MATERA & PUGLIA

8 days From €2900 per person
  • Overview
  • Highlights

Day1-2: Discover the Ancient Wonders of Matera

Explore magnificent Matera, the wondrous town built into the caves of a limestone slope and protected by UNESCO as one of the world’s best-preserved hermit settlements. Embark on a private guided tour to discover the history of the European Capital of Culture 2019 and wander its labyrinth of streets, caves and tunnels, frequently used as a filming set for movies set in Biblical times. Take a guided tour to tdiscover the sassi, Matera’s ancient city districts named after the Italian word for “stones.”  

Day 1
  • Soak up in the ancient atmosphere of Matera
Day 2
  • Join a private tour of the magnificent town of Matera and its wonders

Day 3-5: Explore the Towns of Alberobello, Locorotondo and Ostuni

Savor the uniqueness of UNESCO-listed Alberobello on a private guided tour. Check out trulli, the mushroom-shaped dwellings that Alberobello is famous for and enjoy a traditional lunch inside a stone trullo dating back to 1400. Continue to Locorotondo, literally “the round place,” one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. Admire the vistas from its hilltop vantage point, then roam around the perfectly circular historic center. Marvel at the whitewashed facades, the colorful flower pots and cummerse, the distinctive steep roofs made of local stone. On a meander around the white hilltop town of Ostuni, explore its maze of alleyways, staircases and arches, then visit an olive oil mill and enjoy a tasting of local olive oils.

Day 3
  • Take a guided tour around the trulli village of Alberobello and visit Locorotondo, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy
Day 4
  • Get active on a full-day excursion in Ostuni and taste olive oils at a local mill
Day 5
  • Enjoy a free day visiting Grottaglie and its pottery studios

Day 6-7: Marvel at the Baroque Town of Lecce & Cycle Its Countryside

Join a private guided tour around the Baroque town of Lecce, known as the ‘Florence of the South’ for its wealth of art and culture. Marvel at the intricate ornamentation of the facades in its historic center, especially notable on its sacred sights such as the Duomo and Basilica di Santa Croce. Learn to whip up a south Italian feast in a chef-led cooking class, then enjoy dinner showcasing the delectable fruits of your own labor. Spend an active day outdoors, cycling around the scenic countryside of Lecce and stopping to enjoy a picnic in the shade of an olive tree.

Day 6
  • Join a private guided tour of Lecce and take a cooking class to prepare a southern Italian feast
Day 7
  • Cycle and picnic in the scenic countryside of Lecce

This is a selected example of our journeys. Contact us to personalize it.

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Discover Italy’s heel, the sun-splashed region of Puglia, snuggled between the Adriatic and Ionian seas. Away from the mainstream tourist routes, Puglia packs in all the ingredients for a classic Italian vacation: cities filled with history and culture, like Matera and Lecce; small towns with grand architecture, like Alberobello and Locorotondo; gourmet traditions to explore in cooking classes and food tours; and spectacular nature for memorable time outdoors, hiking, cycling and tasting local delicacies. Showcasing all these hallmarks, this private tour of Italy is a weeklong taster of its essence.

 TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

  • Join a guided tour to discover Matera, the ancient town with homes built into limestone caves
  • Tour Alberobello, the town of mushroom-shaped huts, and visit one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, Locorotondo
  • Cycle in the countryside of Lecce and take in its splendid nature over a delicious picnic

 

SUMMARY

This private tour of Italy features 7 nights of accommodation in 4/5-star hotels or historic mansions with full buffet breakfasts (2 nights in Matera, 3 nights in Savelletri and 2 nights in Lecce). Starting and finishing in Bari, the tour is self drive. Transfers with private deluxe vans with English-speaking drivers are also available. Professional assistance is provided throughout the trip. All private guided tours in this Italian vacation package include entrance fees to the sites visited, with preferential skip-the-line access. Also included with this private tour of Italy: a food & wine experience, cooking class, day trips, as well as hiking and cycling excursions.

This is a selected example of our journeys. Contact us to personalize it.

Contact us

blue marker Highlights

red marker Accomodations

  • ustoa
  • club-italia
  • zicasso
  • a-list
  • Connectios Luxury
  • Travelife
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