Your journey will encompass the true essence of Italy whilst travelling through Puglia and Basilicata. From fine wine and local delicacies of the authentic Apulian cuisine, with the scenic backdrop of white washed houses and crystalline blue seas… travel inland towards the rural lands of the Basilicata region and discover one of the most romantic and idyllic places in the world, Matera.

Welcome to Puglia!

Upon arrival at Bari airport at the exit of baggage claim you will meet your English speaking driver who will accompany you by Mercedes Viano to your luxury hotel in Fasano. Meet all together this afternoon for an introduction to Italy and to your itinerary with your local expert, Francesca.

This evening enjoy a Welcome Dinner at our hotel.

With the longest coastline of any region in mainland Italy, Puglia is larger than people realize and often overlooked by tourists. However, it is becoming more frequented by those wanting to escape the frenetic crowds of Tuscany and Campania, and with a blend of medieval hilltop towns, olive groves and a coastline peppered with interesting towns, it is not hard to see why Puglia is finally coming out of the shadows. Its many towns can rival the well-known cities of Italy in terms of magnificence and beauty. Alberobello is home to unique stone huts with conical roofs called “trulli”, while the city of Lecce is recognized as the “Florence of the South” for its numerous examples of baroque architecture. Above all, Puglia is notorious for its fantastic food, la cucina povera. Although Puglia has always been one of the poorer regions of Italy, the people take their food very seriously, offering an array of local delicacies fused with squid dishes and delicious crusty bread, baked in massive stone ovens. Stunning whitewashed hill towns, vineyards, two national parks and hundreds of miles of Mediterranean coastline are bound to satisfy even the most discerning of tastes.

Itinerary

Torre Maizza (2 nights)

May 16, 2022 The Valley of Itria and Polignano a Mare

Today we shall meet our local Guide and together with our driver discover the best of central Puglia to learn more about the distinct housing that characterizes this region: the trulli!

Founded in the 15th century by the Counts of Acquaviva, the UNESCO World Heritage site of Alberobello contains the largest concentration of perhaps the most famous of all of Puglia’s monuments: the cone-shaped dwellings known as trulli. The origin of these charming structures was practical in nature: the Counts granted tax-free land and domicile rights to immigrants from the surrounding lands on the condition that their houses should be easily demolished in the case that the King of Naples ever found out that they were trying to avoid taxes! Their particular construction – without any use of a binding material – ensured that the houses could easily be reduced to a mere pile of stones in a hurry, leaving no trace of their former function. During the excursion make a quick stop to a local “Maestro trullaro” to find out more about trulli and the way they are built and admire the miniature creations on display.

Towards midday head to the charming town of Martina Franca for lunch at a restaurant such as Il Coco Pazzo.

Lastly, continue with your driver and Guide to Polignano a Mare. Dramatically pitched atop a cliff at the edge of the sea, with white houses huddled atop one another 80 feet above vibrant azure waters, the medieval village of Polignano a Mare is a sight to behold. No mere fishing village, this strategic town of Greek origin was a bishopric for over 1,100 years. With the help of your guide we will discover Polignano’s historical charm and natural beauty. This evening’s meal will be taken at your hotel.

May 17, 2022 Transfer to Lecce with Stop in Ostuni & Visit to an Underground Olive Oil Mill

We check out from our hotel this morning and travel south towards Lecce, with a stop en route at a wonderful underground olive oil mill and estate followed by a stroll in the town of Ostuni.

Photo by Diana Cabezas on Unsplash

The Ostuni area is famous for its monumental olive trees: massive contorted giants that can live for over 3,000 years! Today you’ll have the chance to visit an olive oil producer with an ancient underground mill as you take a magical trip back in time to discover how the local peasant culture, based on olive oil production, evolved from Roman times to the present. Did you know that Apulian olive oil was once quoted on the London Stock Exchange and was used to fuel all of the streetlights in London and Paris? This commodity was considered the “liquid gold” of its day.

After our visit, we transfer to nearby Ostuni for lunch in a local restaurant followed by a guided tour. Known as the “White City”, Ostuni is a charming example of Mediterranean architecture with a gleaming white splash of sun-drenched streets and quaint cobbled alleyways, where hints of the middle ages can be seen around every corner. Along with our Guide, visit the Rione Terra district which sits at the heart of the medieval walled village. Narrow streets, stairways and arches unfold between the white of the houses, broken only here and there by the ochre of the monuments.

After our tour, we continue towards Lecce and check in to our hotel.

This evening’s meal will be taken at a local restaurant included in the dine-around program.

La Fiermontina (3 nights)

May 18, 2022 Otranto & Lecce

This morning after breakfast, head to the Eastern coast and to the charming Otranto which has always been the “bridge” that connected Italy and the eastern part of the Mediterranean. Walking through the old town enclosed by Aragonese walls overlooking splendid azure crystalline waters, it’s easy to succumb to the charm of its white houses and alleys paved in stone. Founded by the Greeks, the city assumed increasing importance in the Byzantine period as a commercial, political and religious center.It was also a major port of trade with the Orient. Otranto’s cathedral, certainly the town’s most important monument, houses a spectacular mosaic pavement from the 12th century: a curious blend of pagan, Old Testament and New Testament imagery which synthesizes the culture and imagery of an era. Drive along the beautiful scenic coastal road as you head back to Lecce for lunch in an elegant restaurant.

Photo by Louis Hansel on Unsplash

After lunch in the town of Lecce, enjoy a 2 hour walking tour of Lecce. The most monumental of all of Puglia’s towns, Lecce is a baroque delight. From imposing and harmonious Piazza del Duomo to the gorgeously masterful Santa Croce, seemingly every building, street and angle of the city is imbued with artistic inspiration and decorative beauty. Known as the “Florence of the South,” both for its walkable scale and for its architectural stagecraft, Lecce is wonderfully poetic by day and particularly suggestive at night, when the town comes to life and the lights add a sense of heightened drama to the nocturnal cityscape. Piazza del Duomo and the Roman amphitheater are just some of the town’s main sights which you will visit together with our Guide. During our tour we’ll have the chance to shop and visit a local artisan who creates works of art with papier-mâché as well as a pit-stop to savour Puglia’s local cuisine with coffee and pasticciotto, a delicious custard-filled pastry.

This evening’s meal will be taken at a local restaurant included in the dine-around program.

May 19, 2022 Wine Tasting & Gallipoli

This morning after breakfast, head along the quaint roads towards Cutrofiano and sample some local wines at a family run vineyard. Vine cultivation in Puglia preceded the first contact between the local population and the Phoenician merchants, who made their way to these shores around 2,000 B.C. Later Greek colonists would bring with them their own vines, and were more than likely astonished to find well-tended vineyards already flourishing in the region. Today’s top regional varietals include Primitivo (known in America as Zinfandel), Negroamaro, Aglianico and Susumaniello for the reds, and Falanghina, Moscato Bianco, Minutolo and Malvasia Bianca for the whites.Learn more about the distinctive features and wine-making process that characterize the wines from this region as you enjoy a tour led by a passionate member of the vineyard family.

Photo by Mor Kanner on Unsplash

Next we continue to Gallipoli. Of antique eastern origins, the name Gallipoli stems from the Greek Kale’ polis, meaning "beautiful city”. The historic town centre, with its narrow lanes, baronial palaces, dazzling white terraced houses and reflections of the sea, still breathes an ambiance of arresting Mediterranean charm and seaside beauty. Along with your Guide, visit the medieval town, actually an island surrounded by high walls, and enjoy a panoramic walk. Enjoy lunch in beautiful Gallipoli before heading back towards Lecce.

This evening’s meal will be taken at a local restaurant included in the dine-around program.

May 20, 200 Transfer to Matera via Locorotondo

This morning after breakfast we shall check out of our hotel in Lecce and travel north towards the region of the Basilicata stopping en route in the town Locorotondo, famed as being one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, sits majestically atop a hill overlooking the lush green countryside. Stroll along its myriad of whitewashed houses with external stone staircases and balconies adorned with plants and flowers that welcome world-weary travellers to the pleasures of the slow life. Enjoy lunch in a charming restaurant before transferring on to our hotel in Matera.

This evening’s meal will be taken at a local restaurant included in the dine-around program.

Palazzo Gattini (2 nights)

May 21, 2000 Matera Walking Tour

This morning meet your local Guide for a 2.5 hr walking tour of the town. Continually inhabited for over 10,000 years, Matera – La Citta’ dei Sassi – is considered among the most ancient on earth. The city is an authentic open-air museum attesting to the extraordinary human adventure from the Palaeolithic era to the present. The aura in Matera is, in a word, magic. The town is a disarming blend of contrasts; an inimitable tangle of cave-dwellings, magnificent baroque palaces and beautiful stone churches in a land that knows no temporal discontinuity. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, unique in its genre, has been declared the 2019 European Capital of Culture.

Photo by Volodymyr on Unsplash

Along with our private Guide we shall trace our way through the uninterrupted presence of man in this area, from the Palaeolithic era to the present day. Witness first-hand the main stages of the evolution of human history as we make our way through the Sassi: from the dark caves of the Murgia inhabited by our oldest ancestors to the rock-hewn churches of religious communities and the elegant streets of the Piano, rich in seventeenth-century monasteries and palaces. We also descend into the large voids of deep cisterns and canals once used for water collection including the famous Palumbaro Lungo*.

*This attraction can be subject to last minute closures with it being totally underground.

Enjoy lunch on the dine around program included in Matera before deciding whether to enjoy the afternoon at leisure to walk further around the town to shop in the lovely shops.

This evening everyone is invited to our Farewell Dinner at a special local restaurant.

May 22, 2022 Departure Transfer

Meet your English speaking driver and transfer to Bari Airport.

Hero Photo by Alessio Roversi on Unsplash