ITALY: Boutique Apulia (Pulgia) Cultural & Foodie Tour – 8 days

Destination:  ITALY - Apulia

Tour Commences In: Lecce

Tour Concludes in:

Number of Days:  8 days / 7 nights

Tour Style:  Small Group Tour (suitable for groups, couples & solo travellers)

Accommodation:  Modern & Boutique hotels

Meals:  Breakfasts; 7: Lunches; 2:

Leaders: Professional local guides

Transportation:  Private chauffeur driven air-conditioned vehicles

Tour Grading:  Moderate: Suitable for travellers with an average level of fitness and mobility

·     Explore Apulian jewels: Lecce, Otranto, Specchia, , Alberobello and Polignano a Mare

·     Enjoy local life in the amazing city of Lecce

·     Tour a cheese farm and taste a variety of different cheeses

·     Visit the spectalar seaside town of  Otranto with its whitewashed walls and magnificent sea views

·     Be in awe of the mosaic floor ‘Tree of Life’ in the Otranto Cathedral, dating back to 1088,

·     Experience olive oil tasting in Ostuni

·     Visit a winery owned by a young enthusiastic family

·     Learn about the amazing history of Trulli in Alberobello, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

·     Enjoy a walking tour of the delightful seaside resort of Polignano a Mare

·     Discover historic Masseria in Apulia

·     Visiting the fascinating UNESCO World Heritage site of Metera

·     Indulge in the delicious Apulian cuisines

Day1:   Arrive Apulia:
Ciao e Benvenuto, hello and welcome to Apulia. Your guide will meet you at Bari airport (or train station) and transfer you to the beautiful old city of Lecce, an art city, rich in Baroque Palaces, towers, eclectic villas, castles, masserie and monumental gardens. This afternoon is at your leisure
Perhaps wonder the streets to get your bearings or visit the Museo Faggiano, giving you a greater insight into the city’s centuries-long history. 
Later this evening, we will gather at the hotel terrace to meet your fellow travelers and walk to a restaurant for a delicious welcome dinner.
You may wish to arrive a day earlier to shop or maybe just to get your bearings and recover from any jet lag you may have. If you do choose to arrive early, we can extend your hotel bookings and provide any information or advice you may need to make the most of your stay even more enjoyable in this exciting city.

Day 2:       Lecce:    (B)
This morning, enjoy a private excursion of Lecce, jWe meet our guide for a walking tour through the historic centre. The local sandstone, tinged a warm pink, is so easy to work with that it fostered the rise of a local style (leccese baroque) as ornate and intricate as any the world has seen. More than the architects, it was the local stone masons who left their mark on this city, crowding its buildings with fanciful cherubs, monsters, flowers, fruits, beauties and beasts. It’s far off the beaten track for most of Italy's art-loving visitors. Lecce sits on the southeast tip of Italy's boot, waiting to stupefy us with its little-known magnificence. Time at leisure before we transfer back to Nardò. We later drive and visit a hidden masterpiece in Galatina, Renowned for its exquisite church of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria with its medieval frescoes.

Day 3:       Lecce– Otranto – Lecce:    (B/LL/wine tasting)
This morning we drive to Otranto, the most eastern point of Italy and we tour the most wonderful places of the Salento area. We discover the centuries old olive groves, the red fields and the many small Baroque villages so rich of art treasures. Otranto, also called "The Door to the Oriental", offers its visitors the Cathedral that was finished and opened to prayer in 1088. It is considered the biggest church in Puglia. Otranto is also home to the Aragonese castle with its towers, bastions and fortified walls. We then visit a cheese factory. The location of this farm is enchanting and an unforgettable experience itself : an ancient tower overlooking the sea. (starting from the VIII century AD, with the threat of the Saracens forced the Manor houses to create defensive structures as walls and towers) It is surrounded by large groves where more than a thousand sheep graze.  We enjoy a demonstration of mozzarella, ricotta and cheese making, followed by a cheese tasting and a light lunch in the farm, including local products such as ham, salami, capocollo, local cheeses, “friselle” with tomato.
In the afternoon we will drive through the enchanting Salento landscape and visit a wine farm producing typical Apulian award winning wines such as Metiusco, Albarossa, white Salento IGT, this includes wine tasting and snacks. We later return to Lecce. This evening is at your leisure.

Day 4:        Lecce:    (B/L)
Today you will enjoy truly special experiences. In the morning you will have a hands-on cooking class with a chef in a private villa just few km from Lecce in the Cenate area. The Cenate area is characterised by a sequence of eclectic private villas immersed in lush Mediterranean parks and Italian gardens. A unique area that, in a few kilometres, concentrates about forty splendid suburban residences, mainly built between the 1700s and the early 1900s. The oldest nucleus of villas develops around the Portoselvaggio Regional Park, the green heart of the vast and rich territory of Nardò, a place where - between the rows of Negroamaro and Malvasia - the original wine vocation is perpetuated with renewed vigor and excellent results. Sober and elegant houses with Baroque references, give way to sumptuous villas in neoclassical, neo-Gothic and Moorish styles. They stand out for their bright plasters, harmonious lines, scenic stairways and rich textures in Lecce stone. You will have your private hands on cooking class in one of these villas, followed by lunch. After lunch we visit an historic winery producing the best Negramaro wine and an excellent extra virgin oil. After, we return back to Lecce.

Day 5:    Lecce – Ostuni and Alberobello:    (B)
Today you will leave Salento area and drive North. We will visit two jewels of Apulia, Ostuni and Alberobello. Ostuni, the city of art, it is certainly one of the most beautiful cities of Apulia. It is situated on the Murge (the hills of Apulia), the white colour of the houses that form the historical centre is due to lime, which for centuries has been used for painting the walls of the village. White City is another name for Ostuni. Alberobello, its characteristic centre includes the Monti district, comprising 1030 trulli on a hillside; it has some of the oldest buildings still preserving the original features of construction. The trulli are white dry-stone houses with conical roofs made of lapidary stones. Inside, the trulli have a square central room communicating with the other rooms of the house via arches. We later visit a renowned winery in Locorotondo. The wine tour takes us on a short journey through every step of the wine making process: the vineyards, the cellars, up to the packaging point. We will taste Negramaro doc, Salice Salentino doc, Primonero Salento igt. We later continue our drive onto Ostuni. This evening is at your leisure.

Day 6:        Ostuni – Polignano a Mare – Monopoli – Ostuni:    (B)
Today we have a full day excursion to two enchanting sea side villages : Polignano a Mare and Monopoli.  Both small picturesque villages located on the coast between Bari and Brindisi. Polignano a Mare is known for beaches, like the white-pebble Lama Monachile beach, also known as Cala Porto, which is bordered by an amazing Roman bridge. Then there’s the unique building of The Museum of Contemporary Art Pino Pascali that displays photography and paintings and overlooks the sea. Visit the magnificent San Vito Abbey, a Romanesque church with a 16th-century tower. Monachile features a lively, untouched historic centre characterized by the many balconies with breathtaking sea views and the white walls of the houses. Later return to Ostuni and the evening is at your leisure.

Day 7:      Ostuni – Matera – Ostuni:    (B)
Today we have a full day private excursion to Matera. Matera is at a remote and timeless corner of Italy, now regenerated and is one of the Europe’s hidden gems. The old Matera called “ I Sassi “ is a maze of caves, churches — some dating back to Roman times — zigzagging steps and stone facades carved from a massive slope of yellowed tufa. This unique town of stone houses, a group of renowned cave buildings set in the Gravina Valley is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Matera has been home to communities from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age, in more recent times it was a monastic settlement and a centre of a vibrant peasant culture which made its living in the surroundings hills and plains. The city’s unique landscape is characterized by a series of caves excavated into the rocks. Afternoon at leisure and return to Ostuni.

Day 8:    Depart Apulia:    (B)
Our small group tour concludes after breakfast and for most guests today it is time to say farewell to acquaintances, new-found friends and Italy.

At your leisure before transferring to the Bari airport or train station for your onward or homebound journey.

Some guests may wish to stay another day or more in this amazing country; please don’t hesitate to contact Boutique Tours and Travel for further travel arrangements.

• A specially curated itinerary for Boutique Tours & Travel

• A Small Group Tour (4 - 12 Guests)

• Private international airport arrival and departure transfers for all guests

• Hand selected modern & boutique hotel accommodation

• Meals as indicated in Itinerary; B = Breakfast: L=Lunch: D=Dinner:

• Internet Access where possible 

• Private services of local bilingual cultural foodie & textile tour guide

• Concierge / Bellhop services throughout tour

• 24 hour on call support service 

• Luxury private chauffeur driven luxury air- conditioned vehicles for transfers & sightseeing

• Admission fees to all monuments, activities, excursions and shows as per the itinerary

• Bottled water whilst touring in vehicle

• Porterage, tipping and gratuities

• An exclusive BT&T Travel Information Travel App

• Room Sharing options for singles / solo travellers available  

Not Included:

• International and domestic airfares

• Arrival & Departure Taxes, levies or other charges

• Passport & Visa Fees

• Excess baggage charges

• Cost of any ‘luggage delivery’. – via FedEx or postal services

• Late check-out at hotels

• Meals and beverages not in the itinerary

• Some alcohol beverages

• Expenditure of personal nature

• Personal Travel Insurance

• Personal expenses

• Optional activities