Puglia, the Veggie Garden of Italy and Matera

Called the ‘heel’ of the boot of Italy, Puglia is also the peninsula’s vegetable garden, which over the centuries attracted many empires to this coastal region. We believe the neighboring regions of Puglia and Basilicata –the latter MOST KNOWN FOR the town of Matera– are best experienced as a pairing.

Between the two, we’ll explore two UNESCO sites, visit with local wine, olive oil, bread and cheese makers, take in the famed trulli (conic-shape dwellings) of Alberobello, visit the quaint villages of Locorotondo, Polignano a Mare and Ostuni, and of course taste the native grapes of Negroamaro and Primitivo, found in full-bodied earthy reds, and overnight in magical masserie (fortified farmhouses or country estates), unique to the region.

See here for more info on Puglia region.

Dates & Pricing

Minimum of 6 participants, maximum of 16, with a maximum guide-to-guest ratio of 1 to 8

DATES (7 days)

For dates, info and availability please contact us.

TOUR PRICE

Per person in double occupancy: from $3,490

Single Supplement: $540

For travel in 2021 and beyond, your tour is carbon neutral! In addition, we donate more than 1% of your trip price to food-literacy and environmental non-profits that share our values. (Details here)

Tour Highlights

Discover two UNESCO Sites: the Sassi of Matera and the Park of Rupestrian Churches; the Trulli of Alberobello
Tastings of regional Slow Food Presidia and visits to local wine, olive oil, bread and cheese makers
Experience the authentic Mediterranean Diet through local traditional cuisine featuring fresh and seasonal ingredients and learn more about local recipes
Enjoy some of the best reds of Italy, Primitivo and Negroamaro grapes, two indigenous varieties of the Salento area
Relax in unique, elegant masseria or 3- or 4-star hotels distinctively representing the local cultures and traditions
Delve into history, traditions and culture in this unique area of south of Italy
Explore the tranquil countryside inland, at times surrounded by century-old olive oil trees or a natural reserve by the sea

What's Included

6 nights of accommodation in 3- or 4-star hotels and masserie
6 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 5 dinners with either a 3- or 4-course menu
Walks in Matera and Alberobello historic centers
Entry fees to Egnazia Roman site and trulli museum in Alberobello
1 cooking demo in an agriturismo and 1 olive oil tasting in a masseria
1 visit and tasting to a bakery in Altamura (Slow Food Presidium)
3 optional hikes and daily walking opportunities
1 tasting & visit to local winemaker and 1 to mozzarella maker
1 visit to a WWF natural reserve with a local guide
Comfortable transportation by 9-seat van for all travel on tour as cited in the itinerary
Bilingual, professional Tour Leaders
Last group transfer to Bari airport
Local taxes and gratuities for luggage porters and restaurant servers during tour

What's Not Included

4 lunches and 1 dinner on your own
Alcoholic beverages at group meals (including wine and spirits)
Round-trip airfare and expenses to/from the tour
Transfer to first hotel from Brindisi airport
Trip cancellation, baggage loss or travel delay insurance (this optional coverage is highly recommended. See more info here)
Gratuities for your Tour Leader
Personal expenses, such as, but not limited to, phone calls, laundry, emails, snacks, gifts

Itinerary

Day 1 – Salento

Fly to Brindisi Airport and join us for one 45-mins group transfer to a masseria (an old fortified farm offering accommodation and food) in the Salento area. Check in and relax, then meet your guide for a light lunch followed by introductions to the tour, Slow Food and the regions of Puglia and Basilicata.

This afternoon we explore the medieval village of Acaya with its Spanish fortress and quiet atmosphere. Then back to the masseria we enjoy a walk in the organic garden, before our first dinner together featuring typical Pugliese recipes and an olive oil tasting.
Day 2 – Otranto and Lecce

After breakfast, we take a 1-2-hours walk in the Natural Reserve of Le Cesine by the sea, managed by the World Wildlife Fund. This area offers a pleasant opportunity to walk near the sea before we head to Otranto, famous for its Aragonese fortress and the cathedral dating back to 11^th C.

Enjoy a walk in town and lunch on your own. Be sure not to miss the typical sandwich from Salento area called “puccia” (it derives from “pouch” because the homemade bread is sliced and stuffed with different local ingredients such as spinach, cheese, cured meat and more).

Return to the masseria for some relaxation, then transfer to Lecce to visit the capital of Salento famous for its Baroque buildings. Dinner will be savored in a typical local restaurant for more Pugliese recipes.
Day 3 – Salento to Alberobello via Ostuni

Today we leave the Salento area, famous for its native grapes such as Negroamaro and Primitivo that you can find in full-bodied earthy reds. We will discover

On our way to Alberobello, we stop to visit the charming town of Ostuni, one of Puglia’s most strikingly beautiful cities, a collection of white-washed structures, haphazardly perched upon a hilltop, affording views out over a seemingly endless sea of silvery olive trees and the sparkling Adriatic beyond. A medieval walled city, it was built without a plan, as its labyrinthine web of streets illustrates. Let’s enjoy a stroll to admire the town and views, and the way the southern sun hits the white-wash here, before heading on to Alberobello.

On these two days, depending on our remaining available time we might stop by the village of Locorotondo in the beautiful Itria Valley. Named one of “the most beautiful villages in Italy” (i borghi più belli d’Italia, a designation established in 2001 with the aim of preserving and maintaining villages of quality heritage), Locorotondo shares Ostuni’s luminous white-wash and perched position. The name means “round place” in reference to its circular historic center. With a foundation dating back to 1000 AD, the town was indeed built following a circular plan. Narrow concentric streets lined with white-terraced houses make for beautiful walking.

Finally we reach our first UNESCO Site that quintessentially represents Puglia with its distinctive conic-shape dwellings called trulli. We’ll enjoy Alberobello for two nights, possibly overnighting in trulli, (accommodation to be confirmed depending on availability) and enjoy a guided visit of the town museum, which is housed inside a series of conjoined trulli.
Day 4 – Around Alberobello

Another exciting day of exploration in the heart of Puglia includes visiting the historical site of Egnazia, founded by the Messapic population in the 11^th century BC before being conquered by Romans. This village was on the ancient Roman road that to this day connects Brindisi and Rome.

Other highlights today include a visit to another masseria to learn about their organic vegetable production and traditional recipes over a cooking demonstration and lunch, followed by a stop by the sea town of Polignano a Mare to enjoy the Mediterranean atmosphere.

After lunch we return to Alberobello. Relax in your trullo or explore more of this charming town. Dinner tonight is on your own but please ask us for suggestions!
Day 5 – Alberobello to Matera via Altamura

This morning, enjoy some additional time in town or a one-hour hike in the forest nearby. Later, we depart and begin making our way to Matera.

En route, we stop in Altamura, a town that can boast the only bread D.O.P. (Denomination of Protected Origin) of Italy. D.O.P. products receive the designation based upon a combination of high quality and geo-specificity. This particular D.O.P. bread is also one of the Slow Food Presidia, projects supporting food at risk of extinction, among the initiatives organized by Slow Food, a non-profit organization founded in Piedmont, Italy in 1986 that promotes “good, clean and fair food” (the motto of Slow Food International).

Here in Altamura, we will visit the oldest oven in town which dates back to 13^th century and have a tasting of locally-made delicacies such as taralli (ring-shaped pretzel-like snacks typical in the south), focaccia and bread. In terms of Altamura’s much more recent food history, the town that boasts “the best bread in Italy” managed to shutter a McDonalds in December 2002 (the New York Times colorfully covered the story in January 2006).

The rest of our day we spend in Basilicata, visiting our third UNESCO Site: Matera, originally founded by the Romans in the 3^rd century BC and suspected to be one of the first pre-historic settlements in all of Italy. The city is famous for “Sassi,” ancient cave-homes dug into the calcareous rock that we’ll visit with a local guide. This unique setting was chosen as the backdrop for Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of Christ.” Over dinner you will learn more about the local cuisine and unique delicacies of Puglia and Basilicata.
Day 6 – Around Matera

This morning you have time to soak in the mysteries of Matera on your own before our visit to a cheese maker to taste their freshly-made mozzarella. After lunch on own, we suggest a 1-2-hour hike in the Park of Rupestrian Churches near Matera to discover another must-see site with breathtaking views of the canyon carved by the River Gravina and to see the caves used since prehistoric times as dwellings, prisons, and churches.

Tonight is our time to celebrate the tour over one last delectable dinner featuring more exquisitely southern local recipes and native wines.
Day 7 – Bari Airport

To request the itinerary as a PDF or to ask us any questions please contact us today!