LECCE   |  GALLIPOLI   |   NARDÒ   |   OTRANTO   |   LEUCA   |   MATERA   |   ALBEROBELLO   |   OSTUNI  

Authentic Puglia: Self-Drive

Explore authentic Puglia by car, where Italy’s heel offers bold flavours and timeless traditions. Stay in a trullo house in Alberobello, enjoy olive oil and wine tastings, and take a boat ride in Leuca on emerald waters where the Ionian and Adriatic Seas meet.
Beautiful Lecce in Puglia, Italy
Beautiful Lecce in Puglia, Italy
Stunning views from Leuca, Puglia, Italy
Stunning views from Leuca, Puglia, Italy
Castle in Nardo, Puglia, Italy
Castle in Nardo, Puglia, Italy
White-washed town of Ostuni, Puglia, Italy
White-washed town of Ostuni, Puglia, Italy
Boats in the harbour in Otranto, Puglia, Italy
Boats in the harbour in Otranto, Puglia, Italy
Staircase in Matera, Puglia, Italy
Staircase in Matera, Puglia, Italy
Trulli house in Alberobello, Puglia, Italy
Trulli house in Alberobello, Puglia, Italy
Beautiful Lecce in Puglia, Italy
Stunning views from Leuca, Puglia, Italy
Castle in Nardo, Puglia, Italy
White-washed town of Ostuni, Puglia, Italy
Boats in the harbour in Otranto, Puglia, Italy
Staircase in Matera, Puglia, Italy
Trulli house in Alberobello, Puglia, Italy
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. 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. Stay in a trullo house in Alberobello, experience olive oil and wine tastings, and a boat ride in Leuca, on the emerald waters where the Ionian and Adriatic Seas meet.

Highlights:

    • 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
    • White City of Ostuni in the heart of the Itria Valley

Itineraries are fully customizable. Pricing available upon request, based on two (2) passengers travelling together sharing one room.
Subject to availability at time of booking. Blackout periods apply. Not valid during trade shows, bank holidays and other special events.
International airfare not included. **European city/tourist taxes collected locally unless otherwise indicated.
For full terms and conditions, click here.

LECCE  |  GALLIPOLI  |  NARDÒ  |  OTRANTO  |  LEUCA  |  MATERA  |  ALBEROBELLO  |  OSTUNI  

Day 1
Dinner

BARI – LECCE  
Arrive in Bari. Pick up your rental car at the airport and make your way to Lecce, considered the Florence of the South.  Enjoy your evening at leisure, and treat yourself to dinner at a local restaurant.

Risorgimento Resort
★★★★
Day 2
Breakfast / Dinner

LECCE, 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 journey to Gallipoli, a seaside town whose name means beautiful city. Stroll down the historic centre, 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.

Risorgimento Resort
★★★★
Day 3
Breakfast / Lunch

OTRANTO, 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. Return to Lecce in the evening.

Risorgimento Resort
★★★★
Day 4
Breakfast

LECCE – 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.

Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita
★★★★
Day 5
Breakfast / Lunch

MATERA
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. 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.

Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita
★★★★
Day 6
Breakfast / Lunch
ALBEROBELLO
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. Its distinctive trulli date back to somewhere between 15th and 17th century, when the Kingdom of Naples had reign over this region, was entitled to collect taxes from its inhabitants, and hit especially hard on home owners. Wander through the trulli and try to spot the differences between them, while listening to the interesting commentary delivered by your guide.
Le Alcove Luxury Hotel Nei Trulli
★★★★★
Day 7
Breakfast / Lunch
OSTUNI
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. In the past, whitewashing houses was an effective way to maintain diseases under control, thanks to the antibacterial power of lime paint. The landscape around, like everywhere in Apulia, is not simply scattered with olive trees, it is defined by them. There are about sixty million olive trees in the region, and olive oil is the produce that, more than any other, represents Apulia and its character. Head for a masseria – an ancient fortified farm – where, after a walk among the olive trees and a visit to their old olive mill, you will have a tasting of their extra virgin olive oil, accompanied by olives and the typical friselle: dry, baked durum wheat flour bread that, conveniently soaked and seasoned, turns into one of the simplest and most delicious foods. Your host, an olive-oil maker since generations, will explain how to choose, store and use this precious gift of nature, along with some insider’s tips and tricks.
Le Alcove Luxury Hotel Nei Trulli
★★★★
Day 8
Breakfast
ALBEROBELLO – BARI – HOME
After breakfast, check-out of your hotel and drive to Bari airport; return your car.
Authentic Puglia: Self-Drive

LECCE  |  GALLIPOLI  |  NARDÒ  |  OTRANTO  |  LEUCA  |  MATERA  |  ALBEROBELLO  |  OSTUNI  

Package Includes:

  • Total of 7 nights accommodation:
    • 3 nights in Lecce at Risorgimento Resort, Superior Room ★★★★
    • 2 nights in Matera at Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita, Superior Room ★★★★
    • 2 nights in Alberobello at Le Alcove Luxury Hotel In Trulli, Jr Suite ★★★★
  • Fiat 500 (or similar) car rental with automatic transmission, full insurance
  • Entrance fees, tours as per itinerary
  • Continental breakfast daily
  • Hotel taxes and service charges**

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.

Itineraries are fully customizable. Pricing available upon request, based on two (2) passengers travelling together sharing one room.
Subject to availability at time of booking. Blackout periods apply. Not valid during trade shows, bank holidays and other special events.
International airfare not included. **European city/tourist taxes collected locally unless otherwise indicated.
For full terms and conditions, click here.

8 days

On Request

Comments to her travel agent about her recent trip to Italy

"..wanted to send you a note to tell you we had an absolutely terrific time in Italy! It was pretty seamless and the hotel especially was AMAZING!!! Thank you so much for the suggestions and the organizing of the finer details! - Liz"
Liz, Ontario
June 3, 2024