THE PEARL OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA
Private Guided Tours of Puglia
Alma Italia
Alma Italia tailors beautiful and authentic Italian travel experiences for friends and families to be refreshed in the heart of Italy. All Alma Italia private guided tours of Italy are tailored to meet your individual needs.
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Imagine this: a sun soaked land with ancient, picturesque whitewashed towns of astounding architectural beauty. The ocean that touches this land could be mistaken for the Caribbean, and it is here, in the ‘heel of the boot,’ where you can kick back and enjoy true Italian culture in all aspects. Puglia is the Pearl of Italy.
On our Puglia tours, be prepared to fall in love with this enchanting region while you drive through infinite groves of some of the oldest olive trees on the planet on the way to some of the most stunning beaches in Italy. For Italy beach holidays there is nowhere better. Ancient fields paint your path to towns where walls are whitewashed and adorned with colourful flowers. It’s like being in a fairytale. You will wander the alleys of these idyllic villages, discovering traditional foods, embracing the warmth of the people and of the land, simply taking in its wondrous beauty that will fill you to the core. Let’s not forget the mesmerizing, crystal blue waters and bright, sandy beaches backdropped by Mediterranean pine woods, which are all within this one enrapturing place.
Puglia’s nature, history, tradition, tastes and spirituality will captivate you. In Puglia, 100% pure Italy is waiting for you and Puglia tours 2022 promise to be even more special.
Adventure & Explore
- Bari Explore the back streets of Puglia’s authentic capital and get a glimpse of Real Puglian life.
- Vieste Adventure to the Gargano penisula, the most dramatic part of the long Puglian coastline.
- Polignano a Mare Discover for yourself why this is perhaps Puglia’s most famous coastal town, perched on dramatic cliffs directly above the Adriatic sea.
- Otranto Our personal favorite Puglian town has an amazing summer vibe with culture and beaches galore
Inspire & Restore
- Tremiti Islands Experience a private boat trip around these impossibly pretty islands just off the coast of Puglia.
- Italian Beach days Soak up some sun and relax at private beach club Italian style on some of the most spectacular beaches in Italy.
- Wine tasting amongst the vines at a classic Puglian winery.
- Sunset drinks Stroll along the ancient city ramparts for sunset drinks in the coastal town of Gallipoli.
- Bicycle through the olive groves before cooling off in your boutique hotel pool
PLAN YOUR PERFECT TRIP
Best Time: March to October
Price: from $3,500pp for 7 nights
LITTLE BLACK BOOK
A glimpse into Alma Italia’s favorite experiences in Puglia:
Favorite sunset drinks
The Hobo club, Gallipoli
Favorite local treat
‘Pettole’ are Puglian style pizza dough balls that will make you forget all about your keto diet.
Favorite shops to browse
The Bari food markets are a must experience for any Italian food lover.
Favorite Beach club
Coccaro beach club for relaxing days at the beach and delicious lunches
Favorite Restaurant
Trabucco da Mimi, Peschici
Instagram moment
The drive between Alberbollo and Locorotondo for ancient olive groves in red soil fields. Magical.
ITINERARY
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Day 1 Arrival
Landing in Bari – As with all of our Italy tours, be greeted on your Puglia tour with a warm welcome at Bari airport by both your driver and private tour host who will take care of every little detail for you during your trip to Italy, ensuring you experience the very best of the soul of Italy.
The day of your arrival is designed for you to recharge after your long flight. What a better way to do so than by enjoying a fresh aperol spritz or a glass of local Puglian wine, produced by a neighbouring vineyard with some classic Italian appetizers while watching the sunset, relaxing at the boutique villa or ‘masseria’ (historical Puglian farm house) that will host you. You will end your day dining under the stars at home with a fresh homemade meal bursting with the flavor of fresh local produce prepared for you by one of our talented chefs (otherwise known as Nonna!)
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Day 2 Vieste
We will take it slow on day 2 of your Puglia tour. After a relaxing morning and a tasty Italian breakfast including, of course, as many delicious Italian espressos as you need to get your pulse racing again, a private driver will pick you up at the hotel to take you in the lovely town of Vieste. Your tour host will lead you in a relaxing stroll through the alleys of this Mediterranean gem. You will already realize why Puglia truly is one of the most enchanting areas to visit on a trip to Italy. Use this time also for some shopping in Vieste`s boutiques or for tasting some wine, maybe both! After lunch your driver will take you back at the accommodation to relax by the pool before dinner will be served to you. Guided tours of Puglia should be relaxing after all!
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Day 3 Tremiti Islands and beach day
On this day we will experience one of the many highlights of the vacation, the cinematic Gargano coast. A private boat will navigate you through the sensational Tremiti Islands, a stunning archipelago of Islands little visited by ‘stranieri’ (foreign tourists) just off Puglia’s coastline. The colors and the landscape will leave you speechless. Enjoy your lunch served on the boat while admiring this natural wonder. If lunch has left you sleepy we can catch some sun and relax on the boat or on the beach. If you are looking for a secluded Italy beach holiday, this is the place for you! A dip in the crystal blue water will be sure to revive you. Returning home, in the evening, Nonna will open up her kitchen and give a little cooking lesson for those keen to learn some local culinary secrets. Dinner will be the fruit of your labour!
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Day 4 Polignano a Mare
On day four we will move further south with our private driver to discover another part of Puglia, visiting probably one of the most known towns of this region, Polignano a Mare a ‘must see’ for Puglia tours. Have fun taking memorable pictures with the pure white color of the buildings and the blue of the Mediterranean sea as background. This is another Instagram day for sure! Don’t forget your swimsuit because we will certainly have the time to go for a swim in the irresistible water of the town beach. After a fresh lunch at a beachside trattoria, we will end the day at the second accommodation of the tour in nearby Cisternino, another typical town of the region. If we still have the energy we can drop into town for a pre dinner drink before a relaxing dinner is served at our charming boutique accommodation.
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Day 5 Alberobello and Locorotondo
Be ready to feel like you are in a fairytale on day five of your trip to Italy. We will be visiting two of the most enchanting towns of Puglia, Alberobello and Locorotondo. These hilltop towns surrounded by red soil fields with centuries old olive trees will for sure make you fall in love with this place. This is quintessential Puglian life. After a stroll around the villages we will drive back to the accommodation for a delicious lunch and for some relaxing pool time before heading to Ostuni for evening sunset drinks and dinner at a typical Pugliese restaurant. Don`t forget your camera. Ostuni is a historical and chic whitewashed town overlooking the adriatic mediterranean sea. It will be a perfect evening in a place perfect for making golden family memories together. If only we could stop time and stay here!
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Day 6 Otranto
Today we will move further south again, to the third home base of the Puglia tour in Otranto, almost at the very bottom of the heel of Italy. Nothing says `Italy beach holidays` for Italians like a trip to Otranto. After settling in the new hotel, enjoy a beach afternoon at one of Otranto’s many private beach clubs and a free evening in this atmospheric jewel of a town situated right on the Mediteranean sea. Strolling along its seafront walls enjoy an evening `passeggiata` and aperitivo, breathing in a slice of true Italian summer life. If you need to relax, this is the place to do it. Your tour host will be sure to recommend and book a fabulous authentic restaurant for you and give you tips on where to find the best aperol spritz in town.
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Day 7 White sand, crystal clear water and Vineyard and wine tasting
Relax in one of the most beautiful Italian beaches, Pescoluse, also called Maldive of Salento, another Italy beach holidays highlight. This day is for you to forget about everything else, enjoying the white sand and cooling off in the crystal blue water, drinks and lunch at a private beach club that we will bring you to. On the way home we will stop off at a local family run vineyard to taste some of the rich and full bodied local `primitivo` wine that Puglia is so famous for. Back at the accommodation you`ll enjoy another fine Italian meal under the stars while the cool evening breeze soothes your now sun kissed skin.
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Day 8 Gallipoli
Today is history day! All Italy tours are of course rich with history. We`ll take you on a private guided tour of the ancient port town of Gallipoli. A qualified guide will lead you into this fortress town, taking you back in time with the fascinating story of Gallipoli’s chequered past. In the afternoon get your own time to discover more of this place, shopping, or more beach…Yes this town is on the beach as well and it’s perfect!
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Day 9 Back to Bari
On your last full day of our small group tours of Puglia, we will start with driving back to Bari. Once we arrive and settle at the accommodation, a bike tour will take us in the historical centre of the city. Let’s face it, by now you`ll need the exercise! Have fun admiring the traditional rustic architecture and biking through the old market, into the alleys where the old ladies still sit outside of their houses and make fresh pasta on the streets and gossip about the neighbours.
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Day 10
Departure from Bari airport. After your last Italian breakfast of this trip to Italy, one of the best private tours Puglia has to offer, it’s time to head back to the airport. It’s time to say Arrivederci Italia, or perhaps, only `Ciao for now`. You`ll be plotting your next Alma Italia Italy tour all the way on the flight home.
Unlock the beauty of the real Italy with authentic experiences and local expertise. Step out of the ordinary. Travel deeply.
A final word on Puglia Tours and Puglia tours 2022
Trips to Italy, Italy tours and Puglia tours in particular have been sadly absent so far this year. We have missed our friends but there is hope on the horizon and with the rapid roll out of the vaccine we expect that small group tours Puglia will be back, better than ever. We know endless families and friends desperate to visit again or for the first time and you can take advantage of our low deposit and money back or date change guarantee should you need to change your travel plans due to government Covid restrictions for all our Italy tours, Puglia tours and Puglia tours 2022.