Day-to-day tour

Day 01: ARRIVAL IN LECCE Arrival in Brindisi by morning flight/train/bus and transfer by private vehicle to Lecce. Early check-in at the hotel. Once ready, we will start our visits to Lecce with our local guide throughout the day, at a very leisurely pace. Free time for lunch, in order to taste the specialities of Lecce street food. We will make several visits with the guide including the Roman Amphitheatre, Piazza Sant'Oronzo, the Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace, the church of Santa Croce. Return to the hotel in the afternoon. Dinner at the hotel or in a local restaurant. Free but recommended: a walk after dinner! Overnight: hotel in Lecce historic centre.

Day 02: LECCE - MELENDUGNO - OTRANTO - TORCITO - LECCE Departure from Lecce early in the morning with destination Otranto, mythical walled city on the seaside, with its mysterious medieval fortress. On the way to Otranto we will stop to admire the beautiful natural pool with the romantic name of Grotta della Poesia in Melendugno. Otranto is Italy's most easterly point. The historic centre of the city, enclosed by imposing walls and bastions, is dominated by the castle. Guided tour for the centre city highlights, including the Cathedral which houses the skulls of 800 martyrs killed during the Turkish invasion in 1480. In the afternoon, an archaeological visit to the Masseria di Torcito in the Lecce countryside, set in a natural park of over 200 hectares. Return to the hotel and overnight stay in Lecce.

Day 03: LECCE - PRESICCE - GALLIPOLI - ALBEROBELLO Departure from Lecce early in the morning with destination Presicce, an incredible village to discover that preserves, under the central Piazza del Popolo, an underground city, with oil mills used for centuries in the production of local loive oil. We will then continue to Gallipoli. The fishing harbour of this charming sunset-side town is divided between the modern city and the fortified old town, which is a mixture of narrow alleys and squares, guarded by the Aragonese castle. Other highlights include the Duomo and the Chiesa della Purità. Then on to Alberobello (1:30h). On the way we can look out over the splendid coastal park of Porto Selvaggio. Dinner in Alberobello and overnight stay in a typical trullo.

Day 04: ALBEROBELLO - LOCOROTONDO - OSTUNI - POLIGNANO A MARE Alberobello boasts around 1000 trulli (a type of conical dry-stone construction traditional to central-southern Apulia) huddled along steep, narrow streets. The trulli themselves are impressive examples of the ancient simple and elegant natural way of life. The white Locorotondo is a beautiful balcony from which to admire an exciting area, a mosaic of vineyards, trulli, stone walls and forests. The name means 'rounded town'. We continue to Ostuni, a medieval town, bleached by the sun, a mixture of white houses and churches up to the top of a hill overlooking the sea with Piazza della Libertà, the main square of the old town. We then move on to Polignano a mare to end the evening. Overnight stay in Polignano.

Day 05: POLIGNANO A MARE - GROTTE DI CASTELLANA (OPTIONAL) - EVENING FLIGHT FROM BARI Visit and relax in Polignano, with its well-preserved historic centre perched on limestone cliffs overlooking the Adriatic Sea to the east. With the evening flight/train/bus from Bari we can plan a visit to the beautiful Castellana caves (optional, not included in the package but bookable) before heading to Bari airport or station, half an hour from Polignano.

The individual fee (base 08 pacs) includes:

- Overnight stays in central and typical hotels in the various locations in double room with private facilities
- Transfer Brindisi airport > Lecce hotel
- Transfer to Bari airport or station
- Private vehicle with smart driver for 3 days
- Half board (breakfast and dinner) from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 5
- Visits with local guides in Lecce, Torcito and Otranto
- Medical Insurance MunichRe

THE FARE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
 
- Domestic flights/train/bus to Brindisi or Lecce outward and from Bari backward (you can book your own transport or we can do it for you)
- Lunches
- Single room (+120€)
- Entrance fees to sites and monuments (pay directly to the guide; about 30€ for the entrance package)
- Tourist taxes
- Everything that is not included in "the fee includes".

All dietary requirements will be catered for.