Gourmet Puglia
Gourmet Puglia
$1999
Gourmet Puglia
8 Days Starting in Bari, Italy and ending in Martina Franca, Italy
Visiting: Bari, Martina Franca, Alberobello, Lecce, Ostuni
Tour operator:
Tour code:
6250-2025
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Tour operated in:
EnglishActivities:
Tour Overview
Embark on a delightful culinary journey through Puglia with our "Gourmet Puglia" tour. Begin your adventure in the charming city of Bari, where you can explore the historic streets and savor traditional Apulian orecchiette pasta. Discover the picturesque town of Martina Franca, renowned for its local cheese and "capocollo" ham. Visit the UNESCO-listed Trulli houses in Alberobello and enjoy a day trip to Lecce, famous for its baroque architecture and delectable "pasticciotto" pastries. Learn the art of making orecchiette pasta in a hands-on cooking class and taste exquisite olive oils in Ostuni, the "White Town." This tour promises a rich blend of cultural exploration and gastronomic delights, making it an unforgettable experience in the heart of Italy.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive In Bari,Italy
Location: Bari
Accommodation Name: B&B Hotel Bari
Welcome to Italy! Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore with the help of the CosmosGO app. Tonight, meet your Tour Director and travel companions.
Day 2: Bari,Martina Franca
Location: Bari
Accommodation Name: Park Hotel San Michele
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Start your Puglia discovery with a guided sightseeing tour of Bari. This seaside city skirting the Adriatic Sea boasts Italy’s longest waterfront and an interesting maze of alleyways, courtyards, and historical palaces. When strolling through the narrow streets of Bari Vecchia (old Bari), pause to marvel at the local women preparing typical Apulian orecchiette pasta, made traditionally by hand. Today’s Distance: 46 mi/ 75 km
Day 3: Martina Franca
Location: Martina Franca
Accommodation Name: Park Hotel San Michele
Meals Included: Breakfast
Get to know the host town of your Puglia foodie adventure on an orientation tour. Discover local cheese and “Capocollo” ham. Of course, you will have an opportunity to taste some of these traditional delicacies.Today’s Distance: 13 mi/ 20 km
Day 4: Martina Franca,Alberobello,Martina Franca
Location: Alberobello
Accommodation Name: Park Hotel San Michele
Meals Included: Breakfast
On the included half-day excursion to Alberobello, discover the iconic Trulli. These dwellings, dating from as early as the mid-14th century, are made of roughly worked limestone boulders collected from neighboring fields. Characteristically, they feature pyramidal, domed, or conical roofs built of corbelled limestone slabs. These remarkable Trulli houses were included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites in 1996. The rest of your day is at leisure but consider saving your appetite for this evening’s optional dinner at a local “masseria” (farmhouse) in the Apulian countryside. Enjoy authentic Italian dishes made with ingredients fresh from the farm.Today’s Distance: 17 mi/ 28 km
Day 5: Martina Franca
Location: Martina Franca
Accommodation Name: Park Hotel San Michele
Meals Included: Breakfast
Spend free time to relax or explore Martina Franca on your own or delve into classic Italian customs with an optional excursion to Altamura, known for its bread-baking traditions using the ancient method of wood-burning stoves in a city of ancient palaces, churches, and cloisters. ; and discover Matera, one of the oldest, still inhabited cities in the world preserving evidence of human settlements since the Paleolithic period in its natural caves carved into the rock.
Day 6: Martina Franca,Lecce,Martina Franca
Location: Lecce
Accommodation Name: Park Hotel San Michele
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
One of the highlights of this tour is the included day trip to Lecce. This seaside city enchants visitors with an unmistakable style, boasting monuments dating back to Roman times and, most notably, extraordinary baroque buildings that proudly bare the characteristic blonde color of the local stone. The city center’s vibrant and bustling atmosphere will entice you with its elegant, timeless alleyways and delicious local delicacies, such as the “Pasticciotto,” made with sweet short pastry and typically filled with a delicious Italian custard. Learn more about regional food by joining the exciting, included cooking class. Learn hands-on how to prepare traditional orecchiette pasta and savor it with other local specialties, paired with local wines, and good company.Today’s Distance: 62 mi/ 100 km
Day 7: Martina Franca,Cisternino,Ostuni,Martina Franca
Location: Ostuni
Accommodation Name: Park Hotel San Michele
Meals Included: Breakfast
Learn about olive oil and acquire a taste for different olive oil flavors on the included tour of a local olive farm. Continue the exploration of local towns with great traditions by spending time in Ostuni, where the ancient citadel was built on top of a hill and fortified by walls. The town is commonly referred to as "the White Town" (“La Città Bianca” in Italian) for its white walls and its typically white-painted architecture. Quaint medieval alleyways, stunning sea views, exquisite cuisine, and ancient remains, along with a magic atmosphere, are all features of tonight’s optional discovery of Polignano al Mare, which is a great way to bid farewell to Apulia.Today’s Distance: 37 mi/ 59 km
Day 8: Martina Franca
Location: Martina Franca
Accommodation Name: Park Hotel San Michele
Meals Included: Breakfast
Your Puglia vacation ends with breakfast this morning.
What's Included
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Accommodation
Stay at B&B Hotel Bari in Bari and Park Hotel San Michele in Martina Franca.
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Meals
Daily breakfast is included. Additional meals include dinner on Day 2 and lunch on Day 6.
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Guided Sightseeing Tour
Enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of Bari on Day 2.
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Orientation Tour
Orientation tour of Martina Franca on Day 3.
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Half-Day Excursion
Included half-day excursion to Alberobello on Day 4.
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Day Trip to Lecce
Included day trip to Lecce with a cooking class on Day 6.
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Olive Farm Tour
Included tour of a local olive farm on Day 7.
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CosmosGO App
Access to the CosmosGO app for exploring on your own.
What's Not Included
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Optional Excursions
Optional excursion to Altamura and Matera on Day 5 is not included.
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Personal Expenses
Personal expenses such as souvenirs, additional meals, and drinks are not included.
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Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is not included and is recommended to be purchased separately.
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International Flights
International flights to and from Italy are not included.
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Gratuities
Gratuities for guides, drivers, and hotel staff are not included.
Accommodation
Bari: B&B Hotel Bari. Martina Franca: Park Hotel San Michele.
UNESCO Sites
The Trulli of Alberobello
Meals
7 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Check out our Q&As
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What can I expect on the first day of the Gourmet Puglia tour?
On the first day, you will arrive in Bari, Italy, and check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the city with the help of the CosmosGO app. In the evening, you will meet your Tour Director and travel companions.
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What activities are included on the second day of the tour?
The second day includes a guided sightseeing tour of Bari, where you will explore the city's waterfront, alleyways, courtyards, and historical palaces. You will also have the opportunity to see local women preparing traditional Apulian orecchiette pasta by hand.
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What culinary experiences are offered during the tour?
The tour offers several culinary experiences, including tasting local cheese and 'capocollo' ham in Martina Franca, learning to prepare traditional orecchiette pasta in Lecce, and tasting different olive oil flavors on a tour of a local olive farm.
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What is special about the town of Alberobello?
Alberobello is known for its iconic Trulli houses, which date back to the mid-14th century. These unique dwellings are made of roughly worked limestone boulders and feature pyramidal, domed, or conical roofs. The Trulli houses are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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What can I do on the fifth day of the tour?
On the fifth day, you have the option to explore Martina Franca on your own, rest, or take an optional excursion to Altamura and Matera. Altamura is known for its ancient palaces, churches, and cloisters, as well as its traditional bread. Matera is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, with evidence of human settlements since the Palaeolithic period.
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What will I experience during the day trip to Lecce?
During the day trip to Lecce, you will explore the city's Roman and baroque monuments, enjoy its vibrant atmosphere, and taste local delicacies like 'pasticciotto.' You will also participate in a cooking class to learn how to prepare traditional orecchiette pasta and other local specialties, paired with local wines.
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What is unique about the town of Ostuni?
Ostuni is commonly referred to as 'the White Town' (La Città Bianca) due to its white walls and typically white-painted architecture. The ancient citadel is built on top of a hill and fortified by walls.
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How does the tour end?
The tour ends on the eighth day with breakfast in Martina Franca.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Since 1961
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Cosmos is committed to minimizing our impact on the environment and to reducing dependence on non-renewable resources. In this endeavor, we have implemented policies to support this mission and are working carefully to enhance our products with this mission and our values combined. We are committed to complying with all relevant legislation and/or regulations.
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
Travel documents, including any air tickets, itineraries, and other information, are available approximately two to three weeks prior to departure provided full payment has been received.
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
All guests are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for travel through February, 2023. Beginning March 1, 2023, while we highly recommend vaccination, we will no longer require it. We ask all guests to comply with airline and destination requirements, which still may apply. To check your destination requirements for your travel dates, view the Latest Travel & Health Restrictions for Travel.
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Low Deposit
Cosmos requires a minimum deposit of 200 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of cosmos charges.
Up to 91 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 90 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 29 days before tour starts: Forfeit 80% of booking price.
At 1 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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