The Perfect Puglia Road Trip Itinerary – 5 Days In The South Of Italy

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The south of Italy, also known as the heel of Italy’s booth has become more and more popular in the last couple of years. And a couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of discovering this region myself for the very first time.

I am absolutely in love with everything that Italy has to offer. From its incredible mountain ranges in the North to its coastline villages and cities filled with history and beautiful architecture. Italy truly is a country that has something for every kind of traveler.

Not to mention the delicious food and especially in the south of Italy you don’t have to break the bank to indulge in a finger licking good meal. And Aperol Spritz at only €5 per glass? That’s something I don’t say no to! Especially since in Belgium you pretty much pay double or sometimes even more!

But you’ve come here not to hear me gushing about everything that Italy has to offer. You’re here because you’re looking for a really good itinerary for Puglia. Well without further ado lets dive into it!

In this article you’ll find a handy day to day itinerary for your holiday in Puglia. As well as recommendations on where to eat, where to sleep and how to get around this area in Italy.

If you follow this itinerary you’ll be able to see the most beautiful places in Puglia and you’ll still have plenty of down time to relax.

The Perfect Puglia Road Trip Itinerary – 5 Days In The South Of Italy

It truly is no surprise that Puglia has become one of the trending destinations to visit in Italy. There are so many incredible places to visit and no matter what type of traveler you are, Puglia will have something for you.

Wether you’re a history buff who can’t get enough of visiting stunning churches or a bon vivant who loves to discover unique restaurants, this article will give you some incredible ideas to plan the perfect Puglia itinerary.

How to get around Puglia

The best way to get around Puglia is to simply rent a car.

🚘 I always use SunnyCars when booking a rental car cause their company policy makes me feel the most at ease.

There’s never any hidden costs with them and free cancellation up to 1 hour before rental start. Their price is transparent and everything is included. So no worries about any extra costs when you pick up your rental. You won’t need any extra insurance cause its all covered in the original price.

💡 TIP – The following parking rules in Italy are a must to know if you don’t want to risk getting fined:

• Blue lines: You can park your car here but need to pay.
• White lines: Free parking where you’re allowed to park.
• Yellow lines: Only locals can park here.

Where to stay in Puglia as a base

We stayed in the beautiful town of Monopoli and we would make the same decision all over. It’s the perfect place to stay when visiting other places in Puglia. In the early morning you can wander through the beautiful streets and in the evening the centro storico comes alive and you’ll be in for a gastronomical treat.

We stayed at a unique boutique hotel called Le Contrade di San Salvatore. We loved its location right by the waterfront and that it was situated in the heart of the centro storico and only 5 minutes walking from a public parking.

Other hotels you might like in Monopoli:

• Borgo Albergo 35 Relax & Spa: Built in an ancient building these rooms offer a unique and romantic experience.
• Al Chiasso 12 – Another beautiful gem to stay in the heart of Monopoli.

Is Puglia worth visiting?

Puglia is a region in Italy that is definitely worth visiting but there are a couple of things that you should know.

The south of Italy is one of the poorest regions in the country and it does reflect in the newer constructed architecture. While the historic center of every city is authentic and beautiful the surrounding towns or cities that are often not.

Buildings look neglected and for some reason the locals here love throwing out garbage bags from their car. It’s insane how many garbage bags we saw on the side of the road. Both in the cities as along the busier highways.

But the smaller and winding roads that lead into the Val d’Itria are beautiful and surrounded by a lot of olive trees and trulli’s.

So if you’re heading to this region and you’re expecting beautiful scenery all day, every day, you just have to lower your expectations a little.

But the historic centers are incredibly stunning and definitely worth a visit!

The best time to visit Puglia

Puglia is located in the south of Italy and the big advantage to this is that the weather is still nice during shoulder season.

So while the most popular months to visit Italy are July and August, these will also be the busiest months. Not to mention that the temperature can become grueling hot during the day.

Instead I love exploring during shoulder season and for Puglia that means May and October. The temperature is already good thanks to its Mediterranean climate, hotel prices are lower and places are also a lot less busier.

But a little earlier or later in the year might be tricky because a lot of the bars and restaurants thrive on tourism. So a lot less tourists also mean that they can close for the season.

The Perfect Puglia Road Trip Itinerary

Day 1 of your Puglia itinerary – Arrival, pick up your rental car and drive to Monopoli

To reach Puglia you can either fly into Bari or Brindisi. We took the first option cause Bari was the best option to make the most of our itinerary.

After landing we made our way to the car rental station located in the airport to pick up our rental car.

🚘 Every single time that I need to book a rental car I choose SunnyCars to do so. There’s never any hidden costs with them and free cancellation up to 1 hour before rental start. Their price is transparent and everything is included. So no worries about any extra costs when you pick up your rental. You won’t need any extra insurance cause its all covered in the original price.

The town of Monopoli is about 1.5 hour driving from Bari and the route is very easy and straight forward.

🚘 PARKING – Park you car here and you’ll only be 5 minutes walking from the centro storico.

🍸 DRINKS – Grab an Aperol Spritz at Vini e Panini. 

🥘 DINNER – If you’re too tired after an entire day of traveling you can grab a pizza slice or two at Maninpasta. But if you want to sit down for a full meal go to Osteria Perricci.

Day 2 of your Puglia itinerary – Monopoli, San Vito, Polignano al Mare & Ostuni

You might think: “Wait, I have to visit all of these places in a single day?” Well yes, since the best thing to do in Puglia is simply to stroll around the centro storico’s of the towns.

Start your day at sunrise to wander through Monopoli’s historic centre and stroll along the lungomare while the sun is rising

Monopoli

Time needed in Monopoli – 2 to 3 hours

The top places to see in Monopoli:

• The Monopoli Cathedral – Open from 8am until 12pm and from 4pm until 8pm
• Porto Antico
• Lungomare
• Chiesa di Santa Teresa
• Via San Vito

Grab breakfast at The King Street Food and try their salmon avocado sandwich or pancakes with white chocolate. This is actually the perfect place to start your day every single morning.

📖 CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT ALL THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN MONOPOLI.

San Vito

San Vito is still a hidden gem in Puglia and only 20 minutes driving from Monopoli.

Time needed in San Vito– 30 minutes max

🚘 PARKING – There are free parking spots when you drive down the road to San Vito.

Polignano al Mare

Polignano al Mare is at the top of everyone’s list when visiting Puglia but I honestly didn’t get the hype. The entire town felt overly touristic and a lot of construction was going on all over the place.

Time needed in Polignano al Mare – 1 to 2 hours

The top places to see in Polignano al Mare:

• Mirador al Bastion
• Palazzo dell’Orologio
• Arco Marchesale
• Centro Storico
• Lungomare

🚘 PARKING – We parked our car right outside of the town at a free public parking.

Ostuni

The city of Ostuni can be spotted from far away. Towering over the Valle d’Itria it is known as the ‘White City’ (La Città Bianca in Italian) thanks to the white painted old town which crowns the very top of the city.

Time needed in Ostuni – 3 hours

The top places to see in Ostuni:

• Centro Storico
• Cathedrale Santa Maria Assunta
• Arco Scoppa
• Colonna di Sant’Oronzo

🚘 PARKING – There’s a decent parking lot at via Specchia.

🥘 DINNER – Grab an Aperol Spritz and charcuterie board at Borgo Antico to enjoy one of the best views from Ostuni. This is also a perfect place to watch the sunset.

Day 3 of your Puglia itinerary – Alberobello, Martina Franca, Locorotondo & Cisternino

Today it’s all about exploring the area of the Val d’Itria and the beautiful villages that are scattered around here.

Alberobello

Alberobello should be the first place that you visit this day since it only gets more crowded as the day goes by. From 9am tourist busses start to arrive and the experience will be a lot less enjoyable.

Time needed in Alberobello– 1 hour

Top places to see in Alberobello:

• Rione Monti
• Rione Aia Piccola
• Church of Saint Anthony of Padua

🚘 PARKING – There are plenty of parking lots where you can leave your rental car.

Martina Franca

Martina Franca is another hidden gem in Puglia. Here you’ll find the whitewashed alleys, laundry drying in the breeze, cats napping in sun-drenched streets and the chatter of TVs and families reaching you from the open windows of the local homes.

Time needed in Martina Franca – 2 hours

Top places to visit in Martina Franca:

• Basilica di San Martino
• Palazzo Ducale
• Centro Storico
• Torre dell’Orologio
• Porta di Santo Stefano

🚘 PARKING – There’s a lot of hustle and bustle going on around the centro storico of Martina Franca. We got a little lucky here and found a parking spot after driving around for a little while. You’ll notice that a lot of Italians truly don’t give a damn when parking their car.

Locorotondo

Locorotondo, known for being among a “Borghi più belli d’Italia” (which means one of the most beautiful villages in Italy), is one of the best places to visit in Puglia.

Time needed in Locorotondo – 2 to 3 hours

Top places to visit in Locorotondo:

• Belvedere di Locorotondo
• Palazzo Morelli
• Church of Saint George Martyr
• Porta Napoli
• Centro Storico

🍸 DRINKS – Do a wine tasting at Vini & Affini or simply sit down on their terrace and enjoy a glass of red wine. You can also order some bites to eat here.

🚘 PARKING – We parked our rental car in one of the main streets of Locorotondo.

Cisternino

Cisternino is one of the smaller towns in Puglia and just like its sister towns it boasts a small, utterly charming old town centre that has remained virtually intact for centuries.

Time needed in Cisternino – 1 hour

Top places to visit in Cisternino:

• Centro Storico
• Chiesa Madre Parrocchia S.Nicola – di Patara

🚘 PARKING – The centro storico is pretty much surrounded by streets where you can park your car. Just make sure you only park within the blue or white lines.

🥘 DINNER – Drive back to Monopoli and have dinner at one of the absolute best fish restaurants. Have dinner at La Locanda sul Porto and order their Locanda Mixed Appetizers. You’ll thank me later!

Day 4 of your Puglia itinerary – Gravina in Puglia & Matera

Gravina in Puglia

Gravina in Puglia is one of those places in Apulia that always gets overlooked! But that might change soon since it just got featured in the latest James Bond movie ‘No time to die’.

Time needed in Gravina in Puglia – 1 hour

Top places to visit in Gravina in Puglia:

• Ponte Acquedotto sul torrente Gravina
• Parco Archeologico Madonna Della Stella
• Santa Maria del Chiancone

🚘 PARKING – You’ll have to park your car in one of the streets leading up to the bridge.

Matera

Matera is one of those places that’s so gorgeous and totally unique and definitely fits the list of one of the most beautiful places to visit in Italy.

There’s a ton of things to do in Matera but make sure that you have plenty of time to walk around the old part, the sassi of Matera. Make sure you’re wearing proper shoes cause you’ll be doing a lot of stairs and the old cobblestones are very slippery.

Time needed in Matera – 5 hours

Top places to visit in Matera:

• Chiesa di Santa Maria di Idris
• Sassi di Matera
• Chiesa rupestre di San Giuliano o Madonna delle Grazie
• Casa Grotta nei Sassi di Matera
• Cattedrale di Maria Santissima della Bruna e Sant’Eustachio
• Palombaro lungo
• Piazza Vittorio Veneto

🚘 PARKING – There’s a guarded parking at Via Lucana and it’s only 2 minutes walking until you reach the sassi of Matera.

🍸 DRINKS – Have afternoon drinks at M.B.

🥘 DINNER – Grab dinner at Le Bubbole

Day 5 of your Puglia itinerary – Bari & Departure

Our flight left late in the afternoon which gave us enough time to indulge in breakfast one last time and then head to Bari to explore its old town. From the center of Bari it’s 30 minutes driving to the Bari airport.

But if you’re a little short on time I recommend to skip Bari and instead spent some more time wandering through the streets of Monopoli.

Bari

Bari is the capital city of Puglia region and a charming Italian port city. Although its centro storico is beautiful it can also get very crowded during the day. Especially since the town of Bari is a stopping port for a lot of cruise ships.

Time needed in Bari– 2 hours

Top places to visit in Bari:

• Bari Cathedral
• Piazza Mercantile
• Lungomare
• Centro Storico
• Basilica San Nicola

🚘 PARKING – Try to park in the area of the above mentioned restaurant. From there its only 10 minutes walking until you reach Bari Vecchia.

🥘 LUNCH – Grab lunch at Ristorante Del Centro, far away from all the tourist traps and where all of the locals go. Plus its ‘s in the same street where you’ve parked your car.

✈️ Afterwards it’s time to drive back to Bari Airport, drop of your rental car and catch your flight back home.

🚘 I always use SunnyCars when booking a rental car cause their company policy makes me feel the most at ease.

Charlotte

Charlotte Lint is the founder of Charlies Wanderings.
Charlotte has traveled all over the world and is based in Belgium where she also owns her very own dental practice.
She is an expert on writing efficient travel guides and finding unique places to stay.
Every month she helps over 134.000 people discover the most beautiful places in the world through her detailed travel guides.