Day 1 - Puglia

Scheduled flight to Bari - transfer with our tour manager in our private executive coach to the 4* Grand Hotel la Chiusa di Chietri on the outskirts of Alberobello.

Day 2 - Alberobello & Locorotondo

Guided tour of Alberobello with its white washed conical shaped trulli houses for which the Puglia region is famous - Locorotondo is perched on a hill overlooking Valle d’Itria and a visit to the beautiful church of Santa Maria della Greco is followed by wine tasting at a local vineyard.

Day 3 - Pinacoteca De Nittis, Castel del Monte & Bitonto

The Pinacoteca de Nittis in Barletta is a delightful palazzo housing a collection of works by the impressionist artist Giuseppe de Nittis who took part in the first Impressionist exhibition in 1874 - guided tour of the World Heritage site of Castel del Monte with its unusual octagonal layout and eight equally octagonal towers, built in the 13th century as a monument for Emperor Frederick II - Bitonto is home to one of Puglia’s most beautiful cathedrals and its old medieval town centre features impressive Renaissance and Baroque buildings.

Day 4 - Matera & Altamura

Matera’s Sassi dwellings are carved out of the rock and with windows, doors, terraces and churches looking out from holes in the stone, the area is believed to be the best example of cave dwelling in the Mediterranean - Altamura was founded by Frederick II and is home to a magnificent cathedral dating from the 1300’s and the Museo Archeologico housing finds from Neolithic times.

Day 5 - Ostuni & Grottaglie

Guided tour of delightful Ostuni, stretched over three hilltops and providing extraordinary views with its white washed houses standing out against the pink tinged brown of its principal buildings - tour an underground oil mill surrounded by century old olive groves for an extra olive oil tasting - Grottaglie is the ceramic capital of Puglia and you have time to explore the town dominated by its central castle.

Day 6 - Lecce

Guided tour of Baroque architecture in the ‘pink city’ of Lecce - included light buffet lunch in Lecce in an historic palazzo - time to wander at your leisure through the piazzas, market and winding streets or to enjoy the serenity of the16th century Basilica della Santa Croce.

Day 7 - Grotto di Castellana & Polignano a Mare

Guided tour of the Grotto di Castellana, a complex of underground limestone caves and caverns estimated to be 50 million years old - Polignano a Mare is dramatically located on top of cliffs overlooking the clear waters - return to the hotel before an optional farewell dinner of typical Puglian cuisine at a local Masseria farmhouse.

Day 8 - Puglia

Transfer to Bari for our scheduled flight back home.

Seven nights at the 4* Grand Hotel la Chiusa di Chietri. Located 2km from the UNESCO listed historical centre of Alberobello, facilities at the hotel include a restaurant, bar and a swimming pool. Dinner is served in our hotel on the first six evenings and there is the option of a farewell dinner at a Masseria farmhouse on our last night.

Single room supplement £99

Insurance

Entrance fees to places of interest (State run museums free to over 65s)

Optional farewell dinner at a Masseria farmhouse

Gratuities

Remember this itinerary is just our suggestion. Tailor make this tour exclusively for your group to suit your members’ budget or preferences. You could:

• have fewer or different excursions
• for more (or fewer) days
• bring your own specialist lecturer
• include all entrance fees & gratuities