Puglia: Discover the Heel of Italy

What's Included

• Airport transfers for group flights

• All breakfasts, 1 lunch/cookery class, 1 wine tasting 

• All accommodation

• London flights (if booking incl. flights)

What's Not Included

• Local city taxes (approx. €15)

• Travel insurance

• Single accommodation 

• Visas or vaccinations

Accommodation

We mostly stay in renovated traditional buildings, which give a real taste of classic Apulian architecture. We spend two nights in a comfortable three-star hotel in the historic centre of Matera, two nights in authentic trulli houses (dry-stone dwellings) in Alberobello, one night in a four-star hotel in Ostuni, and two nights in a modern hotel near the historic centre of Lecce.



Below are the hotels normally used:



Matera: Hotel Sassi or Le Dodici Lune (nights 1-2)







Opened in 1996, Hotel Sassi (above) took over a series of dwellings, some of which date to the 1500s. There’s an Italian spread for breakfast (most of the produce locally sourced) and wonderful views of Matera from the terrace. Alternatively, we stay in Le Dodici Lune, where 10 rooms are carved into the old city walls. Right in the Sassi district, it’s an excellent place to stay if you want to explore.



Alberobello: Trulli houses (nights 3-4)







Trulli are the symbol of Alberobello (perhaps all of Puglia) so a chance to stay in one of these traditional dwellings is often a highlight for our travellers. They don’t offer the same type of facilities or luxuries as you’d get at a hotel but do offer an insight into these old Unesco-listed buildings. We have a trio of accommodations we use depending on availability, namely Trulli Holiday, Trulli e Puglia or Charming Trulli.



Ostuni: Hotel La Terra (night 5)







In the White City, we stay in Hotel La Terra. La Terra (above) takes over a 13th-century building in the historic centre. This unique property offers a bar and restaurant on site but is also close to all of the sights that Ostuni has to offer.



Lecce: Eos Hotel (nights 6-7)







Our final two nights are spent at this contemporary 30-room hotel. It has a bar for a pre-dinner drink or final night toast and the main Lecce highlights (plus some excellent bars and restaurants) are around a 20-minute walk or 10-minute taxi ride away.

Food

All breakfasts, 1 lunch/cookery class, and 1 wine tasting 

In Puglia, you will find genuine regional cooking that has strong links to
the land and the sea. To give you just a small list of the types of food on
offer in Puglia: Bread from the Murge, durum wheat pasta, olives, the pasta
delicacy Orecchiette served with a sauce made with turnip-tops or fresh
tomato and sheep's ricotta-cheese, Cavatelli with pulses, aubergine and
parmesan bake, grilled fish and seafood, burrata (soft mozzarella and cream
cheese), plus excellent wines. This region is a food lovers paradise and the
abundance of delicious vegetables makes it a perfect destination for
vegetarians! On this trip, there will be many opportunities to taste the best
local specialties, in particular during the produce and wine tasting, cookery
class, and the traditional lunches included in the itinerary.

Book with Confidence

• Transfer as credit to Future Tours

  Exodus allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform exodus, 43 days before departure.

• Low Deposit

  Exodus requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.

• Cancellation Policy

  We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of exodus charges.

  Up to 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.