Road trip
Puglia road trip: a ready-made 7-day itinerary for two
A ready-made week in the heel of Italy: nights in a trullo, the cave city of Matera, white Ostuni, baroque Lecce and the cliffs of Polignano a Mare. Your bags move, the scenery changes, and you can book every step right here, day by day.
The trip at a glance
- Who it’s for: couples or two friends who love food, the sea and small towns
- When: May, June or September. July and August are hot, and the coast is packed with Italian vacationers
- The route: two nights in Alberobello, two in Brindisi and two in Polignano a Mare, and on the last day the old town of Bari before your flight
- Getting around: a rental car. Distances are short, the longest drive is about an hour
The trip takes place in the marked area. Each base has its own map with the day trips.
Flights and the car
There are no nonstop flights from the US or Canada to Puglia, so the easiest way is to fly into Rome or Milan and connect to Bari. We did exactly that from Milan: a quick connection, and the flight to Bari took just over an hour. Book everything on one ticket if you can, so a missed connection is covered.
Pick up the rental car at Bari airport and return it there on your last day. Returning it somewhere else can add a big one-way fee. A small car is plenty for two and much easier to park.
Day 1: Fly in, Alberobello
Fly into Bari and drive about an hour to Alberobello. Its cone-roofed trulli are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and you can sleep in one. In the evening the village goes quiet, once the day trippers have left.
Stay: Alberobello, 2 nights, ideally in a trullo.
Day 2: Matera
About an hour’s drive to Matera, the cave city carved into the rock and one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. Walk the lanes of the Sassi districts and step inside a cave home. Back to Alberobello for the night.
Day 3: Ostuni, then Brindisi
Bags in the car and head south. Ostuni, the white town on a hill, is about 45 minutes away, so have lunch there. In the afternoon, about 40 minutes more to Brindisi, the port city where the ancient Roman road, the Via Appia, ended.
Stay: Brindisi, 2 nights.
Day 4: Lecce
About 40 minutes by car or train to Lecce, often called the Florence of the South. The old town is built of pale limestone, and its baroque churches are something else. Try a pasticciotto, the custard-filled pastry that is Lecce’s own treat.
Day 5: Monopoli, then Polignano a Mare
Bags back in the car, heading north. Monopoli is about 50 minutes away. Have lunch at Porto Rosso, right by the Cala Porto Rosso cove: excellent food and drinks by the sea. We went as soon as it opened. In the afternoon, 15 more minutes to Polignano a Mare. For dinner, fish at Meraviglioso by the sea in front of the Modugno statue. Book a table ahead.
Stay: Polignano a Mare, 2 nights.
Day 6: A slow day in Polignano a Mare
No driving today. Lunch at Terrine, a great family restaurant, and an afternoon at the Lama Monachile cove, on the beach or on a boat trip to the sea caves. Note that Terrine is closed on Wednesdays.
Day 7: Old Bari, and home
About 40 minutes to Bari. Before your flight, walk around Bari Vecchia, the old town: the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, and the lane where women make orecchiette pasta by hand right on the street. The airport is about 20 minutes from the center. Return the car and fly home via Rome or Milan.
What it costs
A rough estimate for two in May or September, flying from the East Coast:
- Flights: about $1,500 to $2,000 for two, round trip with one connection. More from the West Coast
- Rental car: about $275 to $450 for the week
- Stays: about $775 to $1,100 for six nights
- Food: about $90 to $130 a day for two
All in, roughly $3,200 to $4,500 for two. Polignano a Mare is the most expensive stay on the route. Prices change a lot with the season and how early you book, so treat these as a ballpark.
Cook the region at home with our Puglian recipes.
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