Best of Puglia

Start your holiday with complimentary airport lounge access before your flight to Bari. Collect your hire car, and perhaps spend a few hours exploring Bari, with its mazelike old town Barivecchia occupying the headland between the cities two harbours.

Head north, and begin your journey through Puglia. Within minutes you'll be driving along country roads as you journey north, along the Adriatic coast, to the port town of Trani. Here, you'll check into your accommodation. In the evening, explore the medieval old town, where narrow lanes hide a wealth of historic treasures that remember the town’s crusader past, including a church built by the Knights Templar in the 12th century.

Stay: Palazzo Filisio, Trani (Superior & Deluxe)

This morning explore Trani, with highlights including its 13th-century castle and the Cathedral of San Nicola Pellegrino, perched dramatically on the edge of the Adriatic.

In the afternoon drive north to Gargano National Park where inland forests and wetlands accompany scenic coastlines marked with steep precipices and overhangs, giant white boulders and tiny beaches often only accessible by boat. Drive to Vieste, and join an afternoon boat tour along the southern coast passing evocative bays, cliffs, natural ravines and sea caves, before reaching Zagare Bay. 

Stay: Palazzo Filisio, Fasano (Superior & Deluxe)

After breakfast, drive south and head across the border into Basilicata, to the UNESCO listed town of Matera. With its ancient complex and captivating hillside setting. Here, thousand year old residences tumble down dramatic cliffs. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the mazey alleyways of Matera in more depth at your own pace today, perhaps checking out famous filming locations such as those featured in the James Bond movie, No Time to Die.

Stay: Palazzo Filisio, Fasano (Superior & Deluxe)

Returning south, you'll drive back along the coast to Fasano, checking in to your choice of accommodation – two historic properties combined with contemporary charm. The rural landscapes of the Fasano Planes and the golden shores of the Adriatic are also close at hand, making for idyllic walks, bike rides and lazy afternoons spent on the beach. 

Stay: Borgo San Marco, Fasano (Superior and Deluxe) 

Spend the next two days exploring central Puglia at your own pace, visiting local cheese and olive farms, lazing on the nearby beach and getting acquainted with the local cuisine – perhaps on an optional cooking course or gourmet cycling tour. You'll also have time to experience some of the region's historic gems such as the unique, dry-stone trulli houses of the Itria Valley, a collection of agricultural dwellings famous for their conical roofs. The spectacularly white Caves of Castellana are also well worth a visit for their stunning rock formations. As is the town of Martina Franca, renowned for its Baroque and Rococo architecture.

Stay: Borgo San Marco, Fasano (Superior and Deluxe)

This morning head south to Martina Franca, where your private guide will lead you on a historic tour of a Masseria, you will make handmade pasta in typical Apulian shapes, and roll taralli. A cheesemaker will then teach you how to weave mozzarelle and burrata. The visit ends with a “taste tour” with a platter of cheeses and cured capocollo meats, bread and taralli, accompanied by local wine. 

Head into Martina Franca and explore the historic centre, admiring the noble palaces and ornate churches, and relax the many piazzas.

In the afternoon, drive through the scenic farmlands to Alberobello, wander through the two main trulli districts, Rione Monti and Aia Piccola, to admire the unique architecture and learn the history of these fascinating structures.

Stay: Borgo San Marco (Superior & Deluxe)

Today you’ll set off towards the south, travelling down the heel of Italy’s boot to Lecce, nicknamed ‘the Florence of the South’ due to its abundance of baroque architectural masterpieces. Wandering between its honey-hued streets and elegant piazzas feels like taking a step back in time, with an array of ornate landmarks to marvel at, including Lecce Cathedral, the Roman Amphitheatre and the Basilica di Santa Croce. While exploring, be sure to seek out a sumptuous pasticciotto – a custard-filled pastry originating from Lecce that goes perfectly with a coffee.  Your hotel for these two nights is set within a 19th-century mansion right in the heart of Lecce, so you’ll be perfectly placed for making the most of the city’s plethora of fabulous bars and restaurants. 

The final leg of your Puglian adventure brings you to Otranto, Italy’s easternmost town. It’s home to an imposing 15th-century Aragonese Castle, built to protect the city from attacks from the Ottoman Empire, as well as an 11th-century Norman cathedral with an enormous floor mosaic. You’ll learn all about the city’s fascinating history and its strategic importance over the centuries on a guided walking tour. There are some gorgeous swimming spots and hiking trails along the coastline around Otranto, too, from which it’s possible to see the mountains of Albania on the horizon on a clear day.

After a last included breakfast, drive back to Brindisi Airport to return your hire car and board your flight home.