NEW 2024 APULIA

1 DAY ARRIVAL
Arrival to the heel of the boot of Italy, Puglia. Accomodation in Hotel in Gargano area. Dinner and overnight.

2 DAY VIESTE AND PESCHICI
Breakfast and all day dedicated to the visit of the two pearls of Gargano: Peschici and Vieste. Vieste is one of Italy’s most attractive coastal towns, situated on a rocky promontory overlooking turquoise waters with beaches either side. A magnificent town of white houses clinging to the coastline, narrow cobbled streets leading to stairways and agave covered arches. You’ll visit the ancient village with narrow streets that climb towards the Cathedral, between whitewashed houses and colorful bazaar. Weather permitting, you’ll be sailing around fascinating Vieste and its prehistoric caves. The coast from Vieste to Peschici is dotted with very original gadgets used in the past for fishing: the famous Trabucchi, ancient structures once used for fishing which have today been transformed into seaside restaurants. Built onto the rocks above the coast,the 10th century Castello di Peschici,has rooms full of medieval and Renaissance torture devices. Dinner and overnight.

3 DAY MONTE SANT’ANGELO AND CASTEL DEL MONTE
Breakfast and departure to Monte Sant’Angelo. Perched on a rocky spur, the town of Monte Sant’Angelo commands great views over the surrounding Foresta Umbra. It was put on the pilgrim map after Archangel Michael was said to have appeared at a grotto here in AD 493. The Santuario di San Michele has a shrine to St Michael its bronze doors were cast in Constantinople in 1076. The building has a genuine cave chapel and other shrines including a 16th century statue of Michaelin Carrara marble and Frederick II’s Silver Cross, said to contain a piece of the True Cross. Near the grotto stands the irregurarly shaped Castello Normanno Svevo Aragonese and the large pentagonal Torre dei Giganti. Departure to Castel del Monte, the powerful, octagonal fortress of Frederick II. Described as the most fascinating castle built by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, Castel del Monte is a stunning 13th century castle in the wonderful Puglian city of Andria. On your private day tour of this UNESCO castle, you will discover its interesting history and even more fascinating architecture. Castel del Monte sits on a small hilltop, proudly overlooking the commune of Andria, an area known for its rich agricultural heritage, and is one of the best preserved castles in Southern Italy. Dinner and overnight in the area.

NOTICE: If you happen to be visiting Puglia and Castel del Monte during summer, you may be able to take part to Festival dei Mondi. Organised in honour of Frederick II who, because of his advanced intelligence, knowledge and forward-thinking, was known as the Stupor Mundi - ‘the wonder of the world’ - the festival is a magnificent celebration of art, music, multimedia, and literature, all taking place in the stunning Castel del Monte as well as some other buildings in the town of Andria itself. The festival takes place from the end of August to the beginning of September. If you would like to coincide your visit to the castle with the festival and would like more information, don’t hesitate to contact us.

4 DAY BARI
Breakfast and departure to Bari, one of the most beautiful cities in Puglia. The city is located along the Adriatic coast in the southeastern part of the Italian peninsula, across the sea from Dubrovnik, Croatia. Bari has played an important economic role in the region due to its strategic location in the Mediterranean Sea and it place in important trade routes. Nowadays the city is still an economic and political center in Southern Italy. It hosts one of the most popular fair exhibitions and a large university focused on trade, economics and engineering. The capital of Puglia is also known for a long and fascinating history that begins back in the pre-Roman age and for being a religious and tourist center that attracts several pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. Among other things, the city hosts an important opera house and is an important cruise ship harbor, being part of the cruise ship itinerary of the Mediterranean Sea*. Dinner and overnight.
* We can provide for your group to continue the trip to Croatia or to Grece.

5 DAY LOCOROTONDO AND ALBEROBELLO
After breakfast departure to Locorotondo.You probably already know that cheese forms a huge part of Italian cuisine, so what better way to spend part of your time in Puglia than to visit a local cheese farm. The cheesemaker that we visit is not a big business owner or industrial-sized firm; this is a typical, family-run, small business where you can see the old traditions of cheesemaking at work. Here you will get to sample some of the freshest mozzarella and burrata you will taste in your life as well as finding out how these iconic cheeses are made.
Next on our itinerary is the charming town of Locorotondo, famous for its wine and circular historical centre. In fact, the name Locorotondo itself is derived from this very feature of the town; translated into English, the name means ‘round place’. As you stroll the town’s streets, you will see more of the typical whitewashed houses Puglia is so well-known for and, as the town is perched upon a hill, it is possible to view the surrounding olive groves and countryside. As part of our visit, we will also head to the local food market, where you can see the wonderful array of locally-grown fruit and vegetables which are available here. You’ll get to experience one of the most authentic Italian experiences you could ask for. The produce of the land is very important to the local Puglian people and there’s no better place to see all the fantastic fruit and vegetables that are grown in the region than the markets where they are sold.
Finally, we will visit Alberobello, the iconic town of trulli. Trulli are characteristic conical-roofed houses typical of the region, built from local limestone, and many people comment on how a visit to Alberobello is like walking into a fairy tale. Because the trulli are of such cultural importance to the region, the town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. We will spend our time here strolling the streets and discovering all its hidden corners. Dinner and overnight.

6 DAY POLIGNANO AND MATERA
Breakfast and visit of Polignano, with its typical Mediterranean atmosphere, beautiful rugged coastline, and quaint and charming old town.
You will be able to experience the Italian lifestyle of one of the most beautiful hidden gems of Southern Italy and definitely should not be missed when visiting Puglia. Once an ancient landing spot for merchants and fishermen, you will be amazed by the picturesque bays and caves, as well as the balconies and terraces which overlook the sea. You will get to discover the small bay of the famous Lama Monachile, and the fascinating old town with its well-preserved Roman remains. After the visit departure to Matera, located in Basilicata region, Matera is difinitely something you cannot miss when on a trip to southern Italy. One of the oldest cities in the world whose roots date as far back as the Palaeolithic era, Matera is best known for having a completely unique landscape; made up of ‘sassi’, grottos and cave dwellings carved out of the local limestone along a ravine, the city’s unusual scenery has been the setting of many Hollywood films, such as The Passion of the Christ and Ben-Hur. You will also get to discover several rupestrian churches and monasteries full of fascinating frescoes painted by Byzantine monks, now considered to be some of Matera’s greatest treasures. Your walking tour of Matera will lead you on a journey through thousands of years of history, starting in the prehistoric era through to the tough, bitter years of struggle in the mid-20th century. Back to your hotel. Dinner and overnight.

7 DAY DEPARTURE