Puglia & the South - Undiscovered Italy

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To book or for more information please call: 0330 160 8099 and quote RTA

Puglia & the South - Undiscovered Italy

SEE IT - SAVE UP TO 10% ON ALL HOLIDAYS

Enjoy rest and relaxation on the shores of the Adriatic, and take in the often-overlooked delights of Italy’s sun-kissed southern 'high heel'. Full of included highlights, this hugely enjoyable holiday is based on the shores of the Adriatic and lifts the veil on a fascinating region of Italy. Discover the stunning, ancient, whitewashed hill-town of Ostuni, Alberobello and its conical trulli houses, and visit the extraordinary caves at Matera. A visit to Baroque gem Lecce – the Florence of the South – and the opportunity to discover Castellana's famous cave network, wine-producing Locorotondo and elegant Martina Franca, on an optional excursion, complete a wonderful stay.

Holiday Highlights

Spend seven nights beside the brilliant blue Adriatic Sea
Discover the UNESCO-listed wonders of Matera's Sassi cave-dwellings
Witness hilltop Ostuni’s white walls gleaming in the Italian sun
Take in Alberobello’s traditional, conical trulli houses
Explore Lecce's Baroque buildings and Roman ruins
Visit the medieval village of Cisternino
Discover the UNESCO-listed wonders of Matera’s sassi cave dwellings, inhabited from the Paleolithic Period right the way up to the 1950s
Have the chance to visit the Castellana Caves and Locorotondo on an optional excursion

What's Included

Seven nights' dinner, bed and breakfast accommodation at the four-star Hotel del Levante, Torre Canne
A tour of Apulia, Cisternino, Ostuni and Alberobello
Tours of Lecce and the cave network at Matera
Return flights to Bari
Coach travel and transfers throughout
Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager, with specialist local guides where applicable

Itinerary

Day 1

Fly to Bari, meet your tour manager and board the coach to transfer to your comfortable beachside hotel in Torre Canne. Settle in, and depending on your flight time, perhaps enjoy a refreshing drink on the terrace before dinner.

Day 2

Today you're free to rest, relax in the hotel and make the most of your waterside location. Take a dip in the pool, pay a visit to the hotel’s fitness centre or simply curl up with a book on a terrace or in a lounge. If you feel like exploring further afield, you can rent bicycles from the hotel, or stroll into the nearby fishing port and the small resort of Torre Canne to see its tiny harbour and lighthouse.

Day 3

The first of our included excursions is a perfect introduction to the unique region of Apulia, or Puglia. It begins with a visit to the stunning hill-town of Ostuni, one of Southern Italy’s most spectacular locations, its whitewashed houses and cobbled streets set on three hills. The town’s maze of alleyways is perfect for wandering and opens out to reveal some spectacular views, while the old town's beautiful squares offer several bars and cafés from which to watch the world go by. Leaving Ostuni, we'll travel back, across the vine- and olive-covered landscape dotted with conical trulli houses, to Alberobello. Here, hundreds of the whitewashed buildings with their tapered roofs cluster together to create one of Italy’s most arresting sights. Return to Torre Canne for dinner, at the end of a fascinating day.

Day 4

The Baroque treasure-chest of Lecce is one of Southern Italy’s most appealing cities. Today’s included tour will include the opportunity to soak up the atmosphere of this historic trading centre, where elegant buildings, ornate churches and marbled courtyards reflect the town’s past importance. Explore the old town, which surrounds the ruins of a great Roman amphitheatre, one of several Roman remnants in the city, before we return to Torre Canne in time for dinner.

Day 5

Spend another day relaxing at your hotel, perhaps enjoying a dip in the pool or the sea, or catching some sun in the hotel’s gardens.

Day 6

Saving the best of our included excursions till last, today you'll head into the neighbouring province of Basilicata, to Matera. This enthralling labyrinth of a town is a cultured oasis in and otherwise sparsely populated landscape, and is famed for the extraordinary Sassi. This maze of ancient cave-dwellings was inhabited as recently as 40 years ago, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Arriving in Matera in time for lunch (payable locally), you’ll have the opportunity to discover the history of this fascinating place, with its chiese rupestri (churches hewn from the rocks), and to wander through its ancient streets and colourful piazzas. After a fascinating day you’ll head back into Puglia and return to the shores of the blue Adriatic.

Day 7

The final day of your holiday offers a last chance to rest and relax at the hotel or in Torre Canne, or to join a last optional excursion – this time into the Apulian countryside. First stop on the tour will be the extraordinary caves at Castellana, an underground network of towering stalagmites and stalactites and vast, cool caverns formed over the centuries. Wrap up warm in the cool temperatures then emerge to and head to your second stop – the majestic, whitewashed, circular hill-town of Locorotondo. Here, the surrounding vineyards are famed for their crisp white wines, and you'll visit a local cellar for the opportunity to taste the local vintages, as well as some other regional specialities, before you round off an enjoyable day with a short call in the historic town of Martina Franca, where an enthralling Baroque heart is hidden behind the modern buildings of the new town.

Day 8

Say goodbye to your Apulian hosts, and board the coach to begin your journey back to Bari airport where you'll check in for your flight home at the end of a fascinating, relaxing tour of Puglia.

Hotel Del Levante, Torre Canne

Just steps from the blue Adriatic, and boasting its own beach in addition to its swimming pools and ample sun terraces, this hotel is the perfect place to relax....

Rosa Marina Resort, Ostuni

A beachfront resort fringed by tropical, Mediterranean gardens and housed within a white stucco building....

Hotel transfer times

The transfer time from Bari Airport to the hotel is approximately one hour.

Entrance Fees

Since some attractions visited offer free admission to visitors at certain times of year, we do not include entrance fees. These will be payable locally where applicable. This applies to excursions that are included in the price of your holiday and to excursions booked as optional extras.

Meals in Italy

Guests on half-board arrangements will be served a three-course evening meal, and can expect a first course of traditional pasta or soup, a main meat or fish course accompanied by one or two types of vegetable, and a simple dessert of fruit, cake or Italian ice cream. Breakfasts will usually consist of bread rolls, jam, cereal, ham, cheese, fruit juice, tea and coffee. Menus will vary from hotel to hotel, but choice will be more limited than in a normal restaurant. In some instances, individual guests who have booked with the hotel independently may be offered a different menu from those who are staying at the hotel as part of a package tour.

Special requirements

If you have notified us of any special requirements, please check that they have been noted and acknowledged. This is especially important with any dietary needs you may have.

Combining hotel transfers

We sometimes need to combine transfers to and from your hotel. We always try to keep any wait to a minimum, but you may be asked to wait at the airport for up to an hour, while other incoming flights arrive, before the transfer to your hotel. Similarly, we may need to transfer you back to the airport up to three hours before your flight home departs.

Disabled access

The majority of our tours involve a certain amount of walking, including a short walk from the coach stop to the town, attraction or venue you're visiting. If you are bringing a wheelchair, please let us know at the time of booking so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

Italian hotel room tax

Some regions of Italy have introduced a room tax of between 1€ and 3€ per person per night, payable directly by the guest to the hotel on check-out. You will be advised by your tour manager in resort if a particular hotel is implementing this charge.

Itinerary changes

Occasionally, for operational reasons, we may have to change the order of the excursions on your holiday. The final day-by-day itinerary will be confirmed on your Final Travel Documents, which you will receive approximately three weeks prior to your departure.

Foreign Office Travel Advice

Visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice to find out the latest Foreign And Commonwealth Office travel advice for your holiday destination, as well as information about passports and visas.

Airport development fees

An Airport Development Fee has been introduced at a few UK Airports. You will be required to pay this charge at the following airports prior to checking in for your flight: Blackpool, Newquay and Norwich. The amount varies from airport to airport, but it is generally between £5 and £10 per person. Please visit the airport's website for further information.

Terms and conditions

Save up to 10% discount applies to specific 2022-2024 holidays and tours only. All tours are marked with the discounted percentage. The ‘See it.’ offer applies to new bookings only for 2022 -2024 departures booked between 1 September and 30 September 2022 inclusive. The Offer does not apply to holidays with late availability pricing and excludes Ocean Cruise, River Cruise, Lapland, Andre Rieu, and Wimbledon. This offer cannot be combined or used in conjunction with any other discount, promotion or concession. When booking a holiday as described above, prices shown will automatically have percentage discount applied on our website. The discount applies to the tour price (excluding extras and holiday insurance) at the time of booking. The Offer is subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time.

Travelling to Europe

Rules may have changed since you last travelled to European Union countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The following are useful guidelines which will help you prepare for your next adventure. Note that these new rules do NOT apply when travelling within the United Kingdom or to the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Republic of Ireland. You do require government issued ID when travelling by air though.

Names - It is very important that all passenger names are exactly as per your passport although we do not require middle names.

Passport - Your passport must meet two requirements to travel to an EU country and to Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. It must be: Less than 10 years old on the day you return home (please check the "date of issue") and valid for at least 3 months after the day you return home (please check the "expiry date").

These rules do not apply to travel to Ireland where you can continue to use your passport as long as it’s valid for the length of your stay.

Visa - If you’re a tourist, you do not need a visa for short trips to most EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. You’ll be able to stay for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period. Different rules will apply to Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania; if you visit these countries, visits to other EU countries will not count towards the 90-day total. Travel to Ireland will not change and stays there will not count towards the 90-day total.

European Travel Information & Authorisation System (ETIAS) - Towards the end of 2022, it is likely that non EU citizens will be required to apply online for an authorisation to visit most European countries. The current details suggest there will be a charge of €7 per person and the authorisation will be valid for all trips made to the EU in a three year period from issue. We will advise you of confirmed details prior to your tour’s departure.

Border Control - At border control, you may need to show proof of your return journey - your travel documentation issued by us will be sufficient for this. You will also need to use separate lanes from EU, EEA and Swiss citizens if manual checks are required.

Healthcare Cover - You should always get appropriate travel insurance with healthcare cover before you go abroad which covers pre-existing conditions. You should understand the terms and conditions of your travel insurance and be happy with its cover for healthcare and travel disruption. Newmarket sell a comprehensive travel insurance policy. Ask our travel consultants for more information.

You should also apply for a UK Global Heath Insurance Card (GHIC) which lets you get urgent state healthcare in Europe at a reduced cost or sometimes for free. Note GHIC is only valid in EU countries and not in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

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