Italy, Puglia - Food & Wine Immersion
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ItalyPuglia

Italy, Puglia - Food & Wine Immersion

Trulli villages, baroque cities, and the authentic tastes of southern Italy's heartland

Duration

8 Days / 9 Nights

Travel Style

Private Journey

Starting In

Bari

Ending In

Brindisi

Departures

On request

Italy, Puglia - Food & Wine Immersion8 Days / 9 Nights

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Overview

Discover Puglia, the heel of Italy's boot — a region where ancient traditions, stunning landscapes, and uncompromising food culture create an unforgettable journey. Begin in Valle d'Itria, where the UNESCO-listed trulli villages of Alberobello rise like something from a fairy tale, their distinctive cone-shaped roofs built from local limestone without mortar.

From there, travel to Lecce, the Baroque jewel of southern Italy, where elaborately decorated facades, hidden courtyards, and centuries-old crafts reveal a city shaped by centuries of conquest and refinement. Throughout your days, engage directly with Puglia's living food culture: visit organic cheese farms, cook with local families, taste handmade pasta and ancient olive oils, explore artisan workshops, and understand the region through the hands and stories of the people who call it home.

This eight-night journey is built around slow discovery and authentic connection — the kind of travel where you leave understanding not just what Puglia tastes like, but why its people are so proud of it.

Trip Highlights

  • Guided tour of Alberobello UNESCO World Heritage Site with 1,400+ trulli buildings
  • Organic mozzarella and cheese farm visit with tasting
  • Private cooking session at a working Apulian farm with local chef
  • Boat tour along Polignano a Mare's dramatic coastline and sea caves
  • Baroque Lecce city walking tour and papier-mâché artisan workshop
  • Grottaglie ceramics district with handcrafting demonstration
  • Organic winery visit with Primitivo di Manduria tasting
  • Otranto cathedral with UNESCO-listed 12th-century mosaic
  • Traditional frantoio (olive mill) tour with extra-virgin olive oil tasting
  • Salento seaside bike tour through medieval towns
  • Hands-on cooking class in Lecce with regional specialties
  • Four nights in 4-star Ottolire Resort in Valle d'Itria
  • Four nights in 4-star Palazzo Lecce in the historic centre

Day by Day

01

Arrival — Valle d'Itria

Arrive at Bari airport and transfer south into the heart of Puglia's Valle d'Itria region. Settle into your accommodation surrounded by the distinctive trulli landscape. Rest of the day at leisure.

Private transfer from Bari airport

Meet your driver and travel to Valle d'Itria, entering one of Italy's most unique landscapes.

Arrive Ottolire Resort

Check in to your 4-star accommodation. The remainder of the day is at your leisure. (-)

02

Alberobello — UNESCO Trulli & Organic Cheese

Discover Alberobello, a unique urban landscape of more than 1,400 trulli buildings recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. A guided walking tour leads through these distinctive whitewashed structures, characterised by pyramidal, conical, and domed roofs built from local limestone without mortar. Visit the Trullo Sovrano, the only two-storey trullo, revealing the ingenuity behind this extraordinary architecture. Then move to a traditional farmhouse where organic mozzarella and Apulian cheeses take centre stage, with time-honoured techniques and organic practices explained by the owner. Enjoy a light lunch of Apulian specialties paired with local wine.

Guided walking tour of Alberobello

Explore the UNESCO-listed centre with its 1,400+ trulli. Visit Trullo Sovrano, the largest and only two-storey example.

Organic cheese farm

Learn how traditional techniques and organic practices create distinctive local mozzarella and cheeses. Light lunch of Apulian specialties. (B, L)

03

Apulian Cooking & Farm Kitchen

Enjoy a private cooking session at a working farm in the Apulian countryside. In the company of a passionate home cook or local chef, learn traditional recipes forged by seasonality and simplicity — techniques passed down through generations. From preparation to the table, focus remains on balance, flavour, and authenticity. The experience comes together over a relaxed lunch where you'll share the dishes you've prepared, rooted in genuine Apulian culinary culture. Rest of the day at leisure.

Hands-on cooking session

Learn to prepare traditional Apulian dishes with a local chef at a working farm. Cook and enjoy your creations. (B, L)

04

Polignano a Mare, Martina Franca & Capocollo

Begin with a boat tour along the breathtaking coastline of Polignano a Mare, uncovering the stunning sea caves accessible only by water. Cruise through crystal-clear waters beneath towering cliffs, iconic arches, and sculpted rock formations. In the afternoon, a guided walk through Martina Franca's historic centre reveals refined Baroque and Rococo architecture — decorative façades and measured proportions give the town its distinctive grace. Visit the Basilica of San Martino, noted for its richly detailed façade. The itinerary concludes with a tasting of Capocollo di Martina Franca, the town's renowned cured meat.

Boat tour — Polignano a Mare

Cruise the stunning coastline and explore sea caves accessible only by water. Views of the charming town perched above. (B)

Martina Franca walking tour

Explore Baroque and Rococo architecture, visit Basilica of San Martino, taste local Capocollo cured meat. Lunch at leisure.

05

Grottaglie Ceramics, Organic Winery & Lecce

Travel toward Lecce via Grottaglie, the capital of Apulian ceramics. Wander the charming old town and ceramic district, stepping into open workshops where artisans handcraft intricate terracotta pieces. Meet a local artisan and learn how clay and fire become timeless works of art. Continue to a local organic winery where ancient traditions blend with innovative sustainable practices. Stroll among sun-kissed vines and learn about Primitivo di Manduria, then taste selected wines. Arrive in Lecce for check-in at your palazzo accommodation.

Grottaglie ceramics district

Meet local artisans in open workshops and watch traditional terracotta handcrafting. Lunch at leisure. (B)

Organic winery visit

Learn about Primitivo di Manduria and taste selected wines in sustainable vineyard setting.

Arrive Palazzo Lecce

Check in to your 4-star accommodation in Lecce's historic centre.

06

Lecce — The Florence of the South

Set out on a walking tour to discover Lecce's amazing city centre, known as the 'Florence of the South'. Start in Piazza del Duomo, the elegant 'living room' of the city, framed by the majestic Cathedral of Maria Santissima Assunta and refined surrounding architecture. During the tour, meet a local papier-mâché artisan in his workshop for insight into this unique art form — watch humble material gradually transform into fantastic artwork. Return to the hotel to rest before your hands-on cooking class, where you'll learn to prepare regional dishes and sample the results of your work.

Walking tour of Lecce

Explore Baroque architecture starting from Piazza del Duomo. Visit papier-mâché artisan workshop. Lunch at leisure. (B)

Hands-on cooking class

Prepare regional Lecce specialties with a local chef and enjoy them for dinner. (B, D)

07

Otranto — Ancient Gateway & Olive Oil

Travel to Otranto, a city that has long served as a natural bridge between the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Wander through its ancient village, recognised by UNESCO as a cultural heritage 'messenger site of peace'. Enter through Porta Alfonsina, the historic gateway, and discover the imposing Aragonese Castle and the splendid Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata with its extraordinary 12th-century mosaic floor — the Tree of Life — crafted by monk Pantaleone. Conclude on a sweet note with a tasting of pasticciotto, the beloved local pastry. In the afternoon, visit a traditional frantoio (olive mill) for an in-depth look at olive oil production from harvest to pressing and bottling. Taste regional oils paired with local products.

Otranto walking tour

Explore UNESCO-listed old town, visit Aragonese Castle and Cathedral with 12th-century mosaic. Taste local pasticciotto. Lunch at leisure. (B)

Traditional olive mill tour

Learn olive oil production from harvest to bottling. Taste regional oils paired with local products.

08

Salento Seaside Bike Tour

Set out on a bike tour to discover the natural wonders of the Salento seaside. Start from Lecce's old town and adventure across villages and medieval fortified towns, admiring panoramic spots and cities that have remained unchanged over time. Explore the surrounding natural landscape, home to many species of plants and aquatic birds. Stop along the way for a tasting of local delicacies before returning to Lecce.

Salento seaside bike tour

Cycle through medieval villages and panoramic countryside. Explore nature reserves and stop for tasting of local delicacies. (B)

09

Departure

After breakfast and check-out, private transfer to Brindisi airport for your return flight. Arrivederci.

Private transfer to Brindisi airport

Depart Lecce for Brindisi airport. (B)

What's Included

Included

  • 4 nights in 4-star Ottolire Resort (or similar) in Valle d'Itria
  • 4 nights in 4-star Palazzo Lecce (or similar) in Lecce city centre
  • Private transfers throughout (Bari airport to accommodation, transfers between destinations, to Brindisi airport)
  • Guided tour of Alberobello UNESCO centre with Trullo Sovrano visit
  • Organic cheese farm visit with production tour and tasting
  • Private cooking session with local chef at working farm
  • Boat tour of Polignano a Mare coastline and sea caves
  • Guided walking tour of Martina Franca with Capocollo tasting
  • Grottaglie ceramics district visit with artisan workshop meeting
  • Organic winery visit with Primitivo di Manduria tasting
  • Lecce city walking tour with papier-mâché artisan meeting
  • Hands-on cooking class in Lecce with regional specialties
  • Otranto walking tour (Cathedral, castle, pasticciotto tasting)
  • Traditional frantoio (olive mill) tour with olive oil tasting
  • Salento seaside bike tour with local delicacies tasting
  • Meals: daily breakfast, 4 lunches, 2 dinners (as indicated)
  • All activities, entry fees and experiences as listed

Not Included

  • International or domestic flights to/from Bari or Brindisi
  • Compulsory travel insurance
  • Meals not specified in inclusions
  • Beverages beyond included meals
  • Personal expenses, tips and gratuities
  • Optional activities and experiences

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This itinerary can be tailored to suit different travel dates, group sizes, and preferences. Book a free chat to start the conversation.