Puglia: Discover the Heel of Italy

Well planned itinerary and plenty of free time. Very beautiful part of Italy not generally frequented by a lot of British tourists, compared to other Italian towns, and well worth visiting. You wont be disappointed. Excellent food, as you would expect.

This trip gave a flavour of the region of Puglia in more ways than one... Staying in four different locations across the week, we learned about the importance of olives and wine in the region with visits to a an olive grove for olive oil tasting and a factory for wine tasting, and were encouraged to try local specialities by our leader who at group meals ordered a range of typical dishes so that we could try a variety. Although not specifically a food tour, food has to be a major part of any trip to Italy...

A pleasant and rewarding few days in one of the lesser-visited parts of Italy. Gentle visits to picturesque towns and villages taking in the cuisine and culture were ideal for a group of 11 ranging in age from about 40 into the mid 70s. Travelling in May avoided the blistering heat which followed throughout the summer. There was plenty of free time in which the group could do their own thing. Accommodation was excellent throughout, particularly the Trulli of Alberobello, and caves of Matera.

We would definitely recommend this holiday; the choice of hotels was superb. There was such a wide variety of things to see and the area is very beautiful.

Really enjoyed this trip to Puglia, staying in some really unusual accommodation. From the caves of Matera, through my personal little trullo house in Alberobello to the 13th century former palace in Ostuni and even the modern hotel in Lecce, it was all great. This part of Italy is so varied and stunning in both countryside and architecture, it makes for a very varied and enjoyable holiday. There is an excellent mix of culture, food and wine tasting, beach, walking and free time so that the week didn't feel at all rushed yet we packed in loads. I must commend our guide Nino who went to enormous lengths with a quite demanding group to ensure we all had a great time. The local guides were extremely knowledgeable and made both Matera and Lecce come alive with their vast understanding of the history of each town and the visit to the olive farm and the winery were both very enjoyable and informative. I opted to visit the Castellana Grotto which is a must-see, biggest cave system I have been in - very impressive indeed. All in all an excellent trip.

Amazing trip to te heel of Italy. Matera was my particular highlight, due in part to the passionate guide who enthralled us it her personal relationship with Matera. Trulli houses beautiful although Alberobello was not great. The train to Martina Franca was good. Lecce too was magnificent, I've never seen so many churches. A great trip.

A lovely and unexplored part of Italy. Interesting hill top towns and coastal areas. A very relaxed trip with plenty of free time (maybe a little too much). Matera, Alberobello and Lecci were the highlights for me. All stunning. Food and wine excellent everywhere: plenty of local cuisine. Polignano, Ostuni and Otranto were lovely but easily seen in a couple of hours. Graded as 1 but there are lots of steep steps in Matera and Ostuni. There was an extra walk added from the masseria lunch to Ostuni (about 2 hours) which hadn't been mentioned in the trip notes and meant those unable to walk had to pay for a transfer. Definitely need good shoes for this. We were unable to complete the listed coastal walk due to rain. All hotels were great, central and/or in historic buildings. No long journeys. Would recommend for a relaxing introduction to the region.

A busy itinerary exploring a beautiful part of Southern Italy. Some stunning hillside cities with classic narrow streets and cafe culture. Lots of excellent food and local wine throughout. Whilst not strenuous in itself, it was a pretty full on itinerary, with heat, lots of steps and extensive exploring on foot, with uneven pavements/cobbles and walking terrain. Not as leisurely as the trip notes might make you believe, and not really suitable for those with limited mobility or fitness. Some parts are very busy and touristy, but easy to wander the back streets to escape the crowds and immerse yourself in Italian culture. A mix of city, rural areas and seaside to give a taste of the whole area.

This was a nice close up look at the heel of Italy. Lots of historic context alongside regional cuisine, great local wines, and beautiful countryside. We had a great group of 11 like-minded travellers and had a lot of fun.

This is a really lovely part of Italy. It seemed less touristy than some other parts but some of that may be due to the after effects of covid still hitting tourist numbers The majority of places we visited are truly stunning. I loved Matera, Alorobello, Ostuni, Polignano, Otranto and Lecce. I was disappointed not to get to stay in Otranto as the beaches there were very nice. All the places we visited were very different and very interesting and we had just about the right amount of time in each. We went to some very lovely restaurants with excellent food!