Highlights of Puglia with Rome | Guided Small Group Tour | 11 Days

DAY 1:                                   ROME  

Upon arrival at Rome Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Rest of the day is at leisure. Overnight in Rome.  

DAY 2:                                   ROME – BARI  

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before departing Rome. Transfer to the station for your train to Bari. Upon arrival, check in at your hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Overnight in Bari. (B) 

DAY 3:                                   BARI  

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, then meet your Tour Leader for a morning tour of Bari, the capital of Puglia. Explore the old town, visiting the Basilica of San Nicola and the Norman-Swabian Castle (entry at your own expense) for stunning views. Continue to Piazza Mercantile to see the historic Column of Justice. The rest of the day s yours to relax or explore. Overnight in Bari. (B, D)  

DAY 4:                                   BARI – TRANI – CASTEL DEL MONTE – ALBEROBELLO 

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before departing Bari by coach for Trani, the “Pearl of Puglia,” renowned for its art, monuments, Jewish quarter, and striking white-stone Cathedral. In the afternoon, visit Castel del Monte, a 13th-century UNESCO World Heritage Site, and explore its mysterious octagonal fortress. Continue to Alberobello, celebrated for its UNESCO-listed Trulli-14th-century cone-shaped stone houses. Conclude the day with a welcome toast of local white wine and Apulian taralli. Dinner and overnight stay included. (B, D)  

DAY 5:                                   ALBEROBELLO – MATERA – ALBEROBELLO    

Today’s destination is Matera. After breakfast, travel by coach to this remarkable UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore the ancient Sassi di Matera, cave dwellings inhabited for over 9,000 years and forming the city’s historic heart. Visit the Romanesque Cathedral with its striking bell tower and take in panoramic views of the Sassi. Return to Alberobello in the late afternoon for dinner and overnight stay. (B, D) 

DAY 6:                                   ALBEROBELLO – LOCOROTONDO – OSTUNI – LECCE  

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before departing Alberobello by coach for Locorotondo, one of Puglia’s picturesque “white towns.” After free time to explore, continue to Ostuni, set between the Trulli region and Salento, overlooking a plain of ancient olive trees. Spend your free time here enjoying lunch, shopping, or sampling local specialties such as Ostuni’s renowned olive oil (all at your own expense). In the late afternoon, travel onward to Lecce, the heart of the Salento region, for dinner and an overnight stay. (B, D) 

DAY 7:                                   LECCE – OTRANTO – MAGLIE – LECCE   

After breakfast, set out on a three-hour guided tour of Lecce, exploring the old town, the 12th-century Cathedral, the Basilica of Santa Croce, and Piazza del Duomo. Continue by coach to Otranto, with free time for lunch before discovering this coastal gem at your own pace. Visit its famous Cathedral, known for a stunning mosaic floor and the relics of 813 martyrs. In the evening, travel to Maglie for dinner at Masseria L’Uliveto, a historic farmhouse serving regional specialties, then return to Lecce for overnight stay. (B, D) 

DAY 8:                                   LECCE – MARTINA FRANCA – MONOPOLI – BARI   

After breakfast, travel toward Bari, crossing the distinctive landscapes of the Murge plateau. Stop in Martina Franca, an elegant Baroque town, to explore its Cathedral, Ducal Palace, Torre dell’Orologio, and lively Piazza Plebiscito, with free time to wander. Continue through the vineyard-dotted Valle d’Itria to Masseria Montenapoleone, where you’ll learn to make traditional pastas-orecchiette, cavatelli, and strascinate-paired with local wines, then enjoy a lunch of your own creations. In the afternoon, visit the seaside citadel of Monopoli before arriving in Bari for your overnight stay. (B, L) 

DAY 9:                                   BARI – ROME  

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before transferring to the station for your train to Rome. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel for check-in. Overnight stay. (B) 

DAY 10:                                 ROME 

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, then spend a leisurely day exploring Rome at your own pace. Overnight in Rome. (B)  

DAY 11:                                 ROME 

After breakfast, departure transfer to Rome airport. End of our services. (B) 

ACCOMMODATION (OR SIMILAR): 

ROME: Hotel St Martin, or Hotel Diana Roof Garden  

BARI: Excelsior Hotel Bari  

ALBEROBELLO*: Grand Hotel La Chiusa di Chietri  

LECCE: Hotel Delle Palme, or Hotel Mercure President 

*OPTIONAL UPGRADE: 

Option to upgrade to a Trullo stay in Alberobello. Supplement applies and must be requested at the time of booking. 

INCLUDES: 

• 10 nights’ accommodation in 4* hotels, with an option to stay in a Trullo in Alberobello
• Arrival and departure transfers on first and last day of tour
• Meals as per itinerary
• Sightseeing tours in Bari, Matera and Lecce
• Transportation by air-conditioned vehicle
• Return 2^nd class high-speed train tickets Rome – Bari – Rome
• Cooking experiences
• Entrance fees to Casa Grotta (Matera), Otranto Cathedral, and the Churches of Lecce
• Meals as per itinerary

EXCLUDES: 

• Entrance tickets to sites and museums (unless stated otherwise)
• City tax (to be paid directly at the hotel)
• Beverages
• Hotel taxes and or service charges
• Tips
• Everything which is not mentioned in “includes”

THINGS TO NOTE: 

• Accommodation is subject to change without notice. Every effort is made to avoid hotel changes but should a mid-tour hotel change become necessary after this list has been printed, contact details of the new hotel will be supplied to you by your Tour Director.
• Tour can be a combination of regular tours; therefore coach changes may be required. The same people may not be travelling throughout the tour.
• If the minimum participant requirement is not met, the bus will operate with two tour leaders, with at least one guaranteed to speak English only.