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Enchanting Apulia/Puglia

Enchanting
Apulia/
Puglia

Charming villages. Gentler landscapes.

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Apulia/Puglia a storybook journey.

Enter enchanting Apulia a region defined by its unique villages and architecture. A land with captivating stories, comparable to fairy tales, that unfold slowly before your eyes. Cycle Apulia's ancient olive groves and gently rolling fields, as you move from countryside to the sea. North Americans refer to it as Apulia, while Italians call it Puglia. Either way, it's a delightful discovery of Italy's "heel".
Apulia
Price
$5790 Details

 

Cycling Ability
Leisure to
Active Cyclists

 

Itinerary
Details

 

Start/End
Matera/Otranto

 

Duration
8 days/7 nights

 

2024 Dates
March 23
May 8
September 15
October 20

 

Hotels
Details

 

Airports
Bari International Airport

 

 

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Tour Highlights

Dario

Truly Trulli

Experience the magic of Apulia's
round stone homes, fairy-like
buildings found only here.
Dario

Ancient cave homes

Discover the Sassi of Matera,
a UNESCO World Heritage Site with
centuries-old dwellings carved
out of the steep rock cliffs.
Dario

The White Cities

Visit Ostuni and Otranto,
two neighboring white cities
that overlook the turquoise sea.
Dario

Cooking with Gianna

Go from market to kitchen with
Gianna as you make your traditional
Apulian dinner. A tour highlight.
Dario

I bike. You bike. E-bike.

Choose your ride E-Road Bike
or E-Hybrid Bike
Dario

Gentler Landscapes

Bike the softer landscapes of Apulia
among fields and olive groves and sea.

Tour Itinerary

Day 1
Welcome to the Apulia Bike Tour!
Arrival at Bari airport and independent arrangement to get to Matera by taxi, bus, or train. Matera is one of the most fascinating historic centers of Italy with the ancient town carved out of the rock cliffs, known as the Sassi. Enjoy a walking tour of old Matera with our Micheale and Dora. Welcome cocktail in the afternoon and dinner included at our favourite restaurant in town this night. Our hotel is part of the Sassi and is a renovated building carved into the rock. A beautiful beginning to our tour.

0 Miles

B: Included
L: On Your Own
D: Included

 

Day 2
Trulli terrific — explore Alberobell
Enjoy a bike ride through the countryside and into Alberobello, the capital of the trulli houses. These charming round structures with a cone-shaped roof are like fairy tale houses dotting the countryside. In Alberobello they are grouped together and painted white, giving the appearance of champagne bubbles spilling over the hillside. Tonight you will experience the life in the trullo at our farm turned hotel. An enchanting stay.

26 Miles
42 kilometers

B: Included
L: On Your Own
D: On Your Own

 

Day 3
Loop through ancient olive groves and along the sea
This is a relaxing bike ride towards the sea. Pedal through olive groves outlined with dry stone walls. You'll bike through Fasano first followed by Savelletri, a quiet fishing village which is a perfect stop for a cappucino or gelato as you overlook the sea! Cycle back inland and to our trulli hotel.

22 Miles
37 kilometers

B: Included
L: On Your Own
D: On Your Own

 

Day 4
Ostuni: the "white town" on the ocean
Enjoy a bike loop which will take us to Montepulciano, one of the most famous towns of Tuscany. The route will take us through charming villages and wonderful landscapes, along forests and among the typical countryside that makes Tuscany so famous. We’ll visit the wine cellars of one of the oldest wineries in the area, carved into the basement of a noble palace in town. We will enjoy a cooking class this afternoon where we will learn traditional recipes of the area and make our dinner.

26 Miles
43 kilometers

B: Included
L: Included
D: Included

 

Day 5
Lecce loop ride and cooking with Chef Gianna
The bike loop today will take us on a peaceful route near the coast. In the afternoon we will experience a wonderful cooking class with our friend Gianna as we go from shopping at the market to cooking in the kitchen to enjoying at the dinner table!

24 Miles
40 kilometers

B: Included
L: Included
D: Included

 

Day 6
Otranto: The "white city"
A lovely ride along the ocean and onto Otranto, a beautiful town that hovers above the ocean. Originally a Greek city, it is the most prominent location on the coast and therefore became an important Roman port to reach the East. And, because of its location it was a much desired port by other kingdoms. It was a signficant political, cultural, and trading center. The ride will pass through little lovely villages giving you an opportunity to experience the local life and people. Views all along the route!

19 Miles
31 kilometers

B: Included
L: On Your Own
D: On Your Own

 

Day 7
Beach loop ride
The Salento coast is characterized by a variety of landscapes: clear, fine sand beaches and beautiful grottos. Take a break at one of the beaches before biking back through the seaside villages of Porto Badisco and Santa Cesarea, then through the countryside and back to the hotel. Once back in Otranto, consider a visit to the Cathedral of Otranto, a Romanesque-style church, which was consecrated in 1088. It is beautifully adorned with mosaic floors depicting months and zodiacs as well as biblical stories. The Church of San Pietro is adorned with impressive Byzantine frescos. Tonight we celebrate the end of our tour together.

34 Miles
57 kilometers

B: Included
L: On Your Own
D: Group

 

 

Pricing

Additional options

  • Single room supplement — $530
Included
  • Seven nights in double rooms
  • Seven breakfasts and four dinner (D2, D5, D7)
  • Guided tour of Matera
  • Guided tour of Lecce
  • 1 Cooking class
  • Baggage transportation between hotels
  • Detailed route information and maps
  • Hybrid bike rental
  • Van support
Not included
  • Admission to museums and archaeological sites
  • Tickets for trains or any public transportation
  • Wine or beverages
  • Airfare
  • Transfers to the starting point or from the finishing point unless specified; we can assist you in planning and arranging for any necessary shuttles
  • Transport of bike case (for guests who bring their own bike)
  • Personal expenses (laundry, personal supplies, phone calls, etc.)
  • Gratuity

Payment Options: credit card; wire transfer

 

Tour Hotels

Siciclando carefully chooses every aspect of a tour, including the accommodations.

Our choices are based on comfort and quality. We often choose hotels that are family-owned and operated because they provide a richer experience and because it is important to us to support the efforts of these individuals. We have developed relationships with many wonderful hotel operators. Here is a sample of the hotels on this tour for the "guided" version (please, ask us the hotel list for the "self guided" version which, due to the logistic, may be different).

Tour accommodations will be based on availability and the time of year. Once you have made your final payment for the tour, we will send you a confirmation letter that includes daily accommodations and contact information.

Feedback From Apulia

Testimonial
A wonderful tour! I feel that our lodging was very carefully selected to put us in the most interesting places and at great locations within the towns. The routes were terrific, lots of great roads and good variety of sights. We had so much fun at the cooking class!
Betty, Custom Tour
Testimonial
We thoroughly enjoyed our biking in Puglia! The Siciclando experience was magnificent! We loved everything about it - the places we visited, the accommodations, the food, the biking and most of all the great support we received from Roberta. Grazie -Thank you so much.
Zena, Custom Tour
Testimonial
We loved this tour! It exceeded all expectations. Two highlights were the walking tour of Matera and the wonderful cooking class/evening with Gianna and Giorgio in Lecce. A once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Margo & Glenn, Self-Guided Family Tour