Tour Plan
Upon landing at Bari Airport you will be met by your private English-speaking driver who will escort you to your resort in the heart of Salento, not far from the Fortified Citadel of Acaya and the Cesine Nature Park : Acaya Golf Resort 4****. We will book 1 Suite room with panoramic roof garden. Check in and free time at leisure. Dinner will be reserved for you at the Hotel.
In the heart of Salento, among ancient olive trees, Mediterranean vegetation, the wild countryside of the Le Cesine reserve, lapped by the most beautiful crystal-clear waters of the Adriatic sea. Nestled in one hundred and twenty hectares of Mediterranean vegetation, Acaya Resort offers an 18-hole golf course, comfortable, spacious rooms with a view, an extraordinary 1200-m2 spa, indoor and outdoor pools, gourmet restaurants, free Wi-Fi and a conference centre. And a sincere sense of hospitality, which has its roots in the traditions of Salento.
Day 2 – Lecce : guided walking tour of the historical centre & Unique dinner
After breakfast, meet your private English-speaking guide and driver and reach the historic center of Lecce. You will have a walking tour along the streets of the ancient “Lupiae” to learn about the most aristocratic city of Salento. Stop in a local workshop to learn the secrets of the art of papier-maché. At lunch time, light lunch and wine tasting will be reserved for you in a Wine bar. After lunch, your driver will escort you to your resort where you will have free time to relax and enjoy the beautiful Spa inside the Hotel. In the evening, meet your private driver who will escort you to Palazzo De Castro, a historic noble residence, built by the Viceroys of Naples. Here, a private dinner will be booked for you, in this magical atmosphere. After dinner, transfer back to the resort.
Day 3 – Lecce: Full day tour of the Adriatic Coast
After breakfast, meet your private English-speaking guide and driver for a tour along the Adriatic coast, which will touch some of the most significant places. You will have a stop at the Posia cave, the most famous natural pool in the world. After this amazing visit, you will proceed to the bay of Torre dell'Orso to taste an ice-coffee with almond milk (typical Salento specialty). Continue to Otranto, the eastern most city in Italy. Lunch will be booked in a super restaurant by the sea with a fish based menu. In the afternoon you will return to the hotel, but not forgetting a stop in the Grecìa Salentina, an area located in the heart of Salento, where the elders of the place still speak griko, a language of Greek-Byzantine origin. Several municipalities are part of the Salento Greece; our excursion is based on Martignano, the smallest municipality that has only 1700 inhabitants and that best represents the area. You will visit the historic area with Palazzo Palmieri, the church of S. Giovanni with its incredible frescoes, the hypogeum oil mill, the courtyard houses and the pozzelle or wells of San Pantaleo (small tanks once used for collecting rainwater). At the end of the tour your driver will escort you back. Dinner will be booked for you in your Hotel.
Day 4 – From Lecce to Alberobello with stop in Ostuni
After breakfast, meet your private driver who will escort you to Ostuni. You will stop in a XVI century farm immersed in acres of olive groves for an Oil Tasting in the silence of the countryside, here you will meet your English speaking guide and have a walking tour to the historic center, in the "white city". Lunch will be reserved in a "cave restaurant". After lunch, you will proceed to Alberobello, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its traditional drystone huts with a conical roof, known as "Trulli". After this visit, your driver will escort you to your resort: Alcove Resort. We will book 1 Suite Room. Check in and rest of the day at leisure.
Beautiful as precious stones encrusted, in the small village square, the suites of Le Alcove will bring you back to timeless stories, as characters of a fairy tale. The roofs are white here, the cone-shaped ceiling and its stones embrace one another like a wizard’s hat, luxury is sober in the centuries-old walls that once welcomed peasants, artisans and ladies of the ancient feud …Everything here is sought in the smallest detail. Each trullo is a small architectural work of art.
Day 5 – Alberobello: full day of the Itria Valley
After breakfast, you will meet your English-speaking guide and driver for a full day excursion to the Itria Valley. You will visit Alberobello and Locorotondo, famous for the particular circular town center. Lunch, will be reserved in a restaurant with a breathtaking view of the valley. In the afternoon, you will you’re your transfer back to the Alcove and the rest of the day at leisure.
After breakfast, you will have a free day at your disposal. You can choose between relaxing, or take part in a cooking class, a bike excursion, or a little wine at the Wine Museum.
Day 7 – Alberobello: Half day to Polignano a Mare and transfer to Bari
After breakfast and check out, you will meet your English-speaking driver for departure to Polignano a Mare, the city where the famous singer Domenico Modugno (Mr. Volare) was born. Here, you will meet your English-speaking guide for a walk inside the historic center. Lunch will be booked in a very nice local restaurant. After lunch, your driver will escort you to your Hotel in Bari: Oriente Hotel 4****. We will book 1 Suite Room. Check in and rest of the day at leisure.
The Hotel Oriente in Bari has just finished completely renovating the interiors with fine furnishings to the latest standards of comfort and elegance. Located within the historic and elegant Murattiano neighbourhood, inside the hotel you will find an exclusive salon for meetings and unforgettable holidays. The terrace on the 6th floor offers an unequalled view over the city of Bari, overlooked by the dome of the fabulous Teatro Petruzzelli.
After breakfast and check out, meet your private driver for a transfer to the Bari airport for your flight back home.