Puglia road trip: a week in the heel of Italy

Trulli, white towns, coves and generous food: Puglia, in south-eastern Italy, wins over more and more travellers. Here is a one-week road trip from Bari to the Salento.

Itinerary “Puglia road trip: a week in the heel of Italy” in Voyage : mon guide on iPad

Itinerary: from Bari to the Salento

  • Day 1: Bari and its old town
  • Day 2: Polignano a Mare and Monopoli
  • Day 3: Alberobello and the Itria valley, with its trulli
  • Day 4: Ostuni, the white town, and Locorotondo
  • Days 5 and 6: Lecce, the “Florence of the South”, and its baroque architecture
  • Day 7: Otranto and the Salento coast

When to go

May, June and September are ideal: warm weather, a pleasant sea and quieter villages. July and August are very busy, especially with Italian holidaymakers.

Getting around

A car is essential to link villages and coves. Historic centres are often limited traffic zones: park outside.

Our tips

  • Stay in a masseria, the region’s typical fortified farmhouse
  • Book tables and coastal accommodation in summer
  • Keep time for the Salento beaches, on both coasts
  • Watch out for ZTLs in the old towns

Plan this trip with Voyage : mon guide

Add each stop with its number of nights: the app creates the days and puts the whole route on an Apple Maps map. Keep coves, villages and trattorias in the ideas box, log flights, trains and rentals on the right day, then prepare the trip for offline use before leaving. Once there, Guide mode shows the current day and tonight’s hotel.

The trip itinerary on iPhone

Frequently asked questions

Is a week enough?

Yes for this itinerary. With ten days, add nearby Matera, in Basilicata, and the Gargano in the north.

Can I visit Puglia by train?

Partly, between the main towns, but a car is needed for the Itria valley and the coast.

Plan this itinerary with Voyage : mon guide.

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