Bari Residency
Hotel
Day 1
Puglia & Matera — 7 days (Bari, Polignano, Alberobello, Ostuni & Lecce)
Seven days down the heel, ending in Lecce. Seven days with a trullo, a cave hotel and a masseria, and a private vehicle for the inland legs.
Cypress & Stone
Runs this trip
Walking / cultural tour
Seven days down the heel, ending in Lecce
Group Tour
Join a fixed-date departure with other travellers
Top Highlights
Bari VecchiaSeven days down the heel of Italy, ending in a city built entirely of one soft golden stone. Lama MonachileTrulli are dry-stone cones built without mortar, reputedly so they could be pulled down quickly when the tax inspector came. Sassi di MateraFifteen thousand people were forcibly rehoused out of these caves in the 1950s because the conditions were a national scandal.
Itinerary
Seven days down the heel of Italy, ending in a city built entirely of one soft golden stone.
BariHow the day runs
- 0 hrsThe airport train into the centre
- MealsDinner
- AccommodationBari Residency
Included Activities
- Transfer
- Hotel night
LANDMARKS Bari Vecchia Basilica di San Nicola Strada delle Orecchiette Start point Bari, Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport (BRI), Bari 00:00 - 23:59Trulli are dry-stone cones built without mortar, reputedly so they could be pulled down quickly when the tax inspector came.
Bari, Polignano, AlberobelloHow the day runs
- 1 hrs9:00 AM — the cliff town and its cove
- 1 hrs2:00 PM — into the trulli district
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationAlberobello Courtyard
Included Activities
- Trullo entry
- Guesthouse in a trullo
LANDMARKS Lama Monachile Alberobello Trulli Rione Monti Fifteen thousand people were forcibly rehoused out of these caves in the 1950s because the conditions were a national scandal. It was European Capital of Culture in 2019.
Alberobello, MateraHow the day runs
- 2 hrs8:30 AM — west into Basilicata
- 4 hrs10:30 AM — the Sassi and the rock churches
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationMatera Lodge
Included Activities
- Rock church entries
- Cave hotel night
LANDMARKS Sassi di Matera Rock churches Casa Grotta Gravina Some of the olive trees on this plain are over a thousand years old and are protected individually by law. Many are dying of Xylella, and you will see them.
Matera, OstuniHow the day runs
- 2 hrs9:00 AM — back east to the coast
- 3 hrs2:00 PM — the whitewashed lanes and the cathedral
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationOstuni Residency
Included Activities
- Masseria stay
- Olive oil tasting
LANDMARKS Ostuni Cathedral Ancient olive groves Lecce stone is soft when quarried and hardens in air, which is why the baroque here is carved to a level that would be impossible in marble.
Ostuni, LecceHow the day runs
- 1 hrs9:30 AM — south into the Salento
- 4 hrs11:00 AM — Santa Croce, the Duomo and the Roman theatre
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationLecce Inn
Included Activities
- All entries
- Guesthouse in the old town
LANDMARKS Basilica di Santa Croce Piazza del Duomo Roman amphitheatre The heel is narrow enough to swim in the Adriatic before lunch and the Ionian after. Otranto's cathedral has a twelfth-century mosaic floor covering the whole nave.
LecceHow the day runs
- 3 hrs9:00 AM — the Adriatic side, then across to the Ionian
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationLecce Inn
Included Activities
- Transport
- Guesthouse night
Optional Activities
- A swim on each coast, which is the point
LANDMARKS Otranto Santa Maria di Leuca Porto Selvaggio Bari flies across Europe and has ferries to Greece and Albania if you are continuing.
Lecce, BariHow the day runs
- 2 hrs9:00 AM — the train back north
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationNot included — onward travel
Included Activities
- Rail and airport transfer
- Day 1Transfer
- Day 1Hotel night
- Day 2Trullo entry
- Day 2Guesthouse in a trullo
- Day 3Rock church entries
- Day 3Cave hotel night
- Day 4Masseria stay
- Day 4Olive oil tasting
- Day 5All entries
- Day 5Guesthouse in the old town
- Day 6Transport
- Day 6Guesthouse night
- Day 6A swim on each coast, which is the pointCosts extra
- Day 7Rail and airport transfer
- Day 1 · 1 nightBari Residency
- Day 2 · 1 nightAlberobello Courtyard
- Day 3 · 1 nightMatera Lodge
- Day 4 · 1 nightOstuni Residency
- Day 5 · 2 nightsLecce Inn
- Day 1Bari to BariThe airport train into the centre
- Day 2Bari to Polignano9:00 AM — the cliff town and its cove
- Day 2Polignano to Alberobello2:00 PM — into the trulli district
- Day 3Alberobello to Matera8:30 AM — west into Basilicata
- Day 4Matera to Ostuni9:00 AM — back east to the coast
- Day 5Ostuni to Lecce9:30 AM — south into the Salento
- Day 6Lecce to Lecce9:00 AM — the Adriatic side, then across to the Ionian
- Day 7Lecce to Bari9:00 AM — the train back north
Where you'll stay
All accommodations are subject to change
Alberobello Courtyard
Hotel
Day 2
Matera Lodge
Lodge
Day 3
Ostuni Residency
Hotel
Day 4
Lecce Inn
Hotel
Days 5, 6
What you'll eat
6 breakfasts and 5 dinners across 7 days, at the lodges you sleep in. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 7.
- DinnerServed on days 1, 2, 3, 4, 6
- BreakfastServed on days 2–7
11 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking
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Customer reviews
Overall rating
4.9/5
Based on 7 reviews
Review summary
Food4.4/5
Guide4.6/5
Itinerary4.4/5
Transport4.7/5
Accommodation4.7/5
Tour operator4.7/5
Sort by:Recommended
5
S
Sneha Kulkarni – Chandigarh2025-06-28 · Verified booking
Puglia and Basilicata done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. Rooms were comfortable and the locations meant we could walk most evenings. Would book with them again.
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5
I
Ishita Ghosh – Chandigarh2025-06-28 · Verified booking
Everything was arranged properly — transfers, entries, all of it. Hotels were clean and central, which saved a lot of time. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing. Worth every rupee.
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5
C
Carla Mendes – Lisbon2025-06-28 · Verified booking
Good mix of the obvious things and a few places we'd never have found. No complaints about any of the hotels — all of them well placed. Would send friends their way.
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5
D
Divya Reddy – Kochi2025-06-28 · Verified booking
Puglia and Basilicata done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. Accommodation was a notch better than the price suggested. Solid operator.
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5
I
Ishita Ghosh – Chennai2025-06-28 · Verified booking
Well paced over 7 days with enough free time to not feel herded. Accommodation was a notch better than the price suggested. Guides answered every question, including the daft ones. Would book with them again.
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4
M
Manav Sethi – Pune2025-06-28 · Verified booking
Good mix of the obvious things and a few places we'd never have found. Worth every rupee.
Reply from Cypress & Stone
Appreciate the honest feedback; we're looking at the pacing on that section.
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5
L
Laura Whitfield – Dublin2025-06-28 · Verified booking
Well paced over 7 days with enough free time to not feel herded. Accommodation was a notch better than the price suggested. Food was plentiful and hot, which counts for a lot at altitude. Would send friends their way.
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Questions people ask
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