Storia & Sapori in Southern Italy

We will meet your flight arriving into Bari Airport and take you for a quick tour of the enchanting old city of Bari Vecchia. Here the local ladies still make pasta by hand sitting outside their houses. Their speed and precision will amaze you! Next, journey to the striking cliff top town of Polignano a Mare (which hosts the annual Red Bull Cliff Diving Championship). The town is a real must-see and is home to some of the very best seafood restaurants in the area. Indulge in a delicious fish lunch before taking a walk through town and tasting some of the artisan gelato for which the town is famous. We’ll then continue south along the coast to the charming seaside town of Monopoli for a quick visit of the town and an afternoon coffee. At the end of a gorgeous first day, we will transfer you to your stunning countryside accommodation in Central Puglia.

This morning we will transport you to Matera for an in-depth visit of this unique and ancient city perched high on a beautiful hillside and only recently seen by foreign eyes. This famed UNESCO World Heritage Site is just across the border from Puglia, in the Basilicata Region. Our expert guide will lead you on a walking tour of the ‘sassi’, ancient cave dwellings restored for current use as homes, shops and restaurants. Lunch will be at a typical Osteria. Then we will journey back to Puglia to discover the famous trulli houses. These cone shaped dwellings are unique to the region and in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Alberobello you will see a concentration of over 1,000 trulli houses. Our expert guide and local superstar will bring the history of this picturesque town to life. If time allows, we will also visit Locorotondo or Martina Franca. We’ll then transfer you back to Borgo Egnazia. This evening, head to the small fishing village of Savelletri for a delicious seafood dinner (the meal is not included and is to be paid on the spot). 

This morning we will take you to Lecce, known as the ‘Florence of the South’, the city hosts amazing Baroque masterpieces and treasures of Italy. Our guide will meet you at the hotel this morning and take you on a fascinating and detailed walking tour of this city rich in history, architecture and culture. From the Roman amphitheater to the noble palazzi the city is just brimming with imposing sites. Lecce is also known for its pastries and we will be sure to try some of the famous “pasticciotto leccese”. Lecce is also a great destination for boutique shopping. During the morning walking tour, we will also stop for a coffee and site inspection at Palazzo Bozzi Corso. After lunch we will be traveling direction Ostuni for a visit of an olive oil estate. The olive mill on this ancient estate has been in use for thousands of years and provides a fascinating insight into olive oil production. We’ll walk the beautiful grounds of the estate and of course enjoy some olive oil tasting. The final stop of the day is the magical “white city” of Ostuni – an imposing citadel overlooking the olive plains all the way to the Adriatic. The tiny winding streets of the oldest quarter are known by the Arabic term the “Casbah” and certainly look more Greek or eastern than the stereotypical piazzas of northern Italy. For dinner we’ll take you to an off-the-beaten path restaurant that specializes in local meats (the meal is not included and is to be paid on the spot).

This morning after check-out, we’ll shuttle you to Bari/Brindisi Airport for your return flight home. We hope that you time in our gorgeous region will have changed your life, just as it has all of ours. Arrivederci!