LECCE | GALLIPOLI | NARDÒ | OTRANTO | LEUCA | MATERA | ALBEROBELLO | OSTUNI
In Italy’s heel, traditions run deep and flavours are fresh and bold – all while maintaining a laid-back, unpretentious charm. New for 2018, discover an authentic Puglia by car, offering a simple way of life, with olive groves outstretched over a red-earthed horizon and honey-coloured coastline. Overnight in an authentic trullo house in Alberobello, olive oil and wine tastings and a boat ride in Leuca, on the emerald waters where the Ionian and Adriatic Seas meet.
Highlights:
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- Ancient paper crafts of Lecce
- Walking tour in the beautiful city of Gallipoli
- Wine tasting and dinner in Nardò
- Sea caves tour by boat in Leuca
- Cheese making in Alberobello
- Organic olive oil farm visit
- Unique sassi neighbourhoods of Matera
- Overnight in a trullo house in Alberbello
- White City of Ostuni in the heart of the Itria Valley
Package Includes:
- Total of 7 nights accommodation:
- 3 nights in Lecce at Santa Chiara Suite Hotel, Standard Room ★★★★
- 2 nights in Matera at Basiliani Hotel, Standard Room ★★★
- 2 nights in an authentic trullo in Alberobello
- Fiat 500 car rental with automatic transmission, full insurance
- Entrance fees, tours as per itinerary
- Continental breakfast daily, 4 lunches, 2 dinners
- Hotel taxes and service charges**
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Price as indicated valid March 15, 2018, based on two passengers travelling together. Subject to availability at time of booking.
Blackout periods apply. For alternative dates, inquire for pricing. Itineraries are fully customizable. Not valid during trade shows, bank holidays and other special events.
International airfare not included. Minimum 2 passengers travelling together.
**European city/tourist taxes collected locally unless otherwise indicated.
Private transportation instead of self-drive/car rental available upon request.
For full terms and conditions, click here.
Tour Code: EU1518
Itinerary
Day 1
DinnerBRINDISI – LECCE Arrive in Brindisi. Pick up your rental car at the airport and make your way to Lecce, considered the Florence of the South. Enjoy a dinner at a local restaurant.
Santa Chiara Suite Hotel, Standard Room ★★★★
Day 2
Breakfast / DinnerLECCE, GALLIPOLI, NARDÒ Enjoy breakfast. With your local guide, discover the predominantly baroque style of Lecce in more detail, seeing its main monuments, and the ancient crafts of pietra leccese and papier-mâchè, visiting workshops and listening to stories of artisans who keep these timeless traditions alive. In the afternoon, begin your half-day tour of Gallipoli, a seaside town whose name means beautiful city. Stroll down the historic center, hearing facts and anecdotes as told to you by your cultural guide. In Nardò, visit a well-known winery to learn the secrets of the winemaking process, from pressing, maturing and bottling. Accompanied by your sommelier, taste three wines with dinner.
Santa Chiara Suite Hotel, Standard Room ★★★★
Day 3
Breakfast / LunchOTRANTO, LEUCA Enjoy breakfast. Head southeast along the Adriatic Sea for beautiful panoramic views, visiting seaside towns such as Otranto, Porto Badisco Bay, Sana Cesarea Terme, Castro and S. Maria di Leuca. Tour sea caves by boat at the southernmost tip where the waters of the Adriatic Sea merge with the Ionian Sea. Visit a family-run organic olive oil farm where the owners will teach you about the unique cultivation and production techniques dating back to the 1700s, that have been passed down for generations. Walk among incredible centuries-old monuments of nature, the precious olive trees; enjoy a delicious lunch and tasting with aperitivo; return to Lecce.
Santa Chiara Suite Hotel, Standard Room ★★★★
Day 4
BreakfastLECCE – MATERA After breakfast, check-out and depart for Matera, declared a European Capital of Culture for 2019. The village is carved into the rocky landscape, ultimately, an amazing mix of ancient and modern. Visit the sassi neighbourhoods, remnants of ancient settlements and grottos carved into the limestone. Get lost in the labyrinth of alleyways and tiny courtyards. Enjoy the rest of your day at leisure.
Basiliani Hotel, Standard Room ★★★
Day 5
Breakfast / LunchMATERA Enjoy breakfast at your hotel. Matera is also famous for its delicious oven-baked bread. Watch bakers in action, preparing dough in traditional methods with local ingredients. Be delighted by the colours, smells and taste of the final product. Enjoy lunch. Famous for its resemblance to the ancient settlements of Jerusalem & Cappadocia, Matera remains one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world; visit this unique landscape and Park of the Rupestrian Churches.
Basiliani Hotel, Standard Room ★★★
Day 6
Breakfast / LunchALBEROBELLO Enjoy breakfast. Check-out of your hotel and begin your drive to Alberobello, a picturesque village characteristic of their rupestrian houses made of dry stone and conical roofs. Learn the history and origins of the inhabitants of these trullo houses, churches and shops. A local cheese producer welcomes you to his farm to teach you about the production process; become a real casaro and prepare mozzarella yourself. Enjoy a lunch of cheeses, breads, meat, wine and desserts. Check into your authentic trullo for two nights.
Day 7
Breakfast / LunchOSTUNI After breakfast, drive to Ostuni, the white city in the heart of the Itria Valley, draped across three hills with a maze of streets twisting around its dramatic 15th-century cathedral. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Take the remainder of your day to explore on your own.
Day 8
Breakfast ALBEROBELLO – BRINDISI – HOME After breakfast, check-out of your hotel and drive to Brindisi airport; return your car.
General Information & Maps
Not Included:
- International or domestic airfare; airport or departure taxes
- Gratuities to guides and drivers
- Items of a personal nature
- Travel insurance
- Reciprocity and/or local taxes if applicable
- Visas required for entry into the country as necessary. Please discuss this with your travel agent to determine your requirements prior to departure.
Gateways International Tailor-made Tours
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View LargeAuthentic Puglia
