Planning a trip to Apulia? This guide covers the best route through the region — how to combine Bari, the Valle d'Itria's hill towns and the Salento coast depending on how much time you have.
✔ Best 5-day plan: Bari + Alberobello + Ostuni + Polignano a Mare
✔ Best for first-timers: 7-day route adding Lecce and Salento beaches
✔ Best experience: 10 days to properly explore the far south and the Gargano peninsula
5 Days: The Essentials
Fly into Bari and spend a day exploring its old town, "pasta street" and Norman-Swabian Castle. Base yourself in the Valle d'Itria for the next two days — a converted trullo or masseria is the ideal accommodation here — and use it to explore Alberobello, Locorotondo and Ostuni. Spend your final two days on the coast at Polignano a Mare, taking a boat trip into the sea caves before flying home from Bari or Brindisi.
Book a Polignano a Mare Sea Cave Tour
The essential Apulia coastal experience — book ahead for summer
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With two extra days, continue south from the coast to Lecce, the "Florence of the South," for a full day admiring its extravagant Baroque churches carved from local golden limestone. Use your final day to explore the Salento peninsula's beaches — Porto Selvaggio, the Maldive del Salento or the cliffs of Otranto all make excellent day trips from Lecce.
Tip: Public transport between Apulia's hill towns is limited — a rental car makes this itinerary far more flexible and is worth the cost, especially once you're outside the main coastal cities.
10 Days: The Full Apulia Route
With ten days, add the Gargano peninsula in the north — the "spur" of Italy's boot, with dramatic cliffs, pine forests and the pilgrimage town of San Giovanni Rotondo. This region feels genuinely different from the flat, olive-grove landscape of central and southern Apulia, and rewards travellers with more time to spare.
❓ Apulia Itinerary FAQs
Is 5 days enough for Apulia?
Yes — five days covers Bari, the Valle d'Itria's hill towns and one coastal stop comfortably, though it doesn't leave time for Lecce or the far south.
Should I rent a car in Apulia?
Yes, strongly recommended — public transport between the region's hill towns and beaches is limited, and a car gives you far more flexibility to explore at your own pace.
Where should I base myself in Apulia?
The Valle d'Itria (around Alberobello, Locorotondo or Ostuni) is the most central base for exploring the region's icons. Bari and Lecce also work well if you prefer a city base.
Can I visit Apulia without a car?
It's possible if you stick to the coastal towns connected by train (Bari, Polignano a Mare, Monopoli, Brindisi), but you'll miss the inland hill towns like Alberobello and Ostuni without your own transport.