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Travel guide
Puglia
4 days · 7 things to do
Best time to go: May to June, and September to October
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Welcome
Puglia, in a few days
The heel of Italy's boot: the trulli of Alberobello, the whitewashed lanes of Ostuni and the cliffs of Polignano a Mare above a turquoise sea. Between swims, head for baroque Lecce or cross into Basilicata for the sassi of Matera. Meals revolve around homemade orecchiette and oil from centuries-old olive trees.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 2 things
- D4 Day 4 1 thing
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · The trulli of Alberobello free · about 1 h 30Around 1,500 conical drystone houses, UNESCO-listed; Rione Monti is full of shops, while Aia Piccola is still lived in and quiet.
- Afternoon · The Castellana Caves · about 2 hA cave system stretching about three kilometres underground; the guided tour passes giant stalactites and ends at the Grotta Bianca, the white cave.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Ostuni Palace ↗ · All places to stay by budget →€120 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Polignano a Mare · about 2 hThe old village sits on cliffs above the Adriatic, with dizzying viewpoints over Lama Monachile, the beach wedged between two rock walls.
- Afternoon · Ostuni free · about 1 h 30The white town winds up its hill in whitewashed lanes, stairways and arches to a Gothic cathedral looking over ancient olive groves.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Ostuni Palace ↗€120 a night
D3
Day 3
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Baroque Lecce free · about 2 hBaroque carved in honey-coloured stone that glows at sunset: the façade of Santa Croce, Piazza del Duomo and a Roman amphitheatre, all on foot.
- Afternoon · Otranto free · about 2 hItaly's easternmost town looks towards Albania from its walls; the cathedral holds a vast medieval floor mosaic and the Chapel of the Martyrs.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Ostuni Palace ↗€120 a night
D4
Day 4
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Matera and its sassi · half a dayAn amphitheatre of cave dwellings cut into the soft rock, inhabited since prehistory, with rock churches painted with Byzantine frescoes and restored cave houses.
Further afield (over 130 km from the base hotel), best as a separate stop: Vieste and the Gargano.
📲 Book things to do in Puglia on GetYourGuideBefore you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
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Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Neapolitan pizza: soft dough, wood fire, and best eaten in Naples.
- Regional pasta: carbonara in Rome, ragu in Bologna, and never the same twice.
- Gelato: artisan ice cream. Walk past the tubs piled high and glowing.
- Aperitivo: a spritz and small plates at the end of the afternoon.
- Espresso: standing at the bar, and no cappuccino after a meal.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Restaurants with photo menus and a man outside waving you in, especially near the monuments.
- Check the bill for coperto and service before you add anything.
- Cappuccino after midday marks you out. An espresso works at any hour.
- Shoulders and knees covered in churches, and that includes the big ones.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ Italian
| English | Italian |
|---|---|
| Hello | Buongiorno |
| Thank you | Grazie |
| Please | Per favore |
| Yes | Sì |
| No | No |
| Excuse me | Mi scusi |
| Goodbye | Arrivederci |
| Do you speak English? | Parla inglese? |
| I don't understand | Non capisco |
| How much is it? | Quanto costa? |
| Where are the toilets? | Dove sono i bagni? |
| The bill, please | Il conto, per favore |
| Help! | Aiuto! |
| Cheers! | Salute! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyEuro (EUR, €)
BudgetAbout €105 a day, mid-range
Best seasonMay to June, and September to October
PlugC/F/L · 230V
Tap waterSafe to drink
TippingCover charge often included, rounding up is enough
Emergency112
EntrySchengen area: an ID card or passport for EU citizens, 90 days visa-free for UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports.
HealthNo specific vaccination needed. Make sure tetanus, polio and MMR are up to date.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/puglia
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.