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๐ฎ๐น PUGLIA & MATERA 2026 โ 6-DAY SIGNATURE ITINERARY
๐ฎ๐น PUGLIA & MATERA 2026 โ 6-DAY SIGNATURE ITINERARY
Dates: May 16โ21, 2026
Group: 5 Adults
Route: Bari (BRI) โ Brindisi (BDS)
Departure: 20:00 on May 21
Vehicle: Mid-size SUV/Van recommended
Dates: May 16โ21, 2026
Group: 5 Adults
Route: Bari (BRI) โ Brindisi (BDS)
Departure: 20:00 on May 21
Vehicle: Mid-size SUV/Van recommended
A perfectly balanced southern Italian odyssey through ancient cave cities, whitewashed hilltop villages, olive-carpeted valleys, and dramatic Adriatic coastlines โ designed for full immersion without the rush.
๐จ ACCOMMODATION
May 16โ18 (2 nights)
Via Lucana 23, Matera, Basilicata 75100
May 18โ19 (1 night)
Via Frances Antonio Pace, 5, Polignano a Mare Puglia 70044
May 20โ21 (2 nights)
20 Via G. Mazzini, Lequile, Lecce 73010, Italy
๐ COMPLETE DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY
DAY 1 โ Saturday, May 16
Arrival & Matera's Golden Hour
Your Puglian adventure begins with a scenic drive from Bari Airport directly into one of the world's most extraordinary landscapes. Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage site inhabited for 9,000 years, rises from the ravine like an ancient amphitheater carved from golden stone.
Morning/Midday
Land at Bari Airport, collect rental vehicle
75-minute drive southeast to Matera
Check into your cave hotel along Via Lucana
Afternoon
Wander the labyrinthine Sassi districts (Barisano and Caveoso), where families lived in cave dwellings until the 1950s. Visit a rupestrian church carved directly into the rock face, adorned with Byzantine frescoes that have survived centuries in the darkness.
Sunset โ The Essential Matera Moment
Drive or hike to Belvedere Murgia Timone across the gorge for one of Italy's most breathtaking golden hours. Watch the entire Sassi district illuminate as the sun descends, transforming the ancient stones into a glowing tapestry of amber and gold.
Evening
Dine inside a traditional grotto restaurant, surrounded by the same caves that sheltered ancient civilizations.
Overnight: Matera (Night 1 of 2)
DAY 2 โ Sunday, May 17
Valle d'Itria Golden Loop
Today explores the dreamlike Valle d'Itria โ the Valley of Trulli โ where conical stone houses dot endless olive groves and whitewashed hilltop towns shimmer in the Puglian sun. This perfect circuit returns you to Matera for your second night.
08:30 โ Morning in the White Towns
Begin in either Cisternino or Locorotondo, both perched on hilltops with views sweeping across the valley. Sip morning espresso in silent piazzas before the day heats up.
10:30 โ Alberobello: The Trulli Capital
Explore both the famous Rione Monti (the photogenic main district) and the quieter Aia Piccola, where families still live inside these UNESCO-protected cone-roofed dwellings. The architecture is unlike anywhere else on earth.
12:30 โ Lunch in Martina Franca
This elegant baroque town offers the perfect midday break. Dine on local specialties in the sophisticated historic center, then wander its ornate palaces and church facades.
16:00โ17:30 โ Olive Oil Tasting Among the Groves
The heart of your day: a sunset tasting experience inside ancient olive groves, learning how Puglia produces some of Italy's finest extra virgin olive oil. The golden-hour light filtering through thousand-year-old trees creates pure magic.
๐ Book: Puglia Olive Oil Experience (~โฌ25 pp)
18:30 โ Return to Matera
Evening at leisure to explore more Sassi corners or enjoy a second sunset from different viewpoints.
Overnight: Matera (Night 2 of 2)
DAY 3 โ Monday, May 18
Coastal Transition: Polignano a Mare & Monopoli
Trade Matera's inland drama for the Adriatic's stunning coastal cliffs. Today moves you to your seaside base while experiencing two of Puglia's most photogenic coastal towns.
09:00 โ Depart Matera
Drive northwest toward the coast (1 hour 15 minutes)
10:15 โ Arrive Polignano a Mare
10:30โ12:00 โ Sea Cave Boat Tour (Essential)
Experience Polignano's clifftop beauty from water level, gliding into hidden grottos and beneath natural rock arches. The famous Lama Monachile beach, framed by sheer limestone cliffs, is even more dramatic when viewed from the sea.
๐ Book: Polignano Cave Tours (~โฌ30 pp)
๐ Alternative: GetYourGuide boat tour
12:30 โ Move to Monopoli (10 minutes south)
Check into your Monopoli accommodation, then spend the afternoon exploring this authentic working fishing port. Unlike tourist-heavy Polignano, Monopoli retains its genuine character.
Afternoon/Evening
Wander the seaside defensive walls
Explore the cathedral and historic port
Long lunch featuring the day's catch
Gelato along the harbor
Sunset stroll through the old town's white alleys
Overnight: Monopoli
DAY 4 โ Tuesday, May 19
Countryside E-Bikes & Transfer to Lecce
Your most active day combines peaceful rural cycling through timeless landscapes with an evening introduction to Puglia's baroque masterpiece city.
09:00โ12:30 โ E-Bike Through Ancient Olive Country
Pedal along quiet backroads threading through silvery olive groves, past centuries-old masserie (fortified farmhouses), and along dry-stone walls that have divided fields since Roman times. This is the Puglia tourists rarely see โ pastoral, timeless, and profoundly peaceful.
๐ Book: Monopoli Countryside E-Bike Tour (~โฌ50 pp)
๐ Alternative: Bike rental through BikesBooking
13:30 โ Drive to Lequile (1 hour)
Transfer to your final base near Lecce
15:00 โ Check-in & Refresh
16:30โ19:30 โ Lecce at Golden Hour
Arrive in "The Florence of the South" as late afternoon light warms its honey-colored baroque facades. Explore the extravagant Basilica di Santa Croce, the theatrical Piazza del Duomo, and the surprisingly intact Roman amphitheater hidden in the city center.
Evening
Aperitivo and dinner in Lecce's atmospheric centro storico. Don't miss trying rustico leccese (savory pastry) and the famous pasticciotto custard tart.
Overnight: Lequile (Night 1 of 2)
DAY 5 โ Wednesday, May 20
Salento's Dramatic Coastal Drive
Today tackles one of Italy's most spectacular coastal routes โ the wild, cliff-hugging roads of the Salento Peninsula, where the Adriatic and Ionian Seas meet at Italy's southeastern tip.
09:00 โ Otranto: The East's Gateway
Explore this fortress town's maze-like historic center, Aragonese castle, and stunning cathedral floor mosaic depicting the Tree of Life (one of Italy's largest medieval mosaics).
11:00 โ Baia dei Turchi Viewpoint
Stop at this dramatic overlook above a crescent bay where Turkish invaders supposedly landed in 1480.
12:00 โ The Cliff Road: Castro & Santa Cesarea Terme
The coastline becomes increasingly dramatic as you drive south. Castro clings to limestone cliffs above crystal waters, while Santa Cesarea Terme's Art Nouveau villas perch impossibly on cliff edges.
14:00 โ Santa Maria di Leuca: Land's End
Reach the southernmost point of Puglia, where two seas converge at Italy's heel. The lighthouse and sanctuary mark the symbolic end of the ancient Via Appia that began in Rome.
16:30 โ Inland Return via Hidden Villages
Loop back north through the enchanting inland towns of Specchia or Presicce โ lesser-known gems with flower-draped balconies and peaceful piazzas.
19:00 โ Final Evening in Lecce
Celebrate your last full day with dinner in Lecce's baroque heart.
Overnight: Lequile (Night 2 of 2)
DAY 6 โ Thursday, May 21
Leisurely Finale Before Evening Departure
With an 8:00 PM flight from Brindisi, you have a complete final day with zero pressure โ the perfect way to conclude without airport stress.
๐ Recommended Plan
09:30 โ Drive to Ostuni (40 minutes)
10:15โ14:30 โ The White City Experience
Climb through Ostuni's dazzling whitewashed medieval alleys to viewpoints overlooking olive groves that stretch to the Adriatic. The town's elevated position offers sweeping panoramas. Enjoy a long, leisurely lunch at one of the terrace restaurants with views.
15:00 โ Drive to Brindisi Airport (45 minutes)
16:00โ18:00 โ Relaxed Airport Buffer
Check in, final coffee, browse duty-free without rushing
20:00 โ Departure to Milan
Alternative Final Day Options
Slow Lecce Morning: Shopping for ceramics, final pasticciotto, browsing the local market
Grotte di Castellana: Italy's most spectacular cave system (guided tours available)
Beach Time: Quick morning swim at Torre dell'Orso or Porto Cesareo before airport
๐ DRIVING NOTES
Estimated Times:
Bari Airport โ Matera: 1h 15min
Matera โ Polignano a Mare: 1h 15min
Polignano โ Monopoli: 15min
Monopoli โ Lequile: 1h
Lequile โ Otranto: 45min
Otranto โ Santa Maria di Leuca: 50min
Lequile โ Ostuni: 40min
Ostuni โ Brindisi Airport: 45min
Tips:
Book automatic transmission early (scarce in Italy)
Most historic centers have ZTL (limited traffic zones)
Parking in Matera's Sassi requires hotel permits
Coastal roads can be narrow and winding
๐ฏ PRE-BOOKING ESSENTIALS
Must Reserve in Advance:
โ Polignano sea cave boat tour (Day 3)
โ E-bike countryside tour (Day 4)
Book if Interested:
๐ CULINARY HIGHLIGHTS TO SEEK
Must-Try Dishes:
Pasticciotto โ Custard-filled pastry (breakfast staple)
Orecchiette alle cime di rapa โ Ear-shaped pasta with turnip greens
Burrata โ Creamy fresh cheese (Puglia invented it)
Rustico leccese โ Savory puff pastry
Bombette โ Rolled meat from Valle d'Itria
Polpo alla pignata โ Octopus cooked in terracotta pot
Pasticciotto leccese โ Lecce's signature sweet
Book authentic food tours and cooking classes
Best Times to Eat:
Lunch: 13:00โ15:00 (many restaurants close after)
Dinner: 20:00โ22:00 (earlier is tourist-oriented)
โฐ BEST TIMES TO VISIT
Your Dates (Mid-May): IDEAL
Warm but not scorching (22-28ยฐC / 72-82ยฐF)
Fewer crowds than summer
Golden hour around 19:30
Sea warm enough for swimming
๐ก INSIDER TIPS
Matera: The Belvedere sunset is famous but worth the crowds. For solitude, try sunrise instead โ equally magical with zero people.
Valle d'Itria: Visit Alberobello before 10:00 AM or after 4:00 PM to avoid tour bus crowds.
Polignano: The clifftop town is tiny and extremely crowded midday. The boat tour gives you the best views anyway.
Lecce: Most baroque churches close 12:00โ16:00. Evening light (17:00โ19:00) makes the stone glow gold.
Coastal Drive: Fill up on gas before Day 5 โ stations are sparse along the southern coast.
๐ HELPFUL BOOKING RESOURCES
Tours & Activities
Food & Local Experiences
Transportation
Flights
Travel Insurance & Essentials
This itinerary balances iconic highlights with hidden corners, active exploration with leisurely meals, and coastal drama with inland authenticity โ the essence of Puglia in six perfect days.
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