2 Weeks Itinerary in Italy: Apulia

In this 2-week itinerary in Apulia we will take you on a 360° discovery of this incredible region, touching all the main areas as well as 3 sites included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We will start from Salento, the most popular area for tourists in the summer due to its beautiful beaches and more, and then reach the Itria Valley, an area famous for its trulli, farms and centuries-old olive groves; we will then reach the Land of Bari and visit some port villages along the coast. We will then take advantage of the proximity to Basilicata to visit Matera, the city of trulli, a UNESCO heritage site, and the Alta Murgia of Puglia, and then conclude the itinerary in the Gargano area, in the north of Puglia.

Following this route, the best choice for those arriving by plane is to arrive at Brindisi airport, and then return from Bari airport. In any case, whatever your choice, you can easily move between Brindisi and Bari with the regional train or with a convenient transfer service.

The latter is however necessary to move within the various villages, seaside resorts and in the countryside of the Itria Valley as they are located in areas not served by public transport. We therefore recommend renting a car upon arrival at the airport or opting for an transfer service.

For this itinerary, we recommend that you change accommodation depending on the areas we will visit; we will indicate the best “bases” for your trip day by day. In this article we recommend some excellent structures in Puglia.

Day 1-6: Salento

Your Puglia itinerary will start with a visit to Salento. In particular, we will dedicate the first 6 days to visiting this area, starting from Lecce, the city of Baroque, and then moving along the coast, stopping at some famous seaside resorts and beyond.

We suggest you organize the first 4 days following this itinerary.

We then suggest you dedicate days 5 and 6 to visiting Gallipoli and Santa Maria di Leuca.

Day 7-9: the Itria Valley

After spending 6 days in Salento, it is time to change area and head to the Itria Valley. Here we will spend the next 4 days and visit some important villages such as Ostuni and Alberobello, the city of Trulli, a UNESCO heritage site.

You can organize your 4 days in the Itria Valley following this itinerary.

Day 10: Bari

For the tenth day of your 2-week tour of Puglia, we will change area again and arrive in 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 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 Santa Rita bakery.

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 11: Matera, the city of the Sassi

On the eleventh day of your trip to Puglia, we will completely change the setting and head to nearby Basilicata, specifically Matera, the famous city of the Sassi. From Bari the journey takes about an hour, which makes it an unmissable stop for those coming to Puglia, given its notable proximity. In Matera you cannot miss a visit to the two neighborhoods: Sasso Barisano, the largest district, full of shops, restaurants and hotels, and Sasso Caveoso, the oldest part of the city. But that’s not all: the city is also full of rock churches and natural areas with truly extraordinary landscapes and there is no shortage of unmissable museums or events to attend.

A building to visit is Casa Noha, an ancient residence that belonged to a noble family and which today is a tourist information center, or the Cathedral of Matera, from which you can admire the landscape of Sasso Barisano and the “cave-house”. Continue your visit by walking through the alleys of Matera where you can find local artisan products and buy beautiful souvenirs as a memento of the city.

Not to be missed are the delicacies of the culinary tradition of Matera, based on legumes, vegetables, cheeses (caciocavallo podolico, cacioricotta, salted pecorino and many others), meats, homemade pasta and the delicious IGP bread of Matera, a bread made exclusively with durum wheat semolina.

At the end of your day, we recommend spending the night right here to enjoy the unique atmosphere of this village at night.

Day 12: the Alta Murgia of Puglia (Gravina in Puglia and Altamura)

The twelfth day of your tour of Puglia is dedicated to visiting the Alta Murgia of Puglia, in particular the towns of Gravina in Puglia and Altamura.

The first part of the day is dedicated to visiting Gravina in Puglia and its canyon of karst origin. Not to be missed are some sites of considerable cultural interest such as the Grotta delle sette camere, the crypt of San Vito Vecchio, the aqueduct bridge, the sanctuary of the Madonna della Stella and the church of San Michele delle grotte.

For lunch, you can enjoy the focaccia di San Giuseppe, filled with anchovies, sultanas and onions in one of the bakeries in the historic center, before moving on to Altamura, the second stop on your last day.

There are many points of interest in Altamura, including the historic center and the typical fortified masserie, churches and other places of interest. There are also museums, the Lamalunga cave and the discovery of the Altamura man. Before returning to Bari, you cannot miss trying the delicious Altamura DOP bread and IGP lentils.

At the end of the visits, you can return to Bari or spend another night in nearby Matera.

Day 13-14: Gargano

The last two days of your itinerant trip in Puglia are dedicated to visiting the northern area of ​​Puglia. We are talking about Gargano, in the province of Foggia, the new and last base of your trip.

The route is the longest you will travel (about 3 hours) for this reason we recommend you make a stop at Castel del Monte, the famous octagonal castle of the 13th century, built by Frederick II of Swabia, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

After this unmissable stop, continue north, in the splendid area of ​​Gargano touching the towns of Monte Sant’Angelo and then passing by the characteristic village of Vico del Gargano, considered one of the most beautiful villages in Italy and arriving in Vieste.

There are many activities that tourists can do in Vieste or in its immediate vicinity: for all explorers who want to immerse themselves in uncontaminated nature, the Umbra Forest is a must, part of the Gargano National Park: here it will be possible to go trekking or hiking or cycling.

Again, an activity that can be done in Vieste that will certainly not be easily forgotten is to take part in a fishing trip in one of the Trabucchi, wooden structures used for fishing.

For the last day of your 2-week tour, explore the towns of Peschici and Rodi Garganico from where you can then move to the enchanting Tremiti Islands and take a nice boat tour and visit the sea caves.

You can decide whether to spend a last night in Vieste or return to Bari or Brindisi, depending on your return flight.

Your 10-day itinerary in Puglia ends here. If you have only a few days available, we recommend that you dedicate your visit to only one or at most 2 areas of Puglia. Find all our itineraries here.