Italy: Puglia’s Undiscovered Coast
Cycle along ancient walled cities, explore charming seaside villages, and enjoy farm fresh food prepared by local hosts with VBT’s Puglia bike tour.
Guided Biking
- Daily Mileage: 5 - 43|
- Biking: 0:45 - 5:15 hr|
- Group Size: 22
Starting From
10-day Air Package
$4,645
7-day Bike Tour Only
$3,545
Per person, double occupancy

Italy: Puglia’s Undiscovered Coast
Turquoise seas, olive groves, and medieval architecture surround you in the wine country of Puglia. Explore remote trails along stone-sculpted seaside villages and traditional trulli huts. This exquisite region is surrounded by three majestic bodies of water, giving you unparalleled, 360-degree coastal views and cool Adriatic breezes along your journey. With VBT’s Puglia bike tour, you’ll travel back in time as you cycle along the ancient walled city of Acaya and refresh yourself with a dip in the crystalline waters of Otranto, Italy’s easternmost tip. Your trip includes dining with locals on farm fresh cuisine, topped with an olive oil tasting in Ostuni.What to Expect
This tour offers easy terrain throughout the trip and is ideal for beginning cyclists.
- Daily Mileage: 5 - 43|
- Biking: 0:45 - 5:15 hr|
- Group Size: 22
Cycling
Cyclists
Support
Tour Highlights
- Enjoy incomparable accommodations with 6 nights at luxurious masserie and countryside hotels
- Ride along quiet country roads past 800-year-old olive groves to the ancient coastal site of Egnatia
- 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
- Picnic with a local family at their organic farm near the sea
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
Nov2.6 in
Tour Only | Tour Only |
|
---|---|---|
Roundtrip international airfare | ||
Transfers to and from international airport | ||
One night in Alberobello and one night in Lecce in conveniently located ‘trulli’ dwellings and hotels with breakfasts included | ||
6 nights in 4- and 5-star countryside hotels and authentic masserie | ||
12 meals: 6 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 4 dinners |

Road Bicycle (Carbon frame)
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Step-Through (Mixte Hybrid) Comfort Bicycle
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Step-Over (Diamond) Comfort Bicycle
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Electric-Assisted Bicycle (E-bike)
See More >Biking Packages Include:
Custom VBT Bike and Helmet
Two Local, Bilingual Trip Leaders
Vehicle Support
Luggage Transfers
Ride with GPS and Daily Route Notes
Welcome Reception
Facilitated Cultural Experiences
Your Choice of VBT Branded Gear for Your Adventure
Accommodations
Enjoy Your Vacation Longer With Low-Cost Trip Extensions
Air Package Only
2021 Pre-Trip Extension - Matera
2 Nights From $295 per person, double occupancy
Single Supplement: From $195
- 2 nights at Relais La Casa di Lucio/Hotel Sant’Angelo
- Daily breakfast
- VBT City Information
- Hospitality desk
- Airport transfers
- Matera is an ancient city of rock-hewn buildings carved into a canyon and often used for the set of historical-epic movies like “The Passion of the Christ.”
- More than 100 churches built into the rocky surface of the city.
- UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993.
Depart home for Italy. The particulars of your arrival overseas are detailed with your flight itinerary.
Upon arrival at the airport in Bari, Italy, claim your luggage and clear customs. A VBT representative will meet you and help you transfer (approximately one hour) to your centrally located Matera hotel. If you are going to be delayed meeting our transfer by more than 15 minutes due to delayed or lost luggage, please let our driver know by calling or sending a text message to +39 333 85 12 310. Please type VBT Guest at the beginning of your text. The driver will generally be able to wait for up to 45 minutes from the time your flight lands, after which you would be responsible for your own transfer. You may also contact Allianz Global Assistance to advise them of your delay and they will contact our transfer company.
VBT provides you with City Information to help guide your independent exploration of this beautiful city. At the hotel, our local expert will be available at 6:00 p.m. to answer your questions and offer an optional, privately guided walk to help you make the most your time here. You are free to dine on your own at any of the local establishments.
Accommodation: La Casa di Lucio/Hotel Sant’Angelo, Matera
Follow your guide if you have booked the VBT guided walking tour, or make your own discoveries in Matera, an ancient city of rock-hewn buildings. Designated by the EU as the European Capital of Culture in 2019, Matera, is often used as the set for historical, epic movies like “The Passion of the Christ” and the recent “Ben-Hur” remake. Walk the historic streets to explore the more than 100 churches built into the rocky surface of the city and admire the magnificent Greek and Byzantine frescoes painted inside these cavernous houses of worship. Visit the Sassi ancient quarters or tour the Romanesque-Apulian Cathedral. Along the way, learn the fascinating history of this UNESCO World Heritage site.
The town is 1,312 feet (400 meters) above sea level and clings to a hillside, half-open like an amphitheater, before extending over a wide plateau. You can explore by climbing the steps and narrow roads that meander inside the ancient quarters which cover two distinct valleys. From the uppermost streets, you can admire breathtaking views.
During the day, visit the Romanesque-Apulian Cathedral for amazing views from the highest point in the city. Other attractions not to be missed include the Sassi, ancient cave dwellings that were inhabited as recently as the 1950s, with crypts and underground churches.
It’s worth noting that your hotels (they are sister properties) are carved out of tufa rocks. They are the result of a painstaking renovation of more than 15,690 square feet of the Sassi, including cave dwellings, pathways, stairways, and courtyards. The property is comprised of 35 historical dwellings, including a shared restaurant, main reception area, and service structures. The property mirrors a typical Matera neighborhood: its rooms and courtyards are laid out on a steep slope and connected by stairways and landings.
Accommodation: La Casa di Lucio/Hotel Sant’Angelo, Matera
Included Meals: Breakfast
After a morning of exploring Matera on your own —and perhaps following an optional self-guided walk of Sasso Barisano—transfer to your next night’s lodging in Alberobello. Your transfer is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. from the Matera hotel reception area.
Upon arrival in Alberobello, meet your hosts and settle in the trullo dwelling (a traditional Puglian stone hut) that VBT has selected for your stay. Your comfortable accommodations are part of a group of 500-year-old dwellings which 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.
VBT Air Package guests arrive throughout the day.
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Accommodation: Trulli & Puglia, Alberobello
Included Meals: Breakfast
Air Package Only
2021 Post-Trip Extension - Rome
3 Nights From $495 per person, double occupancy
Single Supplement: From $295
- 3 nights at Hotel dei Mellini
- Daily breakfast
- VBT City Information & Hospitality desk
- Airfare to Rome
- Airport transfers
- The Vatican, where St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel await.
- Ancient Roman architecture including the Forum, the Coliseum, and recent discoveries now open to the public
- When in Rome, la dolce vita—enjoy the good life.
Today you will transfer to the airport in Brindisi from Lecce. After you claim your luggage, VBT’s local representative, recognizable by a VBT sign, will greet you outside the customs area and help you transfer 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.
Accommodation: Hotel dei Mellini, Rome
Included Meals: Breakfast
Today’s opportunities are endless. You might visit the Forum which was the political and commercial center of ancient Rome when the empire was at its greatest power. Various emperors constructed the temples, monuments, and other buildings over a period of nine centuries. Today you can still see the Curia, where the Roman Senate met. Take a walk up the Palatine Hill, where tradition says the first settlers of Rome built their huts under the direction of Romulus, later to be the home of Caligula, Nero, Tiberius, and Domitian.
Perhaps you’ll step out of Italy with a visit to the Vatican, an independent state. The Vatican museums are filled with an astonishing array of magnificent art, going well beyond the better-known pieces like Michelangelo’s “Pieta” and the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
Tour Rome’s famous Catacombs, located in tunnels carved out of rock along the Via Appia, the Appian Way, or spend an idyllic afternoon in the gardens of the Villa Borghese, one of Europe’s most elegant parks. And by all means, do as the Romans do—sip espresso, savor Italian wine, and take time to enjoy la dolce vita. After a full day of independent exploration, retire to your hotel or perhaps enjoy one of Rome’s fine restaurants.
Please note: Italian museums are closed on Mondays. Museums in the Vatican State are closed on Sundays. If you would like more information or want to book one of our optional guided tours in advance, please refer to your VBT City Information.
Accommodation: Hotel dei Mellini, Rome
Included Meals: Breakfast
You have another day to continue exploring Rome on your own.
Accommodation: Hotel dei Mellini, Rome
Included Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast*, transfer to the airport for your flight home. VBT recommends that you check your transfer time in your Transfer Reminder. The transfer is prearranged with the reception desk and is prepaid by VBT**.
*Please note: For guests with early-morning departures, breakfast at the hotel may not be available. Please check with the front desk to verify the times that breakfast is served.
**Please note: VBT transfer times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to the airport will be at your own expense.
Included Meals: Breakfast

Guest Reviews 253 out of 258 (98%) of reviewers recommend this tour
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