ITINERARY OF APULIA SLOW FOOD TOUR

1. day: arrival

Arrival: pick-up service from the airport of Bari/Brindisi and transfer to the hotel. Welcome dinner at a “Slow Food”restaurant “Cibus” in Ceglie Messapica.

2. day: Ostuni, the white town. Olive oil farm visit and olive oil tasting, visit of Alberobello and lunch at “L’Aratro”, slow food restaurant.

The very first day we will visit the gleaming white town: Ostuni. Looking out from its fortifications, your eye is drawn over a plain full of ancient olive trees toward the crystal blue waters of the Adriatic Sea. We will take a walking tour through narrow streets lined with white-washed buildings, ending at the town’s sophisticated Gothic cathedral. After that, we will visit a traditional olive oil mill. Here, we will learn about the traditional method of olive oil process as well as the modern processing system. We will taste seven different extra vergin olive oils. Alberobello will crown your day with its timeless, fairy-tale beauty. The town is Itria Valley’s premier location to see trulli, the cone-shaped houses distinctive to Apulia. Here we will have lunch at “L’Aratro”, a renowned slow food restaurant where we will indulge ourselves with the colors, tastes and scents of Apulian cuisine.

3. day: free day -time at leisure

or Matera (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site) and wine tasting at “Cantine Polvanera”. (Optional day trip)

Matera sits like a giant sculpture in the center of the Murgia plateau. We will visit the ancient town, known as the Sassi, where homes, churches and reservoirs were dug out of caves. The Sassi has its roots in prehistory, preserved almost intact to this day. We’ll discover hidden treasures in churches carved into the stone and painted by Byzantine monks, as well as modest farmhouses, evidence of the bitter reality of mid-20th Century.
A wine tour in Puglia is one of the best ways to discover the territory, the culture and the flavors of this wonderful part of Italy. We will visit together one of the most popular vineyards of this area and ending with a delicious wine tasting.

4. day: Lecce, the capital of Apulian baroque style and dinner in San Vito dei Normanni

On a guided tour, you will see elegant baroque palaces and churches constructed from warmly colored Lecce stone. These beautiful buildings surround the magnificent ruins of what was once a Roman city called Lupiae. After a the tour we will first head to the hotel for a rest and in the evening we will enjoy a dinner at a slow food restaurant in San Vito dei Normanni.

5. day: free day – time at leisure
or Monopoli and Putignano. (optional day trip)

Monopoli is a wonderful town along the Adriatic coast with about 13 kilometers (8 miles) of coastline. The origins of this ancient town date back to fifth century BC. We will take an unforgettable guided tour among the most important historical buildings, such as the baroque Co-Cathedral of Our Lady of Madia and the wonderful Castle of Charles V, symbol of the city.
We will end our trip along the harbor, which is full of fine restaurants, colorful fishing boats and very stylish bars, and where we will enjoy the unique Mediterranean atmosphere of this town.
After Monopoli we will head to Putignano, a typical ancient village filled with a maze of alleys, narrow streets and small squares surrounded by enchanting loggias. Here we will enjoy a tasty lunch in a Slow Food restaurant: Osteria delle Botteghe Antiche.

6. day: Bari and lunch at restaurant Perbacco and Polignano a Mare

Bari is the capital of Apulian Romanesque style. While here, you will see the two faces of the city. First, you will visit the French-influenced Murat quarter, with its elegant 19th Century theaters and majestic Liberty-style palaces. From there, you will visit picturesque old Bari, full of ancient traditions, seaside fish markets, narrow lanes, and homemade orecchiette pasta.
After a guided walking tour of Bari, we will taste the delicacies of this land at one of the area’s most renowned “Slow Food” restaurants: Perbacco.
After lunch we will head to Polignano. Perched on a high rocky outcrop that reaches into the Adriatic Sea, Polignano is a destination not to be missed on a trip to Puglia. The best way to experience the atmosphere of this Mediterranean city is through a walk on its terraces overlooking the sea. With its picturesque bays and hidden caves, Polignano was an ancient landing spot for merchants and fishermen. Today, its artisan shops and stylish bars are busy year round.

7. day: free day – time at leisure
or Visit of Locorotondo, cheese and mozzarella tasting, free time in the afternoon and dinner in Carovigno (optional day trip)

The white and gleaming Locorotondo is certainly one of the most fascinating and unique places in Puglia. Its high position and its “terraces” offer unforgettable views on what can be defined as the most beautiful countryside of Puglia—the bucolic Itria Valley, dotted with trulli, farms, olive trees and dry stone walls.
After Locorotondo we will enjoy a mozzarella and burrata tasting in a local cheese farm where we will experience the art of mozzarella making with a local producer. In the afternoon you will have free time on your own and at evening we will enjoy dinner in a “Slow Food” restaurant in the town of Carovigno.

8. day: pick-up service and transfer to the airport of Bari or Brindisi

Pick up service to airport Bari / Brindisi