. After breakfast, you head to Alberobello, which is basically the heart of trulli territory and sits on UNESCO's list. Lunch happens at an old olive oil mill that's been converted to a restaurant, then you spend the afternoon on those fairytale streets checking out the cone-shaped stone houses and local shops.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at converted olive oil mill in Alberobello)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Giovi Relais)
Included Activities
- Guided countryside walk from Polignano a Mare (5 miles / 8 km, 3 hours)
- Lunch at converted olive oil mill in Alberobello
- Guided exploration of Alberobello UNESCO World Heritage site
- Free time to browse shops and wander in Alberobello
Landmarks/POIs Alberobello - Day 3
Ostuni - Masseria
You're heading toward the coast today with a focus on what's underneath your feet, historically speaking. The walk follows sections of the ancient Roman Trajan's Way across open land where Neolithic people left their mark long ago. Ostuni, known as the white town, comes next, with its whitewashed buildings sitting high above olive groves. After lunch, there's a visit to a masseria, an old farm estate that still produces organic olive oil from trees that have been around for hundreds of years, and you'll do a tasting to see how different varieties differ.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch in Ostuni)
Included Activities
- Guided walk following Trajan's Way (7.5 miles / 12 km, 4 hours total)
- Lunch in Ostuni
- Visit to masseria organic olive oil estate
- Olive oil degustation and tasting
Landmarks/POIs Ostuni Trajan's Way - Day 4
Lecce
Lecce's your destination, a city that really came into its own during the 1600s with lots of baroque building and decoration. You get a guided walk with someone local who knows the story behind the beige stone buildings and their ornate details. Later there's free time to poke around the boutiques and cafes in the piazzas, then lunch at a restaurant doing Salento specialties like ceci e tria pasta and caffe leccese, which is espresso poured over ice with almond syrup.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at local restaurant featuring Salento specialties including ceci e tria and caffe leccese)
Included Activities
- Guided walking tour of central Lecce with local expert (3.7 miles / 6 km, 2 hours)
- Free time in central Lecce
- Lunch at local restaurant featuring Salento cuisine
Landmarks/POIs Lecce - Day 5
Matera
You're traveling into Basilicata to reach Matera, a UNESCO site and one of humanity's oldest places where people never really left. The sassi cave houses carved right into the rock are what everyone comes to see, and you'll go inside a typical one to understand what living there was actually like. There's also a cave church with Byzantine frescoes. After lunch with Basilicata dishes, you walk paths along the gravina river valley where over 150 cave churches sit tucked into the landscape, places where monks lived while managing their animals.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch featuring Basilicata regional specialties)
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Matera sassi cave area (3 miles / 5 km, 2 hours)
- Entry into typical cave dwelling
- Visit to cave church with Byzantine frescoes
- Lunch featuring Basilicata specialties
- Guided afternoon walk along gravina river valley (3 miles / 5 km, 3 hours)
Landmarks/POIs Matera Sassi di Matera - Day 6
Locorotondo - Martina Franca
Today you're walking through Valle d'Itria, a high plateau with olive and almond trees, plus artichokes and capers growing in between. The path follows an old water route that's now a trail, and you get to see how locals work with the seasons. Locorotondo, a village ranked among Italy's most beautiful, is next on your route. It's perched on a hill looking out over the valley and makes white wine that's officially classified. You'll walk the circular streets and baroque archways in the old center, then transfer to Martina Franca by mid-afternoon for your accommodation.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Guided walk through Valle d'Itria (7 miles / 11 km, 3 hours)
- Exploration of Locorotondo hilltop village
Optional Activities
- Browse boutiques and cafes in Locorotondo
Landmarks/POIs Locorotondo Valle d'Itria - Day 7
Martina Franca to Bari
You'll transfer back to Bari today for your departure. The tour wraps up by 11 a.m., which gives you time for whatever comes next in your travels.
- Meals
- Breakfast
