Puglia and Matera Magnifica Tour
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Overview
Highlights
- Two night stay and a walking tour of Matera where they have just filmed the remake of the colossal Ben Hur movie with Morgan Freeman
- Captivating clusters of conical trulli structures
- Discover the white-washed town of Ostuni and the beaches near the fishing village of Savelletri
- Spectacular fields of ancient olive trees
- Savory cuisine: grilled vegetables, handmade pasta and fresh seafood!
- Two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Alberobello & Matera
- Beautiful countryside riding among the orchards and trulli of Valle d’Itria
- Premier hotels some of which with spa, swimming pool, and private beach access
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Activities
Trip includes
- Bikes equipped with Garmin GPS (choice Bianchi road carbon or hybrid; Ebike for an extra charge)
- Two professional tour guides throughout the program
- All accommodations
- All breakfasts, all lunches and all dinners
- Wine and beer with meals, coffee, cappuccino, and gelato stops
- Support vehicle during the tour and luggage transfer
- Shuttle at the beginning and at the end of the tour
- All activities mentioned in the day-by-day description
Itinerary
Accommodation: Sextantio Le Grotte della Civiltà
Your guide will meet you at the Bari airport at 12pm for a transfer to the first hotel (approximately 1 hr 15 minutes). We will gather at unique hotel Sextantio for introductions, some lunch, and bike prep. UNESC...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Sextantio Le Grotte della Civiltà
Terrain: Rolling
Ride: 28 mi or 45 km (longer option available)
Today’s ride takes us to the countryside in the fertile Metaponto Valley. We reach San Giuli...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Villa San Martino
Terrain: Rolling
Ride: 51 mi or 81 km (shorter option available)
Today we say goodbye to Matera and pedal South-East. We spin along the Murgia plain through a bucolic terra...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Tenuta Monacelle
Terrain: Hilly
Ride: 35 mi or 56 km (shorter and longer options available)
Today we ride through a fantasy land of conical-shaped houses called trulli. We will have a first ...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Masseria San Domenico
Terrain: Rolling
Ride: 38 mi or 61 km (shorter and longer options available)
We will ride through Ostuni, an area that has been inhabited since the Stone Age. Bike to o...
Accommodation: Masseria San Domenico
Meals: Lunch and Dinner
Terrain: Flat
Ride: 30 mi or 48 km (longer option available)
On this last ride we pass through ancient olive groves and pedal along the coast to the Greek ruins of Egnazia, the an...
Meals: Breakfast
Goodbye! After breakfast, we will arrange a transfer that will take you to the Bari Airport in time for your connecting flights.
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Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Tourissimo.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
Tourissimo Reviews & Ratings
Good tour vastly enhanced by high quality leader
Beppe Salerno was my guide on a cycling trip through Puglia in Southeastern Italy. Although I had cycled for many years and ridden in Italy before this was the firs...
Other Tourissimo Reviews
Great routes, guides, hotels and bikes!
Great routes, guides, hotels and bikes!
I really enjoyed the tour.
I really enjoyed the tour. The bike and cycling routes were great, loved the scenery in Slovenia and appreciated the off-bike tours. I loved the Italian lunch at the...
Tour route was awesome.
Firstly, Beppe is a great tour guide. I appreciated all the stops for gelato and espresso. Tour route was awesome. The first day was on the line of being too long ...
Tour Operator
Background and Mission
Tourissimo is a new deeply authentic Italian travel company whose mission is to provide active travelers a unique way to experience the natural and cultural wonders of this magnificent country. With its highly focused niche approach, Tourissimo aims to become the number one Destination Management Company (DMC) in Italy for active travel by designing, creating and implementing exclusive programs for individuals and small groups, intimately presenting each region with a strong focus on “insider access” and special personal connections to maximize sense of place. Understanding that most travelers today want to be fully engaged and seek memorable and meaningful experiences, all Tourissimo journeys include breathtaking scenery and activities, gourmet food and wine and a range of accommodations that together create an unforgettable taste of Italy.
Tourissimo was founded in 2015 by Beppe Salerno, a former general manager at one of the industry’s leading companies who has carried out (both as a manager and as a guide) hundreds of tours throughout Italy and amassed outstanding experience and knowledge in the field of active adventure vacations in some of the most inspiring destinations throughout Italy. Tourissimo began with a handful of destinations including Piedmont, Puglia, Sicily, the Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre; new destinations for 2016 include Tuscany, Sardinia and Friuli with the bordering country of Slovenia. Each itinerary is a carefully balanced mix of physical activities, cultural immersion and authentic learning experiences.
The Tourissimo Experience
Tourissimo provides turnkey, fully supported programs primarily serving small (8-14pp) private groups through outbound tour operators, travel agents, and private organizations, such as cycling clubs and affinity groups. All tours are designed to provide extraordinary educational hiking and bicycling in geographical areas where Tourissimo has outstanding expertise. These carefully crafted programs are active immersions into local culture and delicious cuisine for energetic, highly curious, young-at-heart travelers of all abilities who love the outdoors.
Tourissimo’s Signature Tours are ready-to-book programs of six or seven nights offering three activity levels: recreational, moderate and athletic. The cycling tours allow riders to choose a performance road bike, hybrid bike or even an Ebike (bike with pedals assisted by an electric engine). Custom tours are also available, whereby Tourissimo specifically designs programs in any Italian destination based on the individual or group’s specific interests and preferences. Custom tours may include things like kayaking, learning to make ceramics from local artisans, making handmade pasta from scratch or literary city tours in the footsteps of Dante, just to name a few.
Rates typically range from $450 to $750 per person per night, including accommodations, most meals, all transfers, daily cultural activities and two or more professional tour leaders. Programs are usually a weeklong in duration, but there are no minimum number of nights on custom tours. Reservations can be made via www.tourissimo.travel or by calling 857-997-0051.
Additional Background
According to Active Travel Association’s 2015 Industry Snapshot, Italy is the top destination for soft adventure travel in Europe. With its longitudinal, peninsula-like shape, Italy has varying elevations from sea level to mountains reaching 12,000 feet. The country has the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites (47 as of 2015), and with approximately 5000 miles of coastline and two mountain ranges including the majestic Dolomites on Eastern Alps, it’s no wonder that Italy tops the wish lists for those seeking beautiful adventures. In addition to being an unchallenged destination for food and wine aficionados, Italy’s dense network of roads and trails, charming villages, hamlets, castles, monasteries and abbeys make it the ideal destination for active travelers.
Cycling and Walking tours in Italy Tourissimo is the first Italian Destination. Management company specialized in active travel. We are local experts; we rely on experienced Italian guides and staff to deliver authentic travel experiences.
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Logistics
What's excluded
- Airfare
- Personal expenses such as phone and hotel extras
- Guide gratuity
Transportation & Flights
Transportation & flights
If Days Prior to Departure is 91+, then the Cancellation Fee is Admin fee – 250 USD
If Days Prior to Departure is 61-90, then the Cancellation Fee is 25% of tour price
If Days Prior to Departure is 31-60, then the Cancellation Fee is 50% of tour price
If Days Prior to Departure is 0-30, then the Cancellation Fees is 100% of tour price
6 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches and 6 Dinners
Tour Level
Recreational/Active/Athletic - Active: 20 to 50 mi a day along rolling terrain. Feel free to use the van for part of the day or on longer climbs.
Climate Data
In June, temperatures average 17C (62F) low / 26C (78F) max - precipitation probability 4%
In September, temperatures average 14C (57F) low / 25C (77F) max - precipitation probability 5%
In October, temperatures average 14C (57F) low / 23C (73F) max - precipitation probability 13%
Info about food and wine, and Slow Food products
Puglia is predominantly an agricultural region, producing around 40% of Italy's olive oil and a large proportion of its wine (more than any other region in Italy). This essentially agricultural nature influences the region's cuisine. Home cooks and restaurant chefs predominantly use the abundant local produce, such as durum wheat, tomatoes, artichokes, fava beans, fennel, peppers, onions, beef and lamb. In terms of pasta, Puglians pride themselves on their orecchiette, little ear-shaped shells that are still produced by hand on a daily basis by many ladies right in front on their doorsteps. It is usually served with tasty sauces such as meat ragu, broccoli and anchovies, mushrooms or turnip tops. The best pasta is made rigorously from durum wheat flour of the Senatore Cappelli wheat cultivar, one of the local products that Slow Food took under its wing. Puglia's rocky interior is ideal for sheep farming and, in terms of meat, lamb reigns supreme, a trait that Puglia shares with its neighboring region, Basilicata.
Feast days are characterized by the fragrance of roasting lamb wafting through the streets and most restaurant menus will feature at least a couple of lamb dishes. Puglia's long coastline and fishing tradition bring large quantities of seafood to the table. Red mullet, octopus, anchovies, gilt-head bream, mussels, sea bass and cuttlefish are featured in many recipes at seafront restaurants. Puglia and Basilicata's comforting country cuisine is a pure expression of popular traditions and the natural bounty of the land.
The most widely grown grape variety is Negroamaro (literally black-bitter). Almost exclusively cultivated in Puglia, Negroamaro is used to produce some of the region’s best wines, including Salice Salentino. The title of most famous grape, however, goes to Primitivo, whose wines are generally high in alcohol content and full in body. The hills around Matera give birth to one of the best reds of the South of Italy: the Aglianico del Vulture.
The volcanic soil and the aglianico grape tannins make it perfect for aging. White wines count for less than 20% of the overall production but are gradually growing in importance. Local grapes such as Bombino Bianco, Bianco d’Alessano and Verdeca rub shoulders with international varieties including Chardonnay and Sauvignon to produce some excellent results.
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