Puglia: History and Gastronomy
Ostuni, Lecce, Matera
A travel itinerary that explores cultural traditions, authentic cuisine and the beautiful landscapes of southern Italy.
DAY 1: Bari - Ostuni
Arrival in Bari and private transfer to the hotel, on a journey of about 1 hour (80km).
Along the way, stop for a typical Italian lunch. Opportunity to sample Puglia's famous Cucina Contadina (home-cooked food).
Arrival in Ostuni and accommodation for 3 nights, with breakfast.
Ostuni is a medieval hilltop city overlooking the sea that has been dubbed the “white city” for its sun-faded buildings.
DAY 2: Ostuni - Cisternino - Alberobello - Poligno a Mare - Ostuni
Breakfast at the hotel and departure for a full-day tour, with a guide in Portuguese or English.
In the morning, visit the city of Cisternino. Walk through the narrow streets of the village, passing by white-clad buildings in the medieval center.
Continuation of the tour to the city of Alberobello. Along the way, an opportunity to observe the fields and olive groves. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Alberobello is famous for its cone-shaped houses called trulli. They are houses built stone by stone, without using mortar and which are found only in this valley.
Stop for lunch at a local restaurant (not included) and drive to Polignano a Mare, known for its Mediterranean landscapes and villas built on top of sea cliffs. Tour of the historic center and free time to take photos by the sea.
DAY 3: ostuni
Breakfast at the hotel. Half-day private tour, with a guide in Portuguese or English, to visit Masseria Brancati, a historic farm that houses an old olive mill (a kind of mill) in its stone cellars.
A walk through the old olive groves, followed by a class on how olives are cultivated and harvested. It includes a tasting of five different types of olive oil, produced locally, using traditional techniques.
After the visit, return to Ostuni for lunch at a traditional restaurant (not included).
Free afternoon for independent activities.
DAY 4: Ostuni - Gallipoli - Lecce
Breakfast and check-out at the hotel. Departure for a private full-day tour with a guide in Portuguese or English in Gallipoli, a seaside fishing city.
Lunch stop at a local Gallipoli restaurant (not included).
In the afternoon, visit the Schola Sarmenti winery, located in Nardò, followed by a tasting of its award-winning organic wines.
Continuation of the tour to Santa Maria al Bagno, for a visit to the “Museum of Memory and Reception”, dedicated to the memory and reception of migrants in the region who lived in Puglia between 1943 and 1947, addressing issues related to migration, identity and tolerance.
In the evening, transfer to Lecce for accommodation for 3 nights, with breakfast.
Known as the “Florence of the South”, Lecce is famous for its rich Baroque architecture and its well-preserved historic center.
DAY 5: Lecce
After breakfast, private half-day tour with a guide in Portuguese or English.
Walk to the historic center and visit the main points with the Basilica di Santa Croce, and the public square Piazza Sant'Oronzo, where the old town hall of the city, known as “Sedile”, is located.
During the tour, an opportunity to taste the best of the local cuisine, such as a puff pastry filled with mozzarella, tomato and bechamel, the famous local cheese, the “taralli” a very popular type of savoury biscuit and the “Pasticciotto”, a traditional Italian dessert filled with pastry cream.
DAY 6: Lecce
Breakfast at the hotel and departure for a half-day tour. In the morning, departure by boat to dive in the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Lunch in the seaside city of Otranto (not included), which has been named as one of the “Borghi Piu'belli d'Italia” - one of the most beautiful villages in the country.
Free afternoon for independent activities.
Then travel to Tricase with the night off to enjoy the city before returning to Lecce.
DAY 7: Lecce - Grottaglie - Matera
Breakfast and check-out at the hotel. Private transfer to Matera with a stop in Grottaglie and visit the region's potters' workshop.
Declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco, Matera is unlike any other city in the country, with its winding streets and rocky caves that fill the mountaintop city.
Stop for lunch (not included).
Continuation to Matera. Accommodation for 2 nights, with breakfast.
DAY 8: Matera
Breakfast at the hotel and free day to enjoy the city of Matera.
DAY 9: Matera - Bari or Brindisi
Breakfast and check-out at the hotel. Private transfer to Bari or Brindisi airport.
THIS ITINERARY INCLUDES:
- Accommodation for 3 nights in Ostuni, with breakfast;
- Accommodation for 3 nights in Lecce, with breakfast;
- Accommodation for 2 nights in Matera, with breakfast.
- Private transfers between airport/hotel/airport;
- Private ground transfers between cities, in a minivan with an English-speaking driver.
- Private tours, tickets to the museums/archaeological sites indicated in the itinerary;
- Entrance fees to the tourist sites and museums/archaeological sites indicated in the itinerary;
- Local guides in Portuguese or English (subject to availability and confirmation), during the tours;
- Travel kit.
THIS ITINERARY DOES NOT INCLUDE:
- International airfare between Brazil and Italy;
- Boarding fees;
- Tourism fees;
- Bank transfer charges related to payment to the foreign supplier;
- Documentation and consular visa expenses;
- Travel insurance;
- Cancellation insurance;
- Excess baggage;
- Anticipated arrival time (early check in);
- Extension of departure time (late check out);
- Meals not mentioned as included;
- Drinks not mentioned as included;
- Gratuities;
- Luggage service;
- Suggested and/or optional tours and excursions;
- Entrance fees to the places where the tours are visited and suggested and/or optional excursions;
- Restaurant reservations for a fee of EUR 10 to EUR 30;
- Personal extras such as: laundry, phone calls, alcoholic beverages, extra food, tips, minibar consumption and everything that is not mentioned as included in the itinerary.
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