Italy: Puglia’s Undiscovered Coast - VBT Bicycling Vacations Skip to Main Content
Click and hold to Zoom

Italy: Puglia’s Undiscovered Coast

Value and connection are what set this incomparable cycling tour of Puglia apart from the pack. With our deep roots in the region, VBT takes you beyond the main tourist attractions to discover authentic rhythms of daily life at the heel of Italy’s boot. As you pedal along Puglia’s turquoise coast with your local trip leaders, you may find yourself stopping beside an ancient limestone trulli, where you’re greeted by a sweet nonna with a basket of almond cookies to share—or pausing in the town square for an affogato as you watch the village wake slowly from its afternoon siesta. Best of all, our local connections love to go the extra mile for VBT guests. Why? Because we’re family. Shop around and you’ll see—the local values of VBT’s Puglia cycling vacation outshine the competition, hands down. 

Tour Highlights

  • Enjoy incomparable accommodations with six nights at luxurious masserie.
  • Share a farm-fresh lunch and taste delicious olive oils with your masseria hosts.
  • Bike from the ancient walled city of Acaya to the beautiful, rugged coast.
  • Enjoy unhurried pedaling along rural pathways heading to the coastal town of Castro Marina.
  • Refresh yourself with a swim in Otranto’s crystalline waters.

Positive Impact

VBT is proud to support Wine to Water with a donation on behalf of each guest on this tour. Wine to Water is an international organization providing access to clean drinking water and emergency supplies in water-challenged regions. We believe in giving back to the places that have enriched the lives of our guests. We’re committed to identifying and supporting sustainable initiatives in a variety of areas including education, world health, economic equality, safe drinking water, the environment, and the preservation of cultural traditions.

What to Expect

This tour offers easy terrain on low-traffic country roads and is ideal for beginning cyclists. For more avid cyclists, several days offer longer mileage options. All cyclists will thoroughly enjoy the scenic routes along the coast. Our VBT support vehicle is always available for those who would like assistance along the road.

  • Daily Mileage: 4 - 41 miles|
  • Biking: 1 - 5 hours|
  • Group Size: 22
Activity Easy Easy
Cycling
Bar Graph Beginner - Experienced
Cyclists
Vehicle Support Vehicle
Support

Average High /
Low Temperature (°F):

Mar55º/46º

Apr60º/50º

May68º/55º

Jun75º/62º

Jul80º/68º

Aug80º/68º

Sep75º/64º

Oct68º/57º

Nov58º/42º

Average
Precipitation:

Mar3.0 in

Apr1.7 in

May1.0 in

Jun0.9 in

Jul0.3 in

Aug0.3 in

Sep2.5 in

Oct3.8 in

Nov2.7 in

Air Package

Tour Only

Roundtrip international airfare Check
Airport car service for arrival and departure Check
One night in Alberobello and one night in Lecce in a conveniently located trulli dwelling and a 5-star hotel with daily breakfast Check
6 nights in 4- and 5-star authentic masserie Check Check
12 meals: 6 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 4 dinners Check Check
Road Bicycle (Carbon frame) 41

Road Bicycle (Carbon frame)

See More >
Step-Through Electric-Assisted Bicycle (E-bike) 21

Step-Through Electric-Assisted Bicycle (E-bike)

See More >
Step-Through (Mixte Hybrid) Comfort Bicycle 44

Step-Through (Mixte Hybrid) Comfort Bicycle

See More >
Step-Over (Diamond) Comfort Bicycle 44

Step-Over (Diamond) Comfort Bicycle

See More >

Biking Packages Include:

Custom VBT Bike and Helmet

Two Local, Bilingual Trip Leaders

Support Vehicle

Luggage Transportation

Ride with GPS and Daily Route Notes

Welcome Reception

Facilitated Cultural Experiences

Your Choice of VBT Branded Gear for Your Adventure

Itinerary

Sun, Apr 7 to Tue, Apr 16 - 2024

Show Itinerary:

Your vacation is about to begin! Spend your first night aloft and arrive ready for an unforgettable trip.

A VBT representative will greet you at the Bari airport to start your adventure off right. A complimentary car service will whisk you to your centrally located hotel in Alberobello. From here, you are perfectly positioned to explore this charming city at your leisure.

After an included breakfast, you will meet our local expert guide at your trullo reception and stretch your legs on a guided walk through this unique city. Learn about trulli design and why this local style of architecture has helped this setting be recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Transportation is provided to take you to your first masseria, where you will stay for the next three days. Explore the peaceful surroundings on a self-guided walk, enjoy the amenities of this country resort, or maybe join in an optional cooking class organized by the masseria.

Masseria is the local name for large farms, which were fortified around the 16th century to ward off attacks by pirates and brigands. Masserie feature high boundary walls, angular towers, drawbridges, and watchtowers. Families worked and lived inside these walls with their own church, oil mill, and oven for baking bread. These farms also housed cisterns for water, storage rooms for tools and hay, stables, and everything else needed for day-to-day life. These days they are elegant country resorts, most of which grow produce and bottle their own olive oil.

This afternoon take a short warm-up ride along quiet country roads, past 800-year-old olive groves to the fishing village of Savelletri.

Later, enjoy a welcome cocktail reception on the elegant hotel patio. Dinner is at the hotel restaurant and is prepared with local products and herbs produced on the farm.

Important note: For those tours beginning June 11 and June 14, 2024, an alternate itinerary will be offered because the 2024 G7 summit is taking place in the region. For more information visit vbt.com/contact-us/.

Today’s Ride Choices

Afternoon: Savelletri Warm-up — 14.5 km (9 miles)

What to Expect:

Cycle a loop in the countryside on totally flat and paved terrain through the fishing village of Savelletri.

Cumulative Distance Range: 14.5 km (9 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

This morning, you will ride along the sea for a few miles, before looping inland to Masseria Il Frantoio, another award-winning country hotel famous for the quality of its food. The estate extends over 150 acres (61 hectares) and includes a “secret garden” planted with orange and lemon trees, as well as a well-preserved underground olive oil mill. Your hosts, Armando and Rosalba, have collected many interesting odds and ends over the years, from ancient dresses and hats to precious books and a gramophone. Each piece has its own story.

Your lunch at Il Frantoio is prepared using produce grown on the farm and is truly an experience for all of your senses. You’ll also have the opportunity to try a sampling of five different extra-virgin oils that Rosalba uses to flavor her focaccia, pickles, preserves, and delicious laganari pasta.

Later, you can opt to relax or continue cycling to the hotel along the ancient Traian road. An additional moderate ride option takes you up to the whitewashed city of Ostuni. End your day with a shuttle to the nearby small city of Savelletri on the sea. You are free to traverse the cozy pedestrian area to choose a restaurant for your dinner.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Hotel to Il Frantoio — 32 km (20 miles)

Afternoon: Il Frantoio to Hotel — 27 km (17 miles) OR Il Frantoio to Hotel PLUS (moderate) — 36 km (22 miles)

What to Expect:

Ride partly along the coast and then in a rural setting, passing through charming, small villages. An optional moderate ride will take you up to the hill of Ostuni and down toward the ocean again, before joining the Traian road back to the hotel. The regular afternoon ride avoids the hill and takes you through the countryside on the quiet, historical Traian road to the hotel.

Today may offer an additional independent ride for experienced cyclists. Ask your trip leader for details.

Cumulative Distance Range: 27 – 68 km (17 – 42 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, you’ll cycle along the coast on quiet roads, completely surrounded by ancient olive trees. Puglia ranks first in Italy in the production of olive oil, wine, and hay, and second for almonds. You’ll stop on the way to explore the archaeological site of Egnatia, an ancient Messapican (and later Roman) coastal town of great economic and military importance in the 10th century. The museum on the grounds includes precious finds such as sculptures, jewels, funeral equipment, and gnathia, which is the distinctive local pottery that usually features figurative painting on the upper half and ornamental designs on the lower portion.

Later, continue to Monopoli, where you’ll have the chance to visit the beautiful cathedral and old harbor. You’ll have free time to stroll and eat lunch on your own. Walk the maze of pedestrian streets in Monopoli’s old city center and see how they make the city so intimate.

Shuttle or ride back along the sea to your masseria and enjoy the amenities. Dinner is included at the Masseria restaurant.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Hotel to Monopoli — 27 km (17 miles)

Afternoon: Monopoli to Hotel — 14 km (9 miles) OR Monopoli to Hotel PLUS (moderate) — 29 km (18 miles)

What to Expect:

The coastal terrain is flat. An additional ride option provides a moderate trek inland from Monopoli on a beautiful, long, and gradual uphill, followed by a rolling, hilly road and a very scenic downhill to our masseria. To explore Monopoli, you can follow a walk created by your trip leaders and recorded in RWGPS.

Cumulative Distance Range: 14 – 56 km (9 – 35 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Leave Savelletri and take a morning shuttle farther south to embark on another day of your stunning Puglia bike ride toward Salento. You’ll begin at the walled city of Acaya and ride through the ancient city’s archway on country roads that are free from traffic and marked as bike paths. You’ll finish your morning ride at the rugged coast, where you will enjoy the spectacular view of Torre dell’Orso village, rising steeply from the sea and sandy bay. The village is a good spot to buy some lunch before either hitting the road again or taking a shuttle to the hotel.

The afternoon offers more fun cycling on quiet country roads and along the small Alimini Lakes as you head to your next masseria.

After settling into your cozy accommodations, enjoy the hotel amenities or simply relax with a good book. Dinner is at a nearby masseria tonight.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Acaya to Torre dell’Orso — 20 km (12 miles)

Afternoon: Torre dell’Orso to Hotel — 26 km (16 miles)

What to Expect:

Take a beautiful bike ride into the countryside, mostly on marked bike roads, to Torre dell’Orso on the sea, where you’ll break for lunch. In the afternoon you’ll have a choice of a shuttle to the hotel or cycling more lovely country roads with some easy rolling hills by the Alimini Lakes, followed by a final flat stretch to our masseria.

Today may offer an additional independent ride for experienced cyclists. Ask your trip leader for details.

Cumulative Distance Range: 20 – 46 km (12 – 28 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Bike from your hotel on country roads through sleepy villages, where a stop in a colorful local bar for an Italian coffee can be a wonderful diversion. Your route is shaded by big olive trees and towering oaks as you head toward the coast. By lunch, you’ll reach an organic farm near the sea, where the friendly owners, Antonio and Marina, will open their private garden to host a picnic lunch prepared by your trip leaders.

After lunch, discover Otranto, a picturesque town on the Italian coast. Founded by the Greeks, Otranto is surrounded by great ramparts and walls. Starting in late spring, its atmosphere is enlivened by local craft studios selling clay whistles, baskets, hand-dyed fabric, and ceramics. The city’s highlight is Otranto Cathedral’s enormous, 8,611-square-foot (800-square-meter) floor mosaic representing the Tree of Life, which was created by a monk in 1163. A visit to Otranto is also your opportunity to switch sports and take a dip in the sea.

Today’s ride ends on flat country roads, where you’ll catch sight of menhirs and dolmens—ancient monoliths and tombs—before returning to your hotel. This evening, you can dine on your own at the hotel or shuttle to Otranto for dinner at one of the many outdoor cafés or restaurants.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Hotel to Picnic Spot — 34 km (21 miles)

Afternoon: Picnic Spot to Otranto — 7 km (4 miles) | Otranto to Hotel — 9 km (6 miles)

What to Expect:

Most of today’s riding is in the morning to give you time in the afternoon to explore the historical capital of Salento, the city of Otranto, and possibly go for a swim. The ride takes you inland from your masseria on paved country roads free from car traffic. The afternoon ride is a short and flat route through olive groves to your next masseria. An optional additional ride is an easy-to-moderate loop with undulating terrain starting from Otranto.

Cumulative Distance Range: 7 – 50 km (4 – 31 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, you’ll set out on one of the best rides in all of Italy. Starting in the interior of Salento, you’ll follow gentle, rural pathways through little villages to the coastal town of Castro Marina. From there, you’ll continue to Santa Cesarea, a quiet town set on the edge of the Adriatic Sea, where you can enjoy lunch on your own in one of the many cozy cafés.

Fortified, you’ll follow the cliffs to the town of Porto Badisco, famous for its azure waters and prehistoric Cervi Grottoes, before continuing to Cape Otranto, the easternmost tip of Italy. You’ll cycle back to the hotel in time to freshen up before an extraordinary farewell dinner with Puglia wines and specialties at your masseria restaurant.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Hotel to Santa Cesarea Terme — 25 km (15 miles)

Afternoon: Santa Cesarea Terme to Hotel — 14 km (9 miles) OR Santa Cesarea Terme to Hotel PLUS (moderate) — 18 km (11 miles)

What to Expect:

This mostly coastal ride is probably the most panoramic bike ride of the week.  There is one major uphill after lunch, which can be skipped with a short support vehicle shuttle. The longer afternoon ride has more costal riding along a road with a bit more traffic and is rated as moderate.

Today may offer an additional independent ride for experienced cyclists. Ask your trip leader for details.

Cumulative Distance Range: 14 – 43 km (9 – 26 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After an included breakfast, complimentary transportation is provided by private motorcoach to the Hotel Patria Palace, an elegant and centrally located 5-star hotel, arriving at about 10:30 a.m. Lecce is a beautiful Baroque city, called “the Florence of the South” thanks to the skill with which local builders and stonemasons worked the soft, pink-tinged local stone called pietra dorata.

Explore Piazza Sant’Oronzo, the city’s main square and the heart of local activities for centuries. The square’s centerpiece is the Roman amphitheater. From here, narrow streets fan out into the city’s charming quarters.

The focal point of Lecce is Piazza Duomo, enclosed on three sides by the cathedral and two palaces belonging to the church. Though this is one of the largest squares in Europe, it has an intimate feel that practically invites people-watching from a local café or bakery. Your VBT city information provides useful recommendations for exploring on your own for the rest of the day including options for independent dining.

Included Meals: Breakfast

After an included breakfast this morning, complimentary transportation to the Brindisi airport will be provided (an approximately 35- to 45-minute drive, depending on traffic) for your departing flight.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Italy: Puglia’s Undiscovered Coast

Download PDF Itinerary:

Air Package (PDF) Tour Only (PDF)

Tue, Apr 9 to Mon, Apr 15 - 2024

Show Itinerary:

VBT highly recommends flying to Italy at least one day before the tour begins. This will allow you to rest and recover from jet lag before you begin sightseeing and cycling.

Meet your VBT trip leaders in the lobby of the first masseria. Readily identifiable VBT trip leaders will be in the main lobby beginning at 2:00 p.m. to answer any questions, provide assistance, and collect pedals you brought from home.

Masseria is the local name for large farms, which were fortified around the 16th century to ward off attacks by pirates and brigands. Masserie feature high boundary walls, angular towers, drawbridges, and watchtowers. Families worked and lived inside these walls with their own church, oil mill, and oven for baking bread. These farms also housed cisterns for water, storage rooms for tools and hay, stables, and everything else needed for day-to-day life. These days they are elegant country resorts, most of which grow produce and bottle their own olive oil.

This afternoon, take a short warm-up ride along quiet country roads, past 800-year-old olive groves to the fishing village of Savelletri.

Later, enjoy a welcome cocktail reception on the elegant hotel patio. Dinner is at the hotel restaurant and is prepared with local products and herbs produced on the farm.

Important note: For those tours beginning June 11 and June 14, 2024, an alternate itinerary will be offered because the 2024 G7 summit is taking place in the region. For more information, contact us (vbt.com/contact-us/).

Today’s Ride Choices

Afternoon: Warm-up Coccaro — 13 km (8 miles)

What to Expect:

Cycle a loop in the countryside on totally flat and paved terrain through the fishing village of Savelletri.

Cumulative Distance Range: 13 km ( miles)

Included Meals: Dinner

This morning, you will ride along the sea for a few miles, before looping inland to Masseria Il Frantoio, another award-winning country hotel famous for the quality of its food. The estate extends over 150 acres (61 hectares) and includes a “secret garden” planted with orange and lemon trees, as well as a well-preserved underground olive oil mill. Your hosts, Armando and Rosalba, have collected many interesting odds and ends over the years, from ancient dresses and hats to precious books and a gramophone. Each piece has its own story.

Your lunch at Il Frantoio is prepared using produce grown on the farm and is truly an experience for all of your senses. You’ll also have the opportunity to try a sampling of five different extra-virgin oils that Rosalba uses to flavor her focaccia, pickles, preserves, and delicious laganari pasta.

Later, you can opt to relax or continue cycling to the hotel along the ancient Traian road. An additional moderate ride option takes you up to the whitewashed city of Ostuni. End your day with a shuttle to the nearby small city of Savelletri on the sea. You are free to traverse the cozy pedestrian area to choose a restaurant for your dinner.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Hotel to Il Frantoio — 32 km (20 miles)

Afternoon: Il Frantoio to Hotel — 27 km (17 miles) OR Il Frantoio to Hotel PLUS (moderate) — 36 km (22 miles)

What to Expect:

Ride partly along the coast and then in a rural setting, passing through charming, small villages. An optional moderate ride will take you up to the hill of Ostuni and down toward the ocean again, before joining the Traian road back to the hotel. The regular afternoon ride avoids the hill and takes you through the countryside on the quiet, historical Traian road to the hotel.

Today may offer an additional independent ride for experienced cyclists. Ask your trip leader for details.

Cumulative Distance Range: 27 – 68 km (17 – 42 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, you’ll cycle along the coast on quiet roads, completely surrounded by ancient olive trees. Puglia ranks first in Italy in the production of olive oil, wine, and hay, and second for almonds. You’ll stop on the way to explore the archaeological site of Egnatia, an ancient Messapican (and later Roman) coastal town of great economic and military importance in the 10th century. The museum on the grounds includes precious finds such as sculptures, jewels, funeral equipment, and gnathia, which is the distinctive local pottery that usually features figurative painting on the upper half and ornamental designs on the lower portion.

Later, continue to Monopoli, where you’ll have the chance to visit the beautiful cathedral and old harbor. You’ll have free time to stroll and eat lunch on your own. Walk the maze of pedestrian streets in Monopoli’s old city center and see how they make the city so intimate.

Shuttle or ride back along the sea to your masseria and enjoy the amenities. Dinner is included at the Masseria restaurant.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Hotel to Monopoli — 27 km (17 miles)

Afternoon: Monopoli to Hotel — 14 km (9 miles) OR Monopoli to Hotel PLUS (moderate) — 29 km (18 miles)

What to Expect:

The coastal terrain is flat. An additional ride option provides a moderate trek inland from Monopoli on a beautiful, long, and gradual uphill, followed by a rolling, hilly road and a very scenic downhill to our masseria. To explore Monopoli, you can follow a walk created by your trip leaders and recorded in RWGPS.

Cumulative Distance Range: 14 – 56 km (9 – 35 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Leave Savelletri and take a morning shuttle farther south to embark on another day of your stunning Puglia bike ride toward Salento. You’ll begin at the walled city of Acaya and ride through the ancient city’s archway on country roads that are free from traffic and marked as bike paths. You’ll finish your morning ride at the rugged coast, where you will enjoy the spectacular view of Torre dell’Orso village, rising steeply from the sea and sandy bay. The village is a good spot to buy some lunch before either hitting the road again or taking a shuttle to the hotel.

The afternoon offers more fun cycling on quiet country roads and along the small Alimini Lakes as you head to your next masseria.

After settling into your cozy accommodations, enjoy the hotel amenities or simply relax with a good book. Dinner is at a nearby masseria tonight.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Acaya to Torre dell’Orso — 20 km (12 miles)

Afternoon: Torre dell’Orso to Hotel — 26 km (16 miles)

What to Expect:

Take a beautiful bike ride into the countryside, mostly on marked bike roads, to Torre dell’Orso on the sea, where you’ll break for lunch. In the afternoon you’ll have a choice of a shuttle to the hotel or cycling more lovely country roads with some easy rolling hills by the Alimini Lakes, followed by a final flat stretch to our masseria.

Today may offer an additional independent ride for experienced cyclists. Ask your trip leader for details.

Cumulative Distance Range: 20 – 46 km (12 – 28 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Bike from your hotel on country roads through sleepy villages, where a stop in a colorful local bar for an Italian coffee can be a wonderful diversion. Your route is shaded by big olive trees and towering oaks as you head toward the coast. By lunch, you’ll reach an organic farm near the sea, where the friendly owners, Antonio and Marina, will open their private garden to host a picnic lunch prepared by your trip leaders.

After lunch, discover Otranto, a picturesque town on the Italian coast. Founded by the Greeks, Otranto is surrounded by great ramparts and walls. Starting in late spring, its atmosphere is enlivened by local craft studios selling clay whistles, baskets, hand-dyed fabric, and ceramics. The city’s highlight is Otranto Cathedral’s enormous, 8,611-square-foot (800-square-meter) floor mosaic representing the Tree of Life, which was created by a monk in 1163. A visit to Otranto is also your opportunity to switch sports and take a dip in the sea.

Today’s ride ends on flat country roads, where you’ll catch sight of menhirs and dolmens—ancient monoliths and tombs—before returning to your hotel. This evening, you can dine on your own at the hotel or shuttle to Otranto for dinner at one of the many outdoor cafés or restaurants.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Hotel to Picnic Spot — 34 km (21 miles)

Afternoon: Picnic Spot to Otranto — 7 km (4 miles) | Otranto to Hotel — 9 km (6 miles)

What to Expect:

Most of today’s riding is in the morning to give you time in the afternoon to explore the historical capital of Salento, the city of Otranto, and possibly go for a swim. The ride takes you inland from your masseria on paved country roads free from car traffic. The afternoon ride is a short and flat route through olive groves to your next masseria. An optional additional ride is an easy-to-moderate loop with undulating terrain starting from Otranto.

Cumulative Distance Range: 7 – 50 km (4 – 31 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, you’ll set out on one of the best rides in all of Italy. Starting in the interior of Salento, you’ll follow gentle, rural pathways through little villages to the coastal town of Castro Marina. From there, you’ll continue to Santa Cesarea, a quiet town set on the edge of the Adriatic Sea, where you can enjoy lunch on your own in one of the many cozy cafés.

Fortified, you’ll follow the cliffs to the town of Porto Badisco, famous for its azure waters and prehistoric Cervi Grottoes, before continuing to Cape Otranto, the easternmost tip of Italy. You’ll cycle back to the hotel in time to freshen up before an extraordinary farewell dinner with Puglia wines and specialties at your masseria restaurant.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Hotel to Santa Cesarea Terme — 25 km (15 miles)

Afternoon: Santa Cesarea Terme to Hotel — 14 km (9 miles) OR Santa Cesarea Terme to Hotel PLUS (moderate) — 18 km (11 miles)

What to Expect:

This mostly coastal ride is probably the most panoramic bike ride of the week.  There is one major uphill after lunch, which can be skipped with a short support vehicle shuttle. The longer afternoon ride has more costal riding along a road with a bit more traffic and is rated as moderate.

Today may offer an additional independent ride for experienced cyclists. Ask your trip leader for details.

Cumulative Distance Range: 14 – 43 km (9 – 26 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After an included breakfast, travel by private motorcoach to Lecce, arriving at approximately 10:30 a.m. at Hotel Patria Palace. From here you can take a taxi to the Lecce railway station or airport. The nearest airport is in Brindisi.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Italy: Puglia’s Undiscovered Coast

Download PDF Itinerary:

Air Package (PDF) Tour Only (PDF)

Accommodations (Please Note: Days are based on the Air Package Itinerary. Accommodations may vary depending on departure date. )

Enjoy Your Vacation Longer With Low-Cost Trip Extensions

Airplane

Air Package Only

2024

2024 Pre-Trip Extension - Matera

2 Nights From $395 per person, double occupancy
Single Supplement: From $195

  • 2 nights at Relais La Casa di Lucio/Hotel Sant’Angelo
  • Airport car service for arrival
  • Transportation from Matera to Alberobello
  • Hospitality desk
  • Daily breakfast
  • City information

Your vacation is about to begin! Spend your first night aloft and arrive ready for an unforgettable trip.

A VBT representative will greet you at the Bari airport to start your adventure off right. A complimentary car service will whisk you to your centrally located hotel in Matera. From here, you are perfectly positioned to explore this charming city at your leisure.

After a delicious included breakfast at your hotel, you are free to explore on your own, using our included city information packet to guide your discoveries.

Included Meals: Breakfast

After a morning of exploring Matera on your own—and perhaps following an optional self-guided walk of Sasso Barisano with route notes provided by your local representative—travel to your next night’s lodging in Alberobello. Your transportation is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. from the Matera hotel reception area.

Upon arrival in Alberobello, meet your hosts and settle into the trullo dwelling (a traditional Puglian stone hut) that VBT has selected for your stay. Your accommodations are simple but comfortable. They are really unique and part of a group of 500-year-old dwellings that have been completely remodeled. A trullo is a whitewashed, round house topped by a large cone of local stones—all assembled without mortar. It is believed that trulli originated as storage sheds for agricultural implements. Much later, they became dwellings, with adjoining buildings added as families grew. Like your room, most trulli have been refurbished and are used as cozy homes today. Some of the roofs show mysterious chalk marks, possibly either to protect the inhabitants from evil or to bless the dwelling.

Please note: You have the option of attending a cooking class the following morning before check-in to your masseria. You must tell your Alberobello host this evening if you would like to attend.

Dinner is on your own tonight in Alberobello.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Relais La Casa di Lucio / Hotel Sant’Angelo

The small, intimate Casa di Lucio and nearby Hotel Sant’Angelo are both part of the Sant’Angelo Luxury Resort located in the fascinating Sassi district of Matera. The sister hotels, comprising renovated ancient buildings and their courtyards, are nestled among the stone city’s narrow lanes and networks of stairs. Each room has air conditioning and is designed to mirror the Sassi’s houses, with the front dug from tufa and the rear carved into denser rock. The guest rooms feature a large, modern bedroom and ample amenities.
Wifi
FREE WiFi Included
Air Conditioning
Air Conditioning
Airplane

Air Package Only

2024

2024 Post-Trip Extension - Rome

3 Nights From $495 per person, double occupancy
Single Supplement: From $295

  • Flight to Rome
  • 3 nights at Hotel dei Mellini
  • Airport car service for arrival and departure
  • Hospitality desk
  • Daily breakfast
  • City information

Today, you will travel to the airport in Brindisi from Lecce to catch your flight to Rome. After you claim your luggage, VBT’s local representative, recognizable by a VBT sign, will greet you outside the customs area and arrange transportation by private car to your hotel.

At the hotel, our local representative will be available to answer your questions and give you practical information on how to get around and what to do in Rome. The representative will also present some optional guided walks to help you get the most out of the city. You will have the rest of the day to relax or join our optional evening walking tour.

Included Meals: Breakfast

After a delicious included breakfast at your hotel, you are free to continue exploring on your own, using our included city information packet to guide your discoveries.

Included Meals: Breakfast

After a delicious included breakfast at your hotel, you are free to continue exploring on your own, using our included city information packet to guide your discoveries.

Included Meals: Breakfast

After an included breakfast this morning, complimentary transportation to the Rome Airport will be provided (an approximately 35- to 45-minute drive, depending on traffic) for your departing flight.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Hotel dei Mellini

Hotel dei Mellini is located on a quiet back street near the Tiber River, convenient to the city’s transportation network and within walking distance of the central Piazza del Popolo. Boasting a refined and elegant design, the hotel was once a pair of family palaces. It features air conditioning and a furnished rooftop terrace with an open view of Rome’s extraordinary skyline.
Wifi
FREE WiFi Included
Air Conditioning
Air Conditioning
Reviews
396 out of 405 (98%)
4.8 out of 5 stars.
Read More Reviews

Our guides were excellent. Guides make or break the trip. Giuliano and Debra worked well together taking care of our every need. Hotels, transportation, food, and bikes were first class. Great job VBT. Look forward to booking another trip soon.

Jeff and Lesley Kraimer, Michigan

Puglia: Italy’s Undiscovered Coast

Outstanding leaders, beautiful places to stay, fantastic food, and some unique towns as well as impressive coastal scenery. Biking was an excellent way to discover a region that is less frequented by foreign tourists.

Janey, Austin, Texas

Puglia: Italy’s Undiscovered Coast

Dates & Prices

Departing Airport :

Departing airport

Select Year :

Air Package

10 days, includes round-trip international airfare , airport shuttle, and additional hotel nights with included breakfast.

Single Supplement: From $745

Currently Full

Sun, Apr 7 - Tue, Apr 16, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$4,995

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Limited Spaces Left

Sun, Apr 14 - Tue, Apr 23, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$4,995

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online
Currently Full

Sun, Apr 21 - Tue, Apr 30, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$4,995

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Currently Full

Sun, Apr 28 - Tue, May 7, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$4,995

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Limited Spaces Left

Sun, May 5 - Tue, May 14, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$5,845

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online
Currently Full

Sun, May 12 - Tue, May 21, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$5,845

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Currently Full

Wed, May 15 - Fri, May 24, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$5,845

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Call Required

Sun, May 19 - Tue, May 28, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$5,845

Per person, double occupancy

Request a Call
Private Group

Sun, May 26 - Tue, Jun 4, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$6,195

Per person, double occupancy

Limited Spaces Left

Wed, May 29 - Fri, Jun 7, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$6,195

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online
Limited Spaces Left

Sun, Jun 2 - Tue, Jun 11, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$6,195

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online
Currently Full

Sun, Jun 9 - Tue, Jun 18, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$6,195

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Currently Full

Wed, Jun 12 - Fri, Jun 21, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$6,195

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist

Sun, Sep 1 - Tue, Sep 10, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$6,695

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online
Limited Spaces Left

Wed, Sep 4 - Fri, Sep 13, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$6,195

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online
Call Required

Sun, Sep 8 - Tue, Sep 17, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$6,195

Per person, double occupancy

Request a Call
Currently Full

Wed, Sep 11 - Fri, Sep 20, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$6,195

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Private Group

Sun, Sep 15 - Tue, Sep 24, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$6,195

Per person, double occupancy

Currently Full

Wed, Sep 18 - Fri, Sep 27, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$6,195

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Private Group

Sun, Sep 22 - Tue, Oct 1, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$6,195

Per person, double occupancy

Currently Full

Wed, Sep 25 - Fri, Oct 4, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$6,195

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Call Required

Sun, Sep 29 - Tue, Oct 8, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$5,845

Per person, double occupancy

Request a Call
Currently Full

Wed, Oct 2 - Fri, Oct 11, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$5,845

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Currently Full

Sun, Oct 6 - Tue, Oct 15, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$5,845

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Currently Full

Wed, Oct 9 - Fri, Oct 18, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$5,845

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Limited Spaces Left

Sun, Oct 13 - Tue, Oct 22, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$5,595

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online

Sun, Oct 20 - Tue, Oct 29, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$5,595

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online

Sun, Oct 27 - Tue, Nov 5, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$5,595

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online

Wed, Oct 30 - Fri, Nov 8, 2024

Air included Air Included

From
$4,995

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online

Select Year :

Tour Only

7 Days. Includes bike vacation only.

Single Supplement: From $595

Currently Full

Tue, Apr 9 - Mon, Apr 15, 2024

From
$3,895

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Limited Spaces Left

Tue, Apr 16 - Mon, Apr 22, 2024

From
$3,895

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online
Currently Full

Tue, Apr 23 - Mon, Apr 29, 2024

From
$3,895

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Currently Full

Tue, Apr 30 - Mon, May 6, 2024

From
$3,895

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Limited Spaces Left

Tue, May 7 - Mon, May 13, 2024

From
$4,645

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online
Currently Full

Tue, May 14 - Mon, May 20, 2024

From
$4,645

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Currently Full

Fri, May 17 - Thu, May 23, 2024

From
$4,645

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Call Required

Tue, May 21 - Mon, May 27, 2024

From
$4,645

Per person, double occupancy

Request a Call
Private Group

Tue, May 28 - Mon, Jun 3, 2024

From
$4,895

Per person, double occupancy

Limited Spaces Left

Fri, May 31 - Thu, Jun 6, 2024

From
$4,895

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online
Limited Spaces Left

Tue, Jun 4 - Mon, Jun 10, 2024

From
$4,895

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online
Currently Full

Tue, Jun 11 - Mon, Jun 17, 2024

From
$4,895

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Currently Full

Fri, Jun 14 - Thu, Jun 20, 2024

From
$4,895

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist

Tue, Sep 3 - Mon, Sep 9, 2024

From
$5,495

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online
Limited Spaces Left

Fri, Sep 6 - Thu, Sep 12, 2024

From
$4,895

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online
Call Required

Tue, Sep 10 - Mon, Sep 16, 2024

From
$4,895

Per person, double occupancy

Request a Call
Currently Full

Fri, Sep 13 - Thu, Sep 19, 2024

From
$4,895

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Private Group

Tue, Sep 17 - Mon, Sep 23, 2024

From
$4,895

Per person, double occupancy

Currently Full

Fri, Sep 20 - Thu, Sep 26, 2024

From
$4,895

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Private Group

Tue, Sep 24 - Mon, Sep 30, 2024

From
$4,895

Per person, double occupancy

Currently Full

Fri, Sep 27 - Thu, Oct 3, 2024

From
$4,895

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Call Required

Tue, Oct 1 - Mon, Oct 7, 2024

From
$4,645

Per person, double occupancy

Request a Call
Currently Full

Fri, Oct 4 - Thu, Oct 10, 2024

From
$4,645

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Currently Full

Tue, Oct 8 - Mon, Oct 14, 2024

From
$4,645

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Currently Full

Fri, Oct 11 - Thu, Oct 17, 2024

From
$4,645

Per person, double occupancy

Join Waitlist
Limited Spaces Left

Tue, Oct 15 - Mon, Oct 21, 2024

From
$4,395

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online

Tue, Oct 22 - Mon, Oct 28, 2024

From
$4,395

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online

Tue, Oct 29 - Mon, Nov 4, 2024

From
$4,395

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online

Fri, Nov 1 - Thu, Nov 7, 2024

From
$3,895

Per person, double occupancy

Reserve Online

For more information, call: 800-245-3868

309 other people have recently viewed this tour!

Other Tours You'll Love

View Related Tours

Stories From Europe

View All Stories

How E-bikes Saved a Cycling Vacation—and a Marriage

February 9, 2024

VBT trip leaders pride themselves on their intuition. In addition to their vast regional knowledge and skills in bike mechanics, VBT trip leaders are also experienced readers of the human...

Continue Reading

How to Beat the Summer Crowds in Europe

February 2, 2024

The new vacation sweet spots for European cycling have become the fall and spring months, where you can enjoy all the spectacular scenery in fall and spring colors—without the crowds...

Continue Reading

VBT's Top Destinations for Car-Free Cycling

January 8, 2024

For many cyclists, there’s no better ride than the one free of car traffic....

Continue Reading

Request a

Free Catalog

Find Your next vacation with Over 200 Pages of tour information

Get Yours Today

Talk to a VBT

Tour Consultant

(800) 245-3868

Mon – Fri 8:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. ET

Talk to an Expert

Book Online

Reserve Instantly

Find your perfect tour and reserve a spot with our easy online booking.

Find A Tour

0 of 4
Tours Selected