You don’t need a car to see the best of Puglia, and I should know! I recently spent six weeks traveling around Puglia without a car, and found it was easy and convenient to see the highlights of Puglia via bus and train. However, I know that most people don’t have six weeks to spend in South Italy, which is why I designed this ten-day Puglia itinerary that showcases my favorite destinations and my favorite things to do in each spot.
This ten-day Puglia itinerary starts and ends in Bari, which is the main transportation hub in Puglia. More than 300 trains travel through the Bari Centrale train station every day, and its international airport also offers connections to the rest of Europe.
In the shoulder season you’ll have more flexibility in your travel planning and can likely book accommodation, transportation and activities just a day or two in advance, but if you’re traveling to Puglia in the high season (June to August) then you should make reservations well in advance. Although Puglia doesn’t draw the crowds of Rome or Venice, it is popular with Italian travelers looking for a summer beach getaway (with many locals heading to their summer houses along the Adriatic Coast) and some places can be quite busy.
You are going to move around a lot on this Puglia itinerary. Distances are short and transportation connections are quick, but make sure you can handle your luggage on uneven cobblestones and the occasional flight of stairs. I recommend either a good backpack or a carry-on size suitcase with sturdy wheels.
Day 1 – Arrive in Bari and Travel to Matera or Monopoli
I stayed in Bari for a week and it was my biggest regret from my own Puglia trip. The historic center of Bari is nice for an hour or two, but it pales in comparison to the rest of the destinations on this Puglia itinerary. That’s why I recommend that you fly into Bari and head straight from the airport to either Matera or Monopoli.
Matera
Matera would be the better option for travelers interested in history and beautiful landscapes. You’ll be blown away by the ancient cave dwellings, carved stone churches and deep underground cisterns in this town, which is just across the regional border in Basilicata.
To get from the Bari Airport to Matera, take the airport train to Bari Centrale station and then follow my guide for getting to Matera. Book a room at one of my recommended cave hotels.
Monopoli
Choose Monopoli if you’re hoping to spend a good portion of your Puglia trip by the beach. Monopoli has a charming historic center and there are several beautiful beaches within easy walking distance of the historic center.
To reach Monopoli, take the airport train to Bari Centrale and then transfer to a regional train to Monopoli. You don’t need to buy your tickets in advance.
Choose a hotel, guesthouse or apartment rental in Monopoli that is between Piazza XX Settembre and Spiaggia Cala Porta Vecchia. This gives you the best proximity to transportation, the historic center and the beach.
Day 2 – A Full Day in Matera or Monopoli
You’ve now got a full day to spend enjoying la dolce vita in your first destination.
Matera
Check out my guide to the best things to do in Matera, ranging from tuk-tuk tours to an underground cave spa. You’ll want to spend at least a few hours just strolling through the sassi (the cave district) and taking in the views.
Monopoli
I assume you’re here because you want to spend the day at the beach! I have a guide to seven of the best (free!) beaches within walking distance of the historic center. Two of the free beaches are attached to private beach clubs where you can pay to rent a sun chair and umbrella for the day; if this interests you then book well in advance (especially in the high season).
Day 3 – Exploring Locorotondo
⭐ Note! This Puglia itinerary gives you the flexibility to add one extra night in either Locorotondo, Alberobello or Ostuni. ⭐
Your next stop in Puglia is the charming little town of Locorotondo. In the high season, there is a direct bus from Monopoli to Locorotondo, but at other times of year (and from Matera) you’ll need to go to Bari first, and then catch a train or bus. Schedules are available on the Trenitalia website, but sometimes there will be additional service posted on a signboard at the local station (or ask at Tourist Information).
You only need a couple of hours to explore the entire historic center of Locorotondo, so don’t worry about being rushed! You do want to make the most of your morning and evening here, however, as you’ll find that many shops, restaurants and historic sites close in the afternoon.
I’ve got a guide to the best things to do in Locorotondo, which covers everything from wine tasting in the town’s vineyard to descending into subterranean church crypts. You’ll also find my recommended restaurants and accommodation options to help you plan your visit.
Day 4 – The Famous Trulli of Alberobello
It takes less than twenty minutes to travel by train from Locorotondo to Alberobello. There are also buses that make the connection frequently as well. Upon arrival, it’s a fifteen-minute walk from the bus and train station to the historic center.
Alberobello is famous for its trulli, white limestone houses with a distinct cone shape. The trulli are topped with grey stone roofs that are often painted with symbols and topped with uniquely-shaped caps. You can rent a trullo to sleep in overnight, or you can stay in a typical hotel or guesthouse in the more modern part of town.
In my Alberobello travel guide I go over all of the things that you can see, do and visit in the two trulli districts, plus my recommended restaurants and trullo rentals. Between Locorotondo, Alberobello and Ostuni, if you can only do a guided tour in one city I would recommend you do it here.
Day 5 – Ostuni, The White City
In high season there is a direct bus from Alberobello to Ostuni (departing from the train station), but in low season you may need to take a bus or train with a connection in Martina Franca. Either way, the trip should take less than two hours.
In Puglia’s White City, all roads lead uphill, and all roads lead to the Cathedral that you can see at the top of the hill that forms the historic walled center. The city is home to an archeological museum, countless Baroque churches, a popular pedestrian piazza and sweeping landscapes of surrounding olive groves (best viewed from a walk along the old fortified walls).
Of course, I also have an Ostuni travel guide that covers the best things to do in Ostuni, plus some restaurant and accommodation recommendations. You’ll want to read it before making any big decisions about your time in Ostuni.
Day 6 – Flex Day in Alberobello, Locorotondo or Ostuni
In Italian, there is an expression: “la dolce far niente”. This translates to “the sweetness of doing nothing”. If you’re rushing from place to place every day, you miss out on the quintessentially Italian experience of slowing down and savoring the quiet moments between the main attractions.
With that in mind I’ve built an extra day into this Puglia itinerary so that you can spend an extra night in either Locorotondo, Alberobello or Ostuni. Take a day to slow down, linger over a coffee and pastry in the morning and again over a glass of wine at sunset. Chat with the old lady who is feeding the pigeons outside the church. Walk along the road out of town until you look back and have the perfect view. Pet the cats in the park. Read a book in the shade under an olive tree.
There’s no right or wrong town to add this extra day; I would base it on where my chosen accommodation looked the most comfortable and most authentic. A lovely bed and breakfast with welcoming hosts who offer local insight is always worth an extra night, in my opinion.
Day 7 – Introducing Lecce
My Ostuni travel guide explains how to reach the train station in Ostuni, which is located about 2 kilometers outside the historic center. From here, you can take a train to Lecce, which was my favorite city in all of Puglia. I honestly couldn’t believe that Lecce wasn’t up there with Rome, Florence and Venice on other tourists’ radars, as it was so beautiful and there was so much to see and do.
The ideal first day in Lecce is to start by dropping off your bags at your accommodation, and then immediately joining a walking tour of the historic center. This walking tour has daily departures at 11:00 am and 3:00 pm, so you should be able to make it work whether you’re arriving earlier in the morning or after lunch.
After your walking tour head to the LeccEcclesiae office across from the Duomo and pick up a Lecce Church pass. My Lecce travel guide covers all of the sites that you can visit with this pass, but for today you’ll want to prioritize ascending the 72-meter bell tower before sunset, so that you get beautiful views of the historical center from above. Work your visit to the Duomo around the sunset hour; either go before or after, depending on the light.
Day 8 – Lecce In Depth
You’ll want to start your first full day in Lecce with a typical local breakfast of caffe leccese and a pasticciotto. Caffe leccese is made from filling a small glass with ice cubes and adding a few spoonfuls of almond syrup. Then, a shot of hot espresso is poured on top, making a refreshing, sweet beverage perfect for sipping. It’s best served with a pastiocciotto, Puglia’s loaf-shaped pastry that comes stuffed with Nutella, ricotta, pistachio cream or jam. The most popular place to enjoy these local delights is at Caffe Alvino on Piazza Sant’Oronzo (if you can get a table!).
Once you’ve had breakfast, it’s time to put your LeccEcclesiae pass to good use! Stroll through the historic center and visit all of the different Baroque churches, then double back to the Duomo you visited yesterday and explore the museum in the old seminary across the piazza.
Don’t leave Lecce without visiting the Museo Castromediano, which was the most impressive archeological museum I saw in Puglia.
Day 9 – Otranto’s Turquoise Waters
Otranto is well-known to Italian tourists but off the radar of most foreign visitors (especially from outside Europe), making it the perfect beach town for winding down your Puglia itinerary.
Personally, I took a train from Lecce to Otranto. The journey took just under 90 minutes and it’s important to note that the Otranto train station is not accessible – to get from the train tracks to the exit you have to carry your bags down several flights of winding stairs. Buses travel the same route more often (and slightly more quickly) to they’re probably a better option.
I spent five nights in Hotel Miramare in Otranto and can’t recommend it enough. This hotel is directly across the street from the beach, where you’ll find both public beach access and one of the few lido (private beach clubs) that set aside some sunbeds and umbrellas for same-day bookings. If you’re not seeing any availability at Hotel Miramare on Booking it’s because they haven’t yet opened for the summer season.
The highlight of Otranto is definitely the beautiful beaches right in the historic center, where the water is a mesmerizing shade of turquoise that will take your breath away. I spent every morning and afternoon in Otranto swimming right here in the city center, because the water was just so clean and calm.
Even if you’re not a beach lover, though, Otranto is worth visiting for its cute little historic center. The Norman cathedral here features a spectacular mosaic floor that recreates the tree of life, and the Aragonese castle here is said to have inspired the first-ever Gothic novel. The streets around both historic sites are lined with cute boutiques and independent restaurants, giving off similar vibes to Capri or Taormina with a fraction of the crowds.
Day 10 – Return to Bari
I want to preface this by saying that I traveled from Otranto to Rome’s Fiumicino Airport in one day (with time to spare!), and that’s about four times the distance you’ll cover today. So, don’t worry about this trip being too long or inconvenient.
For your last day in Puglia you’ll likely need to travel back from Otranto to Bari (or beyond). In the high season you can take a bus from Otrantro to Lecce and then connect to a train, but in the low season you may have to make an additional bus stop in Maglie.
Upon arrival in Bari you have three options:
- Head directly to the airport or continue on a train to somewhere else in Italy
- Store your bags for a few hours and explore Bari Vecchia, the Old Town or
- Check into a hotel and spend the night in Bari
At the start of this itinerary we skipped Bari, and now I’m recommending that you only visit if you have time. From the train station it takes about twenty minutes to walk to the entrance to the Old Town, and you’ll probably want about two or three hours to explore this historic area. There are some beautiful churches, an old Norman castle, the occasional local woman rolling pasta in the street and too many pretty little alleys to count.
If you do have time for a meal in Bari, I highly recommend you try the city’s famous “assassin’s spaghetti”. Here, the spaghetti noodles are not boiled in water, but rather are pan-fried directly in the tomato sauce until the pasta is crispy and the tomato sauce is beginning to caramelize.
Personally, I liked it topped with burrata, and recommend trying it at “Urban l’Assassineria Urbana”, which is midway between the train station and the historic quarter. At their name suggests, they specialize in assassin’s spaghetti. While I was waiting to go inside I also learned from another traveler that this is where Stanley Tucci tried the dish when he was filming his TV show about Italian cuisine!
Next Stops
If you have more time in your Italy itinerary after Puglia then Bari offers lots of options for onward travel. You can connect by train to destinations like Rome or Naples, and there are ferry connections to Albania, Greece and Croatia. The Bari Airport (named after Pope John Paul II) is well-served by a number of airlines, with Ryanair in particular offering connections around Italy and the rest of Europe.
Alternately, you could consider extending your stay in Puglia by checking into a masseria, a typical local farm that also offers overnight accommodations. Although this does require renting a car, it was a highlight of my trip to Puglia!
I have traveled Italy north to south (and back again!) and have tons of great advice in my Italy travel guides section.
If you like the idea of exploring Italy without a rental car, I also have a guide to traveling around Sicily by bus and train.
If this is your first trip to the region, you’ll also want to read my guide to avoiding 13 common Italy travel mistakes and my general overview of how I save money when I travel.
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