5-Days Itinerary in Apulia: Bari and the Itria Valley

In this 5-day itinerary in Puglia we will focus on the Bari area, famous for its coast and its food and wine offerings and the Itria Valley, land of Trulli and centuries-old olive groves, famous for its fortified “masserie” and its enchanting villages.

For this itinerary, those arriving by plane can choose the Brindisi or Bari airport depending on where you want to start the tour. Regardless of your choice, you can easily move from Brindisi to Bari and vice versa by train or with a convenient transfer service or rental with driver, necessary to then move within the small villages.

For this itinerary we suggest you stay for half of the days in Ostuni/Fasano and then move to the Bari area and stay there for the remaining half of the trip, depending on your arrival airport. In this article we recommend some excellent accommodations.

Day 1: Bari

For the first day of your 5-day tour in Puglia, we will dedicate ourselves to visiting the city of Bari, the capital of Puglia.

Your itinerary in Bari will begin with a visit to the Norman-Swabian Castle, the imposing fortress located on the edge of the Old City. In front of the entrance to the castle, once you have crossed the road, you will come across the drying racks displaying fresh pasta, and then you will enter the street of the same name (via dell’Arco Basso, also called Via delle Orecchiette). It is this little street that has made Bari so famous worldwide, thanks to the skilled hands of the ladies who live there and who, every day, prepare kilos and kilos of fresh pasta. Lose yourself in the narrow streets of the historic center until you reach the Basilica of San Nicola (which houses the relics of San Nicola) and take a lunch break with the typical focaccia barese in one of the many bakeries in the historic center. We recommend the Panificio Fiore and the Panificio Santa Rita.

In the afternoon, the itinerary continues along the seafront; here you will find the famous kiosk “El Chiringuito”, among colorful boats and gozzi, with the unmistakable Teatro Margherita as a backdrop. You cannot miss a Puglian aperitif overlooking the sea in one of the many bars here.

Before evening falls, take some time for a walk from Piazza Ferrarese to the Muraglia, passing by Piazza Mercantile. Along this route you can enjoy a beautiful view of the city.

End your day in Bari with a dinner of orecchiette with turnip tops in a typical Puglian restaurant in the historic center, before returning to the hotel.

Day 2: Giovinazzo and Molfetta

During the second day of your tour in Puglia, we will move north, along the coast of Bari, towards Giovinazzo.

It is a characteristic medieval village that is accessed through an ancient gate called Arco di Traiano. Don’t miss a visit to the beautiful Cathedral that preserves some parts of the primitive Apulian architecture and the characteristic little port.

Stop for lunch in one of the characteristic restaurants in the historic center, before heading to Molfetta, the second stop of your day. It is a town very similar to Bari with a modern historic center and a beautiful view of the port. In Molfetta you can spend a few hours shopping inside the Puglia Village, an open-air shopping center and outlet very popular with Apulians, before returning to Bari.

Day 3: Ostuni, the “white city”

For the third day of your tour in Puglia, we will change area and consequently also accommodation and we will head south towards Valle d’Itria, precisely to Ostuni. This village is known as the “white city” because of its characteristic historical center, which in times gone by was completely painted with white lime. Your visit to Ostuni cannot fail to include the Aragonese Walls, the Cathedral, the Museum of pre-classical civilizations of the southern Murgia and Piazza della Libertà, the main square of Ostuni. Object of admiration by tourists is certainly the Obelisk of Sant’Oronzo, also called La Guglia, characterized by the fact that it was carved in local stone in Baroque style. Do not miss some typical dishes such as broad beans and chicory and the focaccia ostunese, which differs from the one from Bari for the addition of mozzarella.

At the end of your day, you will return to Ostuni, the new base of your trip to Puglia.

Day 4: Alberobello and Martina Franca

During the fourth day of your itinerary in Puglia we will move slightly north until we reach Alberobello, the city of Trulli, a UNESCO heritage site.

In the main districts of Aja Piccola and Monti you can admire the Trulli Siamese and the Trullo Sovrano, characteristic because the first are two attached trulli while the second is built on two floors. During your visit you can also appreciate the Church of Sant’Antonio da Padova, particular for its trullo shape.

The second part of the day is instead dedicated to the visit of a village characteristic for its wine. We are talking about Martina Franca and its Primitivo. In addition to the beauty of its baroque buildings such as the Basilica of San Martino in Piazza Plebiscito, the Valle d’Itria area is famous for its vineyards. Martina Franca is the ideal place to live a typical Apulian experience: tasting local wines through a tour of the best wineries in the area. In this article we recommend some of them. You can’t leave without tasting the capocollo of Martina Franca and its tasty meat bombs.

At the end of this day, return to Ostuni.

Day 5: Polignano a Mare and Monopoli

For the fifth and final day of your itinerary, we will move to the coast to visit two towns that offer a beautiful view of the sea. We are talking about Polignano a Mare, the birthplace of Domenico Modugno and Monopoli.

One of the major attractions of Polignano a Mare is Lama Monachile, a single-span Roman construction dating back to the 2nd century AD. Cala Paura beach is a small corner of paradise composed of two inlets and a small dock for traditional boats. The coast of Polignano a Mare also offers a large number of sea caves that can be visited by booking a boat tour.

The second half of the day is dedicated to Monopoli, one of the most active and populous ports in Puglia. Its historic center is a triumph of stately buildings and churches such as the Cathedral Maria Santissima della Madia, with its Baroque facade and bell tower. Not to be missed in Monopoli is the Castle of Charles V and the Castle of Santo Stefano. But Monopoli is famous above all for its beaches and coves with clear waters. Among the most famous and visited bays are Cala Porta Vecchia, Porto Nero, Porto Verde and Copacabana. End the day with a dinner in a typical restaurant in the historic center of Monopoli, before returning to Ostuni for your last night.

Alternatively, you can spend the last night in Brindisi or Bari, depending on your departure airport.

Your 5-day itinerary in Puglia has come to an end. If you have more days available, you can enrich your itinerary by visiting the Salento area. You can find our itinerary ideas here.