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PREMIUM PUGLIA
Tour from:
- From NZ$7,192 per person*
Destination: Italy
Duration: 8 Days
Start / End: Bari to Naples
Style: Premium Small Group Journey
Group Size: 1 to 12 Travellers
Minimum Age: 15 Years
Tour Overview:
Discover the beauty of Puglia, one of Italy's most captivating and lesser-visited regions. Explore whitewashed villages, ancient ruins, UNESCO-listed towns, stunning coastlines and historic cities while enjoying unique local experiences, authentic cuisine and premium accommodation. From Alberobello's iconic trulli houses and Matera's ancient cave dwellings to the ruins of Pompeii and the picturesque Ionian coastline, this Premium journey showcases the very best of Southern Italy.
Package Inclusions:
- 7 nights accommodation
- Arrival airport transfer
- Private vehicle transportation throughout
- 7 breakfasts
- 4 lunches
- 2 dinners
- Premium Feature Stay accommodation
- Tipping for accommodation, activities and transport
- 24/7 local support
Feature Stay:
- 2 nights at Relais Monastero Santa Teresa, Nardo
- Historic 13th-century Baronial Palace
- Former 17th-century Carmelite monastery
- Beautiful grounds featuring artwork and sculptures by local artists
- Unique heritage accommodation experience
Included Experiences:
- Welcome Dinner in Bari
- Guided tour of Alberobello
- Traditional home-cooked lunch inside a trulli house
- Visit Polignano a Mare
- Olive oil farm visit and tasting
- Walking tour of Nardo
- Guided tour of Lecce with aperitivo
- Private boat trip to Porto Selvaggio Regional Park
- Swimming and snorkelling experiences
- Winery visit with lunch
- Matera underground cistern and sassi experience
- Guided Pompeii archaeological visit
- Farewell dinner in Naples
Day-by-Day Highlights:
- Day 1: Arrive in Bari, explore the historic Old Town and enjoy a traditional Puglian welcome dinner.
- Day 2: Visit Alberobello, explore the famous trulli houses with a local guide and enjoy a home-cooked lunch inside a traditional trullo. Continue to Polignano a Mare.
- Day 3: Visit a historic olive oil estate, enjoy tastings and lunch, explore Ostuni and continue to Nardo for a Feature Stay experience.
- Day 4: Guided exploration of Lecce followed by a private boat tour to Porto Selvaggio Regional Park with swimming and snorkelling opportunities.
- Day 5: Enjoy a winery visit and lunch before arriving in Matera.
- Day 6: Discover Matera's ancient sassi cave dwellings, underground neighbourhoods and fascinating history with a local guide.
- Day 7: Explore the legendary ruins of Pompeii with an expert guide before travelling to Naples for a farewell dinner.
- Day 8: Tour concludes in Naples after breakfast.
Food & Wine Experiences:
- Home-cooked lunch in a traditional trulli house
- Olive oil tasting at a historic estate
- Regional lunches showcasing Puglian cuisine
- Local winery visit and wine tasting
- Aperitivo experience in Lecce
- Welcome and farewell dinners
Why You'll Love This Journey:
- Explore one of Italy's most authentic regions
- Stay in a converted 13th-century palace
- Visit UNESCO-listed Alberobello and Matera
- Enjoy a private coastal boat experience
- Discover the fascinating ruins of Pompeii
- Experience Southern Italy's renowned food and wine culture
- Travel with a small group and expert local guides
- Perfect blend of history, culture, cuisine and coastal scenery
Accommodation:
- Comfortable Hotels (5 nights)
- Feature Stay Accommodation (2 nights)
Travel Information:
- Complimentary airport arrival transfer included on Day 1
- Premium Explorer style itinerary
- Private vehicle transportation throughout
*Price is from NZ$7,192 per person and is subject to availability at the time of booking. Package includes accommodation, meals as specified, airport transfer, guided sightseeing, cultural experiences, transportation and services of an expert local leader. Prices, itinerary and inclusions are subject to change without notice. Intrepid Travel booking conditions apply.
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Itineraries
Day 1
Bari
Benvenuto! Welcome to Puglia – the heel of Italy’s boot. Your adventure kicks off in the coastal city of Bari, where you’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. You’ll have a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight to meet your local leader and fellow travellers joining you on your adventure. If you arrive early, why not wander the mazelike Old Town or see the 11th-century Basilica di San Nicola – a key pilgrimage site that holds some of St Nicholas’ remains. You could also pop into a local cornetteria for a decadent Italian croissant. After your meeting, get to know your group over an included dinner, where your local leader will introduce you to Puglia’s cuisine.
It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance and emergency contact details at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.
Day 2
Bari
Leave the coastline behind as you travel inland by private vehicle to the little town of Alberobello. Set among a landscape of olive groves, the town is famed for its unique beehive-shaped trulli (dwellings built from limestone in the 14th century). Join a local guide for an inside look at the town, wandering through the Old Town quarter of Rione Monti, dotted with thousands of trulli and Rione Aia Piccola. Then, see the Church de Sant’Antonio – a huge cathedral built in the trulli style. For lunch, you’ll join a local woman in an authentic trullo for a cooking demonstration. Watch and learn as she prepares an Apulian meal with ingredients from the local market or masseria (historic agricultural estate). Focaccia, orecchiette (a pasta shape typical of the Apulia region) and bombette (thinly sliced meat rolled up and stuffed with garlic, cheese and parsley) are some of the regional delights that could be on today’s menu. You’ll then visit Polignano a Mare, another gorgeous coastal town popular for its beaches and rugged cliffside dwellings. Return to Bari in the late afternoon, then your trip leader will take you on an orientation walk to help you get your bearings in the city. Discover key landmarks, local eateries and hidden spots you may want to explore during your free evening. The rest of the night is yours to enjoy.
Day 3
Nardo
Your travel time today will be approximately 2.5 hours.
Day 4
Nardo
Before breakfast, you may like to take a leisurely walk through your Feature Stay’s historic ‘secret garden’. Today, you’ll head to the beautiful city of Lecce. With its ornate baroque buildings, lively university and ancient Roman ruins, Lecce’s narrow streets are a delight to explore. Let a local guide show you hidden corners and share the city’s history with you this morning, ending your guided tour with an aperitivo – the perfect chance to pause and watch local life go by. You’ll also have some free time to explore this historic city on your own before heading back to Nardo. Later this afternoon, you’ll take a private boat trip from Santa Caterina di Nardo to Porto Selvaggio Regional Park. Trace the rocky coastline, taking in views of the Ionian Sea, and explore the pine forest-lined beaches of the Regional Park. Along the way, you’ll make a few stops for swimming and snorkelling (snorkelling gear will be provided). You’ll also pass the sea caves, filled with deep, rippling waters.
Day 5
Matera
Enjoy a final morning at your Feature Stay hotel, sitting back with a coffee and soaking up the scenery. Then, it’s time to say goodbye and travel to Matera – an ancient city on a rocky outcrop. Along the way, stop at a local winery for a wine tasting and lunch before continuing to Matera. Matera is believed to be the third-longest continuously inhabited human settlement in the world. You’ll be exploring the city’s famous sassi houses in depth tomorrow, so this evening, why not take a walk around Matera to discover its churches, traditional restaurants and thousands of years of human history.
Your travel time today will be approximately 3 hours.
Day 6
Matera
Today, dive into Matera’s Old Town, made famous by sassi – more than 3000 stone houses formed from natural grottoes and tufo cliffs, some dating back as far as the 8th century. Join a local guide who will lead you through a labyrinth of staircases and alleyways that cut their way through limestone ravines, dipping in and out of ancient sassi houses as you go. Up until the late 1950s, the sassi were considered the ‘Shame of Italy’ due to the gruelling living conditions and poverty suffered by those who lived here – a result of the city’s rapid population growth. The Italian government intervened, and 15,000 inhabitants were forcibly relocated. Today, the sassi are undergoing extensive restoration, with some dwellings featuring exhibits that recreate inhabited caves. You’ll also visit an ancient underground neighbourhood, made up of houses, streets, cisterns and churches.
Day 7
Naples
Begin the day by driving to the storied town of Pompeii, home to one of Europe’s most well-known archaeological sites – the ruins of Pompeii, caused by the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in AD79. Join a local guide to discover the remains of this once thriving Roman trading centre. After the eruption, the city was covered in a layer of ash and remained undisturbed until the 18th century, when the ruins were rediscovered. Walk among well-preserved villas, temples, theatres, markets and chariot-marked streets as your expert guide helps you to imagine what life here once looked like. You can also visit the Roman Forum and basilica, temples, public baths and the tiny Odeon built for music recitals. Later in the day, travel to the buzzing city of Naples where you’ll join your group for a final dinner and a chance to look back on all you’ve seen on your journey.
Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.
Day 8
Naples
Your adventure comes to an end after breakfast this morning. If you would like to spend more time discovering Naples, just get in touch with your booking agent ahead of time to arrange additional accommodation.
- 7 nights accommodation
- Arrival airport transfer
- Private vehicle transportation throughout
- 7 breakfasts
- 4 lunches
- 2 dinners
- Premium Feature Stay accommodation
- Tipping for accommodation, activities and transport
- 24/7 local support
Feature Stay:
- 2 nights at Relais Monastero Santa Teresa, Nardo
- Historic 13th-century Baronial Palace
- Former 17th-century Carmelite monastery
- Beautiful grounds featuring artwork and sculptures by local artists
- Unique heritage accommodation experience
Included Experiences:
- Welcome Dinner in Bari
- Guided tour of Alberobello
- Traditional home-cooked lunch inside a trulli house
- Visit Polignano a Mare
- Olive oil farm visit and tasting
- Walking tour of Nardo
- Guided tour of Lecce with aperitivo
- Private boat trip to Porto Selvaggio Regional Park
- Swimming and snorkelling experiences
- Winery visit with lunch
- Matera underground cistern and sassi experience
- Guided Pompeii archaeological visit
- Farewell dinner in Naples
Day-by-Day Highlights:
- Day 1: Arrive in Bari, explore the historic Old Town and enjoy a traditional Puglian welcome dinner.
- Day 2: Visit Alberobello, explore the famous trulli houses with a local guide and enjoy a home-cooked lunch inside a traditional trullo. Continue to Polignano a Mare.
- Day 3: Visit a historic olive oil estate, enjoy tastings and lunch, explore Ostuni and continue to Nardo for a Feature Stay experience.
- Day 4: Guided exploration of Lecce followed by a private boat tour to Porto Selvaggio Regional Park with swimming and snorkelling opportunities.
- Day 5: Enjoy a winery visit and lunch before arriving in Matera.
- Day 6: Discover Matera's ancient sassi cave dwellings, underground neighbourhoods and fascinating history with a local guide.
- Day 7: Explore the legendary ruins of Pompeii with an expert guide before travelling to Naples for a farewell dinner.
- Day 8: Tour concludes in Naples after breakfast.
Food & Wine Experiences:
- Home-cooked lunch in a traditional trulli house
- Olive oil tasting at a historic estate
- Regional lunches showcasing Puglian cuisine
- Local winery visit and wine tasting
- Aperitivo experience in Lecce
- Welcome and farewell dinners
Why You'll Love This Journey:
- Explore one of Italy's most authentic regions
- Stay in a converted 13th-century palace
- Visit UNESCO-listed Alberobello and Matera
- Enjoy a private coastal boat experience
- Discover the fascinating ruins of Pompeii
- Experience Southern Italy's renowned food and wine culture
- Travel with a small group and expert local guides
- Perfect blend of history, culture, cuisine and coastal scenery
Accommodation:
- Comfortable Hotels (5 nights)
- Feature Stay Accommodation (2 nights)
Travel Information:
- Complimentary airport arrival transfer included on Day 1
- Premium Explorer style itinerary
- Private vehicle transportation throughout
- Travel Insurance – your North Travel consultant can provide you with a quote. Get a quote now.
- Tourism visa or transit visa if required
- Upgrades to Premium Economy, Business Class and First Class available and to be quote at the time of booking.
- Itinerary deviations (e.g. extensions or specific airline requests). This will be quoted by a North Travel consultant at the time of booking.
- Professional service fee's (if any)
Advertised prices are not guaranteed until confirmed at booking. Prices are dynamic and may be affected by foreign exchange, airline, cruise, tour and supplier changes beyond North Travel’s control.
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