Trulli houses in Alberobello- 'Florence of the south'
- Historic Ostuni
- Rural Calabria
Tours Pace 2
The Soul of Southern Italy
Italy
from £1,799 per person 10 1 Including optional travel insurance or a price reduction of £54 if not required-
Solo Travellers
-
Half board
Journey across a diverse and beautiful landscape...
Compare and contrast the regions of Puglia, Calabria and Campania, on this exploration of unspoilt Italy exclusively for solo travellers. You’ll visit Matera’s ancient ‘i sassi’ cave dwellings, discover the ‘white city’ of Ostuni, and admire Alberobello’s iconic ‘Trulli’ houses. Plus why not take the chance to step back in time at the ruins of Pompeii, or admire the incredible landscapes of the beautiful Amalfi Coast on optional excursions...
Including...
10 nights in hotels
24 meals: 10 breakfasts and 10 dinners
- Optional travel insurance underwritten by Great Lakes Insurance SE, UK
- Return flights and transfers
- Saga tour manager
- Porterage at all hotels
- Fast track security and airport lounge UK
- Welcome drink and dinner
- Drinks party
- Farewell dinner
- Meet and greet at the airport
- Social activities
Excursions and visits
- Visit the medieval seaport of Trani
- Guided tour of Alberobello, Martina Franca and Ostuni
- Visit to Rossano and Greek archaeological site at Sibari
- Visit to the cave dwellings at Matera
- Altomonte orientation tour
Use of audio headsets on guided tours.
View Full Itinerary
Day 1 UK-Naples-Caserta
Meet your tour group at the airport and fly to Naples. Transfer to Caserta, staying overnight at the locally rated 4-star Hotel dei Cavalieri, situated in the heart of the town, and overlooking the Piazza Luigi Vanvitelli. This evening look forward to a welcome drink and dinner where you can get to know your fellow travellers. D
Day 2 Alberobello
After breakfast, travel to the region of Puglia to Alberobello, pausing at the UNESCO-listed Castel del Monte en route. This octagonal-shaped medieval castle was built by Frederick II in the 13th century as part of a strategic network of defensive castles, and proudly overlooks the surrounding countryside. Continue to the medieval town of Trani, with its castle, old town and impressive seaside cathedral. Stay three nights at the locally rated 4-star Grand Hotel La Chiusa di Chietri. B, D
Day 3 Alberobello, Martina Franca and Ostuni
Today an included guided tour takes in charming Alberobello – famed for its unique 'trulli' houses. These unique stone houses, with conical roofs covered with dry stone slabs, are only to be found in this region, and have resulted in Alberobello being designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You'll also visit Martina Franca, with its particularly beautiful old town, and the 'white city' of Ostuni, where whitewashed buildings set on a hillside overlook the sea. B, D
Day 4 Alberobello
Enjoy a day at leisure or perhaps join an optional excursion to Lecce, or Bari and Polignano. B, D
Day 5 Altomonte
Travel to Altomonte in Calabria, via Matera – a European capital of Culture for 2019 – to see the intriguing houses and churches carved out of rock: ‘i sassi’. Stay at the locally rated 4-star Hotel Barbieri for three nights. B, D
Day 6 Altomonte
Today enjoy a full-day included excursion to Rossano, a charming town known for its liquorice production. Visit the 11th-century Santa Maria del Patire monastery and see the Codex Purpureo, the oldest illustrated Gospel book, before exploring the ancient archaeological site of Sibari. B, D
Day 7 Altomonte
Enjoy a half-day orientation tour of Altomonte to explore its historical treasures. Look forward to a special dinner downtown this evening. B, D
Day 8 Vico Equense
After breakfast, drive north to Vico Equense, a hidden gem of a town on the northern coast of the picturesque Sorrento peninsula, where you'll stay three nights at the locally rated 4-star Hotel Mary. B, D
Day 9 Vico Equense
Spend today at leisure. Alternatively, you may like to join an optional excursion to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. B, D
Day 10 Vico Equense
Either relax in the sun or join an optional trip to Pompeii. Enjoy a farewell dinner this evening. B, D
Day 11 Vico Equense, Italy-UK
After breakfast, transfer to Naples airport for your return flight home. B
Matera’s cave dwellings
A trip to Matera feels like a journey back in time. Nestled in a remote corner of the Basilicata region of Southern Italy, the town encompasses cave dwellings hewn out of the tufa limestone, and is regarded as one of the world’s oldest human settlements with some 7,000 years of history. Established in a canyon carved out by the Gravina River, the town has come a long way, from being considered a slum and described as ‘the shame of Italy’ in the 1950s to being recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 and named European Capital of Culture in 2019. Once squalid caves, known as the ‘Sassi’, have now been transformed into stylish restaurants, bars and hotels, though in one of the old town’s two neighbourhoods, Sasso Caveoso, you can stroll atmospheric streets of uninhabited caves to see how life once was. Sasso Caveoso and the neighbouring Sasso Barisano are separated by a 750-year-old cathedral which looms over the old and new town and the eerie ravines beyond.
