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SEDUCTIVE SOUTHERN ITALY

Adventure from the Amalfi coast to Puglia on the ultimate Southern Italy tour.

Destination
Starts at

Naples

Destination
Ends at

Lecce

Destination
Duration

10 days

Destination
Group Size

Maximum 14

Destination
Physical Rating

easy Information

Destination
Style

discovery Information

About your trip

Discover clifftop villages, secluded beaches and authentic Italian cuisine on this 10-day journey across southern Italy. Starting in Naples, you’ll venture south to Salerno, gateway to the Amalfi Coast. Your trip continues inland towards Puglia, stopping in Matera en route – a city renowned for its network of ancient cave dwellings carved into a hillside. After a night in the atmospheric beach town of Polignano a Mare, you’ll move on to Lecce – often labelled the Florence of the South due to its gorgeous array of baroque architecture – for the final leg of your adventure. All of our trips are flightless in destination, with 100% of all carbon emissions offset. It's just part of how we see the world while being good to it.

Trip Highlights

  • Sample delicious street food on a culinary tour of Naples
  • Explore the spectacular beauty of the Amalfi Coast
  • Explore the ancient hilltop town of Matera, featured in the latest James Bond movie
  • Meander through the Itria Valley by e-bike
  • Relax on the secluded beaches of Polignano a Mare

Your Itinerary

Touch down in Naples airport (NAP) and make your way to the hotel where you’ll be greeted by our Local Insider, who will accompany the group throughout the trip. At 6pm, join your fellow travellers for a welcome drink. Later on, head out for a three-course Neapolitan meal together – an ideal opportunity to get to know each other. After that, you might be tempted by a nightcap in a local bar – otherwise head back to the hotel for a good night’s rest ahead of your first full day.

Accommodation

Hotel Palazzo Salgar

Activities Included
  • Welcome dinner

Learn all about the history of Neapolitan food and its importance to the city culture on a street food tour. Naples is of course synonymous with pizza and pasta, but there are many other local specialities, which you’ll get to discover as our local guide takes you to the most authentic eateries in the city. Explore the city at leisure in the afternoon before taking a private transfer to the Amalfi Coast – your next stop.

Accommodation

Hotel Sole Splendid, Maiori

Activities Included
  • Naples street food tour

Today, the choice is yours. You could embark on a private boat tour of the Amalfi Coast to explore one of the most alluring stretches of coastline in Europe – or take the public ferry to either Amalfi or Positano and spend the day as you wish. Think pastel-coloured fishing villages set against the backdrop of dramatic cliffs and forests overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. Whether you want to swim, relax on the beach or wander leisurely around the streets and piazzas of these picturesque villages, you won’t be short of options. Return to Maiori in the evening.

Accommodation

Hotel Sole Splendid, Maiori

Optional Activities
  • Amalfi Coast private boat tour

Today we cross into the Basilicata region to reach Matera – known for its ancient hillside cave dwellings in the Unesco-listed Sassi area. Weave your way through the narrow, winding streets on a guided walking tour and discover why it was crowned 2019 European Capital of Culture. You may well recognise it from the latest James Bond movie, No Time To Die.

Accommodation

Corte San Pietro

Activities Included
  • Matera walking tour

You’ll continue eastwards into the Itria Valley – a particularly scenic part of the Puglia region. Marvel at the extraordinary trulli (traditional limestone dwellings with conical roofs) on a guided tour of Alberobello, and navigate the labyrinth of whitewashed alleyways and piazzas in Locorotondo, often regarded as one of the most photogenic towns in Puglia. Keen cyclist? You’ll also have the opportunity to hop on an e-bike and glide through a dreamy patchwork of olive groves and vineyards. Afterwards, it's on to the walled, white-washed town of Locorotonda, where you'll have some free time to explore, before heading to Polignano a Mare on the Adriatic coast – your home for the next two nights.

Accommodation

Cala Ponte Hotel

Activities Included
  • Alberobello guided tour
  • Locorotondo visit
  • Itria Valley e-bike tour

Today is yours to spend as you wish. After a leisurely breakfast, why not head into the old town and soak up the laid-back atmosphere with a coffee in the main square, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II? If you fancy catching rays, pack your beach towel and sprawl out at Lama Monachile (also known as Cala Porto), a secluded white-pebble beach sandwiched between craggy cliffs and bordered by a Roman-era bridge. As evening rolls in, make your way to the Pietra Piatta or Balconata sul Mare for wonderful views of the town and Adriatic Sea.

Accommodation

Cala Ponte Hotel

Wave goodbye to Polignano a Mare as you travel down the heel of the Italian boot to Lecce. Your first stop is at the Castellana Caves for a guided tour of karst chambers 70m (230ft) underground. You’ll then continue to Il Frantoio olive farm where you can taste the area’s famed olive oil from the source, before visiting the nearby hilltop town of Ostuni, nicknamed La Città Bianca (the White City) for its whitewashed buildings. Here, you’ll enjoy a guided walking tour followed by lunch at a masseria (traditional Puglian farmhouse).

Accommodation

Arthotel & Park Lecce

Activities Included
  • Castellana Caves visit
  • Olive oil tasting
  • Ostuni walking tour

Your day starts with a guided tour of the Salento peninsula – the southernmost part of Puglia, home to some of the best beaches in Italy and baroque towns. First, you’ll be shown around Otranto, a city that bears strong Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Norman architectural influences; highlights include an 11th-century cathedral with an elaborate mosaic floor and the Aragonese Castle. It’s then time to explore Santa Maria di Leuca, known for its hilltop lighthouse and the Basilica De Finibus Terrae. Bring your camera to these vantage points to capture panoramic views of the town and coastline, where the Adriatic and Ionian seas merge.

Accommodation

Arthotel & Park Lecce

Activities Included
  • Otranto private tour
  • Santa Maria di Leuca private tour

Begin the final full day of your southern Italy adventure with a walking tour of Lecce, nicknamed the Florence of the South due to its honey-coloured baroque churches and palaces, with elaborately decorated façades, dotted throughout the old town. Spend the rest of your day at leisure, exploring independent craft shops, street cafés and cosy wine bars, as well as a superb selection of authentic Puglian restaurants. Come nightfall, cap off your trip with a memorable farewell dinner in the company of your fellow travellers.

Accommodation

Arthotel & Park Lecce

Activities Included
  • Lecce walking tour
  • Farewell dinner

It’s time to bid farewell to your new friends as your trip comes to an end. Check out of the hotel and make your way to Brindisi (Salento) airport (BDS) to catch your flight home – or choose to extend your stay and experience what else Italy has to offer.

What's Included

  • One night Matera cave accommodation
  • Eight nights premium hotel accommodation
  • Private and local transport
  • Nine breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners
  • Local Insider
  • Naples street food tour
  • Matera walking tour
  • Alberobello guided tour
  • Locorotondo visit
  • Itria Valley e-bike tour
  • Castellana Caves visit
  • Olive oil tasting
  • Ostuni walking tour
  • Otranto private tour
  • Santa Maria di Leuca private tour
  • Lecce walking tour

What's Not Included

  • Visas
  • Travel insurance
  • Flights to and from the destination

Customer Reviews

Accommodation

Hotel Palazzo Salgar

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Overlooking the Port of Naples, this white-marble hotel is ideally located within easy walking distance of the most significant landmarks in the city, such as Naples Cathedral and Porta Capuana. Expect comfortable, air-conditioned rooms with modern furnishings, plus a gym, sauna and Turkish bath.

Hotel Sole Splendid

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This charming little hotel is right on the water’s edge of the quintessential Amalfi Coast town of Maiori, with its own stretch of private beach just steps away. Southwest-facing rooms are flooded with natural light, elegantly furnished and individually decked out with prettily patterned floor tiles. 

Corte San Pietro

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Corte San Pietro

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Corte San Pietro

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Corte San Pietro

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Corte San Pietro

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Corte San Pietro

This charming guesthouse, in the historic Sassi district of Matera, is beautifully set in restored limestone cave dwellings and centred around a tufa stone courtyard. Inside, monochromatic rooms feature local stone, wood and iron, infusing the ancient heritage of the building with refined, contemporary touches.

Cala Ponte Hotel

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Cala Ponte Hotel

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Cala Ponte Hotel

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Cala Ponte Hotel

Make the most of the magnificent swimming pool and private gardens at this stylish resort on the Adriatic Coast – the perfect place to switch off and soak up the Puglian sunshine. Whitewashed bungalows offer luxuriously comfortable beds and spacious bathrooms with rainfall showers.

President Hotel

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This recently renovated four-star hotel, in the beautiful baroque centre of Lecce, has been a bastion of Italian hospitality in the city since 1973. From the elegant marble stylings of the lobby to the clean, crisp and very spacious rooms, the President will keep you rested, refreshed and ready to explore Lecce. Don’t forget to fuel up on local delicacies like friselle al pomodoro and pasticciotti leccesi at breakfast!

COVID Safety

Your safety and wellbeing are our top priority, so we’ve put the following measures in place on all our TRIPS:

  • Our average group size is 10 people (max 18), which gives you all the security of being in a group whilst avoiding a crowd.
  • Where possible, we use small/ boutique accommodation – this means fewer guests and reduced exposure to other travellers.
  • We require all accommodation providers to share protocols around the extra health and hygiene measures they are taking.
  • Included activities are exclusive to our group wherever possible, to minimise contact with others.
  • Covid-19 negative test results or vaccine certificates may be required. Please check the entry requirements for the destination you are travelling to. Our travel experts can assist you in finding this information.
  • We recommend you confirm all guidance on official government sites and check that you are able to travel with your travel insurance issuer. Your travel insurance may be invalidated if you travel against government advice. Our travel experts can assist you in finding this information.

Important Info

  • You must be aged 25 years or over to join this trip.
  • Please be sure to check whether or not you need a visa to enter the country you're travelling to. Please refer to our Booking Terms & Conditions for further information.
  • If you have any pre-existing medical conditions or accessibility requirements, please notify our Customer Support team as soon as possible.
  • We won't charge you extra if you travel alone – you'll be allocated a twin room with another traveller of the same gender.
  • To upgrade to a private room, share a room with a friend, or book pre- and post-trip accommodation and/or airport transfers, please contact our Customer Support team.
  • Please be aware that travel insurance is compulsory for all travellers.
  • Please be aware that the itinerary, activities and hotels are subject to change. While unlikely, these changes can happen due to circumstances beyond our control. We will always do our best to ensure minimal impact on your experience.
  • Please be aware images on this page are for illustrative purposes and may not reflect your itinerary exactly.

Additional Info

Cancellation Policy

The world of travel is changing – and that's why we’re offering flexible booking conditions, to take the stress out of booking in times of uncertainty.

You can get a full refund should you need to postpone or cancel your trip up to 56 days prior to departure. 

Read our Booking Guarantee to find out more about how our Support Team can help you. 

For the full details and cancellation charges, see our Booking Terms & Conditions.

Terms & Conditions

Please refer to our Booking Terms & Conditions.

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Hassle-Free Booking

When booking with us, you’ll benefit from a low deposit payment option, flexible cancellation options and personal customer support. T&Cs apply.

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