Gourmet Puglia (6250)

8 Day Tour from Bari to Martina Franca

2026 Tour Details View 2025 Tour Details »

This regional affordable small group adventure of the Italian region of Puglia, (also called Apulia), focuses on traditional experiences involving local food and wine. Your Apulian experience begins in Bari and continues in Martina Franca, where you will spend six nights. Martina Franca is perched on a hilltop in Val D’Itria, a beautiful valley in Puglia famous for olive oil production and the traditional conic houses called Trulli, and it is the ideal base for exploring the region. The historic centre is a memorable maze of winding alleys, where whitewashed simplicity sits side by side with baroque extravagance. Known as the “heel of the boot” of Italy, Puglia remains a favorite holiday destination thanks to breathtaking landscapes, enchanting coastline, and culinary traditions. Among the highlights of this regional Italy vacation you can look forward to the visit of Alberobello and the old towns of Bari and Lecce, as well as other charming towns surrounded by olive tree dotted countryside. Your budget-minded vacation in Italy is never short on great food and drink, especially on this itinerary. Olive oil, orecchiette pasta, local cheese, Primitivo wine and capocollo cured meat are only some of the mouthwatering delicacies you will taste during this week. Of course, you will also learn how to cook some delicious recipes for your friends and family back home on the included cooking class. The memories of your regional tour of Puglia will remain with you forever!

The world is within reach with everything you need for perfectly affordable touring. Big experiences come in small packages, so this tour is limited to a maximum of just 28 guests per departure. Cosmos includes hand-selected accommodations, guided sightseeing, and seamless transportation between destinations—with value-minded travel lovers in mind. Explore with expert Cosmos Tour Directors and Local Guides, complimentary headsets, and private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi. Enhance your free time to explore like a local with your CosmosGO mobile app!

Dates & Prices Book Online

800.646.5374

Photo Highlights

Meals

Meals & Itinerary

7 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner

Itinerary

Day 1 ARRIVE IN BARI, ITALY

Welcome to Italy! Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore with the help of the CosmosGO app. Tonight, meet your Tour Director and travel companions.

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Day 2 BARI–MARTINA FRANCA

Start your Puglia discovery with a guided sightseeing tour of Bari. This seaside city skirting the Adriatic Sea boasts Italy’s longest waterfront and an interesting maze of alleyways, courtyards, and historical palaces. When strolling through the narrow streets of Bari Vecchia (old Bari), pause to marvel at the local women preparing typical Apulian orecchiette pasta, made traditionally by hand.
Today’s Distance: 46 mi/ 75 km

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Breakfast

Dinner

Day 3 MARTINA FRANCA

Get to know the host town of your Puglia foodie adventure on an orientation tour. Discover local cheese and “Capocollo” ham. Of course, you will have an opportunity to taste some of these traditional delicacies.
Today’s Distance: 13 mi/ 20 km

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Breakfast

Day 4 MARTINA FRANCA–ALBEROBELLO–MARTINA FRANCA

On the included half-day excursion to Alberobello, discover the iconic Trulli. These dwellings, dating from as early as the mid-14th century, are made of roughly worked limestone boulders collected from neighboring fields. Characteristically, they feature pyramidal, domed, or conical roofs built of corbelled limestone slabs. These remarkable Trulli houses were included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites in 1996. The rest of your day is at leisure but consider saving your appetite for this evening’s optional dinner at a local “masseria” (farmhouse) in the Apulian countryside. Enjoy authentic Italian dishes made with ingredients fresh from the farm.
Today’s Distance: 17 mi/ 28 km

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Breakfast

Day 5 MARTINA FRANCA

Spend free time to relax or explore Martina Franca on your own or delve into classic Italian customs with an optional excursion to Altamura, known for its bread-baking traditions using the ancient method of wood-burning stoves in a city of ancient palaces, churches, and cloisters.; and discover Matera, one of the oldest, still inhabited cities in the world preserving evidence of human settlements since the Paleolithic period in its natural caves carved into the rock.

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Breakfast

Day 6 MARTINA FRANCA–LECCE–MARTINA FRANCA

One of the highlights of this tour is the included day trip to Lecce. This seaside city enchants visitors with an unmistakable style, boasting monuments dating back to Roman times and, most notably, extraordinary baroque buildings that proudly bare the characteristic blonde color of the local stone. The city center’s vibrant and bustling atmosphere will entice you with its elegant, timeless alleyways and delicious local delicacies, such as the “Pasticciotto,” made with sweet short pastry and typically filled with a delicious Italian custard. Learn more about regional food by joining the exciting, included cooking class. Learn hands-on how to prepare traditional orecchiette pasta and savor it with other local specialties, paired with local wines, and good company.
Today’s Distance: 62 mi/ 100 km

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Breakfast

Lunch

Day 7 MARTINA FRANCA–CISTERNINO–OSTUNI–MARTINA FRANCA

Learn about olive oil and acquire a taste for different olive oil flavors on the included tour of a local olive farm. Continue the exploration of local towns with great traditions by spending time in Ostuni, where the ancient citadel was built on top of a hill and fortified by walls. The town is commonly referred to as "the White Town" (“La Città Bianca” in Italian) for its white walls and its typically white-painted architecture. Quaint medieval alleyways, stunning sea views, exquisite cuisine, and ancient remains, along with a magic atmosphere, are all features of tonight’s optional discovery of Polignano al Mare, which is a great way to bid farewell to Apulia.
Today’s Distance: 37 mi/ 59 km

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Breakfast

Day 8 MARTINA FRANCA

Your Puglia vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

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Breakfast

Tour Director

With COSMOS, there’s no better way to get to know your destination than through the eyes of a Tour Director. We’d like you to meet one of our Tour Directors, who average over a decade of experience and are representative of the type of expert that will be with you on your vacation.

ROBERTO MASALA

Escorting tours for more than 20 years

“I have always loved traveling since I was young. It is the best way to learn about different cultures, discover new experiences, meet new people, and create amazing memories that last a lifetime. I call myself a life enthusiast and, being Italian, a proper foodie! Being a Tour Director is the perfect blend of doing what you love while working. Whenever I'm touring around Italy, my aim is always to share my passion for art, history, local traditions, and all the beauty that makes this country so fascinating to the world. Exceeding customers' expectations is the best reward I get from doing this job that I love.”

Accommodations

Optional Excursions

No matter what you’re into: food, wine, history, art, music or anything else, we give you the freedom to personalize your vacation with optional excursions that speak to your interests.

When you book your excursions with us, you can be assured that every optional excursion that we offer coordinates with the free time that you'll have in your destination, so you'll never have conflicts between included and optional activities. Our team of travel experts carefully selects each optional excursion that we offer to ensure that you receive the highest quality at a great value. Our tried-and-true partners have a finger on the pulse of the city in which they operate so they deliver the very best experiences. We offer experiences you cannot create on your own and because you’re booking with us, we coordinate all your transportation and timing needs.

The following optional excursions are examples only for this vacation. These may or may not be offered, and availability is subject to days of operation and seasonality. Please select a departure date to view optional excursions and pricing for a specific date (due to currency fluctuation, pricing shown is subject to change until purchased). Optional excursions are available for purchase on our MyCosmos site 90 days prior to the tour start date.

Price Ranges

$ ($50 USD and under)
$$ ($51 - $100 USD)
$$$ ($101 - $150 USD)
$$$$ (Over $150)

Martina Franca

Fairytale Journey: Discover Apulian Hidden Charms and Flavors

The fairytale landscapes of the Itria Valley await on this delightful day trip featuring some of Italy's most captivating scenery, culture, and cuisine.

Price Range: $$

Uncover Italy's Secrets: Matera and Altamura with Bakery Lunch

Join us for unforgettable taste of Southern Italy's history and culinary delights of Matera and Altamura.

Price Range: $$

Scenic Polignano: On the Cliffs of the Adriatic Sea

The quaint old town with its medieval structures and the breath-taking sea views make this a location worthy of a visit if you are in Puglia.

Price Range: $

Private Touring

Private Touring: Cosmos European Private Touring enables you to experience all of the attractions, sights and highlights of your selected Cosmos tour as a private experience - delivered just for you and your traveling party. With Private Touring, you'll have your own dedicated Tour Director, your own private transportation and driver, and your own professional local guides. All with greater flexibility in pace and your experience. For your selected tour, there will be additional per-person cost for the size of your party - from 1 to 24. This additional supplement is reduced with each traveler you add to your party. Here's a sample of the additional cost:

6 guests in a party: $1,572*
18 guests in a party: $127*

Contact Cosmos or your preferred travel agent for pricing for your specific party size as well as any other information on Cosmos Private Touring.

*Supplement pricing is per person (USD) and will be added to the standard published price for your given departure date and is based on availability. Supplement price is valid for 2021 travel year. Occasionally some included and optional activities & excursions may be operated with other guests. Additional restrictions may apply. Not applicable for custom groups. No Group allowances or promotions are available on Private Touring. Published itineraries only. Note that blackout dates may exist where the Private Touring option is not available.

The "Starting at" or listed price is based on the lowest price available to book. Price is per passenger based on double occupancy and does not include International airfare; additional fees/charges are not included. If a price is crossed out, the new price includes a limited time promotional offer(s) – please review current promotions or deals for additional information. Some tours require intra-vacation flights (and in some cases intra-vacation segments must be purchased from Cosmos).