DESTINATION

ITINERARY:

Day 1- OCTOBER 16, 2023: Depart the U.S. on an overnight flight to France.

Day 2 – OCTOBER 17, 2023: Bari Arrive at Bari airport and meet your local tour manager who will be with you throughout the tour. Puglia is one of Italy’s hidden treasures and a region of beautiful beaches, lovely towns, Baroque architecture, and delicious cuisine. After check in at Hotel Bianco Riccio in the small fishing village of Savelletri di Fasano, where you will stay throughout your stay in Puglia, enjoy a walk with your tour manager to see the town which is famous for its unique, conical-roofed houses called Trulli. The Welcome Dinner is at or near the hotel. (Dinner)

Day 3 - OCTOBER 18, 2023: Ostuni After breakfast depart for Ostuni known as the white capital. It one of the most stunning towns in Southern Italy and is located in three hills at the edge of Le Murge, a low limestone plateau. The center of the old town has whitewashed houses with dramatic views of the sea. Lunch is at a local restaurant. After lunch travel to a masseria, a large olive farm with ancient olive trees that produce the best quality extra virgin olive oil and an amazing underground olive mill which dates to Roman times. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 4 - OCTOBER 19, 2023: Lecce After breakfast visit Lecce, known as the “Florence of the South” because of its wealth of art. Take a walking tour of the historical center of Lecce to see the beautiful Baroque monuments. Visit the Basilica di Santa Croce and the Duomo in one of the loveliest piazzas in Italy. Enjoy free time for lunch and shopping before returning to the hotel for a free evening. (Breakfast)

Day 5 - OCTOBER 20, 2023: Alberobello After breakfast discover the Trulli Valley and Alberobello, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its stunning, unique houses with conical roofs. Enjoy lunch at local farm house. In the afternoon explore Martina Franca which overlooks the land of Trulli. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 6 - OCTOBER 21, 2023: Matera After breakfast depart for Matera, a UNESCO Heritage Site and home of the cave dwellings called the “Sassi”. For millennia people of this area carved dwellings directly into ravines and gullies made of tufa, a characteristic honey-colored soft stone. Today the area still evokes ancient times. It was the backdrop for Mel Gibson’s film, “Passion of the Christ”. The guided tour will include a Rupestrian Church and a Cave House to see the typical layout of an inhabited cave, as they would have been until being deserted in the 1950s. The furnishings and design are all very standard, and it is both impressive to see how families adapted to these restrictive living conditions. Enjoy free time and return to the hotel for a free evening. (Breakfast)

Day 7 - OCTOBER 22, 2023: Trani After breakfast visit a farm which produces delicious dairy products, including mozzarella, burrata, and ricotta. Enjoy a demonstration of cheese making and also learn how to make orecchiette pasta, the traditional pasta of the region. Lunch will follow at the farm. After lunch visit the pretty fishing town of Trani, called the pearl of the Adriatic Sea and a city known for its 19th century architecture and Medieval art. The visit continues to the castle and to the magnificent cathedral which is one of the most beautiful Romanesque cathedrals in Pugila. Return to the hotel for a free evening. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 8 - OCTOBER 23, 2023: Bari After breakfast visit Bari, the capital of Puglia, with its elegant waterfront and streets and boulevards adorned with elegant, refined buildings. Enjoy a tour of the Basilica of San Nicola that houses the relics of Saint Nicholas. Next visit the Norman Castle, Piazza Ferrarese e Mercantile, and the historic center. Enjoy leisure time in Bari to explore the old town or shop in modern Bari. The Farewell Dinner is at a local restaurant (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 9 - OCTOBER 24, 2023: After breakfast depart for the U.S. or continue on to Rome. (Breakfast)


Included features:
• Round-trip air transportation from Philadelphia (PHL) to Italy. Fuel surcharges and air taxes are included (valid at time of printing).
• First class hotel accommodations for 7 nights, staying in 4* Hotel Bianco Riccio or similar
• Hotel taxes, city taxes and service charges are included.
• Buffet breakfast daily, 3 lunches and 2 dinners, including mineral water and wine
• Visit to Oil Mill, Cheese farm
• Sightseeing and guided tours as indicated on itinerary
• English speaking local tour manager throughout tour
• Deluxe touring coach for all transfers, tours, excursions
• Headphones on guided tours
• Baggage handling at hotels, one piece per person
• Entrance fees as per program
• Tipping for Tour Manager and Coach Driver

OPTIONAL PRE-TRIP TO SARDINIA
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean, characterized by a jagged and rocky coastline, interspersed with stunning beaches. The Sardinian coast is a popular tourist destination, but the interior is where one finds native Sardinians who still hold onto their customs, food, and unique language (a form of classical Latin that is considered the official language).

Day 1: - OCTOBER 12, 2023: Depart the U.S. for Italy.

Day 2 - OCTOBER 13, 2023: Sardinia - Alghero After a connecting flight in Rome arrive at Alghero airport and meet your JetVacations tour manager who will be with you while you are in Sardinia. After time to unpack and relax at your hotel in Alghero, enjoy a walking tour of this lovely town which reflects the Spanish region of Catalonia since it once part of the Kingdom of Aragon. The local residents still speak a Spanish dialect. Many of the older buildings are in a Catalan Gothic style reminiscent of Barcelona. See the harbor, the Cathedral Santa Maria, and the Piazza Ginasio in the heart of the old town. Enjoy a lovely sunset from the Catalan walls by the sea. The Welcome Dinner is at a local osteria where you can enjoy the traditional Algherese paella. (Dinner)

Day 3 - OCTOBER 14, 2023: Alghero After breakfast depart for a scenic drive to Capo Caccia, a beautiful promontory for a great view on the Mediterranean Sea. It is home to an extraordinary nature preserve frequented by large birds of prey. It is also renowned for a labyrinth of caves including the Grotta di Nettuno which you will explore by boat. Next visit the archeological site Nuraghe Palmavera where you will learn the history and significance of these remarkable, unique remains dating from 1300-1200 B.C. Enjoy a very traditional Sardinian lunch at a local farm house. Even though Sardinia is surrounded by the sea, its cuisine is more influenced by the land than the sea since the Sardinian coast communities saw frequent invaders and the people found refuge in the mountains. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 4 - OCTOBER 15, 2023: Alghero After breakfast travel to the Carthaginian town of Bosa, south of Alghero and reached by a stunning, windy road that follows the coast past unforgettable seascapes and landscapes. Bosa is in a beautiful valley along a tranquil, palm-lined river. Enjoy lunch on your own in old town. In the afternoon travel to the Nuraghi Valley, a region rich in pre-historic Bronze Age and historic Medieval monuments. Travel through typical Sardinian landscapes, hills and plateau's formed by volcanic activity where agriculture is still the main occupation. Visit the archeological site of Tamuli with its six menhirs, three interpreted as having female breasts symbolizing fertility. There are also the remains of three Tombe di Giganti, the large Nuraghe and a number of huts, probably of more recent date built as sheds for the shepherds. Return to Alghero for a free evening. (Breakfast)

Day 5 - OCTOBER 16, 2023: DEPARTURE: After breakfast transfer to Cagliari in south Sardinia. It is the capital city of Sardinia located on the Angels Gulf. Visit Cagliari Castello, the historic center of the city, and the great Pisan-Romanesque Duomo di Cagliari with the Medieval tower which is a symbol of the ancient city. Enjoy a traditional lunch and free time in the afternoon leisure before boarding the night ferry from Cagliari to Naples where you will arrive the following morning. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 6 - OCTOBER 17, 2023: Naples and Puglia Upon arrival, you will be met by our local tour manager who will be assisting you for your transfer to Puglia. Welcome to Puglia one of Italy’s hidden treasures. After check in at your hotel enjoy an orientation tour followed by the Welcome Dinner (Dinner)

Sardinia Pre-Tour Includes:
• R/T airfare from USA incl all airline and government surcharges
• Professional Tour Manager throughout the tour
• Deluxe touring coach for all transfers, tours, and excursions
• 3 nights first class hotel in Alghero with buffet breakfast daily Hotel Catalugna or similar.
• 1 night ferry Cagliari – Naples. Cabins with private facilities
• Meals as per program: two lunches, one dinner (1/2 mineral water. ¼ wine per person)
• Guided Tours and entrance fees as per program. Headsets on guided tours (over 15 pax)
• All VAT and local service taxes including City tax
• Baggage handling at hotel for one piece of luggage per person
• Tipping for Tour Manager and Coach Driver