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Map of Premium Puglia including Italy

Kick up your heels in the heel of Italy’s boot

Dreamy beaches, inspiring architecture and ancient wonders come together on an 8-day Premium adventure through Italy’s Puglia region. Understated and unbelievably beautiful, this lesser-visited corner of Italy delivers in historical, cultural and natural sights. Begin in the coastal town of Polignano a Mare, admire unusual trulli buildings in Alberobello, stay in a former palace in Nardo, explore ancient sassi homes in Matera and discover the well-preserved ruins of Pompeii. With a local leader by your side and expert guides joining you along the way, you’ll really get a kick out of this adventure.

Start
Polignano a Mare, Italy
Finish
Naples, Italy
Destination
Italy
Style
Premium
Theme
Explorer
Code
ZMPM
Physical rating
Ages
Min 15
Group size
Min 1, Max 12

Why you'll love this trip

premium accommodation

Our best accommodation and highest level of service.

premium experiences

Unusual, exceptional and authentic on-trip experiences.

premium knowledge

Led by our most experienced and highest rated local leaders.

  • Spend two nights at your spectacular Feature Stay accommodation in Nardo. Once a 13th century Baronial Palace, then a 17th century Carmelite monastery, the historic property has been converted into a fabulous hotel with modern comforts.

  • Join an expert local guide to learn about and explore the ancient ruins of Pompeii, destroyed and preserved by the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD.

  • Explore the truly unique town of Alberobello under the guidance of a local expert. Alberobello is famed for its thousands of fairy-tale trulli homes built in the 14th century.

  • Discover an awe-inspiring maze of ancient sassi homes in the town of Matera, believed to be the third-longest continuously inhabited human settlement in the world.

  • Visit a local olive oil producer on a farm that has been active since Roman times. Learn how production techniques have changed over the centuries, taste the farm’s olive oil, and dine on delicious regional specialties.

Is this trip right for you?

  • Summer temperatures can be extreme in this region (over 40°C), which can be uncomfortable. It’s important to use sun protection, wear layers to combat the heat and drink plenty of water. Please carefully consider the time of the year you wish to travel and your suitability to that season.

Trulli of Alberobello, Puglia, Italy
village of Matera during a beautiful sunrise, Italy
Pasta cooking couple
Ostuni white town skyline, Brindisi, Apulia southern Italy. Europe.
Polignano a Mare town, Puglia region, Italy, Europe.
Pompeii with Mt Vesuvius in the background, Italy

Itinerary
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Benvenuto! Welcome to Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot. Your adventure kicks off in the coastal town of Polignano a Mare, where you’ll be collected from the Bari airport on arrival and transferred to your hotel. A welcome meeting will take place here at 6pm for you to meet your local leader and the fellow travellers joining you on your adventure. If you arrive with time to spare, Polignano a Mare is blessed with beautiful beaches, coves and caves to explore. Feeling peckish? Why not pop into a local cornetteria for a decadent Italian croissant. After your welcome meeting, get to know your group over an included dinner, where your local leader will introduce you to Puglia’s cuisine.
Accommodation
  • San Lorenzo Boutique Hotel And Spa (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Polignano a Mare - Welcome Dinner
Meals Included
  • Dinner
Special Information
It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance and emergency contact details at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.

Leave the coastline behind as you travel inland by private vehicle to the little town of Alberobello. Set among a tranquil landscape of olive groves, the town is famed for its unique beehive-shaped trulli; dwellings built from limestone in the 14th century. While the origins of the buildings are unclear, one theory suggests the houses were created to be easily dismantled in a feudal tax-evasion scheme. Whatever their purpose, the buildings truly are a sight to behold and make the Apulia region unlike anywhere else in the world. Join a local guide for an insider’s look at the town, wandering through the old town quarter of Rione Monti, dotted with thousands of trulli, and Rione Aia Piccola, where trulli still serve as family homes. Your guide will point out the different shapes of spires and the religious and mystic symbols adorning the roofs. Finally, stand in awe of the Church de Sant’Antonio, a huge cathedral built in the trulli style. Return to Polignano a Mare for an evening at leisure – your leader will have tips on the best places to grab dinner tonight.
Accommodation
  • San Lorenzo Boutique Hotel And Spa (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Alberobello - Day Trip
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

This morning, travel to the small city of Ostuni and explore its whitewashed streets flanked with Gothic, Romanesque and Byzantine buildings. Then, continue to a local olive oil producer on a farm that has been active since Roman times, with some trees thought to be close to 3000 years old. Here you’ll learn how production techniques have changed over the centuries, taste some of the olive oil for yourself, and enjoy an included lunch of regional favourites. From here, continue your journey south, arriving in the beautiful city of Lecce. With its ornate baroque buildings, lively university and ancient Roman ruins, Lecce’s narrow streets are a delight to explore. Let a local guide show you hidden corners and share the city’s history with you this afternoon, then later in the day, travel out to the quiet town of Nardo. Here you’ll settle into your Feature Stay accommodation, a 13th century Baronial Palace converted into a spectacular hotel by a local architect. Spend the evening exploring the hotel and grounds, featuring artwork and sculptures by local artists, as well as a citrus grove and excellent onsite restaurant.
Accommodation
  • Relais Monastero Santa Teresa (Feature Stay) or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Ostuni - Olive Oil Tasting
  • Lecce - Walking Tour
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch

Before breakfast, you may like to take a walk through your Feature Stay’s historic ‘secret garden’ where it seems as if figures from days gone by could walk around the corner at any minute. Join an expert local guide for a walking tour through Nardo’s charming old town where there are more than a dozen grand palazzos, many of which were once home to the region’s nobility. Your guide will also point out the town’s many fine museums which you may like to visit this afternoon. And of course, you will stop at Piazza Salandra. Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful baroque squares in the whole of southern Italy, you may like to return here this evening to join the locals for passeggiata, an early evening stroll that’s a tradition throughout Italy. This afternoon, perhaps head to the beach, which is only 15 minutes away, or join a pasta making or wine tasting class at your hotel.
Accommodation
  • Relais Monastero Santa Teresa (Feature Stay) or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Nardo - Walking Tour
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Enjoy a final morning at your Feature Stay hotel, sitting back with a coffee and soaking up the scenery. Then it’s time to say goodbye and travel on to Matera, an ancient city perched on a rocky outcrop. And when we say ancient, we really mean it – Matera is believed to be the third-longest continuously inhabited human settlement in the world. You’ll be exploring the city’s famous sassi houses in depth tomorrow, so this evening why not take a walk around Matera to discover its churches, traditional restaurants and thousands of years of human history.
Accommodation
  • La Suite Hotel & Spa or similar (1 night)
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Today you will dive into Matera’s incredible old town, made famous by sassi; more than 3000 stone houses formed from natural grottoes and tufo cliffs, some dating back as far as the 8th century. Join a local guide who will lead you through a labyrinth of staircases and alleyways that cut their way through limestone ravines, dipping in and out of ancient sassi houses as you go. Up until the late 1950s, the sassi were considered the ‘Shame of Italy’ due to the gruelling living conditions and poverty suffered by those who lived here – a result of the city’s rapid population growth. The Italian government intervened, and 15,000 inhabitants were forcibly relocated. Today, the sassi are undergoing extensive restoration, with some dwellings featuring exhibits that recreate inhabited caves. You’ll also pay a visit to an ancient underground neighbourhood, made up of houses, streets. cisterns, and churches.
Accommodation
  • La Suite Hotel & Spa or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Matera - Ipogeo Underground Cistern
  • Matera - Guided Walking Tour
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Begin the day by driving to the storied town of Pompeii, home to one of Europe’s most well-known archaeological sites – the ruins of Pompeii, caused by the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD. Today you will join a local guide to discover the remains of this once thriving Roman trading centre. After the eruption, the city was covered in a layer of ash and remained undisturbed until the 18th century, when the ruins were rediscovered. Walk among well-preserved villas, temples, theatres, markets and chariot-marked streets, and visit the magnificent amphitheatre and the ‘Villa of Mysteries’ as your expert guide helps you to imagine what life here once looked like. You can also visit the Roman Forum and basilica, temples, public baths, and the tiny Odeon created for music recitals. Later in the day, travel to the buzzing city of Naples where you will join your group for a final dinner and a chance to look back on all you’ve seen on your journey.
Accommodation
  • Palazzo Salgar or similar (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Pompeii - Walking Tour with Local Guide
  • Pompeii - Archaeological Site
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner

Your Italian adventure comes to an end after breakfast this morning. If you would like to spend more time discovering Naples, just get in touch ahead of time and we’d be happy to arrange additional accommodation (subject to availability).
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Want to tailor this itinerary?

Meals

7 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 2 dinners

Transport

Private vehicle

Accommodation

Comfortable hotel (5 nights), Feature Stay (2 night)

Included activities

  • Polignano a Mare - Welcome Dinner
  • Alberobello - Day Trip
  • Ostuni - Olive Oil Tasting
  • Lecce - Walking Tour
  • Nardo - Walking Tour
  • Matera - Ipogeo Underground Cistern
  • Matera - Guided Walking Tour
  • Pompeii - Walking Tour with Local Guide
  • Pompeii - Archaeological Site

Premium Inclusions

  • Arrival airport transfer
  • Tipping for accommodation, activities and transport
  • Luggage transfer
  • Daily breakfast and signature local meal experiences
  • 24/7 on-ground support

Dates & availability

Trip departures are unavailable.

There are currently no scheduled departures on our Premium Puglia trip. If you are interested in other trips in the region visit one of the links below.

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Important notes

1. A complimentary airport arrival transfer is included; valid if you are arriving on Day 1 or if you have booked pre-tour accommodation through us. You must provide your flight details to your booking agent at least 14 days prior to travel.

2. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room? on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip? and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.

Essential trip information

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