Basilicata & Puglia Tour
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BASILICATA & PUGLIA TOUR • Join me on a special “off the beaten path” tour to southern Italy! We visit the beautiful regions of Basilicata and Puglia. In Basilicata, we stay at a local farm/Agriturismo and experience true nature, amazing local food and wine, history and the daily lives of the people who make up this unique area. In Puglia, we stay at the sea and enjoy places like the enchanting Alberobello, known for its trulli— white-washed stone huts with conical roofs— and Ostuni, one of Puglia’s most beautiful cities, a tumble of white-washed buildings perched strategically atop a hill with views of the endless olive trees and the glimmering Adriatic Sea.
TOUR DATES:
May 22nd – 29th, 2025
(maximum group size: 7 persons)
DAY 1 | BASILICATA 2 NIGHTS • Upon arrival, we have a private transfer to the incredible town of Matera, which is rumored to be one of the world’s oldest towns, with records showing its earliest inhabitants in the Paleolithic era. Here you will find grottoes, cave tabernacles, and Renaissance homes. Matera is home to over 3000 habitable caves, including a medieval church! We will wander this enchanting town before we meet for a wonderful dinner at a local restaurant.
Dinner
DAY 2 | BASILICATA • We start the day with an awe -inspiring tour of Matera with a lovely guide, who will show us inside the caves and hidden sides of this incredible city including the neighborhood of the Sassi, truly a dive into the past. You have the afternoon and evening to discover more. I am happy to help with any recommendations for dinners.
Breakfast
DAY 3 | PUGLIA 5 NIGHTS • This morning we transfer to the region of Puglia with a stop in Alberobello. We have a guided tour of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you can find the largest concentration of 16th-century trulli houses. These whitewashed, dry stone huts with conical roofs made of limestone slabs make you feel like you are walking through a fairytale. After our tour, we visit the town of Locorotondo and a local winery for a tasing and lunch. We enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 4 | PUGLIA • Today we visit a wonderful Olive Farm where trees are up to 3000 years old and still producing olives. Our afternoon is spent in the hill town of Ostuni, perched on a perfect little hill and would look more at home on a Greek island. You have time to wander Ostuni to shop and have lunch.
Breakfast
DAY 5 | PUGLIA • Today we visit the charming and beautiful town of Lecce, also known as the “Florence of Puglia”. Our local guide takes us on a Market and Gourmet Food Walk of the city. We visit the outdoor market and selected food shops. Such a unique way of exploring the history of Lecce through its culinary heritage. After lecce, we will head to Italy’s easternmost tow of Otranto. Of the the must-visits here is the 15th century Aragonese Castle with its thick walls and robust towers. The castle is now a museum and we will explore its chambers, halls and tunnels! Another building worth seeing is the 11th-century Romanesque Cathedral with its stunning floor mosaic and spooky collection of skulls of martyrs who died for their faith in 1480. Otranto is located on the sea and a nice walk along the promenade is a wonderful way to end the day!
Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 6 | PUGLIA • Today we explore the two seaside villages of Polignano a Mare and Monopoli. Both have its own charm and plenty of stunning views and beaches! We have a fun boat tour to witness the dramatic cliffs that plunge into the turquoise waters, the charming whitewashed houses that dot the coastline, and the hidden grottos that reveal nature’s artistry. We also have time to explore each city by foot to see the hidden corners and beautiful streets made of marble!
Breakfast
DAY 7 | PUGLIA • Today we learn how to make the traditional Orecchiette pasta in our cooking class. This evening we meet for our farewell dinner at a special restaurant.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
TOUR DETAILS:
Tour Begins: In the afternoon with a transfer from Bari airport to the farm
Tour Concludes: In the morning after breakfast with a transfer to Bari airport
TOUR PRICE:
$5,595 Per person/Double occupancy
TOUR PRICE INCLUDES:
- 7 nights double occupancy lodging
- All breakfast
- 5 lunches with the local wine
- 6 dinners with the local wine
- All entry fees to museums
- All tours
- Wine tastings
- Cooking class
- All ground transportation during the tour
- Personal tour guide throughout the tour
TOUR DOES NOT INCLUDE:
- Air transportation
- Travel insurance
- Incidentals along the trip
- Hotel tourist tax (see Roommates section below for details)
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Required Trip Insurance
Please note that trip insurance is required to join us on a Ciao Darcy trip. Trip cancellation insurance will protect all deposits and payments for land and air costs if you are required to cancel your tour. We recommend www.travelguard.com
Minimum Travelers
Minimum Travelers: We only run trips with 4 or more guests. If a trip has fewer attendees at 45 days before the trip dates, we will cancel the trip. However, if this were to happen, we can give you the option of a private tour with a surcharge applied.
Accommodations
We have partnered with boutique hotels that meet the Ciao Darcy standards of service.
Room Options
Double Occupancy: Double occupancy pricing is the price for (1) person to stay in a shared (i.e. double) room. In other words, each person staying in that room will pay the posted double occupancy rate. If you’re a couple or friends traveling together, please know that you’ll each pay the double occupancy rate.
Single Occupancy: Need some alone time? We hear you. That’s why we offer single occupancy rooms. The single occupancy rate is what you will pay to have the room all to yourself.
Roommates
If you do not have a travel partner, you can purchase single occupancy room and have it all to yourself! We do not pair up trip attendees because we find there is not enough privacy in the rooms to allow strangers to room together.
Please note: Many cities in Italy and France have recently implemented tourism taxes on hotel stays in order to “to ensure the quality of tourist, cultural and environmental services in addition to the efficiency of public transports.” We are unable to include these taxes in the tour price as the majority of hotels require the tax to be paid in cash upon check- out. The tax is usually 1 euro per hotel star per person per night. (A four star hotel will usually be four euro per person per night).
