Puglia All Inclusive - Undiscovered Southern Italy

Our holiday begins when we meet our Tour Manager and group of co-travellers at London Gatwick*, before flying to Bari. On arrival in the city on the east coast of Italy, we transfer to our spa hotel on the outskirts of Monopoli, a relaxing all-inclusive base ideally situated for exploring this charming and unspoilt part of Italy.

Our hotel is surrounded by pine forest and is just 50 metres from a white sandy beach. With free time after check-in, you could unwind on the beach or in the spa. Or you might prefer to lounge by the outdoor swimming pools with a cooling drink.

This evening, we enjoy dinner at the hotel with drinks included - as they are between 10am and 10pm each day.

• Dinner

Puglia has picture-perfect landscapes of vineyards and olive groves, and today you discover some of the region's most beautiful towns. First we visit the circular town of Locorotondo, renowned for its sparkling white Spumante wine. Here, you have free time to wander the peaceful labyrinthine streets of the historic centre, among whitewashed buildings and stone churches.

We continue to nearby Martina Franca where there's also time to look around. In the heart of the historic Old Town, is the sandy-coloured Baroque façade of St Martin's Basilica on the main square.

Returning to our hotel for lunch we then visit the town of Polignano a Mare. With winding streets of white-washed buildings, this beautiful coastal town is perched on top of a limestone cliff overlooking the sparkling blue ocean. The sparkling Adriatic attracts sunworshippers to Polignano's Blue Flag beach, who get to view cliff divers jumping into the sea from great heights.

Back at the hotel this evening, we enjoy dinner with drinks.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Travelling by coach to Fasano Station, we board a train for a journey to Lecce and enjoy a guided tour of this city, known for its Baroque, Renaissance and Romanesque buildings, attractive squares and leafy lanes.

With its elaborate architecture and winding alleys, Lecce has been dubbed 'the Florence of the South'. The main square, Piazza del Duomo, sits in the shadow of Lecce's cathedral and its bell tower. Our tour ends at a traditional café, where we sample a Leccese coffee, made with almond milk and poured over ice, with 'pasticciotto' - a southern Puglian pastry filled with custard or ricotta.

With a free afternoon to continue exploring, you could enjoy your picnic lunch near Piazza Sant'Oronzo in view of the Roman amphitheatre - a partially buried archaeological treasure excavated in 1938, where gladiator tournaments were once held. The streets are lined with cafés, bars and restaurants, and shops offering local produce such as olive oil, wine and ceramics.

We return by train to Fasano and transfer by coach to our hotel in time for dinner and drinks.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

With a day at leisure, you could choose to relax at one of the hotel's pools, or on its private beach, spending a peaceful day soaking up the Italian sunshine.

Lunch is available at your hotel, and afterwards you make like to make your way to Monopoli. In the town's charming old quarter is a Baroque cathedral, pretty painted houses and faded stone palaces. The town respects siesta time but the colourful, flower-filled streets become livelier in late afternoon, when artisan craft shops, small boutiques and specialist grocery stores reopen.

Monopoli's Old Port is overlooked by a 16th-century fortress castle, and its striking whitewashed houses contrast with the translucent blue Adriatic Sea. During the afternoon you could enjoy this peaceful scene from a harbour café. The sleepy fishing harbour comes to life at dusk and dawn, when wooden blue and red fishing boats cast off and fishermen return with their catch.

Dinner with drinks at the hotel this evening is the perfect way to round off an enjoyable day of unwinding.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning you travel by train through bountiful countryside to Bari, Puglia's capital and a city overflowing with cultural charms. Bari's long history as a trading port is explored on a guided tour of the gorgeous Old Town, tucked on a headland edging into the Adriatic Sea. Home to the 11th-century Romanesque Basilica di San Nicola and a Swabian Castle, along with some stunning grand piazzas, you're transported back in time as you hear stories of this former Roman and Byzantine port city.

Afterwards, you're free to continue sightseeing at your own pace. Maybe visit one of the Old Town's many museums or enjoy your picnic lunch on the long seafront promenade, which has views of the city walls and crystalline sea. You might also like to sample the city's thriving street food or relax at a stylish bar or alfresco café with a glass of local wine. We return to our hotel in the late afternoon, ready for dinner this evening.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A highlight of any trip to this part of Italy is an excursion to Matera. We leave Puglia by coach this morning to travel to this spectacular town in neighbouring Basilicata. The rugged hilltop town of Matera is a UNESCO World Heritage site, recognised for its ancient 'sassi' cave dwellings dug deep into the cliffside. This fascinating town has been favoured among directors as a film location over the decades, and features in the James Bond film No Time to Die.

After a short break on arrival, our guided tour takes us through the maze of winding streets and fascinating Palaeolithic-era abodes, some of which were inhabited until as recently as the 1950s. Matera has flourished in recent years - it was European Capital of Culture in 2019 - and there are many boutiques, craft shops, bars and cafés to discover.

You have a free afternoon here to enjoy your picnic lunch while taking in beautiful views and could also explore the newer part of Matera, where stalls and shops sell delicious local produce. In the late afternoon, we return to our coastal hotel for dinner and drinks.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, we travel by coach to the charming town of Alberobello, famous for its UNESCO-listed limestone 'trulli' houses. These curious cone-shaped homes date back to the 14th century and are one of Puglia's must-see attractions. Originally built without mortar so they could be quickly dismantled and easily rebuilt - which allowed occupants to evade tax collectors - 'trulli' houses are now emblematic of the region.

Free time to explore allows you to step back in time to an almost forgotten era of Italy, admiring the delightful, white-washed stone houses which spread out towards the surrounding hillsides.

You return to your all-inclusive hotel near Monopoli in time for lunch. You may like to spend a free afternoon relaxing by the pool or on the private beach overlooking Puglia's rugged coastline before dinner this evening.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast this morning, we check out of our hotel on the beautiful Puglian coast and transfer to Bari airport for our return flight to London Gatwick or chosen regional airport.

On the journey back to the UK, there's time to look back on the wonderful places we have visited during this lovely all-inclusive holiday to Puglia. After saying goodbye to our Tour Manager, fellow travellers and new friends, no doubt you will head home with many impressions and some special memories of your time in southern Italy.

• Breakfast