Trulli cone shaped dwellings in Alberobello, Puglia Italy

Guided Luxury Walking Tour of Puglia & Matera, Italy

Our Puglia walking tour explores lush forests and pristine coastal pathways, with time to wander delightful whitewashed towns. Explore Ostuni and Locorotondo, as well as the lively Baroque city of Lecce, and walk along an ancient Roman road on a guided tour of Egnazia. Take a day trip into Basilicata for a guided walking tour of the town of Matera, a European Capital of Culture 2019, noted for its cave dwellings and fascinating history. Be lunch guests in a private home and learn to make orecchiette pasta while our local friends welcome us like family. Sleep in a trullo near Alberobello, and enjoy boutique and small luxury hotels throughout the tour along with the best farm-to-table food in Italy. Our walking tour of Puglia is packed with insider experiences and the luxury of worry free travel – it’s the perfect way to see and taste the best of Puglia!

Book This Trip

Trip Length 7 days

Walking Level Easy

Trip Cost $5180

Walking Levels

Our walks are rated for their level of difficulty as follows:

Stroll – Daily distance of 2-5 km (1-3 miles) through archeological sites and in towns with stone stairways. Footwear: Lightweight walking shoes.
Easy – Daily distance of 8-10 km (5-7 miles) on dirt paths and gravel roads, with short ascents & descents. Good van access for assistance along the route. Footwear: Sturdy walking shoes.
Moderate – Daily distance of 12-16 km (8-10 miles) with longer ascents & descents. May include cobblestone paths and steps, or narrow paths along terraced hillsides. Some van access or options for shorter walks. Footwear: Sturdy walking shoes or lightweight boots.
Fitness – Daily distance of 12-16 km (8-10 miles) with steep ascents & descents. Walks are at altitudes of 1200-2450 meters (3500-8000 feet) on trails and forest service roads, some rocky or exposed sections. Limited van access, options for shorter or longer routes. Footwear: Lightweight boots.

Guided walking tour of Matera cave dwellings called "sassi"

“Our guide made Matera come alive for us.”

– J.S., U.S.A.

Meet our pugliesi friends and learn to eat like a local with a jolly group of avid walkers who share their passion for Puglia during our walks, and at the lunch table – this is a culinary vacation as much as a walking holiday! We’ll also cross the border into Basilicata for a guided walking tour through the fascinating town of Matera, known for its cave dwellings and dramatic rocky cliffs. Visit the trullo town of Alberobello, the Roman ruins of Egnazia, and stroke the gnarled trunks of 2000-year old olive trees, and stay in the Baroque city of Lecce. Relax in comfortable upgraded rooms in three distinctive lodgings – a boutique hotel with trullo rooms, a luxurious seaside resort, and a stylish hotel in the city of Lecce. Enjoy the best places to stay in Puglia along with authentic local cuisine, as well as countryside and coastal walks on this idyllic walking tour of Puglia & Matera.

Trip Highlights

Sink your hands into warm curds as you learn to shape fresh primosale cheese, then feast on a rustic lunch in a stone farmhouse.
Follow the delightful “Path of the Cyclamens” through a forest of holm oaks once notorious for brigands, and emerge from the dappled light to visit a trullo house, Puglia’s curious cone shaped dwelling.
Explore the ancient Roman site of Egnazia and its fascinating museum, then wander through a grove of monumental olive trees whose gnarled trunks have been standing sentinel for 2000 years.
Wander through the circular town of Locorotondo, a hilltop jewel with gleaming white buildings and polished stone streets, then follow a coastal path in search of the brilliant green ramarro lizard.
Shape orecchiette alongside a jolly cook, and get lost in the Baroque wonderland of the city of Lecce while shopping for locally made papier-mâché

Trip Details

Dates
Sept 21-27, 2020

Meet
Bari Hotel Palace

End
Brindisi Airport

Best Time to Go
Spring & Fall

Single Supplement
$780 USD

Meals
Daily breakfast / 6 lunches with wine / 5 dinners with wine

Maximum Participants
12

Accommodations
Signature

Itinerary
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Day-by-Day Itinerary

Puglia Walk

Day One

Meet at a central hotel in Bari, and travel southwest to a rustic farm, and meet the resident donkeys. Scrub up before tackling the task of forming warm milk curds into fresh primosale cheese, then feast on a lunch of local specialties, including oven-warm focaccia lovingly baked by our pal Gennaro. Take a 4-5 mile walk (6-8 km) along a wide flat path that follows the old aqueduct through the countryside, before transferring to our first hotel, a welcoming boutique hotel noted for its comfortable trullo rooms and warm hospitality. This evening we’ll explore the elegant town of Martina Franca, and dine on tiella, a local dish that will surprise you with its unusual flavors.

Day Two

We’re off to an early start to head to the town of Matera, built on a rocky outcrop and dotted with cave dwellings and rock-cut churches with faded frescoes. Explore the cave dwellings and fascinating labyrinth of winding streets before a satisfying lunch. Return to our hotel with time to relax before we visit the town of Alberobello, the trullo capital of Puglia – and therefore the world – and peek into a trullo dwelling decorated with icons of saints. Enjoy a leisurely dinner with a sampling of an astonishing array of antipasti featuring fresh seasonal ingredients.

Day Three

After a freshly made breakfast, meet our local guides who will walk with us for about 6 miles (10 km) through woodlands once notorious as a hideout for brigands, but today a quiet retreat with wild cyclamens lining our path. Transfer to the home of a welcoming family and learn to shape orecchiette before settling down to a sumptuous lunch prepared by our enthusiastic home cooks. In the afternoon, drive to the Adriatic coast to our next hotel, where you can relax on your private seaview terrace of your spacious room . Enjoy a rooftop aperitivo with a spectacular sea view, then stroll through a delightful fishing village to an ala carte dinner.

Day Four

Visit the archeological site of Egnazia with an enthusiastic guide, and trace this ancient site’s history with splendid finds in the attached museum. Visit an olive oil producer with a grove of astonishing monumental olive trees that appear to be planted by the Romans some 2000 years ago! Enjoy a delicious ala carte lunch in a grotto tucked away in the town of Ostuni. Explore this “città bianca” – white city – enjoying its glowing white facades and curious shops selling whimsical ceramic whistles. Join the local scene for dinner at a seafood restaurant with a delectable selection of fresh antipasti based on the day’s catch and enjoy one of the best restaurants in Puglia.

Day Five

A morning walk with a marine biologist takes us through the pristine coastal reserve of Torre Guaceto, where we walk 5 miles (8 km) along deserted beaches to the headland with its imposing 16th century watchtower, always on the lookout for the brilliant green ramarro lizard. Relax over a seaside lunch before we head southwards to the Baroque city of Lecce. Meet our guide for a private walking tour of Lecce, before you check in into your spacious upgraded room in a 5/star luxury hotel with spa facilities. Join the lively passeggiata as you choose a place for dinner.

Day Six

Clamber over the ruins of the imposing castle of Otranto and visit the cathedral with its lavish mosaic floor and eerie chapel dedicated to the town’s martyrs with their skulls on display. Head to the Ionian sea and hang out with the friendly vendors at the fish market, daring to try the freshest raw seafood in a waterfront shack or explore the town of Gallipoli during your free time. Return to Lecce for last minute shopping, before a final festive dinner.

Day Seven

Morning transfer to the Brindisi airport in time to catch a flight to Rome or elsewhere. Alternatively, we can arrange a transfer to the Lecce or Brindisi train station, or an early airport transfer if you are connecting to an international flight today. Arrivederci!