8 DAYS PUGLIA SMALL GROUP GUIDED TOUR Cultural and culinary tour in Southern Italy Previous Next This tour is ideal for those who want to make an unforgettable vacation living the Italian lifestyle! Visiting Puglia with us you will discover the real Made in Italy in all its aspects: art, history, ancient traditions, events, delicious food and excellent wine. We will personally accompany you through this wonderful experience! ITINERARY GALLERY WHAT'S INCLUDED PRICES & DATES Day 1 Arrival in Puglia – Ostuni – welcome dinner Arrival in Puglia region. We suggest to flight to Bari international airport. Upon request, we will arrange for you, a private transfer from the airport/train station to your Hotel. After settling into the comforts of your charming hotel in the heart of Ostuni, take advantage of a leisure time to rest up. Ostuni is best known as “la città Bianca” (the white city) for its historical downtown houses completely white painted, a tradition the inhabitants still keep on for centuries. It's built on the top of the hill and from there you can admire a wonderful landscape of thousands of centuries-old olive trees and at the horizon the deep blue Adriatic Sea. In the afternoon your local guide will wait for you at the reception for the welcome to Puglia and give you all the information about the tour. Your Puglia experience begins with a welcome dinner based on traditional food and wine! Meals: - / - / D Accommodation: 4-star Hotel in Ostuni Day 2 Matera UNESCO site After breakfast, meeting with your driver and tour guide. We will visit Matera city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site best known for the Sassi di Matera, an ancient city with houses that have been excavated into the rocks and inhabited since the Stone Age. Rupestrian churches, houses, caves, and ancient streets create a unique and suggestive landscape, where Mel Gibson chose to shoot the movie, The Passion of the Christ. Matera for sure is one of the unique places to visit in this part of Italy! You will enjoy a fascinating walking tour through the unique and ancient Sassi di Matera and visit a Casa Grotta Museum (ancient cave house) fully furnished as it was in the past. You will be fascinated by the beauty of Matera's old city that looks like a living nativity. Lunch on your own. Your local guide will be able to point you in the right direction if you want to experience your lunch in a cave restaurant! Return to the Hotel. Meals: B / - / - Accommodation: 4-star Hotel in Ostuni Day 3 Unbelievable olive trees – Polignano a Mare – Bari Today, your driver will take you through the peaceful countryside of this part of Southern Italy. Puglia has more than 60 million olive trees and it’s the leading producer of extra-virgin olive oil in Italy with around 40% of the country's production. We will stop in a charming area close to the sea where you will admire olive trees considered real "sculptures of nature" because they are more than 1.000 years old! Our trip continues with the visit of Polignano a Mare, a characteristic Mediterranean fishing village that stands on a rocky cliff. Guided walking tour through the historical downtown with its houses and terraces directly overlooking the sea and gelato tasting in a local gelateria, where you can enjoy an authentic hand-made gelato. Polignano is famous for its handcrafted gelato! Lunch in a local restaurant based on traditional Apulian seafood and wine. In the afternoon visit of Bari, Puglia's capital city. Guided tour through the old town and visit of the Basilica of St Nicholas which houses the relics of the Bari’s Patron Saint. Visit of the old quarter known as Bari Vecchia we will see where local ladies still make Orecchiette pasta by hand sitting outside their houses. Their speed and precision will amaze you! Return to the Hotel. Meals: B / L / - Accommodation: 4-star Hotel in Ostuni Day 4 Mozzarella experience – Alberobello UNESCO site – Locorotondo – dinner in Masseria In the morning we will visit a local farm famous for the production of Apulian organic cheese. You can taste freshly hand-made excellent Mozzarella and other Apulian cheeses! Then enjoy sightseeing another unique place to visit in Italy, Alberobello “the capital of Trulli houses”, a UNESCO Site. Trulli are ancient 14th century stone houses with a round shape and a conical roof; they are an icon of the region. In fact, this peaceful part of Southern Italy is the only place in the world where they have ever existed. Guided walking tour along the picturesque Trulli district and the Aia Piccola area where some local people still live in these fairytale houses. Free time for yourself and lunch on your own. In the afternoon visit of Locorotondo, the old town layout follows a circular plan, with narrow and concentric arranged streets lined with whitewashed houses called "Cummerse". Return to the Hotel and free time for yourself. Tonight we will arrange your dinner in a beautiful and charming place, a Masseria of 1600 located in the peaceful Apulian countryside. The Masseria (old farmhouse) is famous for organic vegetables, fruit, and extra-virgin olive oil production. Before dinner extra virgin olive oil tasting where we will explain to you how to recognize a real Extra Virgin Olive Oil and which are its health benefits. Meals: B / - / D Accommodation: 4-star Hotel in Ostuni Day 5 Day at Leisure – extra activities on request Today is yours to spend as you wish. Relax and enjoy on your own this unique part of Italy. Sitting in the “piazza” (town square) drinking a cappuccino or eating a gelato….what a better way to enjoy la Dolce Vita! Our staff will be at your disposal to recommend you places to visit, local restaurants, or to arrange for your extra activities like sightseeing in other authentic Italian small villages, bike and boat tours, cooking classes, food and wine tastings… Meals: B / - / - Accommodation: 4-star Hotel in Ostuni Day 6 Otranto – Apulian wine tasting In the morning after your Hotel check-out, we will move to Salento area, the South part of Puglia region and we will visit Otranto, the eastern point of Italy, called also the door to the East. Walking tour through the historical downtown and visit of the ancient cathedral famous for its grandiose mosaic floor created between 1163 and 1165. Covering 65 square meters (700 square feet), the mosaic is a depiction of the Tree of Life with images decorating its spreading branches. Get lost in the narrow streets of Otranto old town and admire the impressive panorama of the blue-green Adriatic Sea. Lunch at your leisure. In the afternoon we will visit a local winery. Your wine expert guide will show you the vineyards and the cellar where you will learn about grape varieties and wine production in this part of Italy. Finally enjoy your tasting of different Apulian wines: white, rosè and red! Check-in at your Hotel in Lecce city and free time for yourself. Meals: B / - / - Accommodation: 4-star Hotel in Lecce Day 7 Lecce “the Florence of the Southern Italy” Today we will visit Lecce, the main city of the Salento area. The superb beauty of its churches and elegant noble buildings attracts a great number of visitors because this city is the capital of Baroque art in the South. For this reason, Lecce is called “the Florence of the Southern Italy”. Guided walking tour through the historical center with the Duomo of Lecce, the 2nd century Roman amphitheater and the beautiful Basilica of Santa Croce. Lecce is also famous for the cartapesta (papier-mâché art). Enjoy yourself walking in the historical downtown of Lecce and discover the papier-mâché workshops where artisans create hand-made statues and puppets with the same techniques as in the past! If you are a foodie, you can’t miss the local specialty: the typical Pasticciotto Leccese! It's a sweet pastry filled with delicious cream and cooked in the oven, so yummy! Lunch in a local restaurant based on cucina Salentina, the typical cuisine from the Salento area. Meals: B / L / - Accommodation: 4-star Hotel in Lecce Day 8 Departure Breakfast and Hotel check-out. Say goodbye to the group as you leave ‘Italy’s heel’! Upon request, we can arrange for you, private transfer to the airport/train station. Meals: B / - / - Included in this tour: • 4-star Hotel in Ostuni: 5 nights in double room occupancy • 4-star Hotel in Lecce: 2 nights in double room occupancy • Meals: 7 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners in selected restaurants based on authentic Apulian dishes. Meals include wine and water. • Mozzarella and Apulian cheeses tasting in local farm • Extra virgin olive oil tasting • Wine tasting in Apulian winery • Hand-made Gelato tasting • 8 guided sightseeing with English speaking guide • Transfers during the excursion as per itinerary with a private driver and air conditioning BUS. • Services of a friendly experienced English speaking Travel Director who will remain at your disposal during all the tour. • Admission tickets for all visiting sites as per itinerary. • VAT Tax Not included: • Airfare • Transfers between the arrival/departure airports. Upon request, we will arrange private transfers for you. • Meals and beverage not mentioned in itinerary • Hotel tourist tax (approximately Euro 1,5 per person per night) • All that is not mentioned in the program. Customize and make this trip Private You can make this tour your own private travel experience to share with your family or a group of friends! Keep the trip exclusive to your group and customized it according to your wishes, dates, and budget. You can make your tour private with a minimum of 4 adults. Please, contact us to get your personalized quote. Extend your stay Round off your holiday in Puglia by visiting a different area of the region, staying in a hand-picked hotel, and adding more visits and activities. Personalized experiences to add upon request: • Guided walking tours with expert local guide • Visit of local farm with organic Mozzarella and Apulian cheeses tasting • Visit of local oil mill with Extra Virgin Olive Oil tasting • Visit of local wineries with Apulian wines tasting • Apulian cooking class • Boat tours • Bike tours • Lunches and dinners in selected restaurants Book your holiday with Confidence and Peace of Mind We understand the world travel uncertainties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. That’s why to guarantee peace of mind for our tour bookings, we are offering our best flexible booking policy. Covid-19 Travel Update - view our travel policy and flexible booking conditions Tour Departures 2023 The tour is available all year long. We can organize the tour during other weeks not mentioned here. It is also possible to customize this tour according to your wishes, budget, and dates. Please let us know your request and we will create a tailor-made proposal for you! DepartingFinishingPrice per personin double/twin room Single room supplement April 15, 2023April 22, 2023Euro 2.290Euro 400Sold OutMay 22, 2023May 29, 2023Euro 2.350Euro 450Sold OutJune 8, 2023June 15, 2023Euro 2.350Euro 450Book nowJuly 1, 2023July 8, 2023Euro 2.490Euro 500Sold OutSeptember 9, 2023September 16, 2023Euro 2.350Euro 450Book nowOctober 13, 2023October 20, 2023Euro 2.350Euro 450Book nowThe tour is guaranteed to depart when there is a minimum of 2 travelers confirmed. Book your holiday with Confidence and Peace of Mind Discover more about our travel policy and flexible booking conditions Get a quote You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Your Name Your Email City Country Tour 8 DAYS PUGLIA SMALL GROUP GUIDED TOUR A TASTE OF PUGLIA 5 DAYS GUIDED TOUR WINE EXPERIENCE TOURS PUGLIA SELF-DRIVE TOUR MEDITERRANEAN DIET TOUR LUXURY PRIVATE TOURS ITALIAN FOOD AND COOKING LESSONS Customized requests Message Leave this field blank Tour highlights 7 nights in carefully selected 4-star Hotels Sample typical regional specialties during select meals at featured local restaurants - away from mass tourism. A selection of unique excursions and experiences with English speaking local guide. Wine tasting; Extra-virgin Olive Oil tasting; Mozzarella tasting and handcrafted ice-cream tasting directly to the places where these products are made by local people. Transfers with private driver and car. Southern Italy small group tours For a more private experience and better quality of services, our small groups are limited to 12 travelers. TESTIMONIALS Best Experience! We wanted to see the Puglia region and booked this 8 day, seven night tour at the recommendation of one of our friends. We usually travel on our own and book private tours of certain cities that interest us. This tour was just outstanding and we are glad that we used them to visit Puglia. They are very easy to work with and can and will customize your experience. They are very knowledgeable of the area and gave us some very unique experiences that we just wouldn't have been able to do without them. They handled all of the transportation, accomodations and actually location tours. All 1st class! JIM USA Beautiful Puglia....an Italian treasure! We are leaving Puglia with an understanding of the history and an appreciation for the beauty and culture of this part of Italy. Our trip was busy but with a pace so we never felt rushed. The care taken to be sure each lunch experience was true to the region visiting was appreciated by the 5 of us. We loved this trip and encourage anyone visiting Puglia to use Arrivederci Puglia Travel. They are a joy to spend time with and become family. Our enthusiasm for this part of Italy was so strong, we returned for a second visit with Arrivederci Puglia. DIANNE & LOU Boston, USA We spent a wonderful week with Antonella and Sandro, exploring their delightful home province. They shared with us their in depth knowledge and love of Puglia, they were always professional, thoughtful and courteous. Can’t recommend Arrivederci Puglia highly enough. It’s a wonderful part of Italy, previously unknown to us, we are so happy to have visited! FEDERICO & KAY Sydney, AUS Nothing but the BEST!! We had an absolutely wonderful time in the Puglia region with our wonderful tour guides Sandro and Antonella. They have put together a great balance of places to see and learn about. Sandro and Antonella are highly educated and knowledgeable about their country. The professionalism and attention to detail was fantastic. We would highly recommend them to anyone who wants to learn, taste and explore the Puglia region! SUZY Oregon, USA Previous Next Our Values Arrivederci Puglia Travel was born from our love for our Region, a land rich in family values and traditions. We want to put our passion and experience at the service of our guests, to offer them an unforgettable vacation in Italy, while experiencing the fantastic Italian Mediterranean lifestyle. MORE ABOUT US Our Services For us, our clients are not simply customers. We like to consider them special friends or a part of our family. We are pleased to facilitate your experience living as a true Italian! Take advantage of our knowledge of Puglia, the land where we live, to gain preferred entrance to most famous sites. READ MORE Puglia and Italy map Puglia, the heel of Italy…is located in the Southern Italy and it is fast becoming Italy’s new hot destination. Nature, art, history, ancient traditions, beautiful beaches, excellent food and wine, as well as the proverbial hospitality of its people, are the qualities of Puglia! MORE ABOUT PUGLIA