- Discover the many wonders of Puglia, a treasure trove of culture and cuisine
- Marvel at the baroque architecture of Lecce, among the most impressive in Italy
- Explore the medieval centre of Otranto
- Visit two typical farms to taste olive oil and watch a pasta-making demonstration
- Stay in a fairytale-like ‘trullo’ in Alberobello
- End the adventure in Matera, a magnificent cave town built by a gaping ravine
Puglia: Discover the Heel of Italy - Reverse
Excl. flights
Culture
Activity Level
Easy & Moderate
See our Activity Level Guidelines to check if this holiday is right for you.
Comfort Level
Classic
Itinerary
Lecce Matera
Fly to Bari; transfer to Lecce
Fly to Bari and transfer to Lecce.
Accommodation: Eos Hotel (or similar)
Start Lecce
Our tour begins in Lecce, a city of ornate baroque buildings – a spectacular starting point to our adventure and a chance to see some of the finest architecture in Italy. We properly explore the historic centre tomorrow; this afternoon/evening, we have our welcome briefing and, typically, the group gathers together for dinner.
Accommodation: Eos Hotel (or similar)
Guided tour of Lecce
Explore the magnificent historic centre of Lecce on a guided walk helmed by our tour leader. See the highly decorative barocco leccese (Lecce baroque) style in churches and palaces, and particularly at the Basilica di Santa Croce, the Piazza del Duomo and the 12th-century cathedral itself – all masterpieces in baroque. Enjoy free time this afternoon, perhaps sipping the local caffé Leccese (iced with almond syrup) or eating the ear-shaped orecchiette pasta, which you find across Puglia.
Accommodation: Eos Hotel (or similar)
Transfer to Ostuni; visit Otranto en route
Bid arrivederci to Lecce and take a private transfer (1hr 15min) to Ostuni, a whitewashed city spread over three hills. Before our arrival, stop in the seaside town of Otranto to wander through the compact streets of its fortified medieval centre and visit the Spanish castle and cathedral; at the latter, we see one of the largest and best-preserved medieval floor mosaics in Europe. If the weather’s nice, you have free time to swim in the Adriatic or join the tour leader for a walk along the coast, before completing the transfer to Ostuni with free time to explore.
Accommodation: Hotel La Terra (or similar)
Farm visits and pasta-making demonstration; arrive in Alberobello
Take a private transfer (50 minutes) to Alberobello this morning, a town almost entirely formed of trulli, fairytale-like dwellings with conical grey-stone roofs. The origin of these UNESCO-protected limestone houses is obscure; however, local farmers claim they were originally built to evade taxes. When the tax inspectors were nearby, the dry-stone walls could easily be dismantled by removing the keystone above the door, and quickly rebuilt after the inspection.
Our journey takes us through the countryside, so we take the chance to learn more about the local agriculture (and most importantly the local produce!) by visiting two typical farms, which are surrounded by olive trees, some of which are more than 1,000 years old. Here, we have an olive oil tasting and a pasta-making demonstration, plus some delicious food for lunch.
Then continue to Alberobello, where we visit a local winery for a tasting and stay in traditional trulli.
Accommodation: Trulli houses
Free day. Visit the Castellana Caves or Monopoli by the Adriatic Sea
Today is free to choose among several local activities. You may choose to take a day trip to the scenic port town of Monopoli or visit the Castellana Caves, the most important and biggest cave system in Italy. At the entrance of the Itria Valley, these caves began to form about 90m years ago. There is a tour that takes you more than 200ft (60m) deep and allows you to see stalactites, stalagmites, concretions, incredible shapes, fossils and canyons.
Accommodation: Trulli houses
Visit Polignano a Mare; arrive in Matera
Today we transfer (1hr 10min) to the cave town of Matera, which is thought to have been inhabited for around 10,000 years, making it one of the oldest towns in the world. Along the way, we stop in Polignano a Mare, a town perched atop a limestone cliff rising from the Adriatic. We can wander through the historic centre, a warren of alleys winding among typical white houses and small courtyards and leading to terraces with stretching views over the Adriatic.
After, continue to Matera, where we have free time in the afternoon to explore and enjoy the incredible views throughout the town.
Accommodation: Hotel Sassi (or similar)
Guided tour of Matera
Enjoy a guided tour of Matera this morning. James Bond fans may recognise the city as the scenic background for a thrilling car chase in No Time to Die (2021), while scenes for Wonder Woman (2017) and The Passion of the Christ (2004) were also shot here. Its crumbling beauty is undoubtedly a lure for film directors and location scouts, but it’s the ancient Sassi districts, formed of ancient cave dwellings dug into the limestone, that are the true star here.
Accommodation: Hotel Sassi (or similar)
Transfer to Bari; fly to London
Transfer to Bari and fly to London.
End Matera
The tour ends in Matera after breakfast and free time. If you wish to spend longer in this endlessly fascinating city, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay. Otherwise, begin your return journey home.
Essential Info
Joining Instructions
Key information
Start hotel: Eos Hotel, Viale Alfieri,11 – 73100 Lecce
Phone: +39 0832 230030
Recommended arrival time: You can arrive at any time today. There will be a welcome briefing in the evening, but if you miss it the leader will update you separately
Airport: Bari Aiport (BRI)
Getting to the start hotel
The start hotel is approximately a 2-hour drive from the airport. Your options for this journey are:
Take an Exodus transfer
Exodus provides one group arrival transfer from the airport, which is timed to coincide with the arrival of a chosen flight from London, UK. You may join this transfer at no extra cost, provided you can be at the airport before the transfer leaves. Speak to your sales representative for the group arrival transfer times or to arrange a private transfer.
Make your own way
You can reach the start hotel using taxis or public transport. A cab from the airport costs approximately €120 and should take 1 hour 40 minutes. Alternatively, you can catch the train, which will cost approximately €20, you’ll need to catch a train to Bari central station (approximately 30 minutes) and then change train to get to Lecce train station (approximately 1hr 15mins). Once you reach Lecce, take a taxi or walk about 20 minutes to reach your hotel, taxis are available directly outside the train station. On arrival at the hotel, please make the reception staff aware that you are part of an Exodus group and they will have more details on meeting with your leader and group.
If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative.
Catching your return flight
There’s a group departure transfer to the airport for customers who Exodus booked onto a chosen flight to London, UK. Please speak to your sales representative if you wish to join. If the group departure transfer does not suit your flight time, speak to your sales representative to arrange an alternative transfer.
Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.
Location start: Lecce
Location end: Matera
Passport
Remember to check the expiration date of your passport if travelling internationally. Many countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months after the date of your scheduled return.
Hotels and trulli houses
We mostly stay in renovated traditional buildings, which give a real taste of classic Puglian architecture. We spend our first two nights in a modern hotel near the historic centre of Lecce, one night in a four-star hotel in Ostuni, two nights in authentic trulli houses (dry-stone dwellings) in Alberobello and two nights in a three-star hotel in the historic centre of Matera.
Below are the hotels normally used:
Lecce: Eos Hotel (nights 1-2)
Our first two nights are spent at this contemporary 30-room hotel. It has a bar for a pre-dinner drink and the main Lecce highlights (plus some excellent bars and restaurants) are around a 20-minute walk or 10-minute taxi ride away.
Ostuni: Hotel La Terra (night 3)
In the White City, we stay in Hotel La Terra, which takes over a 13th-century building in the historic centre. This unique property has a bar and restaurant but is also close to the Ostuni highlights.
Alberobello: Trulli houses (nights 4-5)
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.
Matera: Hotel Sassi (nights 6-7)
Opened in 1996, Hotel Sassi 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.
Reviews
Add your own reviewGreat location, disappointing hotels and more local insights needed!
This is an amazing bit of Italy but this tour is a bit disappointing. The hotels are generally dated and inexpensive ( c £100 per room per night if booked direct). The hotel is Lecce is the hotel Eos and is about Trave lodge standard on a main road in the new town . So many great places and exodus chose this one? Arborebello feels like a mini film set and is full on touristy although good to be there early and late. Our trulli house was cute although a bit dated ( c1975). The breakfasts here are served in a wine cellar down some very steep stairs. It would have been lovely to have eaten outside or looked at the view.
The rooms/ caves at the hotel Sassi in matera was very varied and 6 of our group of 16 complained snd moved rooms after one night. Our cave was damp and not very clean – the damp smell and atmosphere over whelming . The terrace and view was stunning though.
The guided tours in both places were dull , functional and uninspiring. The cookery class was a 10 minute demo on how to make Orchietta pasta ( you could have a go )
Most Inspirational Moment
The walk around the coves in Otranto was lovely - prob best to do early and not at midday as we did but would be good to have more time for this
Thoughts on Group Leader
Fun and a lovely bloke. Bit repetitive on instructions and kept running too much info too far ahead .
Advice for Potential Travellers
Ask for room upgrades in advance. Food at group dinners disappointing except in Arberobello. Take hard cases as dragged around in matera fraying fabric ones
Would you like to include flights with your booking?
- ATOL protected
- Competitive flight prices
- Full refunds in the event of FCDO cancellations or major disruption at your UK departure airport
- Specialist support to rearrange flights and transfers
- Regional flights available from many UK airports
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Puglia: Discover the Heel of Italy - Reverse
Excl. flights