Highlights of Puglia 9 days

( 5 Star )

Visit: Puglia-Martina Franca- Ostuni - Conversano - Monopoli -Alberobello -Matera -Lecce

Overview
Itinerary
Inclusion / Exclusion
Dates Pricing

Puglia is a less discovered and tranquil hidden corner of Italy. This stunning rural region - Italy’s ‘heel’ - is not only packed with picturesque architecture but is also great value-formoney and home to amazing food. Our two-center holiday focuses on beautiful Ostuni and Lecce. Ostuni extends across three hills with a magnificent cathedral as the centerpiece amongst the white-washed houses and narrow streets. Lecce is known for its baroque buildings and is often referred to as ‘the Florence of the South’. Guided by our Tour Manager as well as locals, you will explore the hidden streets, as well as the main piazzas of this stunning region and enjoy once in a lifetime experiences including visiting two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. You will also see the working side of the region, learning how extra virgin olive oil is made at a masseria (Pugliese farmhouse), and eating a world-class lunch in one, too! Our Puglia trip is an ideal combination of discovery and scenic beauty and our specially prepared itinerary will give you a truly authentic experience.

On arrival, pick up your car rental and drive to your first hotel for a five-night stay. Free time for dinner and overnight

Morning: the old quarter of Martina Franca is a picturesque medley of winding alleys, stunning white houses and graceful Baroque and Rococo buildings. Stroll through the piazzas and take in the atmosphere with your local guide. Afternoon: Ostuni shines like a pearly white tiara, extending across three hills with a magnificent cathedral as the centerpiece. Your local guide will familiarise you and point out the nearby cafés and piazzas before returning to the hotel. Evening: dinner and drinks on the coast in a little-known gem of a town called Polignano a Mare.

Morning: head to Conversano, a Medieval town, with a large castle, a Romanesque Cathedral, a Benedictine monastery and megalithic walls with city gateways. It was a powerful county (the earl owned a territory that reached the Lecce area) and also a powerful religious centre as residence of the Bishop and the Abbess. Afternoon: Monopoli is a coastal village, with the harbour in the city centre. There is a small castle with the defensive walls along the seafront. The old town has lots of charming squares and palaces and a good choice of cafes and restaurants to have some lunch. Evening: free time for dinner and overnight.

Morning: a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Alberobello houses 1500 trulli (white-tipped beehive-shaped houses), a spectacle which you must see for yourself! Afternoon: visit a masseria (a Pugliese farm house) where the locals still live and work and delight in the best of Pugliese food and drink which is produced here. Evening: free time for dinner and overnight.

Morning: Matera is a spectacular place, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built into a ravine. Learn about the extraordinary Sassi (cave dwellings). Nowhere else do you come face to face with the powerful images of Italy’s lost peasant culture. It is absolutely breath-taking. Afternoon: free to explore Matera and have lunch. Evening: free time for dinner and overnight

Morning: moving further south today arrive in Lecce which lies in the heart of the Salento Peninsula, the ‘heel’ of the Italian boot. Enjoy a guided walk of this stunning pedestrianised city, which is known among many visitors and locals as ‘The Florence of the South’ due to its opulent 16th century baroque monuments and buildings. Afternoon: free in Lecce for lunch and souvenir shopping, then check in to your Lecce hotel for a three-night stay. Evening: dinner with a drink in a local restaurant

Morning: a guided tour of a local winery to learn about the production and process of Puglian wines. This is not on a vineyard, instead located in a residential area of Brindisi. Afternoon: afterwards, enjoy tasting these wines over a light lunch on the waterfront of Brindisi, whilst taking in the beautiful sea views. Evening: Evening: free time for dinner and overnight.

Morning: head to Otranto, Italy’s most easterly point, which overlooks a pretty harbour on the Adriatic coast. Golden walls guard narrow lanes which house numerous little shops. Otranto is a super place to relax and take in the atmosphere. Afternoon: free in Otranto for lunch and window shopping, then visit a fully-functioning olive oil masseria for a lesson in and tasting of the product that sums up delicious Pugliese food – extra virgin olive oil. Evening: dinner with a drink in a beautiful spot where you can relax and enjoy your last night in Puglia.

After breakfast travel back to Bari Airport.

Inclusion

‣ 8 nights accommodation in four-star hotels (5 nights in Ostuni and 3 nights in Lecce)
‣ Car rental (Economy - Class B or similar - mandatory driving license and credit card
under main drivers’s name) including:
‣ Unlimited mileage
‣ Collision Damage Waiver
‣ Theft Protection
‣ Third Party Liability Insurance
‣ Assistance 24h/day
‣ Meals: a full buffet breakfast each morning, lunch in a masseria, lunch during the wine
tasting, evening meals in local restaurants.
‣ Drinks: wine and water with all included meals.
‣ Pugliese town visits (all guided): Martina Franca, Conversano, Ostuni and Lecce
‣ Visit to Otranto
‣ UNESCO World Heritage Site guided visits of Alberobello and Matera
‣ Dinner in Polignano a Mare
‣ Lunch in a traditional masseria (Pugliese farm house)
‣ Wine tasting and lunch
‣ Extra virgin olive oil tasting
‣ Farewell dinner in a local restaurant