Welcome to Matera, the breathtaking town carved in stone, and to the Itria Valley, one of Puglia’s most popular and attractive areas.

Join our Matera and Itria Valley Escorted Tour. This tour combines a great variety of terrific historic and scenic sightseeing. Highlights include: World Heritage sites of Matera and Alberobello, the medieval town of Conversano and the charming little gems of Locorotondo, Martina Franca, Ostuni and Polignano a Mare.

The first leg of the tour is Matera. Only by visiting you can find out what makes Matera so special. It didn’t take long to work out – this city is like nowhere else on Earth.

Once in the Itria Valley, the Trulli are the first things that will grab your attention as you travel through this area – they sure lend an almost fairy-tale like element to this beautiful valley.  Its gentle countryside is criss-crossed by drystone walls, vineyards, almond and olive groves, fig trees and winding country lanes.

Like many trips to Italy, the food is a true highlight, delicious, only fresh and local ingredients.  Each town has something special to offer, every bite will be memorable, wheter it is the capocollo ham of Martina Franca, the meat bombette (barbecued directly by the butcher for you), the DOC white wine of Locorotondo or the peperone crusco in Matera. Ready?

Tour highlights
Spend 4 days discovering the heart of Puglia’s and Matera
4-star hotel
Knowledgable English-speaking tour guide
Enjoy a wine tasting in Martina Franca
Complimentary Pasticciotto pastry
Visit the breathtaking town of Matera
Discover the unspolied medieval gem of Conversano
Experience a boat tour in Polignano a Mare, for an amazing view of the cliffs
3 Breakfasts, 3 Dinners, 2 Light Lunches

Matera and Itria Valley Your itinerary
Day 1: Bari – Matera – Alberobello

Meeting for tour check-in at 8:30 am in Bari city centre. In about one hour you will reach Matera: Italy’s magical city of stone. Matera is one of the most interesting, unusual and memorable tourist destinations in Italy. In the remote southern region of Basilicata, still little-visited by foreign travellers, it is a town famous for its extensive cave-dwelling districts, the Sassi. The Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1993 and in 2019 the city was recognised as a European Capital of Culture.

Old Matera is split into two sections – the Sasso Barisano and the Sasso Caveoso – separated by a ridge upon which sits Matera’s cathedral.  Matera was considered to be possibly the third-oldest in the world after Aleppo and Jericho.

Also, this fascinating historical setting that has been used as a backdrop location for Mel Gibson’s movie, “The Passion of the Christ”.

In the afternoon, you will explore the Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera and visit the Crypt of the Original Sin. The church is hailed for its unique and equisite 9th century frescos depicting the early chapters of the Genesis & other biblical figures.

It’s time to go to Alberobello, check-in and dinner in the hotel. (D)

Day  2: Alberobello – Locorotondo

Alberobello, the best known town in the region, and for good reason. Alberobello is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its maze of hilly cobblestone paths lined with charming conical-roofed trulli, the white town  seems straight out of a children’s story book. Needless to say, this is a typical Apulian town, with its harmonious low-rise architecture enriched by tiny piazzas and scenic countryside views.

Trulli are unique to the Itria Valley and were originally built as field shelters or for storage, and in some cases as dwellings for rural families. Alberobello has over 1,500 densely packed trulli, clustered in two neighborhoods—over 1,000 are in Rione Monti and another 400 are in Rione Aia Piccola.
There are two excellent museums in Alberobello that provide a better understanding of the trulli and they are included in our tour, Museo del Territorio and Trullo Sovrano,.

You will make a stop at Martinucci’s pastry shop  for a complimentary pasticciotto, a custard-filled pastry in flavors like pistachio and ricotta with chocolate.

In the afternoon, tour continues to Locorotondo. Listed as one of I Borghi più belli d’Italia (most beautiful small Italian towns of historical interest), Locorotondo is a whitewashed hilltop town,  in the heart of the Valle d’Itria. Still, the humble town is a delightful place to wander around, with its round-shaped historical center of quiet streets and typical cummerse townhouses bedecked with pots of fuchsia geraniums and intricate ironwork. Buildings are all white and even the streets are paved with white stones. Since Locorotondo is perched on a hill, you can get an equally enchanting sight of the countryside dotted with tranquil vineyards, olive groves, and trulli homes. Back to Alberobello and time for relax before dinner at local restaurant.

Day 3: Ostuni – Martina Franca  and wine tasting

Today’s full-day starts visiting the “white town” of Ostuni and the charming baroque town of Martina Franca.
Ostuni is one of the most attractive towns in southern Italy. Ostuni is a gleaming white mix of houses, churches, and charming piazzas spread over a hilltop surrounded by quaint countryside and endless olive groves.

Appropriately nicknamed la città bianca or “the white city,” Ostuni’s fortified historical old town is located on a steep hill just a few kilometers from the sea. That’s allows to have lovely views of the Adriatic blue and crystal water. Along with tour guide, simply enjoy wandering the streets and alleyways, checking out the historic buildings, and be amazed by panoramic views of the Adriatic and lazy countryside.
The Museo Civiltà Preclassica Murgia Meridionale Ostuni, included in the tour, the town’s archaeology museum, is a surprising treat.

Light lunch included in Martina Franca in a macelleria-braceria to taste delicious and tipical Bombette. What’s a macelleria-braceria? It’s a butcher’s shop having little restaurants serving bombette and meats.

One of Puglia’s most beautiful towns, Martina Franca is overflowing with elegant Baroque architecture and delightful trattorias specializing also in exquisite cold cuts (capocollo ham).
A bit bigger than the neighboring towns, it has long been the commercial center of the region, which is evident in the centuries-old palazzi, and exquisitely ornate basilicas. The largest church in town is Basilica di San Martino, a grand baroque and rococo construction, and the 17th century Palazzo Ducale. At the end of the city tour, you will go to a local vinery to taste two different wines. Puglia is famous for its wines!
Back to Alberobello and time for relax before dinner in the hotel.

Day 4: Conversano – Polignano a Mare – Bari

Conversano is unspoiled by mass tourism and the perfect place to experience authentic Apulian life. It is a beautiful city that blends its history wonderfully with a certain youth a vibrance and it is well worth a visit. A charming town, awash with history and unique charm, Conversano is home to many gems including a castle, monastery, Romanesque church and megaltihic walls. The town’s main attraction is its imposing medieval castle, which is thought to date as far back as the 6th century,even though it was rebuilt in the 11th. The Conversano Cathedral is just a few minutes walk from the castle and is a beautiful example of Romanesque-style architecture and not far again, is the Monastero San Benedetto, once one of the most powerful monasteries in Puglia.

The tour continues to Polignano a Mare, where a light lunch is waiting fo you.

Polignano a Mare is prettier than a paint, a shining gem on the coast of the Valle d’Itria. Perched dramatically atop a 20 metre-high craggy ravine above the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic, Polignano a Mare truly lives up to its name and literally could not be any more ‘at sea’.
The idyllic seaside town hugs a little beach sheltered by two cliffs, and its centro storico – an atmospheric maze of winding streets, sun-bleached buildings, and old churches – reveals intriguing glimpses of the sparkling blue sea at every turn. You may find yourself getting lost in the winding streets, but you won’t mind at all. Before you know it, you will have reached one of three panoramic terraces offering breathtaking views of the beautiful Adriatic Sea and coastline. After the city tour, you will enjoy a boat ride to explore the sea caves of Polignano a Mare. Cruise out to sea and admire the coastline views. See unique rock formations and colorful light displays in Grotta delle Rondinelle, Grotta of Episcopina, and Grotta Palazzese. (Only in April, May June and September)
You return back to Bari around 19:00. End of our services.

The accommodation

In Alberobello,  3 nights

A unique accommodation set in the tranquil Puglia countryside. The 4-star hotel is surrounded by olive trrees and trulli dotted all around. Rooms are equipped with air contitioned, Wi-Fi and modern furniture and a private balcony. Restaurant serves traditional Puglia dishes with local produces.

Included:
Private bus transportation
English-speaking tour guide, escorting the group throughout
4.star hotel

3 nights accomodation, twin/double shared room
3 Continental breakfasts
3 dinners
Light lunch in Martina Franca
Light lunch in Polignano a Mare
Wine tasting
Complimentary pasticciotto pastry
Boat tour in Polignano a Mare
Entrance fees as per programme
Insurance

Not included
Transfer to/from airport
Pre/post tour accommodation
Hotel city tax (approx. €2 per person per night)
Extras, drinks and personal expenses
Gratuities and porterage

Please note: we can help you with airport transfer and with pre and post-tour hotel booking.

Matera and Itria Valley Tour Calendar